Balk-Line 71/2
RONCHIN - The best player in the history of the balk-line discipline 71/2, Frédéric Caudron from Belgium, demonstrated his world class level in the first European Grand Prix, that was played in Ronchin (France) this weekend. The Belgian played, according to the statistics of the new Kozoom system, his matches with an average speed over 300 caroms (338).
Caudron was the best and by far the fastest player in this Grand Prix. He defeated his eternal rival Patrick Niessen in the final game 200-174 in four innings.
The four-time European champion Niessen (2001, 2002, 2004 and 2005) nevertheless had opportunities to beat the two-time champion Caudron (1991 and 2000), when he ran a 163, which brought him close to the finish. But he missed, on his way to the win, so that Caudron could grab victory.
The heat was on in the final, like in the last Belgian championship, when both specialists met each other in this discipline. Niessen started with 182, missed… and Caudron finished with 250.
Caudron's performance in Ronchin was fabulous. His matches in a row:
150 in two innings against Adam Kozak (Czech)
150 in 1 inning against Willy Gérimont (Fr)
200 in two innings against Pascal Dessaint (Fr)
200 in four innings against Jean-François Florent (Fr)
200 in four innings against Marek Faus (Cze)
200 in four innings against Patrick Niessen (Bel)
That meant an average of 64.71.
Patrick Niessen averaged 44.75.
The level of the other players, behind the two star players, was pretty poor: Marek Faus was third with 23.18, Rafael Garcia fourth with 16.31.
The tournament was played without the current European champion, the Dutchman Raymund Swertz, who did not register for the CEB tournament and the confrontation with the specialists.
Two other players had a better average, but were ouplayed before the semifinals. Dave Christiani was fifth with 20.00, Brahim Djoubri sixth with 21.96.