On the first day of the 3-Cushion Team World Championships in Viersen, Germany, spectators on-site and in the livestream saw each participating team at least once.

In the evening, German time, the first appearance of defending champion Turkey was certainly the focus of interest.

In Group A, Tayfun Tasdemir and Tolgahan Kiraz faced the World Championship newcomers from Argentina and fully lived up to their role as favorites. Two clear victories resulted in a 4:0 win for the Turks, who can now focus on their other group opponents from Spain and Vietnam. The latter two teams drew 2:2 in the parallel game, after Sergio Jimenez initially secured the lead for the Spaniards. However, Quyet Chien Tran equalized shortly after, and in the final stretch, the Vietnamese produced a run of 14 points on the table.

In Group B, the USA managed to take a point from the favorites from South Korea. After 31 innings, Raymon Groot was ahead by the slimmest of margins, with a score of 40:39, while simultaneously Jung Jan Heo was successful for the South Korean duo.

In the second match of this group, Colombia and Greece also drew, leaving the situation largely the same for all teams going into Day 2.

Meanwhile, the Netherlands and France are dominating in the third group. Jean-Paul de Bruijn and Jeffrey Jorissen had no trouble keeping the team from Jordan at bay for the Dutch. In the match between the French and Team Japan, the two singles were a bit more exciting, but Jeremy Bury and Mikael Devogelaere ultimately came out on top.

In Group D, the host Germany has already played two matches. Ronny Lindemann and the 16-year-old Amir Ibraimov first faced Sweden, who had reached the World Championship final against Turkey last year. While Ibraimov suffered a clear defeat against Michael Nilsson, Ronny Lindemann secured a draw for the Germans against Torbjörn Blomdahl.

Meanwhile, Belgium initially won convincingly against Egypt, only to face Sweden in the evening. This time the Scandinavians emerged victorious with a score of 3:1, while Germany and Egypt drew once again. So, there’s guaranteed excitement in the final group matches tomorrow.

Results of Day 1:
Group A:
Turkey – Argentina 4:0
Vietnam – Spain 2:2

Group B:
South Korea – USA 2:2
Colombia – Greece 2:2

Group C:
Netherlands – Jordan 4:0
France – Japan 4:0

Group D:
Belgium – Egypt 4:0
Germany – Sweden 2:2
Egypt – Germany 2:2
Belgium – Sweden 1:3