3-Cushion
The form in which he won the World Cup in Trabzon, he showed tonight in the Arena Agipi. As regular as a Swiss watch Eddy Merckx threated the caroms together in his battle with Frédéric Caudron. The Belgians, who in group C first faced each other, played a match with two faces. Caudron started like a rocket, Merckx remained calm as ever and passed his opponent after the half way point of the match. He continued his victory march with a significant success (50-42 in 26 innings) against his always dreaded fellow countryman.
Eddy Merckx and Haeng Jik Kim lead the group after one round. The Korean was not at his best, his opponent, Nikos Polychronopoulos, even had a worse day. The two players went into a slow pace to the finish line. Haeng Jik Kim wasted some match points before, after two simple mistakes of the Greek, he could finish at 50-43 in 30 innings.
Torbjörn Blomdahl, who had a free round, watched the matches from the stands and could estimated his chances. He must have seen that not Caudron, but Merckx perhaps is his most important opponent to win the group. The little Belgian, who sold his billiard cafe, is in a great shape and after Trabzon has a boundless confidence.
,,The only thing I have to take care for, is that I don't practice to much in these days'', he said after his victory over Caudron. ,,I have all the time now and have a beautiful billiard room in my huse. When I came back on Monday from Trabzon, I trained two days afterwards, but not eight hours a day. I got the shape now, I need to keep training of course, but I have to make sure that I'm hungry to play matches.''
He was showing that hunger in the evening session. ,,I saw that Frédéric had a furious start, but he does it quite often like that. And I waited for my chance and could pass him'', Merckx concluded with a little satisfaction.
That happened only after Caudron had started very quickly with a run of eleven and with 21 points in five innings. And at the halfway point of the match, Caudron still led by 25-17 after a difficult phase for Merckx, but with two runs of four and two of five Merckx put his opponent in the closing innings to a deficit of 45-39.
Caudron, who broke a pommerance and had to change his topend, made in his last ten innings only nine caroms, Merckx scored 27 times. That was the difference at the end.
Haeng Jik Kim and Nikos Polychronopoulos played a tough match, with too many failures and only occasional a revival of both. Kim had a lead throughout the whole race of ten points and more, but gave his opponent the opportunity to come back with runs of four and six to 49-45. With his third matchball, the Korean finished the match on 50-43.