Kim Young-won (Harim, 18) defeated Hecker (44), a player who once served as his mentor, to advance to the round of 16.
At the 2026-2027 season's third-tour SY Championship PBA round of 32, held Friday at the PBA Stadium in Kintex, Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Kim beat Hecker by a set score of 3-1 (15-10, 11-15, 15-2, 15-10).
The matchup drew considerable attention. Kim, now one of the top players in the PBA, received guidance from Hecker when he first took up billiards. After winning the World Championship in March, Kim publicly expressed his gratitude, saying Hecker "always played alongside me at the billiards hall and helped me through difficult moments."
Close as the two are off the table, competition left no room for sentiment. With the set score tied at 1-1, Kim seized control in the third set by scoring five points in the second inning and seven in the third, winning 15-2 in five innings. He held off a comeback attempt in the fourth set to close out the match 15-10. After the final ball, the two players embraced and exchanged words of encouragement.
In the round of 16, Kim faces a teammate: Nguyen Phuong Linh (Vietnam, Harim), who has been in sharp form throughout the tournament. Nguyen posted an average of 4.091 in the round of 64, then swept Lee Ho-young 3-0 in the round of 32 with an average of 3.462.
Choi Sung-won, known for his competitive instincts, defeated Kim Nam-su 3-1 to reach the last 16, while season-opener champion Jo Geon-hwi edged Jan Çapak (Turkey) 3-2 to join him. Shin Jeong-ju swept Kim Ki-hyeok 3-0. Semih Sayginer (Turkey), David Zapata (Spain) and Murat Naci Çoklu (Turkey) also punched their tickets to the round of 16.
In the LPBA quarterfinals held the same day, Kim Min-a, Kang Yu-jin, Park Jeong-hyeon and Han Seul-gi advanced to the semifinals.
Day seven of the tournament on Sunday features the PBA round of 16 and the LPBA semifinals.
yjc@heraldcorp.com
