Billiards player Anh Chien defeated four former world champions in the US.

Not a full-time billiards player, Anh Chien still heroically defeated four former world champions within a few days.

Nguyen Duc Anh Chien's miracle at the Verhoeven Open 2017 - the most exciting 3-cushion Carom tournament on the planet - caused many surprises. Entering the tournament as world number 94,The Quang Tri native beat a series of experts to win the championship.ranked fifth, and is considered by experts as the new "diamond" of the Asian billiards village.

From left to right: Dinh Nai, Quyet Chien, Minh Cam and Anh Chien are all in the Top 16 of the prestigious 3-cushion Carom tournament. Photo: Kozoom.

Born in Quang Tri, Anh Chien followed his family to Da Lat to live since he was young. Billiards is his biggest passion, even if it is just for entertainment. “When I was very young, my uncle bought a billiards table for business. I often asked to play whenever the table was empty, even though I had to put a chair up to reach it. Those are unforgettable memories and I consider it my fate with billiards,” Anh Chien shared with VnExpress.

In his free time, the 1983-born player often visits the billiards club near his house and hangs out with friends in the neighborhood. “Whoever loses has to pay for the hour or buy each other food and drinks. We play for fun, but I rarely lose. I still make sure my studies are taken care of, so my parents consider it my hobby, just like football or playing games. Since I was a child, I really liked to play beautiful and separate balls, which is a necessary condition to play well in 3-cushion carom later on,” he said.

Anh Chien’s billiards hobby was interrupted when he went to Ho Chi Minh City to study at university. Stressful studying and part-time jobs took up all his time. It was not until he graduated at the age of 24 that Anh Chien had the opportunity to play billiards again. He tried to take advantage of his rare free time to play for fun with his colleagues.

Mr. Chien came to billiards as if by fate. Photo: Kozoom.

The opportunity to play professional billiards began to follow Anh Chien in 2009, when his company moved its office near the professional billiards club of player Dang Dinh Tien. There, 3-cushion carom gradually captured Anh Chien's heart. His talent gradually revealed itself, and he had the opportunity to compete with top players in Vietnam such as Dang Dinh Tien and Ma Minh Cam.

Having only practiced 3-cushion carom for a few months, Anh Chien was advised by Minh Cam to participate in the first round of the 2009 national tournament in Nha Trang. Arranging his work and just considering it as a trip, Anh Chien unexpectedly entered the quarter-finals and was selected to participate in the second round, held in Ho Chi Minh City that same year. He continued to be in the Top 8 best players nationwide, including a victory over Duong Anh Vu - a famous and unrivaled player at that time.

For Mr. Chien, taking care of his wife and children is the top priority. Photo: NVCC.

Despite his resounding success in the first tournament, Anh Chien does not devote all his time to billiards. “Right now, my family and business are my top concerns. I only participate in tournaments if I can arrange those things. I also do not set any specific goals. Maybe that is why I have a comfortable mentality to beat the world's top players,” he said about his achievements in defeating Torbjorn Blomdahl, Choi Sung Won, Semih Sayginer and Fredric Caudron - players with a total of nine world championships.

Anh Chien’s most memorable victory came in the round of 16, when he eliminated Blomdahl - who had been on top of the world for many years. He also cannot forget the fifth place match against Caudron - the World Cup stage champion, which took place in Ho Chi Minh City last year.

Success comes to Anh Chien mainly because of scientific training methods. “Billiards is a sport that requires health, a strong spirit and concentration. I really like to compete with stronger opponents, to learn and draw my own lessons,” Anh Chien acknowledged.“For the recent Verhoeven Open, I prepared very carefully mentally and physically.When I arrived in New York, I woke up early every morning to jog, exercise, and have a reasonable diet and sleep schedule. Quyet Chien and I (ranked 8th in the tournament) both signed contracts and played Molinari by Predator cues with the Korean company. That also helped us improve many shortcomings in competition."

Because he did not participate in many tournaments, Anh Chien was not known to many people. But the “rough gem” from the barren land of Quang Tri has now become a “bright diamond”, bringing fame to the 3-cushion carom village of Vietnam as well as the continent in America./.

According to VNE