EL GOUNA - The wide smile on his face reflects the way he feels. Where Dave Christiani goes these days, at the beach, the pool, or in the billiard arena, the sun shines everywhere. Life is good to the 37-year old from Limburg, especially in Egypt's holiday resort El Gouna. He'll be the first to say: ,,I am not here to soak up the sun, but to play billiards to the best of my ability.'' Which is what he does, and he doesn't mess about. The same as Tonny Carlsen did on the thirth day in a match over 30 points in only 8 innings.
Dave Christiani was the best of the day twice, second best once in three days of preliminary matches. Brilliant scoring, high averages, ruthless to his opponents, with a clear head and oozing confidence around the table. ,,I feel really good, I am confident, I 'get' what the table will do. After all these years of not playing, because of a lack of sponsorship, I am hungry to get to it now. This is what you do it for, this is the stage where you want to perform.''
For three years the Dutchman was absent from the World Cups, ever since Medellin in 2013. With the support of a friend, he can now participate again. ,,I hope to find another sponsor, so I can go to more World Cups'', he said after his stellar performance today, with two matches of 30 points, won in 12 and 13 innings.
,,I have been playing well all year,'', says Christiani. ,,It could become a top year, like 2012. It also has to do with the fact that I am playing in the first position in the Dutch league. It gives me the experience of playing against strong opponents.''
Tomorrow is another day, is his motto. ,,We all know how it is, in 3-cushion. You are dependent on so many small things. A near miss, or a thin hit. How the roll of the ball is, your feel for the table, your form of the day. But those things are what keeps it so exciting'', he said, looking forward to his new show up tomorrow in a group with Pedro Piedrabuena and Kwang-Yeol Park.
With his 2.400 of average Dave Christiani was slightly better today than David Martinez (2.142) and than Tonny Carlsen (2.000), who played a fantastic final match with 30-9 in eight innings against Can Capak. The Danish veteran, a true lover of the Egyptian sun and beaches, comes here almost every year to show again his playing style (ultra-short stroke) and high-class level. Thus he killed the chances of another top gun, Can Capak.
David Martinez needed his best finish to force his way to victory against Gökhan Salman, in which the winner could return tomorrow and a draw was enough for the Spaniard. Both players beat the Japanese Hideaki Kobayashi, Salman in 17 innings, Martinez in 13. The final stage in the deciding match was exciting. The Spaniard equalized from the spots (30-30 in 15) in the best group of the day. So, Gökhan Salman, with 1.875 was the unlucky loser again.
The same, sad adventure took place for Jean Paul de Bruijn, the Dutchman in great form, but it's so difficult to shine for him on the world's stage. In his first match De Bruijn was knocked down by a great Christiani. The last run from the break with eight was by far not good enough (30-20 loss). In his second appearance, De Bruijn felt free from pressure. He scored again as he does for weeks in the national competitions (30 in 13 innings). With two match points and 2.000 average, the game is over for the Dutchman.
Tonny Carlsen, right from the beach to the arena: 30 in 8 innings
Ten players, with Christiani, Carlsen, Horn, Incekara and Myung Woo Cho in the top five, gathered the maximum of match points. The young Egyptian Ahmed Hatem was the last of ten with four match points and 0.625. David Martinez, with one draw, played more than three times better and was the 11th with three points and 2.142 of average.
Therese Klompenhouwer and Birol Uymaz closed the group winners row with two match points. The Dutch women's world champion, who lost her first match vs Radek Novak (30-28), swiped Tolgahan Kiraz from the table in her second, but then still had to wait for Novak's result. The Czech failed against Kiraz, Klompenhouwer was the best of three two-pointers with the minimal difference.
Birol Uymaz slipped along in the same way, with a strong last game, but with a bit of luck: his friend and countryman Ahmet Bayatli missed out miraculously in his last shot to equalize against Jung-Ju Shin.
Therese Klompenhouwer qualified after a strong last match
The day ranking:
1 Dave Christiani 4-2.400-11
2 Tonny Carlsen 4-2.000-10
3 Martin Horn 4-1.621-7
4 Hakan Incekara 4-1.395-7
5 Myung-Woo Cho 4-1.395-7
6 Ivo Gazdos 4-1.276-8
7 Juan David Zapata 4-1.200-6
8 Kwang Yeol Park 4-1.176-6
9 Jiseung Han 4-1.153-6
10 Ahmed Hatem 4-0.625-8
11 David Martinez 3-2.142-8
12 Kostas Kokkoris 3-1.224-5
13 Ahmet Alp 3-1.071-9
14 Dustin Jäschke 3-1.052-5
15 Birol Uymaz 2-1.157-5
16 Therese Klompenhouwer 2-1.137-5.
David Martinez, thans to a draw against Gökhan Salman, with 2.142 of average
Myung-Woo Cho, the new junior world champion, still in the race
Kostas Kokkoris survived as the number twelve of the day
The groups for the last day of qualifications:
Group A: Tasdemir, Incekara, Myung-Woo Cho
Group B: Horn, Gazdos, Haeng-Jik Kim
Group C: Carlsen, Zapata Heo
Group D: Christiani, Piedrabuena, Park
Group E: Coklu, Duong, Han
Group F: Cenet, Tüzül, Hatem
Group G: Choi, Jae Guen Kim, Martinez
Group H: Hwang, Yüksel, Kokkoris
Group I: Nguyen, Xuan Cuong Ma, Alp
Group J: Minh Cam Ma, Jäschke, Lee
Group K: Sayginer, Uymaz, Palazón
Group L: Leppens, Klompenhouwer, El Messery.