3-Cushion
MATOSINHOS - Twice an 8-0 win, a walk-over in the group and tomorrow another day of holiday in Porto: the German team of BC Elversberg with Jef Philipoom as leader, has easily qualified for the final round of the European Cup for teams in Schiltigheim.
,,We didn't even know our opponents,''Philipoom said after two easy victories over Leixoes (without Dick Jaspers and Martin Horn) and the Turkish team of Ondokusmayis. The Swiss of Zurich had withdrawn themselves for the preliminaries, therefore only three teams played in this group.
The other German team, champion Horster Eck, is lose to qualifying too. In the group in Vienna one more match will be played tomorrow, between the Italians of Sala Mari, who are still without any point, and Horster Eck.
The organizing team of Leopoldstadt has played three matches already and gathered four match points. The only loss was against Horster Eck 6-2. The young Korean junior world champion Haeng Jik Kim, who had lost his first match against Brian Knudsen (2-0, averaging 1.666 for the Dane, 0.823 for Kim) took his revenge against Gerhard Kostistansky with a 2-1 victory in sets and 1.480 average. Horster Eck beat Albertslund thanks to victories of Thorsten Frings, Markus Dömer and Frank Eversmann. Leopolstadt defeated Albertslund in the evening 6-2 thanks to wins of Gerhard Kostistansky, Georg Schmied and Miroslav Grujic.
In the group which playes in Caseta Nova, Snellen Recycling began with a 8-0 victory over De Ploeg. Peter Ceulemans defeated Allan Jensen, Jean van Erp beat Wesley Jaeger, Barry Beers was much too strong for Bart Ceulemans (1.413 average, highest break 11) and Harrie van de Ven revailed Dirk Weeremans.
BK Grøndal from Copenhagen lost the first match 8-0 against Caseta Nova, but defeated Snellen in the next game, so that there is some tension left for the final day.