Merckx in Kozoom Challenge with Christiani and Panaia

ANDERNOS - The Kozoom studio in Andernos is the stage for the third group session of the Kozoom 3C Challenge Cup this week. For three days, from Wednesday 5 to Friday 7 May, three players enter the arena: Eddy Merckx (Belgium), Maxime Panaia (France) and Dave Christiani (Netherlands), who replaces Turkish player Tayfun Tasdemir.

The sessions will start each day at 17.00 local time and end around 20.00 after playing the eight sets of ten points each day.

The qualified players in the first two sessions were Dutchman Dick Jaspers and Spaniard Ruben Legazpi. The matches will, as is well known, be played with three players at the table and will be broadcast live on Kozoom for Premium subscribers.

The Belgian Eddy Merckx (52), two-time world champion, is of course the top favorite in this group. He has an impressive average of 1,828 since 2018 in 326 matches. Dave Christiani (41) is his most dangerous rival with 1,396 on average over 193 matches in the same period. Maxime Panaia (20) recorded 0,982 over 101 games. Three different generations, three different levels.

The 10-point sets, which also caused a surprising winner at the Dutch Masters last week, will certainly provide excitement as well in Kozoom's Challenge.

The schedule for the coming weeks:
Group H from 5 to 7 May: Eddy Merckx - Dave Christiani - Maxime Panaia

Group F, from 11 to 13 May: Jérémy Bury - Peter De Backer - Jakob Haack-Sörensen.

Group E from 15 to 17 May: Dion Nelin - Jérôme Barbeillon - Murat Naci Coklu (will be replaced)

Group G from May 19 to 21: T.Blomdahl - Gwendal Maréchal - Lütfi Cenet (replaced)

Group B from 25 to 27 May: Marco Zanetti - Arnim Kahofer - Antonio Montes

Group D from 2 to 4 June: Martin Horn - Roland Forthomme - Nick Polychronopoulos.