3-Cushion
NEW YORK - Five players still unbeaten, three players over two average, seven with runs of fifteen and more and all the big name players ready to enter the main tournament with sixteen. The Verhoeven Open in the Carom Café in New York prepares for the last qualification day, on the final day, sixteen in the knockout stage battle it out for the overall win.
Marco Zanetti is the best after five rounds with 2.160 average and a seventeen-run. The Italian is the leader in the group with three players without loss. Frédéric Caudron (five wins, 1.923) and Pedro Piedrabuena (5 wins, 1.400) remained unbeaten and will meet each other today.
Eddy Merckx (with 19), Marco Zanetti (17), Murat Naci Coklu (16) and Tayfun Tasdemir, Alexander Salazar, Kurt Ceulemans and Robinson Morales excelled in these rounds with runs of fifteen. The Colombian Morales launched his match against Jaspers with fifteen and agonized the 50-year old Dutchman with the only loss so far: 35-32 15.
The other Colombian, Alexander Salazar, scored a fifteen against Peter Ceulemans, but lost his way and was defeated by the Belgian 35-32 in 24.
Dick Jaspers played his best facing Huberney Catano (35-16 in 10, 3.500), Eddy Merckx against Ira Lee (35-6 10, 3.500) and Marco Zanetti against Andrés Lizarazo (35-35-13 10, 3.500).
Raymond Ceulemans is virtually eliminated with two wins and four losses, but showed his ever lasting class in his match with Eddy Merckx, the world star he defeated 35-28 in 22 innings.
Huberney Catano
Eddy Merckx, fabulous start, then two losses
Two groups have played six of the nine matches, the other two groups five of nine. The final matches, today, Saturday, are decisive. There are still a lot of great matches between the top players on the program:
Group A: Blomdahl-Garcia, Blomdahl-Sayginer.
Group B: Jaspers-Salazar, Jaspers-Forthomme, Salazar-Forthomme, Catano-Salazar.
Group C: Coklu-Merckx, Merckx-Tasdemir Coklu-Tasdemir Dunch-Coklu, Dunch-Klompenhouwer.
Group D: Zanetti-Caudron, Caudron-Piedrabuena, Zanetti-Piedrabuena, Caudron-Liazarazo, Patino-Lizarazo.
Huberney Catano
The summary in the groups:
Group A:
Torbjörn Blomdahl is the only unbeaten player after six laps. The Swede has raised his average to 2.000 by matches in 13, 14 and 16. The other contenders for the top four are Jose Juan Garcia (one loss, 1.203), Carlos Campino (one loss, 1.336), Semih Sayginer (two losses, 1.589) and Sameh Sidhom (two losses, 1.213).
Jose Juan Garcia lost his only match so far against his countryman Carlos Campino 35-32 in 24, Sayginer lost to Garcia (35-31 in 27) and Sidhom (35-26 in 24).
Group B:
Dick Jaspers, Alexander Salazar, Roland Forthomme and Huberney Catano are bunched tightly together: they all lost one match in five rounds, Wesley Jaeger is close to the top four with three wins. Jaspers took by far the best average (2.123), Forthomme has 1.545 and Cantano 1.431.
The best match, between Jaspers and Morales, was launched by Morales' fifteen run and a strong final sprint when he was on his peak again. Jaspers fought back, closed the gap, but the Colombian was the better finisher.
Huberney Catano, who came through the back into the semi-finals, is one of the giants of the game: he only lost to Jaspers 35-16 in 10). The Colombian Alexander Salazar is his main obstacle to Peter Ceulemans 35-32 in 24.
Roland Forthomme is the best of three Belgians in this group, Wesley Jaeger is firing up his form and Peter Ceulemans disappointing with only one win and four losses.
Dick Jaspers, only beaten by Robinson Morales
Group C:
Murat Naci Coklu is the only undefeated player: six wins. He leads the rankings ahead of Tayfun Tasdemir (five wins, 1.516) and Lars Dunch (five wins, 1.371) in the group in which Eddy Merckx suffered two surprising defeats against Raymond Ceulemans (35-28) and Lars Dunch (35-28). The Belgian world star is the best in average (1.849), Murat Naci Coklu recorded 1.765.
Merckx plays against Coklu, Tasdemir and Young Gull Lee and has all things still in his own hands. Murat Naci Coklu is facing three top four contenders today: Merckx, Dunch and Tasdemir.
Therese Klompenhouwer (four wins, two losses and 0.994) has certainly chances to survive on the final day and meets Ira Lee, Lars Dunch and Miguel Torres to qualify.
Group D:
Three players, Marco Zanetti (2.160), Frédéric Caudron (1.923) and Pedro Piedrabuena (1.400) had a flawless start and are unbeaten after five rounds. The other contenders for the top four are Hugo Patino (two losses, 1.212) and Andrés Lizarazo (two losses, 1.104).
Kurt Ceulemans lost his match against Frédéric Caudron in which he made a fifteen and took a big lead. Ceulemans missed his match point, Caudron closed the match at 34-34 and won.
Sruong Pheavy is back on earth. The Cambodian girl, who is cheered by a real fan club on the Kozoom chat, lost her five matches and is with 0.833 the second last in the group.
Kurt Ceulemans, run of fifteen against Caudron, loss on one carom
The group rankings:
Group A (six rounds):
1 Torbjörn Blomdahl 12-2.000-12
2 Carlos Campino 10-1.336-7
3 Jose Juan Garcia 10-1.203-7
4 Semih Sayginer 8-1.589-10
5 Sameh Sidhom 8-1.213-10
6 Luis Aveiga 4-1.386-11
7 Harry Reyes 4-1.273-13
8 Michael Hansen 2-0.829-7
9 Young Ha Choi 2-0.642-7
10 Jim Shovak 0-0.510-5.
Group B (five rounds):
1 Dick Jaspers 8-2.123-9
2 Roland Forthomme 8-1.545-10
3 Huberney Catano 8-1.431-9
4 Alexander Salazar 8-1.323-15
5 Wesley de Jaeger 6-1.208-10
6 Robinson Morales 4-1.330-15
7 Carlos Palafox 4-0.877-8
8 Peter Ceulemans 2-1.078-7
9 Michael Kang 2-0.919-6
10 Chris Bartzos 0-0.846-5.
Group C (six rounds):
1 Murat Naci Coklu 12-1.765-16
2 Tayfun Tasdemir 10-1.516-15
3 Lars Dunch 10-1.371-11
4 Eddy Merckx 8-1.849-19
5 Therese Klompenhouwer 6-0.994-9
6 Raymond Ceulemans 4-1.145-9
7 Young Gull Lee 4-0.820-9
8 Peter Ceulemans 2-1.145-9
9 Ira Lee 0-0.802-6
10 Vinny Siemaszko 0-0.506-4.
Group D (five rounds):
1 Marco Zanetti 10-2.160-17
2 Frédéric Caudron 10-1.923-9
3 Pedro Piedrabuena 10-1.400-9
4 Hugo Patino 6-1.212-8
5 Andrés Lizarazo 6-1.104-9
6 Dan Johansen 4-0.773-8
7 Kurt Ceulemans 2-1.364-15
8 William Oh 2-1.105-7
9 Sruong Pheavy 0-0.833-7
10 Manuel Riano 0-0.756-5.
3 Tay
The first matches for the next round on Saturday:
Dick Jaspers-Wesley de Jaeger
Peter Ceulemans-Christ Bartzos
Alexander Salazar-Huberney Catano
Michael Kang-Roland Forthomme
Robinson Morales-Carlos Palafox
Frédéric Caudron-Andrés Lizarazo
Marco Zanetti-Dan Johansen
Hugo Patino-Manuel Riano
Pedro Piedrabuena-William Oh
Kurt Ceulemans-Sruong Pheavy.
Michael Hansen
Raymond Ceulemans in full concentration
Manuel Riano
Sameh Sidhom defeated Semih Sayginer