ANTALYA - Semih Sayginer's kickstart launched the first knockouts at the European Championships in billiards' most coveted discipline. The Turkish wizard beat a relatively unknown compatriot, Sabir Celik by dry figures (50-8 in 16) and led the Turkish coalition with Tayfun Tasdemir, Berkay Karakurt, Lütfi Cenet and Tolgahan Kiraz as shooters in the firing line of this championship. The best of all Europeans came through the first qualification fairly smoothly. Only Martin Horn was kinged by young Frenchman Cédric Melnytschenko, 50-27 in 30. Furthermore, Jérémy Bury, normally the French leader, quickly disappeared from the podium against Tolgahan Kiraz with 50-43 in 42 innings and Murat Naci Coklu was floored by Rugen Legazpi with 50-46 in 26.
Apart from Sayginer, the most high-profile games came from Eddy Merckx (50 in 26), Ruben Legazpi (26), Marco Zanetti (27), Thomas Andersen (27) and Lütfi Cenet (27 innings). The next round, with the best 16 of this European Championship, will see top matches such as Semih Sayginer-Eddy Merckx, the Spanish clash between Dani Sánchez and Ruben Legazpi and the Dutch topper between Dick Jaspers and Jean Paul de Bruijn as early as Friday morning (9.00 Turkish time).
The first shuffle of this European Championship happened on Thursday afternoon with 48 players competing for 16 places for the main tournament with the 16 seeded players. Ruben Legazpi was the top winner from those preliminary rounds with four match points and 1.860 ahead of Turgay Orak with 1.702, Roland Forthomme with 1.702, Peter Ceulemans with 1.632 and Thomas Andersen with 1.403.
The only one of those top five to disappear straight out of the tournament was Peter Ceulemans with a loss against Jacob Haack Sörensen (50-34 in 32). The first sensation of this European Championship came in the name of Cédric Melnytschenko. The French youngster played uninhibited against Martin Horn, whom he beat sovereignly with 50-27 in 30 innings after 14-5, 23-12 and 37-25.
Tayfun Tasdemir only shook off compatriot Emrullah Basegmez at the end of the match with a run of 11 (50-42 in 39). Dani Sánchez, Semih Sayginer and Michael Nilsson shone with runs of 11, but for Swede Nilsson it was not enough. He had to bow to Roland Forthomme with 50-43 in 37 innings.
Dick Jaspers handled Martin Bohac (50-29 in 32) smoothly but not at a high level, Dani Sánchez outclassed Gerhard Kostistansky (50-35 in 28), Marco Zanetti was the better of Adam Kozak (50-29 in 27) and Eddy Merckx dominated the entire match against Brhan Genc (50-31 in 26). Jean Paul de Bruijn, the second remaining Dutchman after Jaspers, made a promising start with a win over Turgay Orak (50-32 in 32). Eddy Merckx and Roland Forthomme were the two Belgians to survive, Peter Ceulemans and Kurt Ceulemans were eliminated by Jacob Haack Sörensen and Lütfi Cenet.
The Turks are still with five in the best 16, the Spaniards with Sánchez and Legazpi, the Danes with two more or less surprising names: Thomas Andersen and Jacob Haack Sörensen.
The programme with the best 16, Friday morning 9.00 Turkish time:
Dani Sánchez-Ruben Legazpi
Eddy Merckx-Semih Sayginer
Tayfun Tasdemir-Thomas Andersen
Jacob Haack-Marco Zanetti
Torbjörn Blomdahl-Roland Forthomme
Tolgahan Kiraz-Cédric Melnytschenko
Lütfi Cenet-Berkay Karakurt
Dick Jaspers-Jean Paul de Bruijn
Young Frenchman Cédric Melnytschenko showed up with the first sensation, beating Martin Horn
Marco Zanetti beating Czech Kozak and comes up to Jacob Haack Sörensen in the next round
Ruben Legazpi, the best in the pre rounds, now facing Dani Sánchez
Tayfun Tasdemir, the world champion and one of Turkish top guns
Jean Paul de Bruijn was the better of one of the Turks and is now playing Dick Jaspers
Ranking after preliminary rounds (16 pools, 16 winners in pools of three):
1 Ruben Legazpi 4-1,860
2 Turgay Orak 4-1.702
3 Roland Forthomme 4-1.702
4 Peter Ceulemans 4-1.632
5 Thomas Andersen 4-1.403
6 Tolgahan Kiraz 4-1.403
7 Berkay Karakurt 4-1,379
8 Brhan Genc 4-1,269
9 Sabir Celik 4-1,194
10 Kurt Ceulemans 4-1,142
11 Cédric Melnytschenko 4-1,066
12 Emrullah Basegmez 3-1,269
13 Adam Kozak 3-0.919
14 Jose Miguel Soares 2-1,169
15 Martin Bohac 2-1,115
16 Gerhard Kostistansky 2-1,000.