3-Cushion
EEKLO - The last in a long year was one with a tropical touch for Eddy Merckx. The best Belgian in the rankings closed a top year with a victory in the City of Eeklo Grand Prix on a final day in a scorching hot billiards arena. ’’Very hot and tough match, amaai‘’, Merckx reacted this Saturday evening in the run-up to a well deserved holiday. He scored the victory at De Montana in Eeklo against Roland Forthomme: 50-44 in 30 innings.
Time for a short rest now for Eddy Merckx after a year full of successes. He even achieved a record with five national titles (Belgium, Netherlands, France, Denmark and Portugal), but most of all, individually, he won the World Cup in Seoul, this weekend the BTS tournament in Eeklo and a few weeks ago the European Cup with Varde. A fantastic record, on to a well-deserved holiday.
Two weeks at the campsite in Poppel in Brabant, with Brenda and some days some friends visiting, it’s gonna be a more than blissful stopover for Merckx.
Do people on the campsite actually know who Eddy Merckx is? Eddy: ’’My neighbours, at least, the rest I don't know. In any case, I am not alone here.’’
Is there a billiard table on the campsite? Eddy: ’’Two small tables in the canteen, but you know me, I never go there.’’
The BTS tournament took him past Ronny Brants, Davy van Havere, among others, and Saturday on the final day past Andy de Bondt and Roland Forthomme. The match against De Bondt yielded 50-32 in 37 innings. In the other semi-final, Roland Forthomme beat Peter De Backer 50-18 in 22.
In the final, Merckx opened the attack with 9 in the 10th inning, he ran out to 44-28 in the 20th and was then able to finish it off with two small runs. Roland Forthomme made three times 5 in the match.
The tournament was the start of the summer break for most Belgian billiards players, which for Eddy Merckx lasts until 11 August. Then is the Survival in De Leug, the Vinatera tournament. More than a week later is Survival in South Korea from 19-26 August.
On his way to a new victory, Eddy Merckx closing a fantastic year