3-Cushion
LIER – Don’t ever think that you are in a winning position against Eddy Merckx, even when the world champion is facing an almost hopeless disadvantage. That might be a big mistake, like Davy van Havere once again experienced this afternoon (Sunday in the BTS final in Lier.
More than 160 spectators, on the full and cozy stands in the Mr. 100 in Lier, witnessed a sensational final match: Davy van Havere was trailing 23-20 and then attacked with runs of 3, 5, 7 and 4 in a row, which brought him one point from the finish, when Merckx was still at 31 points.
The youngest finalist got three chances to make the winning carom. He missed three times, giving Merckx the opportunity to close the match with two and six (40-39 in 24 innings).
,,I always keep on fighting and never give up’’, said Merckx after his flaming final shot. ,,I have done this regularly, so then you always believe you can do it.’’
Davy van Havere looked dissapointed and signed for his fans the three positions for his final point and his first major BTS success. ,,They were all not easy,'' he sighed. ,,And then, when you can’t finish, you know, if it is against Eddy Merckx, that he can punish you.''
For Merckx it was his third BTS triumph this year in four tournaments. ,,I have only lost a final against Caudron in his own Salpho'', he remembered the season. ,,Three times I won a final: against Caudron, Peter Ceulemans and today Van Havere.''
The fiery finish in the last match was the apotheosis after two pretty boring semifinals. Roland Forthomme faced a sort of nightmare in his match against Eddy Merckx. The Belgian champion lost 40-8 in 23 innings and even scored a run of six in the seventh inning.
Connoisseurs (as Raymond Ceulemans and Ludo Dielis in the stands) agreed: ,,Roland really got no positions at all against a strong defensive playing Merckx.’’
Davy van Havere defeated Frank de Groof, who was the substitute for Frédéric Caudron (playing the CEB tournament in France), 40-24 in 38 innings.