3-Cushion
ZUNDERT - The Belgian supremacy in the Christmas tournament in Zundert turned into a final match between Eddy Leppens and Roland Forthomme this afternoon (16.00). Both players never could win the tournament in the long history. The only Dutchman on the final day, Barry van Beers, was defeated by Eddy Leppens in an exciting fight. The Belgian had a better finish (ran out with six) when he started the penalty rush with four and saw his opponent miss the break shot (4-0).
Roland Forthomme and Eddy Merckx put up another tough fight, decided in the last inning. Merckx took an early lead with an eight run (26-13 in 15), Forthomme had two highlights in his match with nine and eight. He finished first at 50-47 in 36 innings. Merckx's attempt to equalize with three failed after two due to a kiss for his third (50-49 in 36).
Barry van Beers and Eddy Leppens were certainly among the best players in the run-up to the finals. The Brabant player, like Forthomme member of the home team STZ Zundert, ran out with ten (14-11 in 9) and was still leading 29-15 in 17 innings. Then he lost the margin in the phase in which both players took the wrong way for a while (42-39 in 29). Beers finally saw his 49-44 lead disappear when he missed one match ball. Leppens finished with six. The equalizer brought the two players on 50-50. Leppens scored four times from the break, Van Beers missed his first chance to equalize.
Eddy Leppens (46) enters the final with slightly better numbers than his opponent Forthomme (45): 1.851 to 1.543.
Leppens was three times second in the history of the Christmas tournament after losing in the 2002 final against Raymond Ceulemans and in 2004 and 2014 against Frédéric Caudron. Forthomme lost the battle for gold three times, against Merckx (2007), Caudron (2010) and Burgman (2011). He was seven times on the podium.
The final at 16.00, live on Kozoom:
Forthomme-Leppens.