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Belgian hattrick: third time world gold

16/03/2014

Publié par frits bakker

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© © Harry van Nijlen/Kozoom
The final stage at the World championship with the golden Belgians on top

VIERSEN - The Belgians have the world champion in billiards, the world's number one and now again the world's gold with the national team. The illustrious duo, Frédéric Caudron and Eddy Merckx, was the best at the World championship in Viersen, for the third time in a row after 2012 and 2013, this time in a final match against the Netherlands.

The two Belgian masters, who only had an awkward moment in the semi-finals, were showing off the wonderful glass trophy on stage of the Festhalle in front of a battery of photographers, flanked by the Dutch team with Dick Jaspers and Barry van Beers, the German home players Martin Horn and Steffan Galla and the Turks with Tayfun Tasdemir and Tolgahan Kiraz.

The 2014 World championship will be remembered as the tournament in which the nine times Swedish winner already met the Belgian dream team in the preliminary rounds. Even Torbjörn Blomdahl in top form could not prevent the elimination.

The Belgian champion team then dealed in the quarter finals with Roland Forthomme and Eddy Leppens, who were the finalists in their own championship ahead of Caudron and Merckx last year. The Turks, who recovered from a weak start in the preliminaries, were close to a sensational win over the Belgians, but were defeated on one carom.

The Netherlands excelled particularly by the elimination of two Korean teams, what meant that the country with hundreds of fantastic three cushion players was missing on the final day.

The gold medal of the Belgians was an achievement of both players. Frédéric Caudron won al hiss matches and gave the impulse to the team to beat the tough opponents. The individual world champion impressed with match wins in 13, 19, 17 and 28 innings, before he dominated and won the decisive match in the final against Barry van Beers 40-19 in 16 innings and so clinched the gold for his country.

Eddy Merckx had a blistering start in that final against Dick Jaspers with 10-4 in 2 innings, 19-5 in 4. The Dutchman only then could find his rhythm, brought the gap to 25-18 and 26-21, but that happened in a phase that the Belgians attacked with Caudron on the other table to 35-12 and finally he bested his Dutch opponent undeniably: 40 -19.

On the way to the finals, Eddy Merckx was defeated twice: once by Torbjörn Blomdahl 40-23 in 14 and in the semifinals by Tayfun Tasdemir 40-34 in 18. In the final against Jaspers, Merckx showed himself the perfect teammate for Caudron.

Frédéric Caudron: ,,The gold team medal is the success of both of us: don't forget that Eddy is facing the number one players of our opponents. He has played the best average of us: 2.243 general for Eddy, 2.150 for me. As a result, we had 2.195 with two players in five matches, a record of which I don't believe that it will be improved. The same for the record in the first match: Eddy won in 9 innings, I won in 13 innings, making 3.636 average.''

The climax on the final day was preceded by two semi-finals which brought the fans in the stands on the edge of their seats. The Dutch team narrowly survived an attack by the Germans, the Belgians were facing the Turks in a thrilling match.

Belgium-Turkey

Eddy Merckx was facing a big deficit in his duel with Tayfun Tasdemir, could recover by a wonderful run of fifteen, but still it was not enough for the win of the Belgians. Tasdemir beat Merckx 40-34 in 18.

Frédéric Caudron had not his best start against the other Turk Tolgahan Kiraz: 18 caroms in 24 innings, but then attacked with runs of 14 and 7 to victory: 40-33.

Tolgahan Kiraz could still earn the final spot for the Turks: when Tasdemir finished against Merckx (40-34), Kiraz was at 40-31 against Caudron. He needed three or (even better) four points from the equalizer, but Kiraz missed after two caroms. The Belgians were in the final, with a one carom difference.

Netherlands-Germany A

Dick Jaspers dominated the match on centre court against Martin Horn. The German faced a big backlog after the start, but had a better finish: Jaspers won 40-29 in twenty innings.

Steffan Galla had a flawless start against Barry van Beers (26-8 in 12 innings) in a match which turned out into a bizarre showdown.

Barry van Beers needed at least 30 points, regarding the result of Jaspers-Horn (40-29). The second Dutch player trailed 38-24 to the finish, but when Galla lost his way, his opponent could save the final place by small runs of three and two (38-30).

The Belgian team won the World championship for the third time after three second places in the past.

The Netherlands won the tournament in 1998 and 1999 with Dick Jaspers and Raimond Burgman and finished six times as second.

The top eight with averages:

1 Belgium B, 2.195

2 Netherlands, 1.486

3 Germany A, 1.412

4 Turkey, 1.314

5 Denmark, 1.445

6 Korea A, 1.394

7 Germany B, 1.172

8 Belgium A, 1.412.

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