3-time defending European ranking champion Paul Moor from England defeated World Cup champion Osku Palermaa from Finland over two games total pinfall, 503-364, to win the Ebonite International Luxembourg Open at X-treme Bowling in Foetz, Luxembourg.

Moor took a 54-pin lead behind a 227-173 win in game one and never looked back. He fired a 276 in the second game to cruise to victory.

It was Moor's second consecutive victory on the European Bowling Tour and the 10th EBT title of his career. The southpaw received the 5.000 Euro top prize.

In the opening match of the four-player stepladder final, Yoan Alix, France, flew past Nikolay Ovchinnikovs, Latvia, 266-189. Alix then fell to second-seeded Moor in match two, 224-184.

Palermaa earned 4.000 Euro for finishing second. Alix pocketed 3.000 Euro for third and Ovchinnikovs garnered 2.000 Euro for fourth place.

3-time European Ranking leader Paul Moor from England rolled back-to-back 269 games to overtake the lead in the Ebonite International Luxembourg Open after the second round. Moor, who won his 9th European Bowling Tour title in Tilburg last week, felled 739 pins over three games to lead the top 8 players into round robin match play with 2101 nine-game total and an average of 233.44.

World Cup champion Osku Palermaa (right) fired games of 278, 279 and 228 for the 785 high series to jump from seventh to second place with 2100, just one pin off the lead. Previous leader Michael Loos, Austria, slipped to third place with 2071, with Nikolay Ovchinnikovs, Latvia, in fourth place with 2036.

Austrian Thomas Gross (left) used a 754 set to leapfrog from 18th to fifth with 1995. Rounding out the top 8 are three French bowlers, Nicolas Forestier, Yoan Alix and qualifying leader Thierry Sacco.

The top 8 will determine the top 4 for the stepladder finals in round robin match play (seven games, 30 pins bonus per win, 15 per tie, and an additional 10 pins for scores between 250 and 300) with the pinfall from the previous two rounds being carried forward.

The tournament leader needs to win only the title match over two games total pinfall versus the survivor of the first two matches (one game each), in order to pocket the 5.000 Euro top prize.

Michael Loos from Austria posted a 1415 six-game series on Sunday morning to take the lead in the first round of the finals in the Ebonite International Luxembourg Open at X-treme Bowling in Foetz, Luxembourg. Loos, who had high game of 256 and a low game of 223, leads the top 20 players into the second round. The pinfall will be carried forward.

Among those 20 players, who made the cut, are 3-time European ranking champion Paul Moor from England (4th, 1362), World Cup Champion Osku Palermaa, Finland (1315), qualifying leader Thierry Sacco, France (8th, 1314), and Stuart Williams, England (13th, 1256), who shot a perfect game in qualifying.

Nicole Sanders, Netherlands, has already won the women's rankings in Luxembourg as she was the sole woman to qualify for the third round. Tanja Petty, Ivonne Gross and Wendy Van der List failed to make the cut.

The remaining 20 players will bowl another three-game set with the pinfall being carried forward. The top 8 after nine games advance to round robin match play (seven games, 30 pins bonus per win, 15 per tie, and an additional 10 pins for scores between 250 and 300) to determine the top 4 players for the stepladder final.

The tournament leader needs to win only the title match over two games total pinfall versus the survivor of the first two matches (one game each), in order to pocket the 5.000 Euro top prize.

Thierry Sacco (l.), France, won the qualifying in the Ebonite International Luxembourg Open with 1457 pinfall total, an average of 242.83.

Stuart Williams (r.) rolled the sole 300 game in the qualifying in the 12th of 13 qualifying squads to finish second with 1450. Williams, who was perfect in last year's round robin, used a Columbia Rock Ricochet. It was his 29th career perfect game.

Rounding out the top 5 were Xavier Lotthe, France, in third position with 1400, Chris Van Damme, Belgium, was fourth at 1399, and Robin Geeris, Netherlands, fifth, 1366.

Nicole Sanders, Netherlands, was the best of 51 women in the 224-player field in eighth place with 1435 including 48 pins handicap, a standard on the European Bowling Tour. Three more women made the first cut: Tanya Petty, Germany (12th); Ivonne Gross, Austria (22nd); and Wendy Van der List, Netherlands (29th).

Alexander Tarsoly, Hungary, beat out Michaela Goebel, Germany, for the 34th and final qualifying spot thanks to the higher last game, 217 to 170. Both players were deadlocked at 1266 pins after six games, an average of 211.00.

Manuel Mrosek, Germany, posted the highest game of 255 in the Desperado Squad, while Jim Jossa, Luxembourg, took the last spot with 229.

The Top 34 qualifying leaders and the top 6 from the one-game Desperado Squad (40 players overall) advanced to the finals on Sunday.

The 40 finalists will bowl six games starting from scratch to cut to the top 20, who will bowl another three-game set. The top 8 after nine games advance to round robin match play (seven games, 30 pins bonus per win, 15 per tie, and an additional 10 pins for scores between 250 and 300) with the pinfall being carried forward to determine the top 4 players for the stepladder final.

The tournament leader needs to win only the title match over two games total pinfall versus the survivor of the first two matches (one game each), in order to pocket the 5.000 Euro top prize.

Michael Loos used a 280 game, the highest of the tournament thus far, to crack the top 5 in the Ebonite International Luxembourg Open, after 11 out of 13 qualifying squads. Despite a 177 in game 4, the Austrian international finished with 1362 six-game total, an average of 227.00, en route to jump into fifth position in the 212-player field.

Qualifying leader Thierry Sacco (right), France, remained unchallenged with 1457 and an average of 242.83. His compatriot Xavier Lotthe is second with 1400 pinfall total. Chris Van Damme, Belgium, is third 1399, with Robin Geeris, Netherlands, fourth at 1366.

The Top 34 qualifying leaders and the top 6 from the one-game Desperado Squad (40 players overall) will advance to the finals on Sunday. The cut for 34th place is currently 1260.

The 40 finalists will bowl six games starting from scratch to cut to the top 20, who will bowl another three-game set. The top 8 after nine games advance to round robin match play (seven games, 30 pins bonus per win, 15 per tie, and an additional 10 pins for scores between 250 and 300) with the pinfall being carried forward to determine the top 4 players for the stepladder final.

The tournament leader needs to win only the title match over two games total pinfall versus the survivor of the first two matches (one game each), in order to pocket the 5.000 Euro top prize.

French international Thierry Sacco overtook the qualifying led in the third European Bowling Tour event, the Ebonite International Luxembourg Open, during the 10th out of 13 squads. Sacco had a low game of 228 and closed out the six-game set with high games of 255 and 257 to set the pace with 1457 and an average of 242.83.

Xavier Lotthe set a new French junior record en route to lead after four games with 954 but had to settle for second place with 1400 pinfall total. Previous leader Chris Van Damme, Belgium, slipped to third with 1399, with Robin Geeris, Netherlands, fourth 1366 and Yoan Alix, France, fifth 1352.

Nicole Sanders, Netherlands, posted the highest women's score thus far to move into sixth place with 1345 including 48 pins handicap. The Top 34 qualifying leaders and the top 6 from the one-game Desperado Squad (40 players overall) will advance to the finals on Sunday. The cut for 34th place is currently 1239.

The 40 finalists will bowl six games starting from scratch to cut to the top 20, who will bowl another three-game set. The top 8 after nine games advance to round robin match play (seven games, 30 pins bonus per win, 15 per tie, and an additional 10 pins for scores between 250 and 300) with the pinfall being carried forward to determine the top 4 players for the stepladder final.

The tournament leader needs to win only the title match over two games total pinfall versus the survivor of the first two matches (one game each), in order to pocket the 5.000 Euro top prize.

Chris Van Damme is sitting in the driver's seat in the Ebonite International Luxembourg Open at X-treme Bowling in Foetz, Luxembourg. The Belgian veteran finished his six-game block with 278 to lead the qualifying after 9 of 13 squads with 1399 and an average of 233.17.

Dutch Robin Geeris is second at 1366, with Yoan Alix in third, 1352. Rounding out the top 5 are Stuart Williams, England, 1336, and World Cup champ Osku Palermaa, Finland, 1333. Tanya Petty (right) from Germany is the top-ranked woman in seventh position with 1311 including 48 pins handicap, a standard on the European Bowling Tour.

The Top 34 qualifying leaders and the top 6 from the one-game Desperado Squad (40 players overall) will advance to the finals on Sunday. The cut for 34th place is currently 1224.