ANDERNOS - Peter Ceulemans' set point in the second last session and Rui Manuel Costa's strong final eight in the last set kept the tension in the match. Dick Jaspers closed the first day of the second round in the Kozoom 3C Challenge Cup with 4 sets won ahead of Ceulemans and Costa with 2 sets each. The margin for the next two days is certainly bridgeable for the two slain outsiders. The best average after eight sets was for Jaspers (1,743), Rui Costa closed the first day of play with 8, the best run of the day.
Ceulemans started the session with a promising set win in two innings (6-4), Jaspers continued taking a comfortable lead by winning the three next sets (3-1-0). Rui Costa interrupted the Dutchman's attack in the fifth set with his first counterattack. In the next round, Jaspers grabbed the win again to take a 4-1-1 lead. That margin was reduced in the last two sets. Peter Ceulemans finished just before Jaspers in the penultimate set (10-9) and in the final stage, 60-year old Portuguese showed his resilience with two from the break, Ceulemans made 7, Jaspers 2 and Rui Costa was the last winner to ran out with 8.
''I am satisfied with my start and with my finish, in between it was very moderate'', was Ceulemans' comment. of Ceulemans. ,,Unfortunately, I only got one inning in the last set, I could have been one set behind Jaspers.'' That was cleverly prevented by Rui Costa with the best day score of 8.
The ranking after one day:
1 Dick Jaspers 4-61-35-1,743-6
2 Peter Ceulemans 2 54-35-1,543-7
3 Rui Manuel Costa 2-42-34-1,235-8.
The players for the second round: Peter Ceulemans, Rui Costa, Dick Jaspers