LAUSANNE - The bliss of the world championship is still on his cheeks, and already Dani Sánchez has his name engraved in another trophy. The 42-year old Spaniard won the Lausanne Billiard Masters on Sunday, after three days of uninterrupted wins. On the closing day of the event, the billiard player from Catalonia brought his form of the opening days into the semifinal where he beat Dong Koong Kang (40-38 in 18) and in the final with a 40-36 win over Frédéric Caudron, also in 18 innings. The Spaniard won the first prize premium of 6.850 Swiss francs.
After the ceremony, he had no time to comment: ,,I must leave for the airport right now, or I'll miss my flight'', he said apologetically. Into the organization's microphone he had said how happy he was to add 'Lausanne' to his palmares, that his last four weeks had been amazing with a place in the final of the La Baule World Cup, the world title in Bordeaux, and now his win in Lausanne. On Sunday evening he will return to the city where Lionel Messi is a phenom and FC Barcelona makes headlines on a daily basis. Dani Sánchez will not get that kind of coverage in the sports columns, but he is one of his country's sporting heroes, nevertheless.
He has said more than once in the past months, that his new status as a businessman with his own brand (DS) and a beautiful billiard room in Seoul is increasingly difficult to combine with the career of a top player. ,,The travelling and negotiating with business partners gets in the way of my practice hours'', he admits. It makes this peak in his career, highlighted by his fourth world title, even more miraculous. His win in the Swiss IOC city makes him the successor of Dick Jaspers and Marco Zanetti, who won the event twice. Sánchez remained unbeaten in the group stage, with Marco Zanetti, Jae-Ho Cho, Dick Jaspers and Swiss player Michel Boulaz. In the K.O. stage, he first beat Dong Koong Kang, then Frédéric Caudron, who had become the tournament favorite based on the sky-high averages he had produced.
The final became a topsy-turvy event. Dani Sánchez started with a seven from the spots, quickly established a 14-4 lead, then 19-13 and 26-14 after ten innings. Frédéric Caudron chased with runs of six, three, four and six, got back as far as 39-36, but just lost out in the final yards, when Sanchez first missed a bank shot but finished with a twice-around an inning later. Caudron: ,,I was not quite as sharp in the final, but I did put up a good fight.''
Joining Dani Sánchez and Frédéric Caudron on the podium of Lausanne 2016, were Marco Zanetti and Dong-Koong Kang. Diane Wild, the tournament organizer, announced that the event will again be on the calendar in 2017.
The final result:
1 Dani Sánchez (Spain)
2 Frédéric Caudron (Belgium)
3 Dong-Koong Kang (Korea)
3 Marco Zanetti (Italy)
5 Torbjörn Blomdahl (Sweden)
6 Jae-Ho Cho (Korea)
7 Dick Jaspers (Netherlands)
8 Jérémy Bury (France)
9 Michel Boulaz (Switzerland)
10 Xavier Gretillat (Switzerland)
Frédéric Caudron, beaten by Dani Sánchez after a wonderful tournament
Semifinals
Frédéric Caudron - Marco Zanetti: 40-14 in 16.
Two former Agipi teammates faced each other in a grudge match. Do you remember this one? The semifinal of the EC in Brandenburg, where Caudron equalized the world record high run (28), but was beaten by Zanetti anyway. It was not that historic or fascinating this time. A flawless start by the Belgian who creates a gap between him and his opponent. He runs away in his fluent style with a run of ten, and after only 11 innings has a dominant 31-8 lead. The Italian, twice the winner in Lausanne, knows he's beaten and concedes the match at 40-14 in 16 innings. Caudron consolidates the wonderful average he has built up: 2.512 after five encounters.
Marco Zanetti couldn't match with Frédéric Caudron in the semis
Semifinal
Dani Sánchez - Dong-Koong Kang: 40-38 in 18/17.
Much like the first semi, this one starts without much battle. Dani descends on his prey and builds up a 23-4 lead in ten innings. Then the Korean player springs to life with a run of twelve. The match opens up, and all of a sudden becomes a joy to watch. Both players entertain the crowd with creative shots, and after Kang has produced two more runs of seven, they are neck and neck at 32-30 after 13 innings. The Spaniard runs five, the Korean runs four. The finish line is close after 15 innings, and chances go back and forth. Kang misses a short-angle at 38-37, and gets punished: Sánchez scores twice, almost messes up his last easy point but - with a little body english - nips it and wins 40-38 in 18.
Dong-Koong Kang put up a great fight, but lost to Dani Sánchez in the semifinalSanchez : 6’850
Price money for players:
Sanchez: 6.850 Sw. francs
Caudron 7.650
Zanetti 3.950
Kang 4.700
Blomdahl 4.000
Cho 3.900
Bury 2.800
Jaspers 2.900
Total amount: 36.750 CHF