PAIPORTA - Dutchman Dave Christiani is the defending champion at the European Championships in one cushion in Paiporta, Spain. The field counts a total of 22 players of whom 10 are French and 5 Spaniards. Two players from the eight groups of three, Belgians Johan Loncelle and Francis Forton, have cancelled their participation. They were registered by the Belgian federation without being informed themselves. Francis Forton left today for the World Cup in Las Vegas.
For The Netherlands, a very strong one cushion nation (Jean Paul de Bruijn, Sam van Etten, Jos Bongers, Michel van Silfhout) only Dave Christiani plays, other contenders are Raul Cuenca (Spain), Marek Faus (Czech Republic), Arnim Kahofer, Bernard Villiers and Willy Gérimont. The tournament is organized by the Spanish federation and I played in Paiporta. The group format, with six groups of three and two groups of two, which play each other twice, go to 100 caroms, in the final rounds to 125. Only the winners of the poules move up to the quarter-finals.
Today, Friday, at 16.00 and 18.30 dare two quarter-finals each. The semi-finals start tomorrow, Sunday, at 10.30, the final at 16.00.
The EC has already finished its first group matches on Friday. The best matches so far came from Dave Christiani and Jean Francois Florent, who tied 100-100 in 9 innings (11.11 on average). Arnim Kahofer was one of the best winners in 13 innings. Nikolaos Gerassimopoulos, who plays for Greece, won against Johan Girard 100-46 in 15. Frenchmen Johann Petit and Bernard Villiers played a draw against each other in 20 innings, Villiers won his second match in the group against Maarten Janssen 100-68 in 11. Therefore Janssen is already eliminated after one match. Spaniard Esteve Mata is also out after losing matches against Raul Cuenca (100-65 in 17) and Xavier Leroy (100-65 in 14). Sven Daske started with a loss to Jacky Justice.
The group layouts are:
Group A: Bernard Baudoin, Jean Francois Bernard, Dave Christiani
Group B: Marek Faus, José Albert
Group C: Arnim Kahofer, Ricard Arnau
Group D: Willy Gérimont, Gregory Le Deventec, Carmelo Garces
Group E: Jacky Justice, Joan Espinasa, Sven Daske
Group F: Johann Petit, Bernard Villiers, Maarten Janssen
Group G: Alain Remond, Johann Girard, Nikolaos Gerassimopoulos
Group H: Raul Cuenca, Esteve Mata, Xavier Leroy.
