The Dutchman Dick Jaspers is the defending title holder in a field of 110 players that has started the Verhoeven Open 2016 in Flushing, New York. Raymond Ceulemans, the legend, is not only a guest of honour, he also is one of the seeded players in this famous tournament. The world champion, Torbjörn Blomdahl, the world’s number one, Frédéric Caudron, Dick Jaspers and Eddy Merckx are the other star players to enter from the second round.
The first rounds are played with 105 players in 15 groups of seven in a round robin to 25 points. The top two players from each group (30) and two numbers three (makes 32), together with three players from the lottery and the five seeded players make forty players for the new round robin, divided into five groups of eight for matches to 35 points. The top three and one fourth best together make sixteen for the knockout in the final stage later this week.
The group heads in the first qualifying round are Michael Kang, Hugo Patino, Quoc Nguyen Nguyen, Tayfun Tasdemir, Jae Ho Cho, Jérémy Bury, Martin Horn, Dong Koong Kang, Huberney Catano, Quyet Chien Tran, Haeng Jik Kim, Roland Forthomme, Murat Naci Coklu, Sonny Cho and Semih Saygıner.
The Carom Café will be six days long the place to be with its twelve match tables. All the matches are broadcast live by Kozoom.
The billiard mecca, owned by Michael Kang, first known for the Sang Lee international Open, draws many players, a great audience and visitors from all over the world. Those who want to take a break from billiards, can gather with friends around the bar or in lounge to relax. And for those who want to look beyond the Carom Café, there is so much beauty at close range. Ten minutes walk to Downtown Flushing, the north eastern part of Queens, Manhattan in about ten, fifteen minutes by taxi or train, Long Island and so many attractions in this cosmopolitan city.
The hall is known for its fantastic Verhoeven tables, flawlessly maintained by Michael Kang’s staff. For spectators there are comfortable chairs at about ten meters from the billiards, you can walk around and choose which side and matches you want to see.
The pre-selection, starting on Monday (August 1st, 10.00) is played in a round robin. After the first qualifying rounds a second one will follow in which the five seeded players (Frédéric Caudron, Torbjörn Blomdahl, Eddy Merckx, Dick Jaspers and Raymond Ceulemans) enter the proceedings. And finally there is the knockout stage as of Wednesday with sixteen to determine the winner. The three previous winners on the honour list of New York: Dick Jaspers, Torbjörn Blomdahl and Frédéric Caudron.
UMB.