3-Cushion
HOOGLEDE - The mission is almost impossible, as Peter De Backer said himself. The Belgian cup winner, last year in Hooglede, is defending his title in the upcoming weekend, but he needs a little miracle to defeat the entire Belgian top again. ,,I could not practice for one minute'', says the 47-year-old from Aalst, who is frequenting the Belgian championship golf billiards with his stand these two weeks.
Peter De Backer is making a remarkable season so far: he not only won the Belgian Cup in a final against Frédéric Caudron, moreover he won the Belgian championship one cushion (also in a final against Caudron) and recorded in all competitions higher averages than he's used to.
,,That's amazing, to put it midly, when you look at how many time the top players can spend to billiards and how I have to wriggle every which way to play and practice. Look at this week: the Belgian championship, with 1700 entries, organized by my club BC Enjoy. I have to be there very early to work until late in the evening.''
Peter De Backer is selling with his billiards shop both for pros and amatuers anything to do with this sports discpiline, for carom, snooker, pool and golf billiards. And remarkably, he has the most customers in golf billiards. ,,I estimate, about 80 percent, the other twenty from other disciplines,'' he says. ,,The golf billiards has been played a lot around here in Aalst, with fifty clubs in a radius of 15 kilometers.''
There's not too much time for going out and doing other things in recent years. De Backer puts all his energy in his work and billiards. He performs in four leagues this year, remained unbeaten in the Dutch league for Dallinga-Frans Bevers, plays for Quality Zele in Belgium, for Andernos in France and BCC Witten in Germany.
Moreover he's playing in the BTS tournaments (for his ranking), in the Belgian Cup and doing the classic games for Andernos and as a substitute for Etikon in Holland. ,,I know that sometimes it's very tough, but still I can't miss the game.''
The draw for the Belgian Cup was not so favorable for the title holder. De Backer is facing Eddy Leppens in the first round and if he wins, probably Eddy Merckx (if he beats Dirk Weeremans) is his next opponent.
,,My strength and my qualities are most of the time that I can grow in a tournament but now I have no time for that. ''
The Belgian Cup battle, in the Gouden Zonne in Hooglede, is starting Friday at 13.00.
The matches in the first round (32 players):
Friday 13.00 uur:
Jef Philipoom-Philip Coenen
Frédéric Beghin-Rudy de Laet
Patrick Vloemans-Kenny Miatton
Marco Janssen-Henk Blauwblomme.
Friday 15.00 uur:
Christian de Trenoye-Bart Leys
Peter Ceulemans-Ronny Brants
Bart Ceulemans-Martin Spoormans
Thomas Broux-Christophe Wyn.
Saturday 13.00 uur:
Marc Celen-Andy de Bondt
Eddy Merckx-Dirk Weeremans
Lucas Verberckt-Yves Schiettecatte
Frédéric Caudron-Nicolas Bievelez
Saturday 15.00 uur:
Peter De Backer-Eddy Leppens
Davy van Havere-Alex Voets
Pascal Claus-Roland Forthomme
Frank de Groof-Marc Donvil.
Followed by the eighth finals and the quarters.
On Sunday at 11.00 are the semi-finals, the final is at 15.00.
On the same days will be played for the Belgian title at the small table.