BURSA - The battle for the gold in the World Cup 3-cushion in Bursa (Turkey) will be between Dutch top-3 player Dick Jaspers, two Belgian superstars, Frédéric Caudron and Eddy Merckx, and American Pedro Piedrabuena, the tournament surprise. In this first World Cup of the new season, the semi's will be played without world champion and world nr. 1 Torbjörn Blomdahl, and without all of the Turkish home favorites or Korean challengers.
On the penultimate day, Dick Jaspers took the spotlight with victories over Hyung Bum Hwang in 21 innings and Roland Forthomme in 8 innings, that last (quarterfinal) match ending 40-13. After that exhibition, the Dutchman also excelled with a down to earth comment. ,,It is my fifth match ever, I think, of 40 in 8, but tomorrow things can be totally different. It all went so easy, I started with 9-8-8 against Roland, so then you only need 15 more.''
For a while it looked like a new world record was in the making, but Jaspers missed twice, unluckily, in a miniscule hole. In his last inning, from 32-13, he ran out with another eight. The last time he played 5.000 average, was against Haeng Jik Kim in the final of Luxor 2015.
Dick Jaspers goes into the last day with a general average of 2.553, ahead of Eddy Merckx with 2.222, Frédéric Caudron with 2.000 and Pedro Piedrabuena with 1.363. The high averages in Bursa have at least something to do with the new and improved Platin tables. ,,The balls react more natural as they come of the rails'', said Jaspers. Blomdahl commented: ,,Now that these tables have been upgraded, the Turks have lost part of their home advantage, that much is clear.''
Frédéric Caudron and Torbjörn Blomdahl played a strange quarterfinal, in which the Swede took an early lead when he ran 9 and 7, to make it 16-3. That would later be 25-11, but then he completely lost his touch. Caudron took advantage, and in a grueling last few innings managed to squeeze out a 40-35 win in 24 innings.
,,The truth is'', said Blomdahl, ,,that I had so many chances, but could not take them in the second part of the match. I just lost the plot, but still Caudron deserves credit for solving so many difficult problems on the table.''
Halfway through the match, when he was trailing, the Belgian made a desolate impression. ,,I had so few positions and could never build up a run, because the balls kept finding awkward spots. And I could not find any defense either, I kept giving Blomdahl prime opportunities. In the last twelve innings, he must have missed ten makeable shots.''
,,I won this one on character'', said Caudron, ,,because I kept believing in my chances.''
Eddy Merckx has made a strong impression in this tournament so far. The last player from the organizing country, Turk Tayfun Tasdemir, could not really challenge him. Merckx dominated, took an early lead and never looked like giving it up: he won 40-22 in 18 innings.
Pedro Piedrabuena, an American born in Uruguay, has won countless titles in his home country and is now finally in the mix for a World Cup victory. He beat Sameh Sidhom on Friday in a laborious battle, then got past Dong Koong Kang in the quarters, after a shootout. The match ended 40-40 after thirty innings, and Piedrabuena was the first to go up for the extension. he ran a seven, and Kang, who missed out on the world title in Bordeaux when he lost a shootout to Blomdahl, again suffered defeat when he missed from the spots: 7-0.
Belgians Caudron and Merckx will play a classic tomorrow. The last four times they met, wins were shared: 2-2. 44-year old Pedro Piedrabuena, the current USA champion and Pan-American champion of two years ago, has not played against Jaspers that often. He lost the last encounter in the Porto World Cup 40-21 in 13 innings, and before that, there was a 3-1 set loss at the WC in Cuenca.
The matches for Sunday in the semi-final: (Turkish time): 11.00. : Merckx-Caudron 13.00: Jaspers-Piedrabuena.The final is at 16.00.
Eddy Merckx outclassed the last Turkish favourite Tayfun Tasdemir
Frédéric Caudron defeated Blomdahl and meets Eddy Merckx in the semi-finals
Pedro Piedrabuena, an American among three European star players
Dick Jaspers at the table, Roland Forthomme on his chair
Semih Sayginer watched the matches from the stands