LÈGE CAP FERRET - The spectacular come-back of Ruben Legazpi in the match against Marco Zanetti and the wonderful final sprint of Dion Nelin, with a win over Dick Jaspers, were the highlights on the first day of the Kozoom Challenge final. The Southern European clash between the Spaniard and the Italian ended in an unexpected showdown after Zanetti had taken a 3-0 lead and was close to victory. That turned out the other way. The long, tall Spaniard fought back furiously, came back to 3-1, 3-2 and 3-3 and even won the last set 10-6. Dion Nelin had a three times lead in sets against Jaspers, came three times on match ball neared the end, missed miraculously, but eventually he finished 4-3, after a bizarre series of misses by Jaspers: 7 misses in 9 innings. The Dane showed a big smile after the victory over one of his former teammates in the Netherlands and Germany and an opponent he looks up to so much.
Marco Zanetti, struggling with an arm injury and therefore almost unable to practice for the Kozoom finals, had a last flurry, started with six in the decisive set, but then missed three times, so Legazpi could finish in 4 innings: 0, 1, 6 and 3 (4-3, averages 1,341 for Legazpi, 1,317 for Zanetti).
Dick Jaspers and Dion Nelin closed the first day with a match, in which the Danish whirlwind started with a set win (10-8 in 7), Jaspers countered 10-1 in 6, Nelin led 2-1 in sets again after 10-8 in the third set, Jaspers fought back to 2-2 with 10-2 in 3 and the match went on to a thrilling end.
Dion Nelin took the first option for a winning final sprint with 10-3 in 2 to lead 3-2 (closing run 7). That forced Jaspers into an extreme effort: the Dutchman started with 7, gave Nelin a few more unexpected chances, but finally finished 10-4 in 6, leading to a decisive set. The Dane led 5-0 after three misses by Jaspers, led 5-4, 6-4, 7-4, 8-4, 9-4 and had incredible bad luck when he first missed two match balls, but still made his last and winning point in the exciting final innings.
That was the third of four matches that were decided after 3-3 in sets, when Maréchal first won to Forthomme 4-3, then Legazpi beat Zanetti 4-3 and finally Nelin finished against Jaspers 4-3.
Eddy Merckx, one of the three final players from the top five in the world, did win the match against Peter De Backer earlier on the day with a bigger score: 4-1 in sets of 10 caroms, the averages 2,091/1,700. Merckx started the match with an unusual miss from the break. Then he started his attack and won the first three sets in a row, 10-4 in 5, 10-7 in 5 and 10-9 in 4. In that third set only, De Backer had a chance to win the set, but he missed a zig-zag position for his last point. De Backer then won the fourth set 10-6 in 3 and seemed to be back in the game. Merckx, however, stayed cool and decided the match 10-4 in 5 innings.
Roland Forthomme went on the rack in a real thriller against Frenchman Gwendal Maréchal (4-3). The young guy, a very talented billiard player and student, took a 3-1 lead in sets (3-10, 10-5, 10-7, 10-0) against Forthomme, but failed to finish the match quickly. The Belgian came back brilliantly with sets won in the 5th and 6th (10-5 and 10-8). So it went on to 3-3 in sets and there had to be a deciding set. Maréchal had the best final sprint with 10-6 in 5 innings. The averages: Maréchal 1,436, Forthomme 1,231.
The Kozoom Challenge thus had four winners on this opening day: Dion Nelin, Ruben Legazpi, Gwendal Maréchal and Eddy Merckx, who meet for a place in the semi-finals. Merckx plays against Maréchal, Nelin against Legazpi, but that match is scheduled for Saturday. Two loser games, of which the winners will continue, are on Friday with Jaspers-Zanetti as the absolute highlight.
The programme for the second day (Friday):
11.30: Peter De Backer-Roland Forthomme
14.00: Marco Zanetti-Dick Jaspers
16.30: Eddy Merckx-Gwendal Maréchal (winners in first round).
Saturday the schedule starts at 2 pm with Dion Nelin-Ruben Legazpi (winners in first round).
Ruben Legazpi was 0-3 down against Marco Zanetti and finished on a 4-3 win
The young French student Gwendal Maréchal, who was the better of Roland Forthomme 4-3 in the final set
Eddy Merckx, the only winner by a margin in his match with Peter De Backer