All his competitors know that he is the best in the world, almost in all disciplines of billiard. Frédéric Caudron (42) is twelve matches on his way now in the Belgian championship all disciplines, still unbeaten, once played a draw and still can focus on four or five Belgian titles in Blankenberge.
This afternoon he met in the early hours Jef Philipoom in the semi final of three cushion and after that he beat Robby Sonck in the next round of the afternoon session in the balkline 47/2 in two innings 300-64.
He apparently does it all with un unbelievable convenience, but the champion certainly doesn't want to underline that impression. ,,I feel some frustration in three cushion, I don't play on my normal level, because every day I need to switch from the free game and the balklines to three cushion. The danger was that I had flown out of the tournament prematurely. I just play on seventy percent of my ability and to Martin Spoormans in the first round I could have lost.''
Conversely Caudron has no problems. The balklines and the one cushion apparently have no secrets, as it has been all years before in the championship. The atmosphere is electric as the machine gun touches the balls with a deadly accuracy, when he collects them, oversees the positions and then, as a hind, balances on the balklines.
The best things so far he showed in a match 47/2 against Eddy Leppens in one inning, the one cushion matches against Patrick Niessen and Peter de Backer in eight innings and the 47/1 match against Peter de Backer in three innings.
The three cushion match this afternoon against Jef Philipoom started spectacular with runs of seven and six in the first set and a run of eight points at the start of the second set. The rhythm then faltered a little. Philipoom kept his chances in the third set, which he won 15-10, but in the fourth set Caudron prevailed again inexorably and won 15-11 in seven innings.
The next opponent is Ronny Brants.