VIENNA - Maybe Jean van Erp was the big favorite to win the match against Jef Philipoom this afternoon and many of the spectators had put their money in the Stadthalle in Vienna on Javier Palazón in his last match against Dave Christiani. But even in the highest ranks of three-cushion the logic sometimes is as capricious as the players themselves.
The scenario was different than expected: Jean van Erp, who was in top form for weeks, couldn't stop Jef Philipoom in his victory march and Dave Christiani surprised Palazón with a 2-1 win and qualification for the main tournament.
Two Spaniards, one Belgian, one Turk, one Greek and one Austrian closed the matches in the final qualifying lap in the Stadthalle, later in the evening yhe draw will be held for the main tournament.
The best moment of the evening was the sensational win of Roland Forthomme, like earlier today with a miraculous sprint. The Belgian allowed his opponent, the Turk Ahmet Alp, one match point, but when he missed, Forthomme finished with a run of eight. The joy was for short: he threw the cue in the air, but when he went to his chair, he looked in the audience with the eyes of a player who still was in an incredible concentration.
The qualification rounds didn't have many surprises at the end: just the elimination of Palazón was not expected, another Spaniard, Antonio Ortiz, flew out of the tournament in his game against Kostas Papakonstantinou and Jean van Erp and Peter Ceulemans, both in a great form in recent weeks, were knocked out. Ceulemans with two losses, Van Erp with one against Philipoom, who showed himself a killer.
Jung Han Heo was the best winner of today with two wins and two winning sets (average 1.666), Eddy Leppens a good second before Jae Ho Cho.