Kim reaches final for fourth time, still chasing maiden crown
Im returns to championship stage for first time in nearly three years
Kim Bo-mi of NH Nonghyup Card, seeking her first LPBA title, will face Im Jeong-suk of Crown Haitai in the women's professional billiards final. Im is chasing her sixth career title.
Kim advanced Saturday at KINTEX PBA Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, defeating Lee Seon-young 3-0 (11-3, 11-7, 11-10) in the semifinals of the 2026-2027 season Tour 5 "Jigeum Jal Saneun Bangbeop ZGM NH Nonghyup Card PBA-LPBA Championship." Reaching the final for the fourth time in her career, Kim again has a chance to claim her long-awaited first title.
Kim seized control from the opening inning of the first set, scoring five points on a single run. She added four more in the third inning to take the set 11-3, then rallied from 4-7 down in the second set to win 11-7. The third set proved the most dramatic: Kim fell behind 5-10 before her opponent's scoring stalled. She steadily accumulated points from the 13th inning onward, completing a comeback to win 11-10 and secure her place in the final.
Im Jeong-suk, her opponent in the final, eliminated Lee Mi-rae 3-1 (11-7, 11-9, 10-11, 11-5) in the other semifinal. Im took the first two sets in succession, dropped the third, then closed out the match with an 11-5 win in the fourth.
Im is one of the sport's early dominant figures, having won three titles in the LPBA's inaugural season alone. Sitting on five career victories, she returned to the final for the first time in two years and eight months since the Welcome Savings Bank Welbank Championship in Tour 8 of the 2023-2024 season. She had suffered first-round exits in each of her previous three tournaments but shook off that slump to reach Sunday's decider.
The final begins Sunday at 10 p.m. in a best-of-seven format. The winner's prize is 40 million won ($30,200). For Kim, it is a chance to fulfill her career-long ambition of a first title; for Im, it is a stage to claim a sixth career crown and prove she remains a force in the sport.
Meanwhile, in the men's PBA round of 16, title favorites Kang Dong-gung and Kim Yeong-won both fell. Kang lost 0-3 to Jo Geon-hwi, while Kim dropped a 1-3 decision to Lee Sang-dae.
Also advancing to the quarterfinals were David Martinez of Spain, Lee Chung-bok, Antonio Montes of Spain, Lee Seung-jin, Kim Nam-su and Jan Chapak of Turkey.
yjc@heraldcorp.com
