DOUAI - On the third day of the French classical disciplines championships for teams, a long expected match was played. Belgian Frédéric Caudron, out of action for some time, played against Dutchman Raymund Swertz in balkline 71/2. Swertz was the winner in three innings: 200-73. Swertz started his game with a run of 85, continued with 23 and played out with 92. ’’It was a match with a lot of ambiance, the hall was full with about 200 people,'' Swertz said later. ’’That was because Frédéric Caudron was playing, of course, but still this can only happen in France.''
Two groups of teams were brought together in Douai for a meeting. The initiative came from Carvin club president Béatrice Bertolotti and her ABC Douai counterpart Pascal Dessaint. The presence of Frédéric Caudron in the elite Entente Douai-Carvin team deserved a setting of this calibre. Three of the four days are now behind and Douarnenez Valdys in Group A and Ronchin in Group B have one leg in the Final Four.
This weekend, Epinal was beaten twice 0-6 by Douarnenez Valdys and Douai-Carvin, while Voisins-Le-Bretonneux also suffered two similar defeats against Ronchin and Chartres. The key matches between Chartres and Ronchin and between Douarnenez Valdys and Douai-Carvin were won 4-2 in favor of Ronchin and Douarnenez Valdys.
Raymund Swertz, in the most anticipated match of the year against Frédéric Caudron in balkline 71/2, won 200-73 in 3 innings.
The 4th and final day of the regular season will be played in Douarnenez and Chartres on the weekend of 20 April 2024.
Raymund Swertz on his way to beat Frédéric Caudron in 71/2
Frédéric Caudron, come-back in balkline in French teameague