Carom
BRANDENBURG - The top players in one cushion have a new and unexpected competitor. Torbjörn Blomdahl, who performs for the first time in this discipline, surprised everyone with a gorgeous start in the prelims.
The Swede was even on the top of the rank after three sessions with the maximum points, an average of 18.461 and a run of 69. He led the final group ahead of Peter De Backer and Xavier Gretillat.
Frédéric Caudron, who won the last two editions of the Europeans and Jean Paul de Bruijn played a second fiddle so far as the specialists. The Belgian had a difficult finish of his group matches against Dieter Steinberger and Jean Paul de Bruijn, who started off with a loss, won his first in five innings (the same as Blomdahl) and showed up as the number eight of eight quarter-finalists.
The Dutchman therefore meets in the quarterfinals Torbjörn Blomdahl, the topmatch in this session. Frédéric Caudron also faces an old mate: Michel Silfhout, against whom he won the European final two years ago.
Marek Faus, with 10.66 and Wolfgang Zenkner with 10.50 were the best losers but are outplayed. Gregory Le Deventec, also eliminated, made the highest run of the prelimins: 82.
The eight quarter-finalists with averages and high runs:
1 Torbjörn Blomdahl, 18.46-69
2 Peter De Backer 17.14-44
3 Xavier Gretillat 12.00-66
4 Michel Silfhout 9.60-38
5 Frédéric Caudron 9.60-38
6 Alain Remond 7.50-41
7 Bernard Villiers 7.27-37
8 Jean Paul de Bruijn 17.00-60.
The matches for this afternoon (13:00)
Blomdah-De Bruijn
De Backer-Villiers
Gretillat-Remond
Silfhout Caudron.