3-Cushion
SLUISKIL - The ax is roughly handled on the last day of qualifying at the World championship in Sluiskil. Filippos Kasidokostas, the world champion from last year, is out of the tournament and lost his title after his match against Dion Nelin. The Greek won 3-2, but needed a 3-1 win after his defeat on the first day against Michael Nilsson. Frédéric Caudron, the number one of the world, also could pack his cue on the third day of the tournament. The Belgian lost to the surprisingly strong Turk Adnan Yüksel, 3-2.
Eddy Merckx has qualified for the last sixteen with a victory over Jean Van Erp. Dick Jaspers reached the eighth finals after a masterful game against Sameh Sidhom. The Dutch number one won 3-1 in sets with an average of 4.353. His opponent, the young Sidhom from Egypt, lost with a magnificent average of 2,600. It was one of the best matches ever played on a World championship: Jaspers had 48 caroms in 11 innings, Sidhom 26 points in 10 innings.
Dick Jaspers realized after his match how dangerous the setsysteem can be. ,,You must be alert all the time during the match, otherwise you are so vulnerable. You see it now with the top players who are out of the tournament.''
Dion Nelin was the biggest surprise until now. The Danish player came in the tournament as a substitute, because the Korean Cho called in sick. Nelin is responsible for the elimination of Filippos Kasidokostas. He won two sets, came in the fourth set at 2-2 and knew then that he was placed for the next round. Nelin played 1,437 average, Kasidkostas 1575.
Adnan Yüksel, the finalist in one of the first Worldcups in Sluiskil against Dick Jaspers, now played Fr'déric Caudron out of the tournament. The Turk won 3-2 and hd a superb average of 2,296, Caudron finished with 2,076.