HALLE - The best match after three rounds in the Belgian league came to the name of Frédéric Caudron this week. The best Belgian billiard player and current world's number one sparkled this Monday with a magnificent 50 in 12 innings (4.166 average) and runs of 21 and 14. His opponent in the match was Therese Klompenhouwer who reacted in full admiration: ,,I don't think it made any difference whom he played, he was absolutely fantastic'', said the world's ladies champion after the 50-12.
Martin Spoormans could enjoy the best match in the league so far for only one week (42 to 13, 3230 average): since Monday evening the master himself holds the season record for the time being. His team, De Goeie Queue, won the derby against De Ploeg 6-2 and remained in the ranking second behind BC Deurne, the undefeated leader with six match points out of three.
Frédéric Caudron made the gap in his match in the fifth inning with a run of 14 and thrilled the audience three innings later with a masterly 21-run. Caudron said later: ,, The crowd already realized that I could finish with 29. That would have been a world record run, but unfortunately I missed the 22th, a makeable point, but that's how it is: during that run I made a few impossible shots, so that evens it out.''
Jean Paul de Bruijn and Jerry Hermans, the other two stars in the team, finished their matches in 30 and 28 innings, De Bruijn, who had a tough opponent in Jack Wijnen, ended with 1.666, Hermans, including a run of fifteen, with 1.500. Wesley Jaeger lost to Danny Geysen 42-35 in 36.
After three matches, it looks like De Goeie Queue is one of the title contenders. Caudron: ,, We have no ambitions for the title, we hope to be among the best three at the finish.''
BC Deurne, the reigning champion, who certainly is one of the top favourites, continued with a 6-2 victory over the always feared BC Herentals. The match between Torbjörn Blomdahl and Martin Horn was a real thriller, which ended in favour of the Swede 50-48 in 28 innings. Davy van Havere also recorded a narrow win against Geert Meylemans (42-41 in 45). Christian Rudolph was the only winner for his team against Jef Philipoom, 50-40 in 32. Jean van Erp bested Leon Smolders 42-37 in 30.
Biljart Express secured his position in the subtop by a 6-2 victory over Mister 100. Frans van Kuyk was the best winner of the evening with a 50-37 in 30 innings against Peter Ceulemans. Martin Spoormans and Bart Ceulemans faced each other in a high-tension match, won by the veteran 42-41 in 37. The youngest Ceulemans missed his 42nd and last carom, Spoormans then closed with a seven to the finish.
BC Zanzibar and Op de Meir lead the bunch of three-pointers after their mutual draw. Eddy Leppens and Dave Christiani shone with runs of 12. Christiani signed for the highest score (2.083) with a victory over Barry van Beers, 50-26 in 24 innings. Leppens defeated Forthomme, 50-33 in 28.
Raimond Burgman and John Tijssens were the outstanding leaders in the team Biljartvrienden in the match against De Witte Molen. Burgman knocked out Glenn Hoffman 50-39 in 21 Tijssens bested Francis Forton 50-36 in 21, both winners recorded 2.380 average.
De Witte Molen finds itself at the bottom of the ranking after the third defeat in a row. Glenn Hofman's team is still without match points like De Ploeg. KBC Kortrijk left the danger zone by a 6-2 over Quality Zele. For the Lokeren team only Eddy Merckx scored two match points against Ronny Brants 50-39 in 36. Martin Ravestyn, Richard Bitalis and Frédéric Beghin gathered the points for Kortrijk, that took its first victory.