TRABZON - The colossal Korean Kyung-Roul Kim, the icy Swede Torbjörn Blomdahl, the undestructible Belgian Eddy Merckx and the flamboyant Greek Filipos Kasidokostas will compete in Trabzon for the first World Cup victory of the year. It will be a fight at a very high level, between the undisputed top four, so was proved in the run-up to the final day.
Torbjörn Blomdahl (winner tonight against Cenet), Kyung-Roul Kim (who eliminated Sánchez) and Filipos Kasidokostas (the conqueror of Caudron) already excel for two days with high averages. Eddy Merckx again fulfils his state of indomitable warrior.
Dick Jaspers, the number one of the world, already had to leave the tournament before, tonight the number two, Frédéric Caudron was eliminated. But still the denouement will be a fantastic spectacle with four world class players.
It also will be a day without Turkish players, because Lütfi Cenet and Murat Naci Coklu disappeared from the tournament, stopped in their ambitions by two players at a higher level. Blomdahl only needed three sets against Cenet (15-10, 15-4, 15-7), Merckx won easily against Coklu (15-11, 15-8, 15-6).
The two Turkish players were the last in this World Cup who showed on which level three-cushion is played in this country. Lütfi Cenet undoubtedly is a talent with great potential and in the qualifying rounds were playing quite a few players with a bright future.
Filipos Kasidokostas tonight had to go more deep than the other three semi-finalists. The Greek won the first and the third set against Caudron, between those sets the Belgian brought the match into balance again. The decisive fifth set was dominated by Kasidokostas, who made a superb tenth point at 9-7 and then paved the way for the win, which was a fact two innings later.
Regarding the averages, Blomdahl scored the highest so far. The Swede played 2.142 against Cenet and before this match 2.545 and 1.896. Kyung-Roul Kim is a wonderful second with 2.000, 2.344 and 1.875 over three matches. These two players only can meet each others in the finals. In the semis Blomdahl plays against Merckx tomorrow, Kasidokostas against Kim.
The two matches will start at 9.30 Paris-time.