Artistic
DOETINCHEM - Dutch player Martin van Rhee is on top of the ranking after the first sessions in the qualifying rounds for the Euro Grand Prix artistic. He leads the field of 32 players competing for eight places in the main tournament. The Grand Prix is played in Billiardcafé De Veemarkt in Doetinchem.
The Belgian wheelchair player Johan Grimon shows up with an outstanding performance in his debut at the international stage. He is twelfth after the first round and still has a chance to qualify.
Walter Bax from Belgium and Turk Baris Cin are on the positions two and three. Sander Jonen, two-time world champion, is in the second half of the ranking. ,,I liked to play here, but the tournament comes for me six months too early.''
Martin van Rhee gathered 199 points in 50 figures with a total of 89 attempts. He is one point ahead of Walter Bax. The top of the ranking is close together. Baris Cin has 196 points, Xavier Fonellosa 198 and Thomas Arens 189.
The 32 players meet each other in sessions to 70 figures. They continue today with the last qualifying sessions, which are finished around 16:00. Then is the official opening of the tournament.
For the main tournament eight players are automatically seeded: European champion Eric Daelman, Jean Reverchon, world champion Serdar Gümüs, Bernd Singer, Erik Vervliet, Michael Hammen, Kevin Tran and Manfred Hekerle with a wildcard.
The current ranking:
1 Martin van Rhee 199 punten
2 Walter Bax 198
3 Baris Cin 196
4 Thomas Ahrens 193
5 Xavier Fonellosa 189
6 Jean-Luc Miller 182
7 Marc Janssen 170
8 René Dericks 156
9 Miguel Argemi Duran 150
10 Jean-Paul Sinanian 144
11 Robert van Veenendaal 133
12 Johan Grimon 129.