LEUVEN - The French player Maxime Panaia was by far the best starter at the European championship three-cushion for players under seventeen. The tournament, at small tables (2.30) is played in Leuven these days. Twelve players started in the premlinary rounds yesterday (Friday), the two best in three groups advance to the final round. Maxime Panaia, with four match points in two matches and 1.233 average, has already secured his place in the final round. He was the only player who won both his matches in Group B and is leading ahead of the Belgian Glen Neyens.
The Frenchman Rémi Chenay is the leader in Group B followed by Simon Blondeel. The Frenchman Enzo Riquart and Austrian Nikolaus Kogelbauer lead in Group C.
Group A:
Maxime Panaia defeated Glen Neyens 20-16 in 22 innings and Spaniard Sergio Martinez in the best match so far: 20-16 in 13 innings (1.538 average). Alessio D'Agata started with a victory over Glen Neyens (20-16 in 22), but was defeated by Panaia. Neyens recovered by beating the Spaniard Martinez (20-14 in 21).
The ranking after two rounds:
1 Panaia 4-1.233-6
2 Neyens 2-0.837-4
3 D'Agata 2-0.820-5
4 Martinez 0-0.588-3
Group B:
Chenay Rémi leads the group with three match points after a win over Spaniard Ivan Mayor (20-6 in 16) and a draw against Dylan Parent (20-20 in 29). Simon Blondeel defeated Parent 20-18 in 14, but was defeated by Mayor 20-11 in 21. Parent and Rémi played a draw in 29 innings.
The ranking:
1 Rémi 3-0.888-3
2 Parent 2-0.883-6
3 Blondeel 2-0.855-8
4 Mayor 2-0.702-4
Group C:
Enzo Riquart and Nikolaus Kogelbauer took the lead with three match points out of two rounds. The Czech Milan Ettel, who recorded the highest run so far (10), follows on one point, the Belgian Kevin van Hees is eliminated. Riquart and Kogelbauer played a draw in 39 innings. Kogelbauer bested Ettel (20-12 in 27), Riquart defeated Van Hees 20-14 in 20. Ettel played a strong match against Van Hees 20-14 in 17.
The ranking:
1 Riquart 3-0.677-4
2 Kogelbauer 3-0.606-5
3 Ettel 2-0.727-10
4 Van Hees 0-0.756-4.
