Blomdahl beats Jaspers, a loss for his team

LAXOU - The high point was the match between Torbjörn Blomdahl and Dick Jaspers, the crowd in the room of Laxou was treated to a sparkling match. Both players were in balance the whole match, yesterday evening, both of them always near or over two average. The Swede had the best final sprint: he won after a small backlog near the end (36-35) 50-46 in 23 innings.

It did not bring the Laxou team to victory in the home match vs. Andernos. Filippos Kasidokostas, who will play the prelims in the Agipi Masters today (Friday) like Torbjörn Blomdahl, Jérôme Barbeillon and Francis Connesson took full profits for Andernos: 6-2.

The Greeks had a flying start against Martin Horn, with an 11-run in the fifth and a 23-5 lead at the moment. Both Blomdahl on one table and Kasidokostas on the other had an average of 2.385, to indicate how high the level was.

Horn fought back to a six points margin and was even closer after a run of six in the eighteenth, but in the final phase Kasidokostas finished 50-41 in 34 innings.

Jaspers faced a small backlog until 35 points (10-4, 27-20, 31-25), but took a one point lead after a run of eleven (36-35).

The end of the match was fascinating. Torbjörn Blomdahl said later: ,,I thought that Jaspers, when he was at 25, would finish with a run 25, but he maid a bad point at eleven, so then he missed an almost unmakeable shot. Then we both missed on an easy ball. I was more happy at the end.''

Jérôme Barbeillon and Francis Connesson scored before the break for Andernos. Pierre Soumagne, who played an excellent tournament in l'Hay-les Roses last weekend, could not resist Barbeillon (50-35). Connesson showed the form in which he was when he came up to the final in the French ranking tournament. He defeated Eric Cremer Leclaire 50-23.

Andernos is leading the ranks now with six points out of three games ahead of Agipi with four out of two encounters. The match between Laxou and Andernos was played in advance for the program in the fourth round.

Next week, on the eve before the Agipi Masters (Thursday), the teams of of Agipi and Andernos meet with great matches: Caudron-Jaspers, Zanetti-Kasidokostas, Bury-Barbeillon and Roux-Connesson.

All matches will be broadcasted by Kozoom.