3-Cushion
COLMAR/LAXOU - The French team competition three cushion started with the maximum 8-0 wins for Saint Quentin and Kozoom and 6-2 wins for the reigning champion La Baule and Laxou this week. Marco Zanetti made his debut for the Kozoom team in an away game against Colmar. The Italian took the starring role with the best average of all matches: 2,667 and defeated Dion Nelin 40-19 in 15. The top match between Dick Jaspers and Eddy Merckx (Morangis-La Baule) ended in a victory for the Belgian 40-38 in 29.Martin Horn excelled in the other group against Roland Forthomme with 2,500 on average.
Four teams are leading with two match points after the first round, four teams remained without points. Kozoom's victory was the most comfortable against Colmar. Marco Zanetti accentuated his return to a French team with a strong performance against Nelin. The score in his 15 innings: 4-0-4-5-4-1-1-0-4-0-0-0-2-9-6, Dion Nelin was left without a chance at 19. Nikos Polychronopoulos attacked in the second half and was then unstoppable against Andreas Efler. The Greek ran away with a run of 9 (20-8 in 8) and went quickly to victorywith 40-23 in 19. Gwendal Maréchal was the better of Dany Boutet 40-39 in 34, Marco Boigneres was a way too strong for Jérôme Riotto (40-21 in 34). Kozoom's team average was 1,569.
Morangis Cyllène hosted title holder La Baule, who replaced Frédéric Caudron in the leading position by Eddy Merckx, who was the leading player in Morangis's team last year. For La Baule, Mikael Devogelaere and Ronny Brants scored against Jean Christophe Roux and Jean Reverchon: 40-36 in 33 and 40-31 in 43. Ruben Legazpi won the thrilling match against Jérémy Bury on one carom. The Spaniard led 31-29, ran out to 38-29 and finished in the 30th at 40-35. Bury came close in the equalizer, but missed at 40-39. Merckx launched his team to the 6-2 win in the top match of the evening by beating Jaspers 40-38 in 29.
Kozoom leads the flight with 1,569 ahead of La Baule with 1,178, Morangis played 1,074, Colmar 1,000.
Laxou had a great start with the victory in its home match against Andernos: 6-2. The Andernos team disappointed, recording 1,023 on average, Laxou was slightly better, 1,202. Martin Horn, who is recovered from his operation after his bicycle fall, was the best man with a win over Roland Forthomme. The German started 5-7-2-2 for a 16 in 4 intermediate score. The Belgian came back slightly to 21-15, but a new Horn attack (3-8-1-6) brought him at one point from the finish (39-21 in 13). Three innings later, Horn finished 40-23 in 16, 2.500 on average.
Peter De Backer was the only winner for Andernos: the Belgian beat Adrien Tachoire 40-35 in 48. Jef Philipoom beat Jérôme Barbeillon 40-36 in30, Eric Kremer beat Frédéric Mottet 40-33 in 35.
Saint Quentin achieved the maximum win against Douarnenez thanks to Cédric Melnytschenko (40 in 35 against Forton), Johan Loncelle (40-15 in 29 over Le Deventec), Nathan Duriez (40-39 in 56 over Vasseur) and Kévin Perrotin (40-38 in 35 against Lelievre).
In the standings, Saint Quentin leads (2 points, 8-0/1,032) ahead of Laxou (2 points, 6-2/1,202).
Laxou's winning team in the home match beating Andernos 6-2