Saturday, June 18th, 2022 – Ko Ping Chung and Ko Pin Yi of Chinese Taipei have made it through two tough, gut-wrenching hill-hill-thrillers to reach this point, and they've done it with impressive defensive shots, and lockup safeties. I watched the end of their quarter finals match with the Netherlands, where the Ko brothers put the KO punch on the Netherlands with skilled safety play and an all clutch finish to enter the semifinals and finals tomorrow, as we enter the final days of the World Cup. Incredible, tenacious play got them through two back to back double hill matches. The first one, also great defensive shots and strategy won the day against Greece. Ping Chung and Pin Yi are showing how cerebral play so often wins the day. That's a high pool IQ.
Then, on the converse side, we have seen team USA easily dispatching all their opponents thus far. Beginning their march towards the finals with a 7-1 thumping of team Canada; then, USA put the heat down on Poland 7-2. Next up, team Switzerland on the chopping block. That's my prediction at any rate. But perhaps Switzerland will win. USA appears to be firing on all cylinders however: a well oiled machine.
Also on cruise control, David Alcaide and Francisco Sanchez Ruiz of Spain have been putting up beat downs on their way up the bracket ladder – putting the beat down 7-1 on Australia to start; then, smacking down Albania 7-1. Highlighting the fact that they have shown to be a dominant force to be reckoned with for teams unfortunate enough to find themselves pitted against the best of the best.
Furthermore, Singapore, with my friend Aloysius Yapp leading the way, began with a 7-3 opener against Qatar, then came through the hill-hill decider against Kuwait, with Omar Al Shaheen falling on his own blade in the exchange – metaphorically of course: Singapore winning the too-close-for-comfort contest, this time 7-6. Then Singapore beat Finland's Mika Immonen and partner 9-6 to make it to the Semi-finals where they will face the winner of USA and Switzerland, for which, I have selected USA to push through; we will see.
To continue: We have a strong team with Dimitri Jungo of Switzerland and his teammate pushing through to the quarter final matchup with Team USA, which appears to be as an unstoppable steamroller – squashing teams like bugs in the wake of their march towards billiards immortality. Can Switzerland overcome the Juggernaut team USA? I don't think so, but again, we will see.
All in all, what a star-studded, megalomaniac of an event! My final predictions, coming towards the end of the event is: Spain to take Great Britain B down in the quarter finals, then fall To Chinese Taipei in a close contest; then, USA to take Switzerland in the quarter finals, to take Singapore in the Semi finals, and then beat Chinese Taipei in the finals for a close event. That's my main two picks, for either USA or Chinese Taipei to take the entire World Cup, as the Ko brothers have been putting up some serious KO's on teams in tough, hill-hill-thrillers, like I've aforementioned.
Play on! Play that!
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