Carom
ANDERNOS - What were the sportive highlights in billiards and in general in the year of 2013, through the eyes of top players and talents all over the world? The best tournaments, performances, the records, the personalities and the greatest sports moments. Who were the top three players of the year and the big talents?
And what are their wishes for the new year in billiards and in general?
Kozoom made a tour along men and lady players and talents in three cushion for a flashback and a look into the near future.
Thank you all and on behalf of Kozoom, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year.
The interviews and flashbacks in three parts:
Part 1:
KOZOOM/Frits Bakker: What was your best or most wonderful moment this year in billiards?
Frédéric Caudron: ,,The World championship in Antwerp, being the winner in a wonderful atmosphere in my own country.''
Marco Zanetti: ,,My win at the European championship in Brandenburg with the historic semi final against Caudron and my record general average of 2.500.''
Torbjörn Blomdahl: ,,There's no doubt at all: the world record average I played at the Peloponnese World Cup was my greatest moment by far.''
Eddy Merckx: ,,Very recent, of course, winning the World Cup in Hurghada after not being in danger for one moment.''
Kyung-Roul Kim: ,,My performance in the Guri World Cup.''
Dick Jaspers: ,,I think it was the title with Raimond Burgman at the European championship for national teams, but individual titles are much more important for me.''
Ruben Legazpi: ,,My best moment was in the World Cup in Greece, especially when I beat Zanetti and advanced for the final.''
Tayfun Tasdemir: ,,Playing the final of the World Cup in Hurghada was really my finest moment.''
Jérémy Bury: ,,The 1/8 final in the Gury World Cup (Korea) when I made a run of 24 to end the game against Filippos Kasidokostas (40-12 in 13 innings). I felt so relaxed at this moment. A pity that I had to stop my run. I really like to play in Korea: I feel good there.''
Eddy Leppens: ,,The final I played in the Superprestige in Lommel and the semifinal at the World Cup in Medellin.''
Dani Sánchez: ,,The Spanish championship in which I scored a Spanish record average, 2.222.''
Lütfi Cenet: ,,My best performance this year when I won against Thorbjörn in Egypt.'''
Pierre Soumagne: ,,Not one moment in particular, but all the games we won with my Laxou team in France were wonderful moments.''
Murat Naci Coklu: ,,My most wonderful moment was when we took the European team title in the Agipi arena with Bahcelievler Sport Club after a battle with the unbeatable Agipi team.''
Sameh Sidhom: ,,Reaching the quarter finals in the World Games by a win over Carlos Campino.''
Therese Klompenhouwer: ,,Playing two times 25 points in 10 innings, in Verhoeven Open, New York and Dutch championship women.''
Martin Horn: ,,Winning the German Masters with two average, Austrian champion with my team in Vienna and qualify for the finals in Coupe d'Europe with my French team Laxou.''
Dong Koong Kang: ,,The Guri World Cup final of course, I will never forget that moment. This glorious moment came much earlier than I expected. I still have to learn a lot.''
Natsumi Higashiuchi: ,,My tournaments oversea: in Belgium and New York.''
Nikos Polychronopoulos: ,,The title at the Greek championship.''
Murat Tüzül: ,,When I won the tournament Atatürk Cup in Kocaeli with 1.740 average.''
Glenn Hofman: ,,The World Games in Cali and most of all my third place there.''
Daniel Campos Duarte: ,,To see the magic game of Filippos Kasidokostas in the Tour Billar Total Mexico, 30 points in 4 innings.''
Jérôme Barbeillon: ,,My 9th place at the European championship in Brandenburg.''
Julian Torres: ,,My finest moment was participating for my country as seeded player in the World Cup in Hurghada, despite that I lost quickly but I think I learned a lot from that experience.''
Josep Maria Mas: ,,Third place at the European championship by teams in Agipi arena.''
KOZOOM/FB: What was your most unhappy or unlucky moment of the year in billiards?
Frédéric Caudron: ,,The semi-final game at the European championship three cushion (run of 28 but lost to Zanetti, both average around 3).''
Marco Zanetti: ,,The loss against Ruben Legazpi at the World Cup in Greece when he equalized with a run of 8. And then in the penalties he needed 5 points and he did with a lucky shot.''
Jérémy Bury: ,,The European championship in Brandenburg: I lost in the 1/8 final against Murat Naci Coklu 40-36. This tournament was counting for qualifying for the World Games in Cali... I couldn't go there, although I was second on the European ranking.''
Dong Koong Kang: ,,The loss at the World championship in Antwerp against Salazar, but then I won the next match in 7 innings against Cenet. I felt that I could even win the title, but I was nog even qualified, unfortunately.''
Kyung-Roul Kim: ,,The Universal-Adam tournament, which finished this week. I won the first three matches in the qualification round and lost another consecutive games, which resulted in the elimination.''
Therese Klompenhouwer: ,,Playing the European championship in Brandenburg was a very difficult time for me because people that I loved passed away.''
Eddy Merckx: ,,The lucky shot against me, in my match against Dick Jaspers that knocked me out of the World championship in Antwerp in the eighth finals.''
Lütfi Cenet: ,,My unlucky moment was against a Vietnam player in Korea, when I lost a very important match for the ranking.''
Dani Sánchez: ,,My surgery two months ago, therefore I mised two World Cups in a row.''
Torbjörn Blomdahl: ,,Two moments, actually: I lost both in the first round of the World championship in Antwerp and the European championship in Brandenburg.''
Natsumi Higashiuchi: ,,Some difficult moments with my hand, arm and shoulders. It was aching, but no problems in a tournament or match.''
Sameh Sidhom: ,,My 2-1 loss in the Antalya World Cup against Savas Bulut in the penalty shots, missing in the last 32 by millimetres.''
Josep Maria Mas: ,,Some lost games in single tournaments, especially in the Spanish championship.''
Eddy Leppens: ,,That I was out in the first round of the World championship in Antwerp, for your own public, then I was feeling very sad.''
Ruben Legazpi: ,,My unhappy moment was in the Spanish championship. I lost with penalty shots and in the Spanish championship for teams I lost by 2 points after I made 40 points in 13 innings.''
Glenn Hofman: ,,Losing the final in the Dutch Grand Prix in Amsterdam after having been many points ahead.''
Tayfun Tasdemir: ,,I felt very unhappy at the World Cup in Korea, where I could not sleep because of a jetlag.''
Pierre Soumagne: ,,I think it was the semi final in the French individual championship, when I was leading 43-25 against Barbeillon and lost with 3 points. The game was exactly a mis of unluck, bad play for me and very good play for him. Perfect shaker for losing with big deception.''
Julian Torres: ,,I was about winning the national championship this year, I was favourite in the semi finals, but I lost by two to advance to the finals, that's why I felt unlucky. And my unhappy moment was not to reach the number one in Panamerican rankings.''
Dick Jaspers: ,,I didn't succeed to win a big tournament, so there were a lot of disappointments. The most important were the losses in the semi finals of the Agipi Masters and the World championship in Antwerp.''
Murat Naci Coklu: ,,I opened my new club in Istanbul and I had to spend time for that. And just because of this I couldn't have training time to get ready for tournaments. I feel unhappy about that.''
Daniel Campos Duarte: ,,The sanction to the Mexican billiard players.''
Nikos Polychronopoulos: ,,The lost game in the quarter finals in Antwerp (against Kasidokostas).''
Murat Tüzül: ,,I didn't feel really happy and lucky by the way Filippos Kasidokostas and Nikos Polychronopoulos beat me in invitation tournaments in Athens playing 5.000 average.''
Martin Horn: ,,The first six weeks of the season (especially in September), when I couldn't find my form and had some doubts.''
Jérôme Barbeillon: ,,My lost match in the final of the French championship.''
KOZOOM/FB: Who is your player of the year in three cushion?
Marco Zanetti: ,,For me it is Frédéric Caudron, although Blomdahl won the World Cup but he had too many highs and lows in the year.''
Martin Horn: ,,Marco Zanetti, because he won Agipi, Lausanne , EK in Brandenburg and the World Games in a row. For me an unbelievable performance!''
Torbjörn Blomdahl: ,,Marco Zanetti, because of his tremendous start of the year.''
Sameh Sidhom: ,,Filippos Kasidokostas.''
Frédéric Caudron: ,,I can't choose, so three players, Caudron, Zanetti or Blomdahl.''
Jérémy Bury: ,,Torbjörn Blomdal has played a very good year and made a world record in Greece. Frédéric Caudron was a nice world champion in his country, but I would vote for Marco Zanetti, because he won successively the Agipi Masters, the Lausanne Billiard Masters, the European championship and the World Games.''
Dani Sánchez: ,,Frédéric Caudron.''
Lütfi Cenet: ,,Frédéric Caudron.''
Kyung-Roul Kim: ,,Marco Zanetti.''
Ruben Legazpi: ,,Frédéric Caudron.''
Murat Tüzül: ,,Torbjorn Blomdahl deserves this title with his great experience.''
Dick Jaspers: ,,Frédéric Caudron, who won three big tournaments in a row.''
Dong Koong Kang: ,,Marco Zanetti. Everybody plays very well nowadays, but Zanetti's mental strategy and concentration is very impressive. I've realized this year that it's the most important factor in billiards.''
Murat Naci Coklu: ,,I wished to say I was the player of the year, but for me there is no doubt, Frédéric Caudron.''
Eddy Merckx: ,,Frédéric Caudron.''
Josep Maria Mas: ,,Frédéric Caudron.''
Pierre Soumagne: ,,I choose between three players: Zanetti for his unbelievable period of victories and his European championship, Blomdahl for his wonderful world record in Greece and Caudron for his amazing finish (World champion, Medellin winner and run of 28.''
Eddy Leppens: ,,Frédéric Caudron.''
Glenn Hofman: ,,Frédéric Caudron.''
Tayfun Tasdemir: ,,Frédéric Caudron.''
Jérôme Barbeillon: ,,Frédéic Caudron.''
Daniel Campos Duarte: ,,Frédéric Caudron.''
Julian Torres: ,,Frédéric Caudron.''
Nikos Polychronopoulos: ,,Frédéric Caudron.''
Natsumi Higashiuchi: ,,Mr. Caudron.''