Eklent Kaci, the 6th seed of Albania, said that the misfortune in the 6-11 loss to Patric Gonzales in the round of 16 had shown signs of abnormality.
Kaci wrote on his personal page that the ball in the match kept rolling in the wrong direction and was difficult to control, something that had not happened in the previous three matches.
He suspected that his opponent had used a smoothie, which was often seen in greasy matches, to affect his ability to be miserable. This player believes that if there is evidence, such acts should be severely punished.
Not only Kaci, world No. 2 Aloysius Yapp also expressed skepticism after losing to Jeffrey Ignacio 10-11. He hinted on social media about the possibility of bickering and being intervened. Although it later apologized, Yapp still said that the players are asking the organizers to clearly investigate.
Experts say the act of putting on top balls is strictly prohibited in official tournaments, even though it often appears in non-professional matches. In a professional competition environment, any intervention in the competition ball can create an unfair advantage.
On the Vietnamese side, both Bui Truong An and Duong Quoc Hoang stopped after facing the Philippines. However, Quoc Hoang affirmed that his loss to Roda was fair and there were no signs of cheating. He admitted that he failed due to psychological factors and had not exploited the opportunity well.
