3-Cushion
PORTO - The Portuguese club FC Leca is leading the ranking at the team championship in its country after three matches. The championship is played in Lisbon this weekend. Six teams meet each other in the traditional 'final six' to designate the champion of Portugal. FC Porto is the favourite and unbeaten after two matches. FC Leca is the leader with four match points out of three games.
The top teams in the final round are strengthened by foreign players like Frédéric Caudron, Dick Jaspers, Dani Sánchez, Jean van Erp, Jef Philipoom, Jose Maria Mas, Frans van Kuyk, Murat Tüzül, David Zapata and David Martinez.
FC Leca started the tournament with a loss against SL Benfica, partly because Jean van Erp was defeated by the young Spaniard David Zapata (40-34 in 30) and Jef Philipoom by David Martinez.
The Dutch champion recovered with two stunning victories: Van Erp defeated Frédéric Caudron 40-28 in 21 and Luis Emanuel 40-11 in fifteen innings, the best match so far. Jef Philipoom defeated the second man, Frans van Kuyk, in the match against Sporting CP, 40-33 in 21 innings.
FC Porto is the main contender for the title with its strong line-up. Dick Jaspers, who won his first encounter against Murat Tüzül (40-39 in 23) and then beat Jose Correira 40-7 in 18 innings, is the captain of the team with Dani Sánchez, Rui Costa and Joao Ferreira.
Sporting CP won his first match against Norton de Matos thanks to victories by Frédéric Caudron (21 innings, 40-38 against Tüzül), Frans van Kuyk (40-32 in 33 against Jose Maria Mas) and Jorge Theriaga's draw against Paulo Andrade (40-40 in 41).
Dick Jaspers (left) only a few caroms too strong for Murat Tüzül