1-Cushion
SCHILTIGHEIM - The sevenfold French champion Alain Remond has won another championship in one cushion. In the final of the French championship, the first of the multi-disciplines which are played this week in the Agipi auditorium in Schiltigheim, he defeated the surprising finalist Johann Petit 150-88 in eleven innings.
The French national anthem was missing by mistake in the Agipi room for this first championship. The players and the audience anticipated by singing the anthem: the new champion sang the Marseillaise with a loud voice.
Alain Remond, a player of Soissons, who once in his career was European champion in this discipline, had a backlog in the middle of the match (75-55), but made the decisive gap in the tenth inning with a run of 43, which brought the score to 121-81. In the next inning Remond finished the match with a run of 25.
The champion confirmed his reputation as the best French player in one cushion. He may represent France in November at the European championships in Cervera, Spain.
In the semifinals Remond defeated Xavier Le Roy of Argenteuil. Johan Petit won the other semi-final against Laurent Guénet from Grenoble. Pierre Soumagne, who was considered as one of the big contenders, was already eliminated in the preliminary rounds.
The French Championship continues with the first matches in the free game tomorrow and some matches in three-cushion. The final in free game is at 16.00, the matches can be seen on Kozoom.