The Vietnamese cueist secured the title after an emphatic 50–15 victory over Caudron in the final, which concluded in the early hours of December 22 (local time).

Against one of the most accomplished players in the sport, Quyet Chien adopted a composed and tactical approach, prioritising accuracy and consistency to force his opponent into a largely defensive position.

This marked Quyet Chien’s latest international victory over Caudron, further extending an impressive head-to-head record. The Vietnamese cueist has previously defeated the Belgian star at the Veghel World Cup 2024, the Ho Chi Minh City World Cup semifinals, and the LG Cup final in 2018.

Born in 1968 in Mons, Frédéric Caudron, is a renowned professional billiards player, widely nicknamed “L’Extraterrestre” (“The Extraterrestrial”). He won the UMB World Three-Cushion Championship in 1999, 2013, 2017 and 2025 and was a two-time consecutive winner of the Sang Lee International Open in 2006 and 2007 and a two-time winner of the CEB European Championship in 2002 and 2006. Caudron has claimed 53 national titles in Belgium.

Quyet Chien’s path to the title was far from easy. He overcame a series of elite opponents such as Sameh Sidhom of Egypt, Eddy Merckx of Belgium, and Marco Zanetti of Italy, but also faced major challenges after suffering defeats in the group stage to Martin Horn, and his compatriot Tran Thanh Luc.

Meanwhile, Luc, also left his mark by reaching the semifinals before being eliminated by Caudron.

The Blois 3-Cushion Masters 2025 was held in Blois from December 18 to 21, featuring 24 of the world’s top players. Competitors were divided into four groups and progressed through the group stage, the round of 16 and knockout finals.

The tournament offered a total prize pool of about EUR202,000, with the champion receiving EUR30,000. The event also served as the opening tournament of the UMB World Masters, an international series scheduled to be held across multiple countries in 2026, bringing together the world’s elite three-cushion billiards players.

Vietnamese cueist Tran Quyet Chien advances to World Games semi-finals

VOV.VN - Four-time world champion Tran Quyet Chien of Vietnam on August 12 defeated his longtime opponent Jeremy Bury of France to advance to the semifinals of the 3-cushion carom billiards at the 2025 World Games currently taking place in Chengdu, China.