3-Cushion
LAXOU - The two main favorites for the title in the French team competition won their matches on the third day of the competition. Agipi played the away match in Picardi and defeated Albert with the maximum score (8-0). Laxou, leader in the ranking with five points, beat in its own room Gravelines 6-2. The number three in the ranks, Andernos, had da day off.
The champion team of Agipi took already an advantage before the break by victories of Jean-Christophe Roux against Kévin Perrotin (50-38 in 54) and Jérémy Bury against Cédric Melnytschenko 50-46 in 33. In that match, Bury was far behind (35-13 after 14 innings), but the French champion attacked with a great endrush and closed the match with twelve, the best day-run.
The foreign stars, three Belgians and one Italian, lifted the level after the break: Marco Zanetti ruled supreme with a win against Kurt Ceulemans in 25 innings (2.000 average, run of ten).
Frédéric Caudron reached the finish in 32 innings in a bump with his Belgian teammate Peter Ceulemans (50-35).
The team averages were 1.389 and 0.958.
Agipi is second on the list with this victory, but played one match less than Laxou.
The Laxou foursome, with Torbjörn Blomdahl, Martin Horn, Pierre Soumagne and Eric Kremer-Leclaire, defeated Gravelines 6-2 after an equal score at the break. Pierre Soumagne signed for the first day win against Frédérick Roelants in 49 innings.
Gilles Stopin (Gravelines) escaped to victory in a marathon match against Kremer-Leclaire in which many misses bunched together (50-47 in 74).
Martin Horn recorded the best win against Ronny Daniels (50-35 in 29). Torbjörn Blomdahl had a lightning start, stratched out to 40-20 against Martin Spoormans. The Belgian fought back to 43-38, but finally Blomdahl beat him to the finish line 50-41 (38).
Laxou leading with five points, ahead of Agipi with 4 and Andernos with 3. Albert and Gravelines are at the bottom of the ranking without points.
The fourth day of the league is on 26 February with the matches Laxou-Agipi and Andernos-Albert.