HOOGEVEEN - The first European Grand Prix in one cushion will be held in Hoogeveen, Netherlands, this weekend (Friday 21 until Sunday, February 23). The billiards club l'Acquit is the organizer of the tournament, in which 36 players, coming from eight different countries participate.
Twelve players will show up from the Netherlands, 9 from France, five Czechs, three Belgians, three Swiss, two Germans, one Greek and one Spaniard . The first 24 places are assigned by selection to the players from the European championship in Brandenburg last year, supplemented by nine players from the open inscription and three wildcards for the Dutch Jean Paul de Bruijn and Raymund Swertz and Belgian Frédéric Caudron.
The winner of the tournament is rewarded by 1400 euros, the runner-up receives 700 euros. From the 9th to the 16th, the players get back their 125 euros inscription money.
Twelve groups of three players battle in the qualification rounds in matches to hundred points. The group winners and four best runners-up advance to the second phase (KO), in which is played to 120 points. Two players in the field take off as the huge favorites: Frédéric Caudron and Jean Paul de Bruijn. The challengers include Alain Remond, Xavier Gretillat, Dave Christiani and Marek Faus.
Frédéric Caudron plays in his group with Czech Adam Kozak and German Alex Büscher, Jean Paul de Bruijn faces Frenchman Claude Bauduin and Belgian Robby Sonck. The Belgian champion Peter De Backer, an expert in this game type, is unfortunately not among the participants.
The Grand Prix tournaments count for international rankings and selections, especially for the World championship being played in the French St Brevin-les-Pins in October this year.
The Grand Prix starts on Friday (February 21) at 14.00 with the first group matches.
Address of the tournament: Biljartcentrum De Ack, Terpweg 2, 7742 BP Hoogeveen (Netherlands), Tel 0031-528275828.