VILA NOVA DE GAIA - The Belgian organizer of the next World championship must be in high spirites. Ludo Dielis, former figurehead as a billiard player and a famous organizer of the Supercup, couldn't wish better for his poster than a Belgian player defending his world title next year in Antwerp.
That chance is very realistic with only one day to go at the World championship in Porto. Frédéric Caudron and Eddy Merckx will face in the semi finals tomorrow (on Saturday) to battle for a spot in the final.
The opponent is the winner of the match between Sung-Won Choi and Marco Zanetti.
The semi finals bring three former world champions in the arena at the Yeatman Hotel in Vila Nova de Gaia on the banks of the river Douro, which is writhing like a snake through the city of Porto.
Marco Zanetti was two times world champion: in 2002 in Randers (Denmark) before Dion Nelin, Dick Jaspers and Ramon Rodriguez. And in 2008 in Sankt Wendel (Germany) before Torbjörn Blomdahl, Peter De Backer and Jérémy Bury.
Frédéric Caudron took the title in 1999 Bogoto, Colombia before Torbjörn Blomdahl, Dick Jaspers and Dion Nelin.
Eddy Merckx was the best in the world in 2006 in Sankt Wendel before Nikos Polychronopoulos, Peter De Backer and Dick Jaspers.
Sung-Won Choi was one time in the semifinals, in Sluiskil 2010. The Korean can write history for his country with the world title, that lacks at the honor roll of the new three-cushion stronghold in the world.
Marco Zanetti and Sung-Won Choi earned the qualification in the first sessions of the penultimate day. Eddy Merckx and Frédéric Caudron completed the foursome at closing time.
Eddy Merckx, who already was the best of sixteen players in the previous round, had a flying start against Sameh Sidhom, who was one of the revelations in this tournament. The young Egyptian couldn't utilize a few opportunities. He came back after Merckx' opening with seven to 12-6, but then saw his opponent blasting away to 17-5, 26-14 and even 34-14 in ten innings. The end came after seventeen innings.
Frédéric Caudron faced in the last evening session another phenomenon of this tournament: the Japanese O Takeshima, who outplayed Filippos Kasidokostas and Dick Jaspers.
The Belgian was forewarned, had no the best start and continued to falter until 17-15 in 18 innings. Then he doubled his score in the next inning with a super run of seventeen, the highest in the tournament so far.
It was a riant advance on his victory, because for the first time in this World championship, the Japanese coming-man couldn't respons to an attack by his opponent. Caudron won 40-21 in 22 innings, but couldn't find an explanation for his weak start.
,,I did not feel good at all at the start: I felt hot, my feeling at the table was not good and it took a long time before I finally found my rhytm. And then there was the snowball effect: I started to score and got some good positions. Suddenly I felt so good that I began to think: I have seventeen points in nineteen innings and is now I can finish in one inning.''
Tomorrow (Sunday) at 11.00 Marco Zanetti and Sung-Won Choi are playing the first semi final against each other, then at 13.00 Frédéric Caudron faces Eddy Merckx. The final is at 17:30 Portuguese time.