Roland Forthomme shows his power in great match

EEKLO - Three days before his first performance in the Agipi Masters for the qualifying round, the 40-year-old Roland Forthomme played an impressive match in Belgium. He was in Eeklo last night the best man in the thirteenth round of the competition. Forthomme defeated Steven van Acker 50-23 in sixteen innings.

Forthomme sharpened his form in a match in which he left Steven van Acker from the start far behind, but it still was a match more than worth to see. Forthommes caroms were sparkling now and then: in this form he was unstoppable for his opponent.

KBC Zanzibar, the team from Forthomme, had against K. Eeklose a very strong day, because Dave Christiani (50 in 23 innings against Leslie Menheere), Jimmy Mues (42 in 34 against Christiaan Mil) and Paul Stroobants (42 in 35 against Freddy Staelens) all produced well, which led to a wonderful team average of 1,703.

The leading position of KBC Zanzibar was therefore not in danger. BC Deurne had more trouble to maintain themselves, because Eddy Merckx in the match against BC Kasteeldreef this time had to bow to Frédéric Caudron, the man he beat in the final of the Belgian championship.

The course of the match again was spectacular: Caudron led by 20-3 after four innings, Merckx came back strongly, in ten innings to 29-28 and then the end was a battle of nerves, won by Caudron 50-40 in 22 innings.

The match between Jef Philipoom against Eddy Leppens was even more exciting. Philipoom started with five misses in a row and then made a beautiful run of fifteen, the highest in this session of the competition. Leppens closed the gap when he looked at a 37-23 score, equalized on 40-40, but then Philipoom broke away to the finish: 50-47 in 34 innings.

Martin Horn led the team of De Ploeg to a 5-3 victory over BC Biljart Express by beating Frans van Kuik 50-38 in 26 innings. The German again showed an excellent shape in the days before the Agipi Masters.

KBC Zanzibar beat K. Eeklose 8-0, BC Deurne beat BC Kasteeldreef 6-2, BC De Ploeg won 5-3 against BC Biljart Express and K. Kortrijkse tied with BC Lugo Deurne.

The matches Mister 100-BC Quality Zele and Op de Meir-Geox Herenthals will be played this evening.