The king's discipline in billiard is ready to take off: tomorrow eight players will start the knock out competition to decide who will be the new Belgium champion. Eddy Merckx is still the title holder. The small Bruxels player Francis Forton tonight was the last to share the quarterfinals by a win in four sets (3-1) over Marc Celen.
The show in three cushion starts tomorrow at 11.00 at three tables simultaneously. Eddy Leppens will play against Ronnie Brants, Frédéric Caudron should be ready for the duel with Jef Philipoom and Eddy Merckx enters the arena for the duel with Francis Forton.
The only match that's left is saved for the afternoon. Then Roland Forthomme and Peter de Backer, two former teammates in the Dutch league, face each other.
The championships may be played in all disciplines, the title in three cushion is by far the most important. The winner does not only take thirty points for the world ranking, the numbers one and two are allowed to compete in the World championship for teams next year in Vierssen.
And last but not least it's the honor that counts, because the Belgians say always that winning the Belgian title with so many top players in the country can be even more difficult than winning the World title.
Frédéric Caudron, until now the big hitter of this week, since four years missed the title in three cushion. Eddy Merckx won the championship two times (2008 and 2010) Roland Forthomme one time (2009).