It started with 12 South Koreans versus 8 Chinese, and ended with a 7-7 tie. Japan took the other two spots. The ‘real competition’ begins with the round of 16 on the 31st. The draw for the round of 16 is filled with top stars from each country going head-to-head.
The favorite, Xin Xinxue, will face Li Xuanhao. It’s his chance to avenge his semifinal loss in the 13th Spring Lantern at the end of 2022. Their head-to-head record is even at 1-1. It’s also a chance to see if Li Xuanhao, who has been dogged by “cheating allegations” since the end of the year, is really good.
Korea’s second-ranked Park Jung-hwan will be facing China’s next-generation spearhead Wang Xinghao for the first time. Shin Min-joon and Kerse will meet again, as if by fate. They met in the final of the 25th edition of the LG Cup, with Shin coming from behind to win 2-1. The Chinese star has yet to win an LG Cup title. The head-to-head record is 6-5 in his favor.
Elsewhere, defending champion Ding Hao will face Han Seung-ju in the quarterfinals. Ahn Sung-joon and Kim Jung-hyun, who made it through the first round, will face strong opponents in Yang Dingxin (China No. 6) and Mi Yuting (China No. 2). South Korea’s third-ranked Byun Sang-il is preparing for his first meeting with Japan’s Wan Shiichi.스포츠토토
The first day’s results can be summarized as South Korea’s sluggishness, China’s strength, and Japan’s dominance. Taiwan, with one player, disappeared from the bracket. Korea and China have the same number of LG Varsity titles with 12 each, while Japan has two and Taiwan has one. The quarterfinals and semifinals of the 300 million won LG Cup will be held in December.