3-Cushion
The history repeated itself in the early morning of the final qualifying day. Lütfi Cenet showed himself again stronger than Adnan Yüksel in their mutual match. It was a repeat of the Turkish championship, in which Cenet grabbed the title last week. The 30-year-old Turk, with his long hairs a flamboyant figure in the billiard arenas, even gave back his invitation for the Agipi Masters a few weeks ago to play a major tournament in his country.
The duel with his countryman, one of the eyecatchers this morning for already half-full tribunes, was decided in three sets. Yüksel won the first (15-5) in six innings, Cenet the second and third with 15-9 and 15-10.
In the clash between the Belgians Roland Forthomme and Wesley Jaeger the victory was voor Forthomme (15-11, 15-14), but with some more luck for De Jaeger the match could have gone another way. He missed three balls to finish the second set, then Forthomme knocked down with two cool finishers.
The most remarkable player of the morning session was the Korean Jae Guen Kim, who started against Michael Toudahl a set in two innings and a run of thirteen. Then he lost the second set 15-10, in the third the tension increased at its height, but on 14-14 the Korean finished the match and then made a gallant bow to the audience.