Carom Series
HOOGEVEEN - The top four teams in the European championship for clubs are in the semifinals, this morning (Sunday, from 9.00) in l'Acquit in Hoogeveen (Netherlands). The Dutch Etikon and the Spanish Centelles, the unbeaten group winners yesterday, are the favorites to play the final. The other two semifinalists are the French teams of Soissons Billard and Billard Club Oissel.
The four teams, with top players like Frédéric Caudron, Jean Paul de Bruijn, Patrick Niessen, Esteve Mata, Arnim Kahofer and Raul Cuenca, remained from the preliminaries, in which DBL Bochum and Andernos were eliminated. The Germans lost the most notable match against BC Oissel 4-2, Andernos was defeated by Soissons 4-2.
Etikon and Centelles were unbeaten at all tables in their two matches. Patrick Niessen was indisputably the best man in the Etikon team: the Belgian defeated both his opponents, Johan Petit (Oissel) as Thomas Nockemann (Bochum) in the balk-line in two innings: 250-16 and 250-69.
Jean Paul de Bruijn showed solid and subtly one cushion play against Arnim Kahofer and Fabian Blondeel. The European vice-champion won his matches to 150 points in 8 and 10 innings.
The European champion Frédéric Caudron was still slightly better in this discipline, although he needed a strong finish against Alain Remond with only three points ahead: 150-147 in 13 innings. His second match of the day was brilliant against Bernard Baudoin: 150-24 in 3 innings.
Esteve Mata and Raul Cuenca played both balk-lines for the team of Centelles. Mata won the 71/2 against Dupont and the 47/2 against Gerassimopoulos. Cuenca was stronger than Soumagne in 47/2 and then defeated De Backer in the 71/2.
Henry Tilleman (Etikon) had to fight hard for his wins in the 47/2, nevertheless he won both matches against Fabio Venditelli 300-150 and Ludger Havlik 300-292.
The first semifinal between Soissons and Etikon starts this morning (Sunday) at 9.00. Thereafter Centelles and Oissel meet each other. The final is at 15.00.