3-Cushion
ANTALYA - Were there any bookmakers in the the World Cup arena in Turkey, where you could put your money on the winners? They have made big money, for sure, this morning in the semifinals, in which the two favorits (Eddy Merckx and Dick Jaspers) were killed by two outsiders (Jérémy Bury and Torbjörn Blomdahl).
The outcome of the morning session? Power to the outsiders in the World Cup final.
The Frenchman and the Swede enter the room for te final match this afternoon (15.00) in the first World Cup this year. Jérémy Bury was brilliant in his fight with Dick Jaspers (40-23 in 11), Torbjörn Blomdahl astounding in his match against Eddy Merckx (40-28 in 17).
Dick Jaspers had not even blinked his eyes, when Jérémy Bury already led 13-0 and Eddy Merckx could only watch in admiration from his chair the Blomdahl show after five innings: 15-3.
That is what top sports, billiards and three cushion makes so whimsical and wonderful to watch: two players dominating the tournament so far, two outsiders who could follow the leaders in a shadow role. But at the moment of truth, the roles suddenly were reversed.
The 50-year old Swede is on his very best in that role: he is able to grow to great heights from the position of the underdog. His comeback last year, with a victory in the Suwon World Cup and the Agipi Masters, made a deep impression in the circuit. The main role in the Antalya World Cup and the new number one position in the world fasten his way back to the top.
Jérémy Bury is already chasing the big breakthrough and his first major success for a few years. The 31-year-old Parisian has been close to a shining victory a few times: in the Agipi Masters two years ago (lost final against Sung-Won Choi) and in Hurghada World Cup two years ago (loss in the final against Adnan Yüksel).
The first striking victory can never be far away. Bury has grown out to an absolute top player, technically perfect, a calculating master, tactically strong and a great fighter.
Torbjörn Blomdahl was one of his great role models when Bury was a young player. examples. Today, he faces his former idol, in the final of a World Cup.
Eddy Merckx, who played such a masterful match, 40 caroms in 7 innings and Dick Jaspers are referred to the number three and four positions onstage. They could not nearly reach the level of their previous days in the semifinals matches.
Jaspers was outclassed in the early part of the match by his opponent, who was already one point from the break (20) after four innings. Merckx trailed already 24-6 after 7 innings against the raging Blomdahl.
What we can conclude alreay now, is that the statistics are historical: never we have seen so many high quality matches in a World Cup.
Six of these were above three average:
Eddy Merckx against Coklu: 5.714
Marco Zanetti against Hwang: 3.333
Jérémy Bury against Jaspers: 3.333
Torbjörn Blomdahl against Romero: 3.333
Dick Jaspers against Yüksel: 3.076
Adnan Yüksel against Alp: 3.076.
The final will be played at 15.00 Turkish clock.