3-Cushion
LOMMEL – For two rounds, Kurt Ceulemans was not half the player he can be. Two losses made sure he had no more chance as he started the third match of the third day. And still, he played a part in the outcome of the flight, because his victory over Steven van Acker secured his nephew Peter’s place in the next round.
Eddy Leppens had done all the hard work by then: the player / co-organisor with a lot on his mind started the evening unspectacular with a draw against Steven van Acker in 27 innings. He followed that up with an easy victory over Kurt Ceulemans (40 – 22 in 32), and was safe when he outplayed Peter Ceulemans.
Two draws (Eddy Leppens versus Steven van Acker and Peter Ceulemans versus Steven van Acker) set the tone for the third day of qualifying. It could have had an interesting climax, but fate decided otherwise. When Kurt Ceulemans refound his confidence, the outcome was never in doubt.
Steven van Acker was annihilated by Kurt Ceulemans (40-22 in 23) and Eddy Leppens did just about the same to Peter Ceulemans, who in these qualifications was a distant shadow of the player that made the final last year.
Eddy Leppens was the only player who shone this evening. In front of a home crowd, with a few quality runs and an acceptable average. Peter Ceulemans, the second player into the quarter finals, averaged under 1 twice, and only in his third match did he rise above that famous threshold, thanks to a run of 7 in his equalising inning: 40-24 in twenty innings.
Leppens equalled the shortest match, held by Peter de Backer against Eddy Merckx.
Today (Friday) Frédéric Caudron, Jef Philipoom, Frédéric Mottet and Luc Salvo will play the last flight matches.