BRANDENBURG - The pole-position after the pre rounds was for Jean Paul de Bruijn, the big favorite, with four match points and a 16.66 average. The European championship one cushion had an exciting start. Marek Faus and Arnim Kahofer both followed with four match points and averaged 10.00. Seven players ended with two wins, only Johann Petit qualified with one win. The field of eight final players consists of three French, two Dutch, one Czech, one Austrian and one Belgian.
The most striking player in the starting round, young Dutchman Sam van Etten, had a magical opening match with the maximum 100 points in his second inning against Bernard Baudoin. The Frenchman, who has been in the circuit for many years, commented after the match, ''He played a perfect run I have ever seen in one cushion." But unfortunately for the Dutch super talent, in his second match he was outplayed by Eddy Leppens. Eddy played a very tactical match, moving the balls over the entire billiard and beat the Dutchman, giving the young man no chance to demonstrate his feared weapon, the subtle, small runs in the corners and to the short cushion. Eddy Leppens eventually triumphed 100-80, after Van Etten had missed the break shot in the equalizer.
Jean Paul de Bruijn had a modest start against Chatzipavlis, but showed his high class in the second round with a solid victory in three innings against Markus Dömer: 100-18. Xavier Gretillat, another great winner in the first round (100-8 in two innings against Jean Francois Florent) was eliminated in his second by Dutchman Dave Christiani.
Marek Faus made it to the group win beating Esteve Mata and Grégory Le Deventec, Arnim Kahofer defeated Carlos Marques and Raymund Swertz in 14 and 19 innings. The Dutch 71/2 balk-line winner could not really shine in one cushion (38 points in 19) . Alain Remond was the much stronger player in the match against Michel van Silfhout (100-25 in 12) and Johann Petit was group winner on average in the group with Sven Daske and Raul Cuenca. The qualification of Willy Gérimont was remarkable. The Frenchman won his two matches against Peter Varga and Nikolaos Gérassimopoulos with an average of 3.44!
The best eight after the preliminaries:
1 Jean Paul de Bruijn 4-16.66-51
2 Marek Faus 4-10.00-50
3 Arnim Kahofer 4-10.00-44
4 Alain Remond 4-9.09-35
5 Eddy Leppens 4-8.00-37
6 Dave Christiani 4-7.69-21
7 Willy Gérimont 4-3.44-30
8 Johann Petit 2-8.80-35.
Sam van Etten after his brilliant match in 1 inning, outplayed by Eddy Leppens in the second match
Marek Faus, the number two of the pre-rounds following the top favorite Jean Paul de Bruijn
Arnim Kahofer, among the contenders for a podium place in one cushion