Carom Series
OOGEVEEN - The final between two giants in the European championship classic games ended in a victory for Etikon. The Dutch team, with Henry Tilleman, Jean Paul de Bruijn and Belgian Patrick Niessen, defeated the Spanish Centelles this afternoon in Hoogeveen.
Two victories of Henri Tilleman in the balk-line 47/2 in one inning against Raul Cuenca and Patrick Niessen against Esteve Mata in five innings (250-87) brought the trophy to Etikon. The match between Jean Paul de Bruijn and Frédéric Caudron, in which the Dutchman led 142-114, needing eight more points, was stopped after Tilleman and Niessen had given their team a 4-0 lead.
Jean Paul de Bruijn was close to a revenge for the loss in the European championship on cushion in Cervera, where he lost to Caudron.
The Etikon team won in Hoogeveen its third European title after 2009 and 2011. The victory was more than deserved. The Dutch team remained undefeated in the preliminary rounds and lost only one point in the semifinal against Oissons when Alain Remond equalized against De Bruijn.
The Dutch one cushion specialist, who celebrated his 47th anniversary just before the tournament, improved his list of winst with his third European title after six individual winst in the European championships one cushion and one world title.
He said after the tournament: ,,We have shown to be the best because we were strong on all tables. This was a great team performance. Henry Tilleman was not that best until the finals, but then he showed his great class by finishing his match in one innings.''
De Bruijn's match against Caudron was primarily a tactical battle. ,,We both played not only to score a lot, but also defensive. At the European championships in Cervera, Caudron made the first gap now it was me who could take an advantage of thirty, forty poings. That was decisive for the match.''
Etikon came fairly simple in the semifinals on Saturday by a win against the French of Oissel and the Germans of Bochum, both wins with 6-0. Centelles also won all his matches.
Today (Sunday) Erikon defeated Soissons in the first semifinal. Jean-Paul de Bruijn had to allow a draw to Alain Remond, Patrick Niessen and Henry Tilleman took the full win, however they were a little in trouble against Pierre Soumagne and Patrick Dupont.
Centelles won the semi final against Oissons 4-0, but in the final battle the Spanish team couldn't fulfil his reputation against Etikon.