Carom
The cameras are focused on all sides of the billiards, everywhere you can see reporters who will accompany the matches with expert commentary. The billiards sport rarely is covered by the media so well in Belgium as this weekend in Blankenberge.
Reginald Depoorter, the Belgian chairman and organizer for many years, overlooked the billiard room with a proud glance in the morning. ,,It looks like a crime of passion which is filmed here'', the director of the casino said with admiration.
The Belgian championship in all disciplines in the final weekend is follwed by many prying eyes on the tribunes. The tournament also goes around the world by the Internet (Kozoom) and Belgian television. Frédéric Caudron, Eddy Merckx, Peter de Backer and Ronny Brants are playing the semifinals of three cushion this afternoon (15.00 hours), but the other matches, even the ladies finals can be monitored closely.
These are the glorious days for Belgian billiards, many celebrities and billiard fans assured. Leo Corin, the former world champion artistic, looked into the billiard room last evening and was amazed. He has never seen in his illustrious career a tournament with such a media spectacle, even at world level.
The championship makes himself ready for two days of finals. Patrick Niessen will be honored this afternoon as the first champion: he is the winner in the free game. This morning he made another attempt to improve the record general average of Frederic Caudron (400.00), but after he had missed in the first inning in his match with Andy Bond, he must forget the record.
Frédéric Caudron is now chasing his first titles. He has to win hist last match in balkline 47/2 this afternoon at 17.30 against Patrick Niessen, but Niessen has collected five points in three matches and still has a chance to grab the title.
Niessen also leads the dance in the 47/1, in which discipline he has finished and totalised six points in four matches. Caudron is in second place now with five points in three matches. He plays against Philippe Deraes at 11.30 and is the champion when he wins the match.
In the 71/2 Caudron leads with six points in three matches and an average of 57.69. Niessen has two points less now, but a better average (72.00). Caudron plays against Peter de Backer tonight (20.30) for the title.
In one cushion the title goes almost for sure to Caudron. He leads with six points in three matches, has an adventage of two points over his competitors and is almost unattainable in average (18.00 against 12.48 for De Backer and 12.55 for Leppens). Tomorrow (Sunday) Caudron plays against Leppens at 10.30 in the deciding match of this discipline.