3-Cushion
MARXUQUERA - The for the Juanjo Trilles Cup is at the halfway point and Frédéric Caudron has built up a margin that must give him the confidence for a strong finish. The Belgian looks fresher, plays faster and much better so far than his opponent Dick Jaspers, who wasn't capable to reach his highest level in these two days.
The fighting spirit to escape is still there, but the moral of the world champion is vulnerable after six sessions and a gap on the score board of 58 points (301-243 in 136 innings). How will the Dutchman manage to get the train back on the rails and even better: he will he find his confidence after the continuous attacks of his opponent and the usually too weak counters of Jaspers.
Caudron has taken the match in his hands with a great bravura, high runs, although not so much over ten, but always more than with 2.00/2.200 advantage.
And it has to be said: Jaspers couldn't excude the high class he's used to, not in the first two days. He swings with his average around 1.700/1.800, which is not enough for a player of his caliber to beat Frédéric Caudron in his current form and condition.
There could be a turning point in the match, of course, like it seemed in the early hours. When Jaspers had a sudden acceleration, with which he threatened his opponent, but the attack was short-lived. So the theories that were made before the match, were provisionally dismissed.
Frédéric Caudron should have said, according to the story, that when he faced Jaspers ten times, he would never win more than two or three times. But look at the score in this Match of the Year: the opposite is already showed on the score board: Caudron was in four of the five sessions to sixty points so far superiour, only in the third set Jaspers made more caroms than Caudron: 78 against 59.
Caudron built up his big margin in the other four sets:
1st session: 61 against 45.
2nd session: 60 against 27.
4th session: 62 against 58.
5th session: 59 to 34.
Dick Jaspers made only one run of ten in 136 innings. That is completely against the custom of the world champion, who always excels in matches for the leagues and in tournaments with high runs and high averages.
Frédéric Caudron once finished with sixteen in the second session and made runs of eleven, two times ten, two times nine and two times eight. The accelerations have made the difference in the score.
Dick Jaspers could only admit: ,,The average so far says a lot about the match. Frédéric constantly plays around 2.100/2.200, I'm on a level of 1.800. And actually, that's the level I'm playing on for more than half a year now. I try hard to improve and to get my form back, but it is very difficult, although I will keep fighting to come back in the Challenge. I won't give up.''
The score of the fifth session:
Score after four sessions:
Caudron-Jaspers
116 innings: 242-209
126th inning: 276-225
130th inning: 285-233
133rd inning: 289-240
Averages: Caudron 2.213, Jaspers 1.800.
Highest runs: Caudron 16, Jaspers 10.
Caudron leads by 58 points.