After playing over 500 matches from start to finish, two three-cushion players remained standing at the Sang Lee International Open, both determined to be this year’s strongest billiard player. It all came down to a single momentous point made by great Belgium carom player, Frédéric Caudron, in order to dethrone defending champion Torbjörn Blomdahl of Sweden in the final match.
Eighty-two world-class three cushion players representing 18 countries, descended onto Carom Café’s 10-table arena from August 13-20 for a grueling round-robin competition to vie for the $85,000 prize fund. Blomdahl and Caudron burned up the heated carom tables to make it to the final, where, if Blomdahl would score his last point, both players would then have an identical 6-3 record and thus force a sudden-death 15-point playoff. Caudron, who is undisputedly the supreme straight, balkline, and one-cushion carom player of all time, was on a mission to prove that he stands above the greatest giants in three-cushion billiards – by winning this Sang Lee title. To start the final match, in the presence of a huge crowd and in front of the TV cameras, Caudron literally burst out of the gates with a sudden 19-6 lead over Blomdahl in a race to 40 points. Intent on defending his “home-turf”, as Blomdahl affectionately terms New York — due to his numerous titles taken down in the three-cushion city, Blomdahl fought back aggressively to narrow the gap 28-26. Caudron immediately responded by surging ahead and was the first to hear the referee’s call, “Playing for three” — leaving his opponent trailing desperately behind 37-28. In typical Blomdahl fashion, the great champion stepped right up and ran an amazing 10 points – missing his 39th point by a single hair. At this critical moment, both players traded unbelievable near-misses while they simultaneously hedged themselves with carefully planned safety moves — bringing the score up to 39-39 while every single audience member inched themselves to the very edge of their seats in anticipation.
It was then that Caudron unleashed a breathtaking out-shot and immediately upon delivering the winning blow, shook his cue tightly with two clenched fists and let out a deep victory roar that was heard all around the three-cushion world. As he hoisted the massive Carom Cup trophy over his head, the enthusiastic crowd gave him a highly spirited and lengthy standing ovation for his monumental accomplishment.
-provided by Ira Lee, Sang Lee International Open director
