HURGHADA - Javier Palazón glittered with a superior match (2.307) on the third table in the main room, Adnan Yüksel did even better earlier that morning (2.714), but other players complained about the 'short' tables and how difficult it was to keep control over the balls and the positions.
Peter Ceulemans, who won a tournament in Belgium last week and traveled to Hurghada in a good form, could not find his rhythm and needs a little miracle now to stay in the tournament.
The Belgian lost 2-1 against Savat Bulut this morning, repared with a 2-1 victory against Kouji Funaki, who beat Dick Jaspers in Hurghada last year. And now, Ceulemans can only await with a little hope. He will advance for the main tournament when Funaki beats Savat 2-1 and when he passes the Japanes with his average. With all other results Ceulemans will be eliminated.
The 31-year-old Malinois would see it as a disappointment. ,,I feel good and I'm in a good form, normaly I like to play on short tables, but it's hard to adjust here,'' said Ceulemans after his winning match against Funaki.
,,That shows again how much harder it is now to advance for the main event comparing with ten years ago, when I was just over twenty. I played five or six times in the main event, in Las Vegas, Antwerp and three times in Sluiskil, in the years that I played 1.100 and 1.200 average, currently it is around 1.400, but I haven't seeded for a few years. That shows how the level has increased.''
Javier Palazón is one of those young players who have improved the level. The Spaniard defeated the Korean In-Won Kang in his first match in a great performance. He will meet in his second match Jean Paul de Bruijn, who won 2-1 against Kang.
Jef Philipoom was not in trouble in his first duel with Amr Saad (2-0), but will meet the Vietnamese Anh Vue Duong in his last match for the qualification. Therese Klompenhouwer can be onsidered virtually eliminated. The only woman left in the tournament, lost her first match 2-0 against Lütfi Cenet.