The World Championship Three Cushion National Teams in Viersen, Germany, is now entering its decisive phase. This evening, the four quarterfinals took place, determining the semifinalists for tomorrow.

Two matches stood out for their drama: host nation Germany’s clash with Turkey and the Netherlands’ duel with Korea. Both encounters were decided in the scotch doubles match after reaching a 2-2 tie.

In the Germany-Turkey match, Ronny Lindemann put in a strong performance, keeping Ufuk Kapusiz at bay throughout. He established an early lead and confidently maintained it. Lindemann ultimately secured victory with a convincing 40:20 win, sparking great celebrations among the home crowd.

At the same time, Martin Horn experienced a rollercoaster of emotions against Berkay Karakurt. Horn started well, but Karakurt produced an impressive run of eleven points, taking a 21:13 lead at the break. However, Horn fought back point by point. At 35:35, he narrowly missed key shots. In the final inning, he had the chance to level the match at 40:40, but he fell just short, missing his 39th point and losing 38:40.

As a result, the scotch doubles match became the decider. Played to a distance of 15 points, the Turkish duo took immediate control, scoring small runs and eventually securing a deserved 15:7 victory. Germany’s tournament run ended, leaving the packed Festhalle crowd disappointed.

The quarterfinal between the Netherlands and Korea was just as dramatic. Dutch legend Dick Jaspers had a dream start against Myung Woo Cho, racing to a 14:0 lead. Leading 24:11 at halftime, he stretched his advantage to 38:19. However, he struggled to close out the match, requiring nine innings to score the final two points.

Meanwhile, Jean-Paul de Bruijn was also on track for victory against Jung Han Heo. Leading 23:18 at halftime, he extended his advantage to 32:22. However, Heo responded with a nine-point run and later added another seven points to clinch a 40:33 win.

With the score at 2-2, the scotch doubles match became the decider. At 9:9, the match was evenly balanced, but Jaspers and de Bruijn managed to pull away, securing a 15:11 victory and a place in the semifinals.

Earlier in the evening, defending champions Vietnam faced Mexico, while Belgium took on the USA in the quarterfinals. Vietnam’s Quyet Chien Tran took control early against Javier Vera, opening with an 11-point run. He maintained his lead throughout, while his teammate Phuong Vinh Bao achieved an even more dominant victory against Christian Hernandez. Bao won convincingly with 40:14, and Tran followed with a 40:28 triumph, securing a 4:0 win for Vietnam.

Belgium, meanwhile, took command against the USA after one-third of the match. Both Peter Ceulemans and Roland Forthomme built solid leads against Pedro Piedrabuena and Hugo Patino. Towards the end, both Belgians struggled to complete their wins, but they eventually got there. Ceulemans sealed a 40:21 win for a 2-0 lead, and shortly after, Forthomme added a 40:30 victory, completing the 4:0 sweep.

Earlier in the day, the final group-stage matches were played. Despite losing 1:3 to Japan, Mexico secured first place in Group B ahead of Korea, who could only manage a 2:2 draw against France. In Group A, Germany overtook Turkey by defeating Portugal 3:1, while Turkey failed to beat Colombia, drawing 2:2.

The championship reaches its climax on Sunday. At 11:00 AM, Belgium will face Vietnam in the first semifinal. The second semifinal between Turkey and the Netherlands will follow at 1:00 PM. The final is scheduled for 4:00 PM.

Results of the Day:

Group Stage:
Mexico – Japan 1:3
Korea – France 2:2
Germany – Portugal 3:1
Turkey – Colombia 2:2

Quarterfinals:
Mexico – Vietnam 0:4
Belgium – USA 4:0
Netherlands – Korea 4:2
Germany – Turkey 2:4