With 144 paid preliminary entries and 20 players on the waiting list. this year's event was the largest World Cup tournament ever held. Bob Jewett with his great team of Charles Brown, Mark Van Liere and the USBA were given huge credit by Pierre A. Cornelissen of the World Billiard Association for putting this tournament together and Pat Fleming of Accu-Stats with Robert Byrne in the booth taped several of the matches including the semifinals and finals.
This double elimination event switched to single elimination at the 32 player mark with competitors playing best 3 of 5 fifteen-point sets with alternating breaks.
Two players that are well known here in the States, made it through the tough prelims to play in the final 32. Frank Torres lost in a very close match to Marco Zanetti and Michael Kang went to the round of 16 before losing to Frederic Caudron.
Raymond Ceulemans, the ageless wonder, celebrated his 66 birthday at the tournament. He had advanced to the quarterfinals when Dick Jaspers played his best match of the tournament against him. Jaspers averaged 2.647 to put Ceulemans out of the tournament on his birthday.
Daniel Sanchez also played his best games against one of the pre-tournament favorites Torbjorn Blomdahl. Daniel averaged 2.647 in winning 3 0 over the flu stricken Torbjorn. In the rest of the quarterfinals it was Sayginer over Caudron 3-2, Zanetti over Carlsen 3-2 and Sanchez over Koorevaar 3-1.
Sayginer took his time and played with great confidence winning 3-1 over Jaspers with an overall average of 2.000 to Dick's 1.730.
The tournament was very well attended with all seats filled in the final matches. We all hope that the BWA and Bob Jewett will make it happen again in 2005.
Article courtesy of Professor Q-Ball
