Replay Billard Club
6 rue des Moines Saint Martin
94360 Bry-sur-Marne
France
Tel: 01 47 06 44 84 -
www.replay-billard.fr
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Fri-Sun 16-18 October 2015
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All photography courtesy of ©Olivier Lacroix - used by Pro9 with express permission.
The Maharaja reigns supreme in 2015 French Open
For the second year running, the French Open by Predator was won by a British player as Imran Majid battled through a strong international field to take the title. Majid performed solidly to win 11-7 in the final against Dutchman Marc Bijsterbosch, his reward a beautifully crafted trophy and the 2,100€ first prize.
The 2015 French Open by Predator welcomed 128 entries to the qualifying groups and final stage, with participation from players of 16 different nationalities. Taking place at Replay Billard in the eastern suburbs of Paris, the event was organised and streamed live by the Ebilliard team, led by tournament director Kem Sen.
Sen’s reaction reflected the general positive mood following a successful event: “We are very satisfied with the second edition of the French Open by Predator. The tournament ran smoothly and the full field is testament to the attraction of the tournament to players from France and neighbouring countries. Thanks to all the players, event sponsors, fans, the venue and the Ebilliard team for their hard work.”
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Event report: A full international field ensured a high level of competition throughout
A strong British contingent had made the journey across the Channel to attend, including some highly ranked players from the respected GB9 circuit. Del Sim and Paul Taylor both made it to the single-elimination last 32 stage before bowing out, while Robin Cripps and Chris Seville went one step further, knocked out in the last 16 round to finish 9th.
Much was expected of the Dutch travelling party, particularly the likes of Bijsterbosch and his fellow pro players Nick van den Berg, Huidji See, Tim de Ruyter and Ivo Aarts. Unsurprisingly, they were well represented in the latter stages, with five Dutch-based players among the 16 finishing spots. Following a hill-hill defeat to Stephan Cohen in the Kamui Battle on the eve of the tournament, n° 1 seed Nick van den Berg will also be relatively disappointed with his 9th place finish, eliminated by Portuguese Joao Cardoso, one of the tournament’s surprise packages.
Another surprise was the failure of French number one Cohen to reach the single-elimination stage, an indication of the level of quality across the board. That left it to the likes of Vincent Facquet and Alex Montpellier to fly the French flag in front of their home support. Both battled hard to reach the quarter finals but came unstuck against top opponents in Majid and Tony Drago (Malta) respectively.
A special mention should also go to Noel Bruynooghe (Belgium), who defeated champion-to-be Imran Majid on Day 1 and looked a certainty to progress from his quarter-final match against former World 10-ball Champion Huidji See when leading 7-0. Spectators at Replay Billard and viewers on the live stream then witnessed an incredible turnaround as See overcame his initial malaise and started to play perfect pool. He drew level at 7-7 and eventually went through a 9-8 winner, cruelly crushing the Belgian’s hopes of going all the way in the tournament.
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2015 French Open Champion: Imran Majid’s route to glory
Replay Billard has been a happy hunting ground in recent years for Imran Majid, who won the 2013 El Matador Open in the same venue. He had to do things the hard way in this event, coming through the one-loss side on Day 1 to secure his place in the last 32 before embarking on a series of impressive victories on the final day. First Danny Wijnans (9-5) and Aziz Moussati (9-6) were put to the sword, before Majid took out 2014 finalist and local hope Vincent Facquet in the quarter-final (9-4).
The semi-final saw Majid face off against an opponent he knows only too well, friend and former practice partner Tony Drago. Drago had looked in strong form throughout the tournament, racing through his matches and wowing the audience by playing at a speed most other players can only dream of reaching. Despite some quick runouts and imaginative shots, notably an improbable four-rail kick shot on a ball hanging in the corner pocket in Rack 5, the match with Majid proved to be one step too far for the Tornado. Too many missed shots gave Majid the opportunities he needed to advance, the 9-5 scoreline giving a fair reflection of the difference in performance level, with the result never looking in doubt.
Bijsterbosch and Majid traded blows in the opening stages of the final, the Dutchman building a 3-1 lead after a couple of errors from Majid. Majid then began to find his game, taking four racks on the bounce to lead and looking capable of pulling away from his opponent. However, Bijsterbosch was not fazed and drew the scores level at 7-7 after an astounding sequence of shots in Rack 14. He looked likely to run out but surprisingly missed the 8-ball, leaving it hanging in the top left corner pocket. Majid then followed up with a shocker of his own, rattling a regulation 9-ball in the jaws of the corner pocket, awkward cueing from the rail causing the miss.
From Rack 15 onwards, Majid played perfect pool and didn’t miss again. He ran out from his own breaks and was able to take advantage of mistakes from his opponent. Down 10-7, Bijsterbosch attempted a low-percentage carom onto the 9-ball after his break, selling out the 2-ball in the process. Majid duly cleared up the remaining balls to seal the victory.
Speaking after his final win, Majid said: “I’m thrilled to win the 2015 French Open by Predator, my form is good at the moment and this is great preparation for my next big tournament, the US Open. Many thanks to the organisers for a great tournament and wonderful hospitality, as well as to my sponsors Predator Cues, Kamui tips and Cheqio.”
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