Daniel Sanchez of Spain, the reigning PBA Player of the Year, has suffered another round-of-128 elimination.
On Wednesday, at the PBA Stadium in Kintex, Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Sanchez was swept 0-3 in sets by Im Dong-eun on the second day of the round-of-128 stage at the SY Championship, the third tour event of the 2026-2027 PBA season.
Im entered the tournament on a wild card. The defeat stung further because Sanchez led in the early and middle portions of all three sets, only to be overtaken in the closing stages of each.
Sanchez claimed the PBA Player of the Year award last season after posting two wins and three runner-up finishes, but he has struggled this season. He lost 0-3 to billiards influencer Hacker in the round of 128 at the season opener, the Woori Financial Capital Championship. He advanced to the round of 16 at the second tour event, the High1 Resort Championship, but fell in his opening match again at this week's tournament.
Kim Young-won, winner of the second tour event, swept Kim Dong-moon 3-0. Choi Sung-won also cruised past Jang Byeong-dae 3-0, while Kim Jun-tae turned back Kim Jeong-ho 3-1.
In the LPBA round of 32 held the same day, Kang Ji-eun swept Choi Ji-min 3-0. Kim Se-yeon and Kim Ye-eun each advanced in tiebreakers, defeating Yoon Gyeong-nam and Kim Jin-a of Hana Card, respectively. Jo Ye-eun, who beat Sruong Pheavy of Cambodia in the round of 64, then defeated Jeon Ji-yeon in the round of 32 to reach the round of 16 for the first time in her career.
On Thursday, the fifth day of the tournament, the PBA round of 64 and the LPBA round of 16 are scheduled.
yjc@heraldcorp.com
