NEW YORK - What does a jetlag mean for a player just before he starts in a major tournament? Will he be in his rhythm again when he really has to enter the arena for the first matches? Eddy Merckx arrived in the Carom Cafe this afternoon, Tuesday, after a 22 hours marathon flight, from his home to Amsterdam, stopover in Istanbul and from there to New York. ,,I haven't even been to my hotel, but the setback will come'', realized the Belgian, who will come to the tournament on Wednesday as one of the five seeded players.
,,You learn to deal with it, because you must adapt to the rhythm of day and night. I always tried soon to go for a sleep, but I never could, even not on the plane. So now, usually I take my laptop when I arrive for some chats with friends and then I fall asleep automatically.''
But yet, another problem is looming up for Merckx, who wants to leave for his hotel. From the street in front of the Carom Cafe suddenly sirens of fire engines disturb the silence. Dark clouds of smoke are coming out of a white car in front of the billiard cafe. ,,All the doors have to be locked'', shouts an impressive black helmet with an ax in a blind panic. That's bad news for the smokers among the players, who use to make a short smoke stop during the break outside the Carom Cafe.
There is some consternation for a while: the blast came from beneath the white car. There is danger due to a gas leak, but the doors may be opened again after an hour. Michael Kang, the owner: ,,We have been without gas because of explosion danger for one month and so we had no kitchen for one month.'' The black helmets are still hanging around these afternoon..., security for all.
Back to the jet lag, which sometimes can have a fatal effect.
The Koreans, used to long journeys to the World Cups, had taken a few days margin and arrived on Friday in New York after traveling for about fifteen hours. Frédéric Caudron arrived from Mexico, where he made a sponsor tour for Kimchi, flying first six hours, then, after a stopover in Charlotte, North Carolina for another two hours with a slight delay. But as always excited, shaking hands everywhere, the world's number one showed up in the billiard room to feel the atmosphere.
The four Vietnamese in tournament are playing for the first time in New York. Three of them are professional players, Quyet Chien Tran, Quoc Nguyen Nguyen and Vinh The Lyn. The 34-year-old Duc Anh Chien Nguyen, who got an upper cut from his friend Tran this Tuesday (25-10), has a job in Ho Chi Minh. They had a twenty hours flight, two days ago. 'Duc' came here most of all to enjoy. ,,I do not like to lose'', he smiled after the much, ,,but lose against friends does not hurt so much.''
The long travelling time is not the reason why so many South Americans have stayed away from New York. Huberney Cataño, a star player last year, is the only one. All other top guns, like Robinson Morales, Alexander Salazar, Jose Juan Garcia, Luis Martinez, Andres Lizarazo, Javier Teran, Luis Aveiga, Alan Campos are playing in this week's Feria de las Flores, a well-known tournament in Medellin, where Marco Zanetti is the only is European.
Just a little bad luck for the Verhoeven Open in New York, where the level undoubtedly will rise to high heights in the upcoming days.
Fire alarm at the entrance of the Carom Cafe: all doors closed
Two Vietnamese friends for the first time in New York: Quyet Chien Tran and Duc Anh Chien Nguyen