Carom
BLANKENBERGE - True lovers of the classic games in billiards, here's a nice tip for this evening. Frédéric Caudron and Patrick Niessen are going to cross swords in one of the most beautiful balk-line games: 71/2. The two players are in balance with their averages so far: Caudron 57.69, 57.40 Niessen.
The difference: Caudron has six match points out of three and Niessen four out of three matches, because he lost against Leppens, earlier this week in a grudge match. So tonight it comes to the showdown, when the first champion will be known. Caudron is still undefeated in all his games, chasing for four titles and his first this year this evening.
Patrick Niessen, however, is a feared opponent, especially in the kind of game in which he finished in two innings yesterday. ,,I know what to do, I play against a phenomenon, but of course I have a chance to win,'' Niessen looked forward to the match (starting at 20.30, live on Kozoom).
The one cushion discipline is coming up to the last phase. Peter De Backer and Frédéric Caudron are the two players who are undefeated. Caudron defeated Eddy Leppens today 250-34 in seven. His opponent showed that it's difficult to find the motivation for other game disciplines then three cushion after his world class run of 25.
There are five matches played of eight in the three cushion, with the Leppens and Caudron performances as highlights. Davy van Havere defeated Michel Camp 40-32 in 29, Peter Ceulemans was a bridge too far for Martin Spoormans in 30 (40-34). And Roland Forthomme ran in a smooth pace to the win against Marco Janssen: 40-16 in 28.
Roland Forthomme already knows that he will meet Peter Ceulemans, his teammate in the Dutch league, in the quarters. The champion, about the match he played against Marco Janssen: ,,I remained cautious until the end, because I know this guy. He's playing 1.200 average in the Belgian league and is capable to recover in a match with a run. And for me only to win is important, not the average. That's for statistics.''
Tonight at 18.00 Eddy Merckx meets Martin Ravestyn and at 20.30, the matches Jef Philipoom-Steven van Acker and Peter De Backer-Kenny Miatton are on the program.