BLANKENBERGE - It looked as if a riot was born, yesterday evening in the last match of the day, with only twenty five spectators in the tribunes. Eddy Leppens and Philippe Deraes were performing in an endless finale stage of their party in the balk-line 47/2. The match went slowly on to the end and Philippe Deraes was in a run. Suddenly Eddy Leppens stood up from his chair, took his cue and wanted to store it and said: ,,I really have enough of this comedy, this happens to me now for the fourth time in this tournament. I stop this match.''
There was a little discussion with the referee, Robert Monissen, who had counted a carom (a little piqué), which was, according to Leppens, a flagrant foul. ,,We can do two things,'' Leppens said. ,,You say that it's a miss and I'm gonna play, or you don't and then I quit.''
The decision was taken, minutes later, by Philippe Deraes, who showed himself a wise man. He went to his chair, wanted to keep the peace and didn't want to continue his run. ,,Eddy can play now'', he said. Leppens hesitated for a while, then took his cue again, made a few caroms, but playd on without any motivation. ,,I didn't want to win the match, it did not interest me anymore.''
Philippe Deraes won the match, which could be decisive for the title in 47/2: 300-256 in six innings. But the atmosphere after the match was very row-like and disturbed. Deraes kept himself outside the conflict, Leppens still had not cooled half hour after the game.
,,I am penalized four times now, while there were good agreements before the tournament. We came together and spoke about things that could happen and how to anticipate, for us, as players and for the referees'', Leppens said with restrained fury. ,,I don't understand why it goes on like it did before. I felt myself as a victim of three or four decisions this week and now this happens to me. First I was broken off in a run of 142 in my first inning, while I felt so strongly that I could finish the match. And that caram was absolutely on. I was very upset again, because we are playing for the Belgian title, you know.''
Directly after the match there were some discussions about a possible punishment for Leppens. Reginald Depoorter, the president of the federation, said: ,,I will not take a decision, I leave it to the sports comittee, but of course it was not good what Leppens did, by threatening to stop the match.''
,,They can do what they want, I'm an adult and I know what I'm doing,'' Leppens responded. ,,I am living for my sport with all my hart, I am an honest man, and I can't stand it if they disadvantage me in this way.''
The defeat of Leppens means for the title run, that he still has a chance to win. Leppens gathered four match points in three matches, just like Patrick Niessen. Leppens playes against Johan Claessen in the last match, Niessen against Johan Devos. Philippe Deraes has a theretical chance as well, he has five match points, but has finished his group matches in this discipline.
And the incident of yesterday night? May be it will be continued before the sports committee.