Filippos Kasidokostas and Dion Nelin wil open the Agipi Masters in the A groupe at 17.30 tomorrow with a match with a match that remembers the World championship last year in Sluiskil. There the Greek, the reigning world champion at that moment, and the Dane each other in a game that was decisive for qualification for the knock out phase. Kasidokostas won 3-2, but Nelin advanced to the final rounds, because Michael Nilsson was the executioner in that group.
Kasidokostas lost his world title by a 3-2 defeat against Nilsson (15-13 in the deciding set), but took his revenge one month later with a victory in the World Cup in Hurghada. Nelin was eliminated in the World championship by Dani Sánchez, the later champion, but the Spaniard crawled through the eye of the needle. In a breathtaking final phase Nelin missed at a 2-1 lead in sets two match balls.
The Agipi Masters so will get a start with a wonderful fight in the A groupe, but also on the other table the crowd can expect some firework. Sung-Won Choi, the Korean who remained unbeaten in the preliminary round, and Glenn Hofman, the young Dutchman, met for the first time to the billiard. Hofman is uninhibited, Choi is the favourite, as one of the players in the top of the world ranking.
In the A groupe on the opening day only these two matches are played. Roland Forthomme, first seeded in this group, starts one day later with his match against Hofman.
The players from the B group will start the tournament at 14.00 and 21.00 tomorrow.