Carom
NIEUWPOORT - The comment, when he came home late in the evening, was as sober as Eddy Merckx can be. ,,This was a match that doesn't happen every day,'' he beamed on the day that he had played such a majestic new world record: fifty caroms in six innings.
It took eight hours by car, to play one little, short match, he was accompanied by an inseparable friend, Nick Verlinden, who secured the historical score with his little camera. ,,Nick often goes with me when I go to play, we also train together often, he is a very good friend and supporter.''
The best match ever came at the end of a week which was already marked by exceptional performances. Dick Jaspers started on Monday, after the World Cup in Vienna, in Belgium with a highest run of twenty. Martin Horn played on Thursday with his team of De Ploeg a run of 24, a new German record and moreover he equaled the German record best match: 50 in 14 innings.
What Eddy Merckx realized in Germany, was supernatural. The Belgian started his match for BSG Duisburg around four o'clock for a match which will be a world record for many, many years. And perhaps it never will be improved, now that the UMB (world federation) and CEB (European federation) have decided to shorten the lengths of the matches to 40 next season.
It's nice to project that to the match that Merckx played yesterday. He started with 4, 9, and then made his high run of 26, so he had 39 caroms in three innings.
The comments of other players and fans:
Frédéric Caudron: ,,You might have improved our record from 9 to 8 innings, then we still would have the feeling that we could improve again. We certainly don't have now. Congratulations, Eddy''
Peter Ceulemans: ,,Congratulations, Eddy, what a brilliant performance.''
Jean Jacques Gangloff: ,,You're a crazy man, Eddy, you did an amazing thing.''
Marco Zanetti: ,,You wrote an incredible page in the history of three-cushion. How long will you keep this record, Eddy?''
Patrick Kestens: ,,It's good that being crazy doesn't hurt, Eddy.''
Gilbert Najm: ,,Incredible game, amazing concentration.''
Ruth Segura: ,,Hugsssssss from Colombia.''
Zsolt Kiss: ,,Brilliant match, Eddy.''
Frans Sysmans: ,,What a big game, Eddy, did you want to be home before dark?''
The total score of the match was:
Merckx 4
In Won Kang 0
Merckx 9
Kang 5
Merckx 26
kang 1
Merckx 7
Kang 0
Merckx 0
Kang 0
Merckx 4
Kang 0.
Average Merckx: 8.333.