HOOGLEDE - The year of Eddy Leppens, the 2015 Belgian champion, has turned into the year of Frédéric Caudron. The roles are totally reversed after the best year of Leppens in his entire career. Frédéric Caudron took the leading role this year, he is sovereign so far in all tournaments with high averages and impressive finals. The Belgian number one, by far, is again the absolute favourite in the Belgium Cup this weekend (13, 14 and 15 May) to succeed Leppens as title holder.
,,We all ran into a super Caudron this year'', confesses Leppens, who defeated his main rival in a high class final last year in Hooglede. ,,We played a very high-level match for the title'', Leppens looks back. ,,After four sets and a 2-2 score, we both had three average. I certainly had to play very good and fight, because Caudron also had a very strong day. In the Superprestige, he took his revenge. I could pick up the trilogy: the Belgian title, the cup, but in the Superprestige, I lost to Fred by shoot-outs. It was the first sign for Caudron's comeback after a minor season with a setback at the world ranking.
The best Belgian all-rounder by far, who came out of the shadow of his illustrious countryman Raymond Ceulemans with all his international victories, has taken the hegemony again. The reigning cup holder Leppens, who took the Belgian title last year, won two ranking tournaments, could look back on his best year ever. ,,I got a backlash after that year'', Leppens admits. ,,We shouldn't be ashamed that we can't withstand Caudron this year. He's performing abnormally strong with fantastic averages.''
The explanation for a minor season so far is hard to find. Leppens: ,,We all know that it depends so much on small details in the current three-cushion. The level is very high, many top players are evenly matched. I was in the winning mood last year, my confidence was growing all the time and then you will slightly play better. Sportsmen and billiard players are always talking about the flow, that means, when you gain confidence, you have the right feeling and you're a little lucky on the right moments. I always felt good last year and I played better and better in the main tournaments. Why is it suddenly less this year? I can't find an explanation. Billiards, especially three cushion, is a strange sport, sometimes. You can never say that you're in top form in advance. I'll just say: that little bit of luck, a result of my excellent form, helped me to win the important tournaments. But it only happens when you play well. There are lots of examples. Caudron was not as good as he is now, last year. Dick Jaspers, of whom everyone says that he can better handle with pressure than anyone, also couldn't win big tournaments for a while and dropped in the rankings.''
The supremacy of Caudron so far was mainly applied in the BTS (Grand Prix) tournaments that count for the Belgian ranking. He mostly shattered all his opponents with extremely high level playing and even beat top players such as Eddy Merckx and Eddy Leppens by a big margin. ,,As Caudron is playing now, it is insanely good, we have no chance to beat him in this form. You can't afford anything when you play against Fred, because in four of five innings, he makes thirty points. He leads the ranking with over 2.300 in four tournaments, that's really incredible.''
That does not mean, adds Leppens, that he's the only contender at the Belgian Cup. ,,The matches are played in sets, which is always different and dangerous for the better players. Yes, of course Fred is the favourite, but it can be also tough for him in short sets. The Belgian Cup is a special tournament with a lot of outside players. I had a pretty good draw, in any case, because I will meet Caudron and Merckx only in the final if I keep on winning. But that will be hard: I start against Ronny Brants, who has a reputation in the Cup, where he always plays good.'' The Belgian Cup with 32 players at the big table and 32 at the small table, has his domicile for many years in the Gouden Zonne in Hooglede. There, Reginald Depoorter, who retired as the Belgian president, has the leading role one more time.
Frédéric Caudron, in a fabulous form this year, is the man to beat in Hooglede
The matches in the first knock-out rounds:
Friday:
Ivan Stitschinsky-Bart Leys
Eddy Leppens-Ronny Brants
Sven van Orshaegen-Wesley de Jaeger
Geert Peeters-Frédéric Mottet
Nicolas Bievelez-Marc Celen
Frédéric Caudron-Paul Dumont
Patrick Kesteloot-Stefaan Velghe
Davy van Havere-Peter De Backer
Saturday:
Pascal Claus-Christiaan De Mil
Steven van Acker-Tom Persijn
Marco Janssen-Luc Peeters
Martin Spoormans-Kenny Miatton
Frank de Groof-Iwan de Rynck
Jef Gijsels-Marc Roofthooft
Paul Wallebrand-Thomas Broux
Koen Saver-Eddy Merckx.