RONCHIN - Young French player Benoit Legros has taken his first Masters title in Ronchin. He won the tournament in the game type balk-line 71/2 after a strong show up in the final, in which he faced home player Jean- Francois Florent, who played a good tournament and only failed in the decisive match.
Benoit Legros showed his rising start this year winning two national tournaments. In this French championship, the young man from Saint Jean de Linares played a real marathon: ten matches in two days in free game and balk-line 71/2, what means ten hours at least at the tables.
He realized 18.91 of average, started with a win vs Cédric Zoppi, then lost to Johann Petit in eight innings, bested David Jacquet in six and then took revenge against Johann Petit 200-11 in eight innings in the semifinals.
That set the tone for the final match against Jean-François Florent. And when Legros attacked in his first inning with a wonderful 113, his opponent from Ronchin couldn't answer at all. The matches was closed at 200-31 in 10 innings.
Jean-François Florent finished second with 21.03 of average after three consecutive victories in five, eight and seven innings and a misstep in the final. He scored the highest run: 155.
Johann Petit (Oissel) and Pascal Dessaint (Douai) won the bronze medal with 24.33 (best average) and 17.52.