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Magnificent Eddy Merckx storms to win: 40 in 7

16/02/2013

Publicado por frits bakker

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© © Harry van Nijlen
Eddy Merckx in his world class match against Murat Naci Coklu.

ANTALYA - Was there anyone in the world of billiards who thought that Eddy Merckx would be able to surpass what he did last year? No, of course not, it seems to be impossible. The little Belgian took the three cushion title in his country 2012, then grabbed the world title for teams with Frédéric Caudron, he won the Belgian Superprestige and finally took the most desirable title: he became world champion in Porto.

He is an absolute phenomenon in the sport in which he is on top of the world in his best days, a top gun in three cushion, a cold fish when he is under fire, brutal and brilliant when the heat is on. He showed his very best in the German league, almost two years ago, when he played a world record match average with 50 caroms in six innings. The whole world was astonished.

Such a year as last year?

No, it is impossible, all followers in Belgian billiards concluded, when he lost the Belgian title in Blankenberge and he could not qualify, with some bad luck at the end, for the Agipi Masters.

But in the Antalya World Cup, the reigning world champion was the main star again this morning when he set a blistering pace. He won his match against Murat Naci Coklu 40-12 in seven (!) innings.

Seven innings, 5.714 average and a run of seventeen in the fifth inning, when he suddenly attacked and launched his score from 14 to 31.

Two innings later, Merckx slipped through the finish under a standing ovation from the audience.

What Adnan Yüksel did, with a win in thirteen innings against Ahmet Alp, was amazing. And Torbjörn Blomdahl and Marco Zanetti were showed their wizardry on the day before with matches in 12 innings.

But Eddy Merckx was the best of all again. And he showed it before on his better days: sometimes Merckx is simply the master when he comes to the table.

The World Cup is in the final stage. Sung Won Choi, last year's winner, is out of the game and the world's ranking will get a new number one after Antalya.

Torbjörn Blomdahl has passed Frédéric Caudron after his victory over Roland Forthomme (40-34 in 28), the Swede will be the new leader.

The Turkish armada enters the quarterfinals from an unexpected angle. Savas Bulut is not a flash in the pan anymore, he shows more and more that he is able to beat the elite players. He was personally responsible for the elimination of Sung-Won Choi, the title holder (40-24 in 27).

Adnan Yüksel, the second home land player, now that Tasdemir Tayfun and Lutfi Cenet are out of the tournament are, was the best winner in Eddy Merckx' shadow in the eight matces that had to determine the eight players for the quarter-finals.

Where Ahmet Alp was a 'mountain' too high for Frédéric Caudron yesterday, the Turkish champion could not threaten the former winner of the Hurghada World Cup. Yüksel was superior, including a 12 run, he won 40-18.

Dick Jaspers, after a minor start, dashed off the match against Marco Zanetti. The two World champion finalists in Lima in 2011 were in balance untill the halfway point, then the Dutchman took advantage and finished with an untroubled win: 40-24 in 19 innings.

Jérémy Bury made a strong and solid impression: he trailed 13-6 against Martin Horn after six innings, but kept his best guns for the end: 40-24, 15 innings and like Eddy Merckx a fantastic run (16!), decisive for the match win.

The Spanish cracker between Dani Sánchez and Javier Palazón ended up with an unexpected winner. The most experienced Spaniard, threefold world champion, was not at his best and was beaten by one of his young country men. Palazón had the best final shot to win 40-35 in 26 innings.

Kyung-Roul Kim is the only Korean who reached the last eight after his victory over Filippos Kasidokostas (40-31 in 23). The Asian and Korean champion will meet another phenomenon in the quarterfinals: Torbjörn Blomdahl.

The matches for the quarter-finals are:

17.00:
Dick Jaspes-Adnan Yüksel
Jérémy Bury-Javier Palazón
Eddy Merckx-Savas Bulut
Torbjörn Blomdahl-Kyung-Roul Kim.

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