Jaspers And Blomdahl Clash Again in the Final

Dutch Dynamite Dick reaches final once more.

Just as last year Dick Jaspers, the current number one on the world ranking, has made it to the final of the Agipi Masters by defeating Frédéric Caudron in the semifinal.

In the beginning, both players were clearly suffering from the pressure, a combination of respect for the opponent, the live broadcast on Eurosport 2 and the mere fact that the Agipi Masters is the best tournament of the year. The time and place where the champions get the chance to show that they are true champions.

Jaspers, especially, was looking feable at the start of the match. After twelve innings he trailed 18-6 and his body language seemed to tell the tale. Caudron looked like being more in control of his emotions, but neither he brought his A-game. Both players made uncharacteristic errors and the table started to play a part as well. Where the carom seemed to be a certainty, the cueball somehow manouvered behind, around, just past the target-ball. Not five times, not ten times, more like twenty times total during this match, both crowd and player held their breath and looked on in disbelief.

The mark of a champion is to win with his B-game and Jaspers did just that. He recomposed and even though his touch was absent, he started to produce points and taking good care of his positonal play. The turning point, when this refound composure was visible, took place in the thirteenth inning. He made eight points…unresponded, he made two…unresponded, he made three… unresponded. Now he had taken the lead and was not to hand it over to Caudron. All the while Lady Luck was on Jaspers' side, he had three lucky points and he acknowledged his own fortune after making the winning point in thirty-third inning.Dick Jaspers :'Yes i was struggling, but when i made that run of 8 I refound composure. I got lucky in some situations, but I will accept these turns of faith happily'.

Rematch Blomdahl-Jaspers in this year's final

With Blomdahl beating Roland Forthomme in tonight's last semi-final, Jaspers gets the chance to take revenge for his loss against Blomdahl in last year's final. The two icons of three-cushion billiards will clash again this year at 18:00 tomorrow night.

Blomdahl was fully prepared for the encounter with Forthomme : 'I think the win-loss between us to is around 50%. He plays a very committed and powerful game and I knew I had to be ready to perform'.

Even though Blomdahl was in good shape and in phase with the table, he never managed to run away from the Belgian Braveheart. Forthomme stuck to the Swedish Genius making many tough points. Then, it started to affect Blomdahl's game. Now it all came together. The table started to react different, the positions got funny and the arms got rigid.

That's where experience came into play and Blomdahl has plenty of it in these situations. In the thirty-sixth inning Blomdahl threw his fist in the air for sealing Forthomme's faith, who had reached fourty-fourpoints.

Jaspers and Blomdahl will play a rematch of 2008's final tomorrow, with Jaspers eager to change last year's outcome.

Final game is tomorrow at 18:00 on www.agipibilliardmasters.com and Eurosport 2 LIVE. Tune in or be connected, but don't miss the end of the best 3-cushion tournament of the year !