3-Cushion
ISTANBUL - Was it because his opponent, Lütfi Cenet, awarded the Greek ex-world champion Filippos Kasidokostas still a chance to survive? The magnificent playing Cenet in any case missed one very makeable match point and then Kasidokostas played out with a final sprint of four, good for a narrow escape.
He crawled through the eye of the needle. Jérôme Barbeillon didn't play a great match at the other table against David Pennör, but a loss of the Greek and his own victory, was enough for the new French champion to enter the main tournament.
But it didn't turn out like that. Lütfi Cenet gave his opponent the chance he needed, the Greek grabbed the win with a final shot of four (30-29 in 19 innings).
Jérôme Barbeillon may go home, despite a very promising start against Kasidokostas in 13 innings. Lütfi Cenet is the group winner with 1.561 average, Kasidokostas second with 1.472, Barbeillon finished two match points down and averaged 1.220 after his victory against Pennör 30-29.
The other group seemed to get a very exciting finish, as Jef Philipoom entered the final stage with the best odds. He went up together with Jérémy Bury in his third match, to a 22-20 score after fifteen innings.
Javier Palazón, the other contender in this group, was far below Philipoom's average, had the same match points, so he needed to beat Thorsten Danielsson and hope that the Belgian lost his match against Bury.
Jérémy Bury decided the fate of Philipoom. The Frenchman went to the table on a 22-20 score and finished the match with ten. He ended up as first in the group with 2.093, before Palazón with 1.132 for Palazón. And Philipoom, with 1.529, could pack his suitcase and go home to celebrate his birthday.