3-Cushion
DEURNE - Which billiard player can say that he was facing three opponents from the top six of the world in only three days? Roland Forthomme met them in the days before his departure for the Agipi Masters and won two of three matches: On Saturday, he played against Eddy Merckx, on Sunday against Frédéric Caudron and on Monday against Dick Jaspers.
On Saturday he defeated Merckx 50-44 with 24 innings, after a formidable end rush, on Saturday he lost against Caudron (50-40 in 23) and yesterday he won against Jaspers (50-35 in 22).
Forthomme shows himself eager again and leaves with a nice feeling for the tournament in which he belonged to the star players in the first editions. On Thursday and Friday he plays in the Agipi Masters against the Koreans Jung-Han Heo and Haeng Jik Kim and his compatriot Eddy Leppens.
He showd his form in the match against Jaspers last night. ,,I made ten caroms in my first ten innings, thereafter I made forty in the next twelve innings.'' With a highest run of nine and an average of 2.272 he was by far the best man of the evening in Deurne, where his team lost 6-2, thanks to victories for the hometeam by Jean Paul de Bruijn, Davy van Havere and Ludo Dielis.
Dick Jaspers is not playing a major role so far in Belgium: in the four matches for BC Deurne he beat Ronny Brants, played draw against Frans van Kuyk and lost against Dion Nelin and Roland Forthomme.
BC De Ploeg is after sixth round the new leader thanks to a victory against BC Herentals last night. The top team from Zoersel had the strongest performances at the tables one, two and three. Martin Horn played after his loss against Dick Jaspers on Saturday another great match: he defeated Dion Nelin 50-37 in nineteen innings.
Jef Philipoom, who is successful in Belgium, but had a slow start in the Netherlands, showed his strength by beating Christian Rudolph (50-32 in 23). Jean van Erp defeated Leon Smolders 42-21 in 28, only Wesley de Jaeger, suffering with an eye injury, lost against Geert Meylemans 42-37.
Johan Loncelle continued his unbeaten string with a win in the meeting with Kortrijk. The captain player of 't Lammeken prevailed in the duel with Ronny Brants 50-45 in 30 innings. The Ghent team clinched victory (6-2), in the team of Kortrijk was Richard Bitalis the only winner: 42-29 against Michel van Camp with a highest run of thirteen.