Jaspers and Merckx miss final in Agipi

PORTO/HALLE/WITTEN/AMSTERDAM/LAXOU – The Dutchman Dick Jaspers and the Belgian Eddy Merckx shone with great matches and high runs in the qualification rounds of the European Cup for teams. But they will miss the final round in Agipi with their teams. Jaspers was eliminated with Futbol Clube FC Porto, Merckx could not qualify with the other Portuguese team: Leca Futbol Clube.

BC De Ploeg (in Halle), BC Andernos (in Amsterdam/Osdorp) ASLB Laxou (in Nancy), Societat Coral Colon (in Witten) and Bahcelievler Belediye Spor Kulubu (in Porto) qualified for the final round in which champion Agipi defends the title.

There were plenty of surprises in the preliminary rounds, which were played at five locations for five places. Dick Jaspers recorded with 40 in nine innings against Alfonso Legazpi (4.444) the best match and made in his matches runs of 22 (against Brian Zola Hansen) and 13. In the deciding match for the qualification, the Dutchman however lost against Tayfun Tasdemir 40-31 in 21 innings.

The Turkish Bahcelievler Belediye Spor Kulubu, that missed the final last year with his star team, now showed itself superior in the group in Porto. Tayfun Tasdemir, Lütfi Cenet, Murat Naci Coklu and Adnan Yüksel won their three matches in the group with BK Gröndal, Gandia Billar Cafemax and the Turks of Bahcelievler Belediye 8-0.

Dick Jaspers, Dani Sánchez, Santos Oliveira and Rui Costa could not prevent the elimination against the Turks. Sánchez lost 40-35 (25) against Cenet.

The Portuguese team of Leca missed the qualification due to an unexpected loss against De Ploeg 6-2. Eddy Merckx performed in a great match (10 innings against Jean van Erp), but Wesley de Jaeger defeated Jef Philipoom. He was the match winner with a victory 40-29, run 14 (28 innings) vs Philipoom.

Thorsten Frings and substitute Dirk Weeremans signed for the other match points, so that only Merckx could win his match. It was decisive for the group win.

BC Andernos prevailed in the group in Amsterdam with three victories. Only Francis Connesson lost a match for the French team. Filippos Kasidokostas (24, 23, 19 and 24 innings), Roland Forthomme 21, 12, 27 and 18) and Jérôme Barbeillon (18, 17, 25 and 36) remained unbeaten.

Laxou also won all its matches in the group with Billiards Club Zurich, BSK Union and Etasis Bilardo Spor Kulubu. Torbjörn Blomdahl played his matches in 26, 25 and 23 innings, Martin Horn in 20, 19 and 28.

For BSK Union from Wien, Andreas Kronlachner played an excellent match in 16 innings.

Nikos Polychronopoulos, Carlos Crespo and Sergio Jimenez were the stars in the team of Societat Coral Colon in the group in Witten. Biljart Express from Belgium could not compete with the Spanish team. Frans van Kuyk, Gerwin Valentijn, Martin Spoormans and Guy van Litsenborg lost the decisive match.

The groups for the final rounds are:

Group A: Agipi (Fr), Coral Colon (Sp) and BC De Ploeg (Bel
Group B: Andernos (Fr), Bahcelievler Belediye Spor Kulubu (Tur) and ASLB Laxou (Fr).