BLANKENBERGE - He does rarely take the cue to practice, because Frédéric Mottet has a full time job as an electrician. When he won the European junior championship in his younger years, he has thought about to be a professional, but eventually he opted for a social career. But whether he can play three cushion? There is no doubt.
The 30-year-old Belgian from Sprimont, near Liege and not far from the infamous La Redoute climb, known from the cycling classic Liege-Bastogne-Liege, defeated Roland Forthomme in the quarterfinals this afternoon, in a battle that captivated until the last seconds. The two men living in the same region, fought to the last sob: Mottet took the lead two times (15-3, 9-15, 15-10 and 13-15), then they went on side-by-side to the finish line. In a stunning final, with 14-14 at the scoreboard, Forthomme missed two matchbals (the last one a bankshot). Mottet went to the table to finish the game in a breathtaking ambiance.
Roland Forthomme said he had shown his fighting spirit. ,,The game didn't really run like I wanted to'', he concluded. ,,But I have been fighting until the end.'' And about his last matchball: ,,The fact is, I hadn't made one bankshot in the match. This last, when I stroke, I thought, it's not with hundred percent of quality, but with ninety. And I missed.''
The winner, who plays in the league in Belgium (Sint Truiden) and France (Andernos), had the best score in average after the game: 1.522 to 1.295. And immediately after the match, the Walloon ondoubtely remembered another Liege derby. In the Superprestige in Lommel, last year, Frédéric Mottet had a better sprint than Forthomme as well. That's why Roland was dethroned as champion in that tournament.
Mottet will face in the semifinal the winner of the match between Eddy Merckx and Steven van Acker, the encounter in the final round today. Frédéric Caudron meets Francis Forton, who beat Eddy Leppens.
Caudron didn't have any trouble with Jef Philipoom in the quarterfinals. The score was 3-0 (15-12, 15-12, 15-9), although it must be said that Philipoom missed a bankshot miraculously at a decisive moment in the third set. The 'phenomenon' of the Belgian title race was called to the arena not much later for his match in one cushion against Patrick Niessen.
The same Niessen who's almost sure of the title in free game after his victory against Jean Godeyne: 400-252 in three innings. That brings him to five match points in three matches, averaging 109.09.