Carom
BLANKENBERGE - The Belgian championship in all disciplines will start on Sunday (January 4th) with two first groups in three cushion. The Blankenberge casino opens its doors for the Belgian top players, who will battle eight days long for the medals, the honor and the ranking points. The discipline of three cushion is more important than ever for the main players.
Eddy Merckx will not only defend his title next week, also his first place on the world ranking. The thirty points for the title are decisive if he remains ranking leader, or if he will be passed by Sung-Won Choi or Frédéric Caudron.
The Korean world champion is only four points behind (Merckx 325, Choi 321), Caudron follows with 291 points on third place. With the Belgian title, Caudron will gather the same points as Choi.
Frédéric Caudron starts the battle for the title in three cushion as the most important for his honor role. For the first time, he will not show up in the balk line games in this Belgian multi championship, where Caudron played 47/1 and 7/12 last year.
That is a pity for the audience in the casino, that likes to see the world's best all-rounder shine in the disciplines in which he rarely lost the control over the balls. Caudron was not the subtle line-player: he was specialist in collecting the balls, make rappels, collect again and make high runs with his wonderful game strategy.
,,I have to make choices, because such a tough week is exhausting for the condition and the focus'', he said a few years ago when he first stopped playing 47/2 and free game. This year he has reduced his program further: no more 47/1 and 71/2, only three cushion and one cushion.
The reason is understandable: Caudron wants to be more fit and focused to start the last weekend of the championship when the three-cushion title is at stake.
Caudron's recordlist at the Belgian championship: 400.00 average free game in 2007, 200.00 average in 47/2 in 2011, 111.11 in 71/2, 133.33 in 47/1 in 2010 and 27.27 in one cushion in 2007.
Frédéric Caudron for the last time on the podium in a balk line discipline with Eddy Leppens and Patrick Niessen
The main discipline is played in eight groups of four players, that will show up in the first five days with two groups per day except Monday.
The groups in three cushion:
Sunday, January 4:
Group 6: Jef Philipoom, Frank de Groof, Pascal Claus and Josef Gijsels.
Group 8: Davy van Havere, Kenny Miatton, Martin Ravestyn, Wesley de Jaeger.
Tuesday, January 6:
Group 5: Peter Ceulemans, Kurt Ceulemans, Rudy de Laet, Danny Wuyts.
Group 2: Eddy Leppens, Francis Forton, Marco Janssen, Luc Salvo.
Wednesday, January 7:
Group 1: Eddy Merckx, Ronnie Daniels, Tom Persyn, Andy de Bond.
Group 7: Peter De Backer, Steven van Acker, Henk Blauwblomme Bart Ceulemans.
Thursday, 8 January:
Group 3: Roland Forthomme, Martin Spoormans Ronny Brants, Alain Clabots.
Group 4: Frédéric Caudron, Thomas Broux, Marc Celen, Frédéric Motet.
The first two players from each group qualify for the quarter finals on Friday, January 9th.
Peter De Backer defends his title in one cushion in a group of five with Frédéric Caudron, Eddy Leppens, Maarten Janssen and Martin Spoormans.
Patrick Niessen and Eddy Leppens make a shot at the titles in the balk line games.
The disciplines and players:
47/2:
Patrick Niessen, Eddy Leppens, Jean Godeyne, Philippe Deraes, Johan Devos.
47/1:
Patrick Niessen, Eddy Leppens, Robby Sonck, Philippe Deraes, Eddy Berger.
71/2:
Eddy Leppens, Patrick Niessen, Peter Debaes, Martin Ravestyn, Philippe Deraes.
Free game:
Patrick Niessen, Philippe Deraes, Maarten Janssen, Andy de Bond, Nicky Defraeye.
Three cushion juniors:
Thomas Caluwaerts, Geoffrey Dresselaerts, Dylan Parent, Stef van Hees.
The opening of the tournament is on Sunday, January 4th at 13.00.
The matches start every day at 11.00 am, the last matches at 20.30.
The three-cushion final is on Sunday, January 11th at 15.00.
All matches will be broadcast live on Kozoom.