ANDERNOS - Eddy Merckx was the third Belgian in total, after Roland Forthomme and Peter Ceulemans, to reach the final of the Kozoom Challenge Cup. Merckx won Group E with a 1.836 on average after a sovereign performance against Frenchman Jérôme Barbeillon and Turk Can Capak.
The Belgian player won 10 of 18 sets ahead of Jérôme Barbeillon with 5 sets (1.366) and Can Capak with 3 sets (1.229). The victory was secured at the end of the 15th set. Barbeillon could eventually finish 2nd in the group ahead of Capak.
Jérôme Barbeillon came back on the third day by winning 3 sets with an average of 1.556 against 2 for Merckx with 1.385 and 1 for Capak with 1.269. By winning sets 13, 14 and 16 in 5, 4 and 4 innings, the Frenchman took the 2nd place in the group despite a moderate 2nd day with 0.632 but a very good 1st day with 1.720.
Eddy Merckx had built up sufficient lead on the second day (he won sets 8 to 12 with an average of 2.619) and was already 6 sets ahead of his two competitors before the 6 sets of the third day. The Belgian number 8 of the world is provisionally 2nd of the 6 qualified players behind Dick Jaspers with 14 sets and ahead of Marco Zanetti's 10 sets.
Merckx plays the Cup of Belgium this weekend, broadcast by Kozoom, Barbeillon changes billiard tables in Andernos to play the final of the French club team championship and Capak joins the PBA after the World Cup in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, next week.