3-Cushion
They are close friends in daily life, Frédéric Caudron is even the godfather of one of Eddy Leppens' daughters, but on the billiard they want to score and to win when they face each other. Mostly Caudron is the winner than, just like tonight (3-1) in one of the evening matches. Three of them ended in a five setter.
The difference in the Belgian crash was not as big as Saturday, in the Dutch league, where Caudron handed out an uppercut to his opponent with 50-11. On the borders of the Red Sea there there was more fighting spirit in the duel.
Caudron won the two first sets 15-5 and 15-6, Leppens pulled the third set for itself in 15-10. The match seemed to grow to a climax, but at 13-13 in the fourth set Leppens missed a ball which costed him the match. His opponent came to the billiard with a suppressed look, made his first carom and finished with a beautiful cushion first shot.
But then again there was the inseparable friendship, how hard they had to fight, how hard it was for Caudron to push his friend out of the tournament.
Do not think also Dick Jaspers had an easy night against Funaki Kouji, the unflappable Japanese. First it seemed so, like Caudron, as the Dutchman won his first two sets 15-12 (5 innings) and 15-4 (4). Who thought that Funaki would give up, was wrong. The match got a new start after those two sets.
The Japanese defeated his opponent, who is much higher estimated, first 15-12, then in a close finish with 15-4 and then he rushed into the deciding fifth set like a rocket to 6-0.
Were it high forces that the Japanese had in its grasp? Could he Dick Jaspers, the worlds number one, the big favorite for the World Cup, play out of the tournament in this stunning match? He ran from 6-0 to 12-2 and then there was the sensational finish. Jaspers was led to the slaughter with 15-8 in eight innings. The Dutchman finished with 2,000 average, the Japanese on 1.818.
And what about the match between Jérémy Bury and Kyung-Roul Kim? Technique, mental strength and phlegmatic ruled in the encounter between two cultures. The Korean was faster off the blocks, Bury came back from 1-0 to 2-1 in sets, but again had to allow an equalizer in the fourth set 15-10.
In the deciding set, after both players had shone with runs of nine, there was a high entertainment value. The Frenchman took advantage with 10-6 and kept his head cool in the final innings. He won 15-6, in a fantastic performance against the best of all Korean players.
Finally there was the titanic battle between Filippos Kasidokostas and Javier Palazón, two top players from the new generation, who have already left the phase of talent for some years. Maybe it was the experience of the Greek, that was the deciding factor. He came back from 1-0 behind (15-9) to 2-1 (15-14 and 15-9) adventage. The Spaniard still bite back with 15-12, but could not treat his competitor in the final sprint (15-5).
Dick Jaspers ends after his loss this evening with 198 points in the ranking of the World Cup 2010. Frédéric Caudron already has 170 points, but has to win the tournament in Hurghada to beat the Dutchman in the final ranking.
Frédéric Caudron plays tomorrow in the semifinal against Jérémy Bury. Filippos Kasidokostas meets Kouji Funaki as opponent.