SAINT-BREVIN-LES-PINS - The best man of the day had to pack his bags and go home. 39-year old French player Johann Petit, from the club Oissel, yielded a world performance at the World championship on cushion in his match against Torbjörn Blomdahl. The 150 caroms match took Petit only two innings. He finished off with a marvelous run of 146 and won 150-17.
Unfortunately it was not enough to qualify, because the Frenchman lost twice in his previous two matches on Saturday. He was beaten by Frédéric Caudron (150-114 in 11) and Peter De Backer (150-124 in 24). As a result, he finished with only two match points in the group stage.
Frédéric Caudron (six match points, 17.307 average) and Torbjörn Blomdahl (two match points, 13.888) move on to the semi-finals on Sunday. But though he was out, the Frenchman Petit was rewarded by a standing ovation from about 400 spectators.
The atmosphere in the Salle de l'Etoile was fantastic during this second last day: the matches are played in a crowded house and also in the cafeteria, where the matches can be followed on a big screen, the interest is overwhelming.
The World championship is coming to the finish line tomorrow with the two top favorites Frédéric Caudron and Jean Paul de Bruijn, the Swede Torbjörn Blomdahl (despite two losses) and the Swiss Xavier Gretillat, who shared himself among the four best by a victory over Wolfgang Zenkner in his last match (150-32 in 13).
Frédéric Caudron defeated his countryman and Belgian champion Peter De Backer 150-29 in 5 in the last session, Jean Paul de Bruijn defeated Bernard Villiers (150-54 in 10).
The French crowd had to say goodbye to two compatriots, but did it with a great admiration for the performances by Petit and Villiers.
The semifinals (tomorrow, Sunday at 10.00 am) are between Jean Paul de Bruijn and Torbjörn Blomdahl on one table and Frédéric Caudron and Xavier Gretillat at the other billiard.
The ranking after Saturday's group matches:
1 Frédéric Caudron 6-17.307-73
2 Jean Paul de Bruijn 6-14.062-53
3 Xavier Gretillat 4-10.108-59
4 Torbjörn Blomdahl 2-13.888-90
5 Johann Petit 2-10.486-146
6 Bernard Villiers 2-6.79-43
7 Peter De Backer 2-6.457-42
8 Wolfgang Zenkner 0-5.469-32.
Semi-finals:
De Bruijn Blomdahl
Caudron-Gretillat.