French outsider is the best in first session

BRANDENBURG - With eight groups of three players, the championship in balk-line 47/2 has been started. The title holder Brahim Djoubri from France, Patrick Niessen (Belgium), Henri Tilleman (Netherlands), Xavier Gretillat (Switzerland) and the Spaniards Raul Cuenca and Esteve Mata are seen as the favorites.

But yet many outsiders will show up in the 24 players field. The Frenchman Nikolas Gerassimopoulos is one of them: he impressed in the first session with a run of 249 and won his match against Pavel Böhm from the Czech Republic 250-12 in two innings.

Joan Espinasa from Spain and the Dutchman Raymund Swertz needed only one inning more to finish against Mikael Devogelaere and Alejandro Gil.

Swertz is playing in the group with title holder Djoubrie.

The German Sven Daske defeated Jose Albert in four innings and Michel Silfhout, yesterday in the quarterfinals of the one cushion defeated by Frédéric Caudron, started with a match in four innings.

Esteve Mata won in five innings against Michael Voegtlin (179 run) and will meet the Belgian champion Patrick Niessen in his last group match.