Centelles and Bochum in neck-to-neck race

BOCHUM - The battle for the group win (and a place in the finals) in the preliminary round of the European championship classical disciplines in Bochum seems to become a match between the teams of Centelles and DBC Bochum. The two competitors have started the tournament with a victory: Centelles defeated Ronchin 4-2 in match points, the home team Bochum won 5-1 against the Swiss national team.

The Spaniard Esteve Mata, who playes balkline 71/2 for Centelles, shone already with two victories: the first in his match with the Frenchman Jean-Francois Florent in one inning (200-4), this afternoon against Sotiris Psiskonis 200-20 in 4 (highest run 162).

Thanks to the run from the break-off, Mata showed the team of Centelles the way to a full win against Ronchin. Brahim Djoubri, a great balkline player, was the only successful player for the French: he defeated Raul Cuenca in 47/2 with 250-223 in 4 innings (run 222).

Frédéric Caudron (Centelles) beat Bernard Villiers in one 120-84 in 7 innings.

The Spaniards have the second win for grabbing, because after Esteve Mata's victory, Raul Cuenca won his match in 47/2 against Michael Voegtlin in 11 innings. Frédéric Caudron plays the third match against Gretillat.

DBC Bochum started the preliminaries with Ludger Havlik, triumphing in 47/2 against Psiskonis (250-0 in 1 inning) and Thomas Nockermann in 71/2 (200 to 33 in 5). Fabian Blondeel and Xavier Gretillat, two players who faced each others many times in the international tournaments, played a draw in one cushion: 120-120 in 14 innings.