Carom Series
SOISSONS – The European championship for club teams in Soissons (France) enters the final day, tomorrow (Sunday), with the two top favorites for the title in a main role. The Dutch defending champion Etikon and the German challenger Bochum remained unbeaten in the qualification rounds.
Jean Paul de Bruijn and Henri Tilleman (Etikon) won their matches with flying colors. Patrick Niessen escaped to victory in his first match against Jean-Francois Florient in the 71/2 (250-211 in 11) and then played a draw in the evening match against Patrick Dupont, who equaled from the spots (250-250 in 8).
Henri Tilleman defeated the European champion 47/2, Brahim Djoubri, 300-107 in 5 innings (141 run at the end) and Pierre Soumagne 300-147 after a final run of 202 in the evening match.
Jean Paul de Bruijn closed with sixty in his one cushion match against Bernard Villiers (150-117 in 11) and had the better endrush in his duel with Alain Remond after they balanced until 98-91 (150-103 in 14).
The Dutch team is the major contender to collect a new title in the team championship. The opposition should come especially from the Germans: Bochum also won two matches in the preliminary round.
Ludger Havlik set the tone against Anag with a run of 292 in the 47/2. Fabian Blondeel needed 24 innings for 150 points one cushion and Thomas Nockemann won the 71/2 against Marek Faus 250-219.
The Andernos team, already outplayed after twee losses in the second match, grabbed two match points in its last match due to Nicolas Gerassimopoulos, who defeated Ludger Havlik 300-214 in 7 innings.
Fabian Blondeel left Bernard Baudoin far behind in one cushion, (150-53 in 11) and Thomas Nockemann impressed again in the 71/2 with a win against Belgian Peter De Backer (250-62 in four innings).
In the semi-finals Etikon plays in tomorrow morning (Sunday, 8.30) against Anag, which finished second in Group B. The German team of Bochum faces the number two in Group A, Ronchin at 11.00.
The final is at 15.00.