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Marco Zanetti, the dream year and the saturation

11/22/2014

Published by frits bakker

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Marco Zanetti saved his last chance by a win against Sung-Won Choi

LAUSANNE - The urge to survive was back for a moment, the focus and the fighting spirit were beaming again from Marco Zanetti's face. The 52-year-old Italian felt that the shutdown was near in his match against Korean Sung-Won Choi, in the tournament in which he triumphed last year: the Lausanne Billard Masters. He struggled through a bad part at the start of the match, found his confidence and inspiration and grew for a while to the level from his best years, in which he ran in a flush of success to wins in the European championship, the World Games, the Agipi Masters and the Lausanne Billard Masters.

Marco Zanetti eventually won the match against Sung-Won Choi (40-35 in 31) and is still in the tournament. ,,I even had the feeling that I made the most wonderful shot of the tournament.'' He realized that it was a narrow escape and that he needs another win against Dick Jaspers tonight (Saturday).

The dream year, by far his best ever, is still ghosting in his head, everywhere he plays. ,,I will never be able to do better and never play on such a high level for such a long time'', he realizes. ,,The victory at the World Games, in Colombia, was for me the most valuable, because it is a tournament with sports from everywhere over the world. But the European championship, with that famous match against Frédéric Caudron, will be remembered for ever by billiard lovers (the Belgian made a run of 28, a world record, but yet Zanetti won the semi-final).''

The saturation is recognizable after that year, the hunger for more success is less than it was in that gorgeous year. Zanetti is not hungry enough, for the time being, to spend many hours at the table, to practice like world top players should do.

,,My concentration is not only at the billiard table, but more on other things in live,'' he explains. ,,I am a consultant for Longoni and recently for Min, the Korean billiards maker. My priority is not the game, even though it's very important for me. But I can't by fully concentrated to the table now. I have to many other things in my mind.''

There is also a physical decline, playing a role now. ,,My eyes are a little less now that I'm getting older. And like last week, after seven days in Colombia, where I was for a business trip for Longoni, I feel tired. I suffered the jet lag too long and felt bad when I started in the tournament here.''

,,My main problem is that I can't sleep in a plane. Thus, I have been awake for 24 without any sleep. And when I'm back home, I can sleep only for two hours. That certainly has to do with age. I have a lack of sleep and couldn't practice in Colombia. I have to confess that I was poorly prepared when I arrived here.''

Tonight (19.00) against Dick Jaspers, who's one of the favorites in the tournament until now, will make clear whether Zanetti is still able to defend his title.

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