3-Cushion
The Spanish world champion Daniel Sánchez has won the World Cup in Matosinhos after an exciting final against Frédéric Caudron. The spectators in the Centro de Congressos e Desportos witnessed a duel, in which Caudron first took a 2-0 lead, but Sánchez, loudly encouraged by the people, most of them fans from him in the team of FC Porto, came back to 3-2 and then could lift the trophy.
The small Spanish toreador announced with his victory another great comeback. The world champion last year in Sluiskil was poorly motivated and inspired in matches in his own country and tournaments outside. In the final of the European Cup in Schiltigheim he could only excell at the end and in the Crystal Kelly tournament he was not a real competitor in the battle for the top prizes.
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Matosinhos, there came another player to the billiards, with full ambition to fight with the top players in the world of three-cushion. The hugh ovation at the end was especially meant for him, but also for the super player Frédéric Caudron is.
The Belgian had a smooth start in the final, won the first two sets and seemed on his way to a quick victory. But it was then that Sánchez, the frontman of the team of FC Porto in the European Cup, showed his spirit to turn the match. The Spaniard won the third set, the fourth even 15-4 and then the way to the title lied open again. With some fabulous points of both, Sánchez grabbed the deciding set 15-9 in 7 and crossed the finish as the winner: for Sánchez it was the eighth World Cup in his career.
The Spaniard is with his triumph back at the front where he belongs as three fold world champion. Sánchez could nog rise to great heights in the Spanish league and in the European Cup this year, but finally amazed the three-cushion world with his skills. ,,I'm not a player like Dick Jaspers or Frédéric Caudron, who can shine on a high level almost every match and many times in a year'', he said earlier this year.
But when he's growing to his top form, as he showed now, Sánchez is dangerous and feared by all the major players. It is for him just in time: from July 12 to 16 is the World championship in Peru, where the Spaniard defends his title.
The final scores of the World Cup in Matosinhos were slightly less than the first tournament in Trabzon. Sánchez ended with an average of 1.834, Caudron 1.825 Jaspers 1.953, Cho 1.573 and Blomdahl 1.572. Frédéric Caudron made the highest run of thirteen. Sánchez had had the highest match average with 2.500, Jaspers the highest set average with 7.500.