LAXOU - The Belgian player Jef Philipoom (55) is more of a team player nowadays than an individual star player. Two weeks ago, Philipoom failed to star among the favorites at the Belgian championship. In the team competitions in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and France, the Belgian veteran shows up as one of the most valuable players. In the French team league, Philipoom excelled this week with the best match in the third round: 40 in 15, good for 2,667. He was also the best for his team Laxou, that won 8-0 against Saint Quentin in a line-up with Blomdahl, Philipoom, Soumagne and Tachoir. The team average was impressive: 1,616. The other match in this group between Douarnenez and Andernos ended in a draw: 4-4.
Laxou tops the group with 5 points, Saint Quentin follows with 4, Douarnenez has 2 points, Andernos 1. In the other group, where La Baule is out, Kozoom and Morangis Cyllène are in the lead with 2 points after 1 match. Colmar is 3rd without points and after 2 matches.
Pierre Soumagne's playing in France, who has been suspended by the UMB as a PBA player, is strange, because Caudron and other suspended players like some Spanish guys were not allowed. That was the reason that La Baule withdrew. French federation president Jean-Paul Sinanian said: ''I think La Baule will not return to the competition, because the team boss Joel Switala doesn't change his mind. We will complete the competition in that group with 3 teams.''
Pierre Soumagne turned on to cnosf, the national Olympic committee in France. The intervention of this institute emended the French federation due to the statutes: they had to allow access to Soumagne in the team competition. The French federation is willing to change the rules, but it is still not known whether Soumagne can continue with Laxou. Sinanian: ,,For now, the Olympic committee has decided that the extension of the UMB sanction in the French championship does not conform with the French rules.''
In the third round, Laxou's huge victory over Saint Quentin (8-0) was achieved by Jef Philipoom's masterful match. The Belgian was the star of the match day with his win over Spaniard Jose-Maria Mas: 40-16 in 15. Adrien Tachoire was way too strong for Alexis Rouaud 40-14 in 24, Torbjörn Blomdahl bested Johan Loncelle 40-29 in 32 and Pierre Soumagne beat Kévin Perrotin 40-28 in 28.
The other encounter in group B was played in Brittany between Douarnenez Franpac and Andernos, the numbers last of the group. The most exciting match of the evening between Roland Forthomme and Grégory Deventec (40-39 in 30) brought the final score to 4-4. Connesson won against Lelièvre 40-34 in 26, Francis Forton vs Jérôme Barbeillon 40-38 in 31 and Vasseur against Mottet 40-36 in 35.
In the other group, with three teams after the La Baule's cancellation, Morangis won the match against Colmar 6-2 thanks to victories by Ruben Legazpi, Jean Christophe Roux and Jacob Haack Sörensen. It was the second match of the competition for both teams. Morangis Cyllène scored 1,471 on average, Colmar 1,275.
The leading players Ruben Legazpi and Murat Naci Coklu started very well in their match. The Spaniard led 19-14 after 8 innings and 26-16 in 14. Coklu came back to 26-29, but Legazpi immediately attacked with a 6 and then finished from 35-26 in 17 to 40-30 in 23 .
The match between Jacob Haack-Sörensen and Peter Ceulemans had a strange course. The Belgian started 2-10-3-3-1, the Dane with only misses, 0-0-0-0-0: the score, 19-0 in 5. But then, Sörensen countered with three times six, which brought the Dane a moment later back to 24-29. He later finished 5-6-5 for 40-23 in 29 in 21 for a strong 1,905 as a final score.
Jean Reverchon played a good match against Frédéric Beghin (40-37 in 29), Jean Christophe Roux defeated Jérome Riotto 40-23 in 29.
Jacob Haack Sörensen played a brilliant match to the end
Pierre Soumagne, allowed to play due to the Olympic Committee's intervention