‘JAPAN’S 3-CUSHION POWERHOUSE’ SAKAI WINS WOME’S PROFESSIONAL BILLIARDS TITLE FOUR YEARS AFTER DEBUT

Japanese women’s three-cushion powerhouse Ayako Sakai (Hana Card) has won the Women’s Professional Billiards LBPA title, four years after making her professional debut.Sakai came from behind to defeat Kim Min-ah (NHCard) in the final of the Eswai LPBA Championship with a set score of 4-2 (8-11 11-10 4-11 11-0 11-8 11-6) at the Kintex PBA Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, on Thursday night to win her first title and 30 million won in prize money.Sakai, who made her professional debut in 2019, reached the top in just her 22nd tour event.He is the third Japanese player to win the title, joining Oriie Hida (SK Rent-a-Car) and Natsumi Higashiuchi (Welcome Savings Bank).”When I return to Japan, I want to hug my family and cook delicious rice for them,” said Sakai, who has a husband and two children in Japan and plays in Korea.After dropping the first set, Sakai battled back to take the third set 1-2 before rallying to win the fourth through sixth sets.Sakai had dropped the first set in four consecutive matches from the round of 16 to the final before turning the match around.Meanwhile, the Welbanc Top Ranking, which is awarded to the player with the highest average in a single match of the tournament and is worth KRW 2 million, went to Surong Pheavy (Cambodia-Blue One Resort), who recorded an average of 2.273 against Park Soo Hyang in the round of 64.After the conclusion of the women’s competition, professional billiards will begin the men’s PBA Tour 바카라사이트 Round of 128 on May 5.The final, which carries a first-place prize of 100 million won, will take place at 9 p.m. on Nov. 11.