Frédéric starts the best, Steven feels sad

BLANKENBERGE - That was It was really true friendship there in the dressing room at the stage of the Belgian championship in Blankenberge. Davy van Havere was suffering his lost match, throwing on his cloths. And then, looking back to his furious start. ,,I must say, Steven has honestly deserved it.'' Steven Van Acker, who had pronounced the verdict in the penalty shootout at the end of the match, mourned almost visible: ,,This is a pity for Davy to end this match like this.''

Two former BC Deurne team mates were facing each other in the arena in the first knockout round of the tournament. Frédéric Caudron, who had finished his match in thirteen innings against Frank de Groof, already prepared for his next match, when the battle reached its climax. Davy had Havere took a big lead after a belistering start (33-12 in 13), but the margin slowly dropped. Steven van Acker fought back, first with 9 to 33-21 and later with 11, turning the match upside down.

They matched until the finish: Davy van Havere made his last point after he had missed three times, his opponent answered with two from the spots and then the penaltyshots were decisive. Van Havere started with one, Van Acker answered with two. That meant: Van Havere was out after his fantastic match start.

,,We both felt an enormous tension,'' said Van Havere later. ,,I must say that the finish was very hard, the balls were really not so friendly for me. I can't say that I did many things wrong.''
Steven van Acker, modestly as always: ,,I was lucky to make the two high runs on the right moment. And at the end, when the stress came, I could finish better from the break.''

Roland Forthomme was waiting for a tough opponent in his match against Frédéric Mottet, who came up with a strong average from the preliminaries. But in reality, Forthomme was the better of the two. He ran away after ten innings, to 21-10 in thirteen and then took the win 40-34 in 34 innings. Jef Philipoom needed a tougher fight to knock down Kenny Miatton. The stronger final shot decided the match: the veteran triumphed 40-33 in 39 innings.

Caudron and Philipoom face each other in the quarterfinals tomorrow. Forthomme meets the winner of Eddy Merckx-Kurt Ceulemans and Steven Acker plays against the winner of Eddy Leppens-Tom Persyn.
Three matches were allready played in the other game types: Patrick Niessen bested Nicky Defraye in the free game in one inning (400-0). Frédéric Caudron won his second match in one cushion 150-45 vs Maarten Janssen in twelve innings.

Eddy Leppens and Peter De Backer met in a crucial match for the podium spots in one cushion: it turned out into a long battle, in which Leppens finished after eighteen innings. De Backer equalized with 33 and is still in the race with Leppens and Caudron.

Steven van Acker took the win in the penaltyshoots against Davy van Havere