Murat Naci Coklu shines with perfect run

The little Turkish prince, who was so long in the shadow of Semih Sayginer, showed the Agipi adience how good he can play billiards this morning. Murat Naci Coklu played in his first set against Michael Nilsson the perfect three-cushion: he made the fifteen caroms from the breakshot, just like he did at the end of last year in the World Cup in Hurghada.

There, on the borders of the Red Sea, it was only a single glorious moment, because after that lightning start against Jérôme Barbeillon he lost the next two sets, so that Coklu was off for the rest of the tournament.

This morning, in the first performance for Caseta Nova against Clichy Montmartre, the victory gavehis team a 6-2 win. Javier Palazón defeated Jean Reverchon in the first session of the match, Ruben Legazpi was not in a great form against Richard Bitalis but he defeated his opponent 2-1.

Eddy Merckx was the only winner for Clichy, beating Tayfun Tasdemir 2-0.

The second set of Coklu in his del with Nilsson was by far not as impressive as the start. The Turk began with four in the second and then produced seven misses on a row. Michael Nilsson also proved to be unable to score on a high level, so that Coklu eventually could win 15-11 in 14 innings.

Eddy Merckx was a model of regularity again in his match against Tasdemir. The Belgian began his first set with nine in three innings and ended in the sixth with six (15-4). The second began with a run of eight for Merckx, Tasdemir came back to 11-9, but the Belgian finished the match in the seventh (15-10).

Richard Bitalis gave some exitement to the first session of day two, winning the second set (15-14) against Ruben Legazpi after a 15-9 loss in the first. In the deciding set the Frenchman had some chances too, but Legazpi, who needed to get used to the atmosphere and the tables, took the win in the fourteenth inning (15-12).

Jean Reverchon fought unsuccessfully get the right feeling in the match against Javier Palazón. The young Spaniard was able to hit at the decisive moments and won 15-11 (8) and 15-8 (11).