James Gruffman continues to dominate men's qualifying at European Champions Cup in Holland

    10/20/12

    2012 ECC

    Swede leads the 42-player field for the second consecutive block by a huge margin; defending champion Thomas Gross moves into top 8; Finland's Lasse Lintilä is the man "on the bubble" with 209.88 average

    2012ECCJamesGruffman3.jpg2012ECCYoanAlix.jpgJames Gruffman (left), who dominated the men's division at the 35th European Champions Cup in the first block on short oil (1927), continued hot hand and led Squad A and the entire 42-player field on the long pattern with 1932 series and an average of 241.50.

    The Swede, who rolled games of 212, 257, 225, 233, 203, 279, 233 and 290, has 3859 total and an average of 241.19 for 16 games. He was followed by four players of Squad B.

    Yoan Alix (right) of France was 361 pins behind in second place with 3498, with Mads Sandbækken of Norway in third place with 3496, Gery Verbruggen of Belgium in fourth place with 3450 and Raymond Teece of England, who led Squad B on long oil with 1753, in fifth place with 3440.

    2012ECCThomasGross.jpg2012ECCLasseLintila.jpgDefending champion Thomas Gross (left) was second to Gruffman in Squad A with 1758 to leap into sixth place with 3420. Habib Dogan of Turkey was seventh with 3387.

    One of Finland's greatest bowlers of all time, Lasse Lintilä (right), currently holds the eighth and last place to advance with 3358 and an average of 209.88.

    The men are done for today. Players ranked 19 to 36 will bowl the third and last block on combined oil Saturday afternoon starting at 1.30 p.m. CEST, while to top 18 will conclude qualifying in the evening starting at 6 p.m.

    2012ECCLogo.jpg The European Champions Cup 2012 takes place at bowling center Dekker, a 16-laner with Funk equipment in the city of Zoetermeer, just 15 km East of The Hague, Netherlands.

    Starting on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 42 men from 41 countries and 36 women from 35 countries roll three eight-game blocks of qualifying over four days, the first block on short oil (35 ft.), the second block on long oil (40ft.) and the third block on combined oil (one lane dressed with short oil, the other lane dressed with long oil).

    The top eight men and the top eight women after 24 games advance to the single-elimination finals in best-of-three games format. The player, who wins all three matches, will be declared the champion.

     


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    2012 European Champions Cup - Men's Qualifying after 16 of 24 games


    First block on short oil (35 ft.), second block on long oil (40ft.) and third block on combined oil.

     


    Men's Qualifying - Second Block Results


    First block on short oil (35 ft.), second block on long oil (40ft.) and third block on combined oil.