Three World Cup wins this year — first time in 18 years
'Artist Cho' ushers in a new golden era
World No. 1 Cho Myung-woo of South Korea's national team has claimed the top spot on the world stage once again.
Cho won the 2026 Liège Three-Cushion Billiards World Cup, held in Liège, Belgium, from Aug. 31 to Sept. 6 (local time), capturing his sixth career World Cup title.
His opponent in the final was Dick Jaspers of the Netherlands (world No. 8), the same player Cho had defeated in the Ankara World Cup final in June. Jaspers jumped out to an early lead, posting a high run of 11 in the 11th inning to go ahead 30-21, but Cho responded with a high run of 11 in the 14th inning to overturn the score at 37-34. He added 7 points in the 15th inning to extend his lead to 44-34, then completed 50 points in the 18th inning to close out the match 50-38. His final average was 2.777.
In the semifinals, Cho defeated Bao Phuong Vinh of Vietnam (world No. 11), posting a high run of 21 and an average of 3.333 to win 50-30 in just 15 innings.
The victory marked the second time in three months that Cho had beaten Jaspers in a World Cup final, following his win at the Ankara World Cup. After losing to Jaspers in the 2024 Porto World Cup final, Cho won 50-49 in Ankara earlier this year and followed that up with another victory in Liège, reversing their head-to-head record.
With six career World Cup titles, Cho set a new all-time record for the most wins by an Asian player. He had tied the late Lee Sang-cheon's mark of five at the Ankara World Cup, and this latest triumph gave him sole possession of the record. He also surpassed Marco Zanetti of Italy (five titles) to move into eighth place on the all-time World Cup wins list.
Cho has now won three World Cups this year — in Bogotá, Ankara and Liège — making him the first player to win three or more World Cups in a single year since Dick Jaspers did so in 2008. Ranked No. 1 in the world, Cho has been a cornerstone of the South Korean national team and has consistently delivered strong results on the international stage this year.
Known as "Artist Cho" for his frequent use of unconventional solutions on the table, Cho's next target is the world championship. He is set to compete at the 78th Three-Cushion Billiards World Championship, to be held in Blois, France, from Sept. 23 to Sept. 27, having reached the podium in three consecutive years, including a title in 2024.
Meanwhile, Cho is scheduled to return home after the Liège World Cup, arriving at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport at 11:20 a.m. Tuesday (Korean Standard Time). A welcome ceremony will be held at the airport.
yjc@heraldcorp.com
