3-Cushion
PARIS - The French champioen CetSi Morgangis was hosting the number last Villeneuve d'Ascq this week. The leader in Group A was never in danger in that match on the third match and triumphed 8-0. Eddy Merckx was the best player with a match against Frédéric Beghin 50-19 in seventeen innings. Jérémy Bury, playing for St Maur, did even better in the fourth match of the week against Albert. The best French player defeated Peter Ceulemans 50-16 in 16 innings (3.125 average). Bury could have finished even earlier: he missed his last carom in the 13th inning.
Very remarkable was also the match between Kurt Ceulemans and Jean Christophe Roux. The Frenchman was leading 34-11 after twelve innings, Ceulemans had a super final shot and won 50-48 in 29. Albert and St. Maur shared the win (4-4).
CetSi Morangis leads this Group A with five points ahead of Albert with four points and Saint Maur with three points. The reigning champion CetSi took an excellent team average vs Villeneuve d'Ascq: 1.653. The Belgians Eddy Merckx and Eddy Leppens both played a main role in the success. Merckx had some opposition at the start from Beghin: the Belgian started with a ten, but saw his opponent reply with 10 to 19-18. Then, Merckx attacked irresistible with 7, 14 just after the break and finally six to the finish: 50-19 in 17. Beghin scored only one point in the last seven innings.
Eddy Leppens had a start with 19 points in six. Georges Demos came back to 26-24 in 23, but Leppens closed the match five innings later at 50-29 in 28.
Two matches were also played in Group B. Andernos bested Gravelines 6-2, the new team on the highest level, Rouen triumphed against Laxou 6-2 with a striking victory for Dick Jaspers against Torbjorn Blomdahl (50-31 in 22). Javier Palazón was the other star player for Rouen with a win over Martin Horn 50-28 in 27.
Andernos defeated Gravelines with victories of Roland Forthomme over Martin Spoormans (50-34 in 27), Jérôme Barbeillon over Ronny Daniels (50-30 in 41) and Frédéric Mottet over Gilles Stopin (50-37 in 32).
Andernos is leading by six points, Rouen gathered four and Laxou two points.