| Fadhil Yunus |
AHMAD Taufiq Murni crashed out of the 2017 Pudong Tangcheng World 9-Ball China Open after slipping to a 11-7 defeat to world number four Cheng Yu Hsuan in the last 32 match at the Pudong Tangzhen Culture and Sports Center in Shanghai, China yesterday.
The country’s top cueist momentarily led 2-1 in the early stages of the match but the Chinese Taipei ace closed out the match to progress to the last 16 and subsequently to the last 4.
Nevertheless, it was a fine effort from Taufiq whose world class opponent boasts fine accomplishment in his pool career having become the first player from Chinese Taipei to win the prestigious US Open title in 2015.
The victory cemented his case as one of the world leading players and this year so far he was ranked 5th in the SBE Players Championship and 9th in the World Pool Masters 2017.
The world number four was also finalist last year having lost to China’s Wu Jiaqing in the final.
Ahmad Taufiq Murni prepares a shot against Cheng Yu Hsuan in the last-32 match in the 2017 Pudong Tangcheng World 9-Ball China Open. – BCSA
Cheng also made a deep run in the World 9-Ball Pool Championship in Doha, Qatar when he reached the semi-finals eventually losing to USA’s Shane Van Boening 11-9.
Taufiq’s series of performances earned acknowledgement from national coach Lim Tat Hwe, but there is still room for adjustments in one of the aspects of his game.
“He (Taufiq) has been doing very well. He just needs to improve his safety play,” Lim told the Sunday Bulletin.
“To improve his safety, he needed more exposure,” the national coach continued.
It was a competitive field with world number three and Jayson Shaw and former European champion Nick Van Der Berg in the opposite side of the round.
Taufiq started the tournament with wins over Chinese pair Kong TeJing and Dang Jin Hun with a 9-5 and 9-8 win, respectively in the preliminary rounds to book his berth in the last 32.
Taufiq’s conqueror also emerged victorious in the last-16 match after downing world number three Jayson Shaw of Scotland 11-9 to earn a ticket in the quarterfinals against Philippines’ Carlo Biado.
Joining Cheng in the last eight were world number two and compatriot Chang Jung-Lin, Ko-Ping Chung as well as two-time world champion Thorsten Hohmann and reigning world champion Albin Ouschan.
Cheng qualified to the semi finals after beating Carlo Biado 11-8 and will play Chang Jung-Lin for a place in the final.
The other semi final will feature an all German affair between Thorsten Hohmann and Joshua Filler.
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