BLANKENBERGE - And again one of the top players was sacrificed on the way to the finals. Eddy Leppens, who had started the tournament in three cushion with two formidable matches, hasn't reached the semifinals. Francis Forton, by his friends and other players called 'the Sisse', defeated the vice-world champion of 2010 in streight sets, 3-0 (1.364/0.651). ,,The Sisse cannot miss(e)'', said Jef Philipoom, this afternoon eliminated by Frederic Caudron, in the final phase of the match.
What could happen furthermore in this championship, to make it a historical tournament. Frédéric Caudron crept through the eye of a needle in his match for the second round against Peter Ceulemans, Eddy Merckx needed all the luck in the world to stop Martin Spoormans, Peter de Backer was already out and now Jef Philipoom and Eddy Leppens are off.
Frédéric Mottet showed himself a real killer this afternoon, Francis Forton did the same in the next round. Not that it's a huge surprise, because the now 49-year-old player from Brussels was already second in 1997, 1998 and 2004 behind Peter De Backer, Frédéric Caudron and Eddy Merckx. He is not one of the top five players in Belgium (usually around sixth, seventh and eighth), but once was the number one in 1996 and in the years of BWA fifth in the world rank of the amateurs.
The Cisse is 'strangely inactive in the leagues in Belgium, the Netherlands and France this year. He's performing in the second class. He is known for his peaks, with occasional a sensational win against top players.
Frédéric Caudron won his third match in one cushion, this afternoon. The gold medal in this discipline can not escape him anymore. Patrick Niessen was relegated to a figurant in this match by the maestro, who made a one-man show and finished 150-13 in 7 innings.
Eddy Leppens has to say goodbye to his most important discipline, nobody had expected that. The ace in the first two sessions, who averaged 2.500 over two matches, was unrecognizable now with 0.651 average. Forton said later: 'He played without any confidence and couldn't recover in the match.' That's how strange billiards and three cushion are: two days at world level, the third day playing like a vibrating debutant.