Professional billiards "supernova" 18-year-old Kim Young-won defeated his mentor Hacker, who guided him when he first started playing billiards, to advance to the round of 16.

Kim beat Hacker 3-1 in set score in the round of 32 of the PBA 32 tour for the 2026-2027 season, the Eco-Friendly Building Materials SY PBA-LPBA Championship, held at the Goyang Kintex PBA Stadium in Gyeonggi Province.

The master-and-apprentice showdown, which drew intense attention from billiards fans, unfolded as an uncompromising battle.

Kim won the first set 15-10, but dropped the second set 15-11 after falling behind Hacker's late-game surge.

However, taking control back in the third set by scoring 5 points in the 2nd inning and 7 points in the 3rd inning for a 15-2 landslide victory, Kim wrapped up the match by fending off Hacker's pursuit in the fourth set 15-10.

The two players encouraged each other with a warm embrace.

Kim, having advanced to the round of 16, will clash with his teammate, Vietnam's Nguyen Phuong Linh, for a ticket to the quarterfinals.

Nguyen Phuong Linh, who is showcasing peak form in this tournament, recorded an average of 4.091 in the round of 64, followed by a powerful performance with an average of 3.462 against Lee Ho-young in the round of 32 to secure a 3-0 sweep.

In other matches, Choi Sung-won defeated Kim Nam-su 3-1, and this season's opening round winner Cho Kun-hui edged out Can Capak 3-2.

Strong contenders including Shin Jung-ju, Semih Sayginer, David Zapata, and Murat Naci Coklu also smoothly joined the round of 16.

In the women's professional billiards (LPBA) quarterfinals held concurrently, Kim Min-a defeated Kang Ji-eun 3-1 in set score to secure her spot in the semifinals.

Kim Min-a, eyeing her 5th career victory, will compete for the championship trophy against Kang Yu-jin, Park Jung-hyun, and Han Seul-gi, who are chasing their first titles.

(Photo courtesy of PBA, Yonhap News)