ANKARA - Frenchman Michael Hammen has emerged as the best player in the preliminary rounds at the European Artistic Championships, played in Ankara. The 50th European championship is played this week from Wednesday 6 to Friday 8 March at the TBF Billiard Complex in Ankara, Turkey, home of the Turkish Billiard Federation. Turkish player Haci arap Yaman is the defending champion; he won in Antalya last year.
Michael Hammen was one of eight players to reach the maximum match points in the preliminaries. The Frenchman scored 70,320 in percentage ahead of Turk Baris Cin with 67,968, Spaniard Sergio Sanchez with 66,863, Spaniard Hector Cuadrado with 66,490 and Turkish defending champion Haci arap Yaman with 64,130. Further players with four match points are Kevin Tran, Xavier Fonellosa and Serdar Gumus. The Turks were among those top eight with three players.
Dutchman Jop de Jong, who lost one match, leads the group of players with 2 match points with 67.048 per cent. He signed up for the best match on this first day with 72.903.
The best-known players eliminated were René Dericks from the Netherlands and Manfred Hekerle from Austria.
24 players came to the start on Wednesday, divided into eight groups of three. The 35-figure quarter-finals will start at 10am on Thursday morning. The winner will take home 2,000 euros.
The matches are broadcast live on Kozoom.
The matches for the 1/8th finals, Thursday from 10.00 am Turkish time
Hammen-Lendeckel
Gumus-De Jong
Yaman-Ahrens
Cuadrado-Lacroix
Sanchez-Singer
Tran-Heinrich
Fonellosa-Dahlke
Cin-Vervliet
From 16.00 quarter-finals
The matches on the first day:
Group A:
Olivier Lacroix-Laszlo Kun 2-0
Haci arap Yaman-Olivier Lacrois 2-0
Haci arap Yaman-Laszlo Kun 2-0
Group B:
Ken Dahlke-Laszlo Toth 2-0
Michael Hammen-Ken Dahlke 2-0
Michael Hammen-Laszlo Toth 2-0
Group C:
Dennis Lendeckel-Manfred Hekerle 2-0
Xavier Fonellosa-Dennis Lendeckel 2-0
Xavier Fonellosa-Manfred Hekerle 2-0
Group D:
Bernd Singer-Rene Dericks 2-0
Hector Cuadrado-Bernd Singer 2-0
Hector Cuadrado-Rene Dericks 2-0
Group E:
Kevin Tran-Mehmet Sezer 2-0
Kevin Tran-Thomas Ahrens 2-0
Thomas Ahrens-Mehmet Sezer 2-0
Group F:
Serdar Gumus-Emrah Tac 2-0
Serdar Gumus-Erik Vervliet 2-0
Erik Vervliet-Emrah Tac 2-0
Group G:
Sergio Sanchez-Francisco Hernandez 2-0
Sergio Sanchez-Marvin Heinrich 2-0
Marvin Heinrich-Francisco Hernandez 2-0
Group H:
Jop de Jong-Erik van den Zegel 2-0
Baris Cin-Jop de Jong 2-0
Baris Cin-Erik van den Zegel 2-0
The entire field of players at the Europeans artistic