3-Cushion
SCHILTIGHEIM - On the final day at the European Cup for teams, in the Agipi center in Schiltigheim, the two very best teams meet in a dream clash. Agipi, the eight-time title holder, is the big favorite, Bahcelievler, with its four strong Turkish players is more than a challenger.
Both teams survived the semifinals and made it abundantly clear that they are the best. Agipi recorded a solid win against Andernos this morning, with victories at two tables, a loss and one match between Marco Zanetti and Roland Forthomme which did not need a finish.
The Turks were even more dominant in the match against Coral Colón: Murat Naci Coklu and Adnan Yüksel overpowered their opponents before the break. The team not only led 4-0, but also with a big advantage in caroms.
Tayfun Tasdemir and Lütfi Cenet were on a mission after the break: they didn’t even need a win, a total of 35 caroms was enough.
When Cenet led 24-14 against Mas and Tasdemir trailed 13-25 against Polychronopoulos, the match was stopped by the referee.
Cenet (over 2 average, 12 run) and Adnan Yüksel (2.105) impressed with great performances. The entire Turkish team seems ready for the climax.
Agipi thanked the win against Andernos among others to Frédéric Caudron, who won his first game in the tournament against Filippos Kasidokostas. The Greek was left far behind at the finish (40-24 in 18/17).
Marco Zanetti and Roland Forthomme played a very high class match, which was closed, because Agipi had already won the match, on a score of 28-26 in 13.
Jérémy Bury defeated Carlos Crespo 40-32 in 29, Jean Christophe Roux was beaten by Jérôme Barbeillon 40-29 in 26.
The two leaders of European team billiards show up for a dream final. The home team of Agipi has in the eight years that they won the cup never faced an opponent of this high class.
The Turks have, just like Agipi, a very balanced team with strong leaders and feared players on three and four. Tayfun Tasdemir played in the prelims 1.818 and 2.353 average. Cenet starred in three matches (preliminaries and semifinals) with 1.667, 1.905 and 2.000.
Adnan Yüksel is an unlikely strong fourth man with match averages of 1.667, 1.481 and 2.105 and Murat Naci Coklu, excelled in his three matches as well: one time 1.739, two times 1.667.
And the dream team of Agipi… what scores can they show?
Frédéric Caudron, unusually for him, lost two matches in three. Twice he averaged around 1.500 (1.647 and 1.500), in his semifinal match against Filippos Kasidokostas he showed his high level (2.222).
Marco Zanetti is the amazing trump card for his team. The Italian shows a scintillating form already for months and he does it again at the European Cup (1.538, 2.667 and 2.154).
Jérémy Bury and Jean Christophe Roux are in theory the weak links in the team so far. The two Frenchmen had a poor start, leading up to the final. Bury reached his normal level one time (1.818), in the other two performances, he walked on thin ice with 1.250 and 1.379.
Jean Christophe Roux started well with 1.667, but continued with moderate matches of 1.053 and 1.160.
But there is no doubt at all: it's going to be a European final to look forward with lots of tension and excitement.
The final matches (Agipi-Bacelievler)
14.00: Jérémy Bury-Murat Naci Coklu
Jean-Christophe Roux-Adnan Yüksel
16.00: Marco Zanetti-Lütfi Cenet
Frédéric Caudron-Tayfun Tasdemir.