After Chile had beaten Uruguay in a South American derby earlier today, the Republic of Korea also claimed their second straight victory at the President's Cup, defeating Saudi Arabia in an all-Asian encounter. 

Now both Chile and Korea have four points after two matches, while Uruguay and Saudi Arabia have no points. 

President's Cup Group I

Saudi Arabia vs Republic of Korea 23:34 (12:17)

Saudi Arabia opened the score in the second minute, but it was their only lead in the entire match. The Koreans quickly started to show their superiority, opening a 6:3 lead already in the 10th minute.

Their goalkeeper Kim Dong-uk – who was later elected "hummel Player of the Match" – did a good job, while the 28-year-old left wing Jang Dong-hyun was leading by example in attack, scoring both from the 7m line and open play. 

Saudi Arabia tried to fight back but made many mistakes, and Korea slowly increased their advantage, reaching five goals (17:12) at half-time.

Nothing really changed in the second half, as the Koreans continued to entirely dominate on the court. In the end, they enjoyed a 77% shot efficiency compared to Saudi Arabia's 50%, and this difference was reflected in the final result. 

Jang Dong-hyun was particularly efficient, scoring 11 goals from as many attempts. Captain Kang Jeong-gu also did a good job, adding five more goals to the team's tally, and Kim Dong-uk ended the match with 14 saves and a 40% save efficiency. 

Following this match, the situation in Group I is quite straightforward. On Sunday, Chile and the Republic of Korea will fight for the top position in a direct duel, and Korea will continue to fight for the President's Cup even in the event of a draw as they have a better goal difference, +18 against +13. In turn, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay will compete for their first win at Poland/Sweden 2023 – and for third place in the group. 

hummel Player of the Match: Kim Dong-uk (Republic of Korea)