Balk-Line 71/2
PRAGUE - The French supremacy in the Euro Grand Prix balk-line 71/2 in Prague is crowned by an excellent victory of Olivier Careaux. The undisputed best player of the tournament won the final against the Spaniard Raul Cuenca 200-44 in four innings. The numbers three and four on the podium were the French Patrick Dupont and David Jacquet.
The tournament, organized by BC Vitkov and played in the Ceskomoravsky Billardovy club, was closed with a well deserved winner. Olivier Careaux, chef de rang at Chateau de Sallettes and living in Castelnau-De Montmiral (Midi Pyrenees), showed his technique, abilities and concentration in short matches and high runs.
The Frenchman started his winning streak in the knockout phase against Janis Ziogas 200-73 in six (run 181) and then outplayed his direct competitors Patrick Niessen (200-138 in 3, 132 run), David Jacquet (200-17 in five, run 127) and Raul Cuenca (200-44, 108 run). Therefore Careaux recorded 44.44 average in the knockout.
Raul Cuenca ran into one of Careaux' feared runs (108) in the second inning of the final. The Frenchman showed one of his piercing jumps, took a 129-36 advantage and finished it off with 36. The Spaniard reached the final by wins over Patrick Dupont (200-32 in eight), Marek Faus in the quarterfinals (200-31 in six) and Jean-Francois Florent in the first round (200-43 in 7).
Three of the four players in the semi-final were French. They dominated the tournament from the start and were with eight players in the last sixteen. The Czechs, with Marek Faus, Kozac Adam, Adam Baca and Janis Ziogas in the last sixteen, were knocked down on the final day.
Olivier Careaux signed up for the highest run of the tournament: the maximum 150. Careaux received the 2.000 euros main prize, Raul Cuenca was awarded by 1000 euro, the numbers three and four by 600 euros.