BRANDENBURG AN DER HAVEL - Torbjörn Blomdahl will play the final of the European Championship today (Sunday) at 18.00, and Eddy Merckx is his opponent. His win over tegen Adnan Yüksel in the semifinal means he will be the new nr. 1 on the world ranking, at the expense of world champion Sung Won Choi, who does remain in the top 3.
Eddy Merckx beat Dick Jaspers in the other semifinal, and he did it with a margin: 40-15 in 10) Merckx is not far off the world record tournament average, held by Blomdahl at 2.739. The Belgian, prior to the final, has 160 points in 62 innings (2.580).
Torbjörn Blomdahl also held the nr. 1 position last year, before the new rules took effect. His opponent in the final has shown great form all tournament. The Belgian started with a win over Semih Sayginer (21 innings), then he overcame Paul de Bruijn (16), Murat Tüzül (15) and finally in the semi Dick Jaspers (in ten innings).
The match against his Dutch teammate was the jewel in the crown so far. It was an exhibition by the Belgian, who led 9-1, 14-2, and 25-14, his Dutch opponent unable to do anything about it, even if he himself had played so impressively in the weeks leading up to the EC.
Likewise, Blomdahl was lord and master on the other table, where Adnan Yüksel could not get out of the blocks and was virtually beaten before the break: 17-2. That became 29-3, 35-0 and eventually 40-14 in 20 innings.
Torbjörn Blomdahl won the European crown six times, in 1985, 1986, 1990, 1998, 2001 and 2005. Eddy Merckx won the title once, in 2007 in Salon de Provence ahead of Frédéric Caudron and Dick Jaspers.
Eddy Merckx and Torbjörn Blomdahl met on six occasions this year and last year combined, with Merckx as the winner four times. The best encounter of the six was won by Blomdahl, at the WC in Viersen: 40-23 in 14, Merckx won in de World Cup of Guri, in New York in de group stage and twice in the Bundesliga.
The final is at 18.00.