De Backer best winner in first round

HOOGLEDE - Peter de Backer met his Belgian teammate Patrick Kesteloot in the first session of the Belgium Cup and played the best match in the first qualification. The victory in straight sets (15-4 and 15-2) needed only ten innings, the average for 3000 was slightly better than the score of Frédéric Caudron.

The defending champion defeated Tom Persijn in two innings, 15-3, 15-5 and an average of 2.727. He will meet in the next round Henk Blauwblomme to qualify for next round.

Peter de Backer plays against Marco Janssen on his way to the last sixteen. Johan Loncelle, still embroiled in a complex doping case, but convinced that he will not be punished, started against Alain Clabots and won in two sets 15-9 and 15-6. His next opponent is Eddy Merckx, who had a bye in the first round.

Forton Francis had a shaky start against Frédéric Mottet, lost the first set and then repaired with two winning sets. Geert Meylemans did the same in his match against Marc Celen. The first set was won by Celen, Meylemans won the next two sets.