Auditorium AGIPI
12 avenue Pierre Mendès France
67300 Schiltigheim
France
www.agipibilliardmasters.com
www.kozoom.com
Thursday-Sunday 12-15 March 2009
Frederic Caudron is through to the semi-finals at the AGIPI Billiard Masters.
QUARTER FINAL 3
Agipi stalwart and thus crowd favourite here in Schiltigheim, Frederic Caudron has entered the semi-final stage of the Masters with a firm step. He beat Filipos Kasidokostas with a score of 50-27 and a final average of 2.500.
Things did not look rosy for the likeable Belgian right from the start. The twenty-five year young Kasidokostas ran away in the beginning, making use of uncharacteristic errors from le Maréchal. Youngblood led 17-6 and was looking in form, moving fluently around the table, combining smooth cueing with quick decision making.
"Read More..." for the details.
Caudron responded with a seven-point run, and in hindsight, took the wind out of Filipos’ sails right then. In the next seven innings the 2003 and 2004 World Championship runner-up from Athens only managed to produce one scoring inning. Le Maréchal took full advantage of the momentum and converted the ominous looking 16-6 in favour of Filipos to a comfortable 31-19 lead.
Youngblood Kasido fought hard, scoring some magnificent points, but who is to stop a fully accelerated Caudron in fifth gear?
To the delight of the home crowd, Caudron set the pace in the end stage of the match. A stoic facial expression, quick steps and the Layani cue as his machine gun. In the 18th inning he really crushed hellenic hopes when he responded to Kasidokostas’s brave six-point run with a beautiful fifteen-point run... Two innings later he manufactured the final two points and was complimented by the graceful Greek and the home crowd. A big applause for Caudron and the rematch of last years semi-final between Jaspers and Caudron is scheduled for tomorrow night.
Torbjorn Blomdahl in action during the quarter-finals in Schiltigheim.
QUARTER FINAL 4
Thor the Holder versus the Dark Horse
Last years winner Torbjorn Blomdahl was up against Semih Sayginer in today's second and last quarterfinal. Blomdahl won the World Championships for national teams for the fifth time in a row a week ago and it looked like this has really kick-started his game.
Not that he ever looks shabby, far from it, but tonight he really jumped out of the gates to give Semih a warm welcome back in the international circuit. Semih has chosen to not play on the World Tour anymore, the Agipi Masters is worth the exception though. When he qualified for the quarterfinals one month ago, he did not look like suffering from a lack of competitive exposure.
Tonight, Blomdahl took special care to draw first blood and this proved to be a fertile tactic. Thus, the pressure was immediately on Semih. On top, Semih was continuously confronted with tough positions and topped with some unforced errors, things started bad for Semih and the fans suspected a disclosure of tonight's Clash of the Titans without any Turkish Magic... And rightfully so.
‘Thor’ Blomdahl unleashed thunder and lightning in the arena, sending a message to his fellow semi-finalists and an exhibition of his brilliant and dynamic three-cushion game to the viewers all over Europe.
AGIPI BILLIARD MASTERS 2009 | ||
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS | ||
Quarter Final 1 |
| Forthomme v Bury |
Quarter Final 2 |
| Merckx v Jaspers |
Quarter Final 3 |
| Caudron v Kasidokostas |
Quarter Final 4 |
| Sayginer v Blomdahl |
Semi Final 1 | Saturday 14/03 at 18:30 | Forthomme v Blomdahl |
Semi Final 2 | Saturday 14/03 at 22:30 | Jaspers v Caudron |
FINAL | Sunday 15/03 at 18:00 | - v - |
All matches will be broadcast live on Eurosport 2 and on www.agipibilliardmasters.com.
Be sure to visit the website for interviews, results, news, pictures, all you need to know about the event of the year. Don’t miss the final Live, Sunday at 18:00 (CET).
