Belgian Gery Verbruggen (r.) defeated PBA exempt bowler Michael Fagan (l.), 236-201, in the title match of the 2nd Paraske Cup, the 8th stop of the 2007 European Bowling Tour to win his eighth career EBT and the 12.000 Euro top prize. It was the first victory on the Tour for the 4-time EBT ranking champion (2000-2003) since the Danish Masters in 2003. In the semis, the lefty ousted PBA super Star Mika Koivuniemi, 219-194, while Fagan eliminated qualifying winner Jean-Marc Lebon, Belgium, 218-181.

Daniel Stride (left), England, averaged 232.4 for ten games to lead the 30-player field in the Final Round 2 of the 2nd Paraske Cup in Belgium. Stride, who took the No. 9 seed for the best-of-three games match play finals, meets Patrick Rolland in the Round of 16. Qualifying winner Jean Marc Lebon (right) takes on 4-time European champion Petteri Salonen, who took the 8th and final spot with 222.1 average. As no woman survived the second cut, top-placed Martina Beckel (16th) won the women rankings.

Winners of Round. Four games with pinfall from Round 1 being carried forward. Top 8 meet top 8 qualifying leaders in best-of-three games match play Round of 16.

Finnish Bowling Federation president Jouni Helminen (left) and his compatriots Kimmo Lehtonen, Toni Laine, Petteri Salonen, Osku Palermaa, and national team coach Sami Konsteri dominated Round 1 of the finals in the 2nd Paraske Cup at Paraske Bowl in Haine-St-Paul/La Louviere, Belgium. Starting from scratch, Helminen posted a 1413 six game total and an average of 235.50 to lead the top 36 into Round. 2. Mike Quarry, England, hit the cutoff number with 1251.

Belgium's Jean-Marc Lebon (l.) shot the first 300 game of the 2nd Paraske Cup Saturday at Paraske Bowl in Haine-St-Paul/La Louviere, Belgium en route to win the qualifying and to lead total 68 players into the finals on Sunday.

Watch Lebon's 300 game (frames 4-10) here.


The long-time Belgian international had games of 243, 300, 236, 232, 191 and 278 for 1480 six-game total, an average of 246.67. Four-time European ranking champion Gery Verbruggen, Belgium was second with 1452. Robert Wölki (r.), Germany, was mere one pin behind in third place with 1451 including a 299 game.

Fourth place belonged to six-time PBA champion Mika Koivuniemi (left), Finland. Koivuniemi, who has won two "Majors" on the PBA Tour - the Masters in 2000 and the U.S. Open in 2001 - totaled 1442.

Rounding out the top 8, who will bypass the first two rounds of the finals, are 5. Pontus Halvarsson, Sweden (1405) 6. Michael Fagan (right), USA (1403) 7. Pasi Uotila, Finland (1402) and 8. Patrick Rolland, France (1392).

World and European champion Kirsten Penny (left), England, was the best of seven women, who survived the first cut, in 15th place with 1366 including 48 pins handicap, a 219.67 average.

Two-time world champion Martina Beckel, Germany, took the 56th and final qualifying post with 1284.

The top 56 from the qualifying plus the top six players from the first weekend not among those 56 (seeded 57-62) and the top 6 from the "Desperado Squad" (seeded 63-68). Advanced to the finals on Sunday, May 20th.

Players seeded 9-68 will bowl six games from scratch to cut to the top 32, who will add four more games to their six-game total and cut to the top 8, who will join the top 8 qualifiers in single-elimination match play as No. 9-16 seeds.

The Rounds of 16 and 8 will be held in best-of-three games format. The semi-finals and the title match will be decided in one game. The winner will receive the 12.000 top prize.

PBA super star Mika Koivuniemi (left) averaged 240.33 and felled 1442 pins to move into second place in the qualifying at the 2nd Paraske Cup in Haine-St-Paul/La Louviere, Belgium, the 8th stop of the 2007 European Bowling Tour.

The six-time PBA champion, who won the Masters (2000) and the U.S. Open (2001) had a high game of 280 and trails tournament leader Gery Verbruggen (right) by just ten pins. The Belgian lefty leads the 203-player field with 1452 and an average of 242.00.

The Finns have four players among the top 8 and five among the top 10. Pasi Uotila (left) and Sami Konsteri are in fifth and sixth place with 1402 and 1392, resp.

Ballmaster champion Kimmo Lehtonen is eighth with 1378 and World Cup champion Osku Palermaa (right) is 10th with 1374.

Rikke Holm Rasmussen, Denmark, is the top-ranked woman in 43rd place with 1286 including 48 pins handicap. Laurent Kaiser, Belgium, is the "man on the bubble" in 56th place with 1264 (210.67).

Qualifying ends on Saturday with Squads 21-25 and the ultimate "Desperado Squad". Total 68 players will advance to the finals on Sunday, May 20: The top 56 from the qualifying plus the top six players from the first weekend not among those 56 and the top 6 from the "Desperado Squad".

Players seeded 9-68 will bowl six games from scratch to cut to the top 32, who will add four more games to their six-game total and cut to the top 8, who will join the top 8 qualifiers in single-elimination match play as No. 9-16 seeds.

The Rounds of 16 and 8 will be held in best-of-three games format. The semi-finals and the title match will be decided in one game. The winner will receive the 12.000 top prize.

Gery Verbruggen (left), Belgium, and Pontus Halvarsson, Sweden, moved to the top of the leaderboard Thursday in the qualifying of the 2nd Paraske Cup at Paraske Bowl in Haine-St-Paul/La Louviere, Belgium.

Verbruggen, who dominated the men's European rankings in the first four years (2000-2003), had high games of 290 and 258 to average 242.00 for six games to take over the lead with 1452 pinfall total. Halvarsson cracked the 1400-bar despite a 158 in game #2 with 1405.

Previous leader, PBA exempt bowler Michael Fagan, slipped two spots to third place with 1403. Pasi Uotila, Finland, is mere one pin behind in fourth place with 1402.

Finnish national coach Sami Konsteri (right) is fifth, 1392, with Jesper Agerbo, Denmark sixth at 1386. Rounding out the top 8, who will bypass the first two rounds of the finals, are 7. Geert-Jan van Baest, Netherlands, 1355 and 8. Jimmy Ravez, Belgium, 1345.

Rikke Holm Rasmussen is the top-ranked woman in 29th place. The Dane posted a 1286 series including 48 pins handicap to overtake Martina Beckel, Germany, by two pins (30th, 1284).

Qualifying continues on Friday and runs through Saturday night. Total 68 players will advance to the finals on Sunday, May 20: The top 56 from the qualifying plus the top six players from the first weekend not among those 56 and the top 6 from the "Desperado Squad".

Players seeded 9-68 will bowl six games from scratch to cut to the top 32, who will add four more games to their six-game total and cut to the top 8, who will join the top 8 qualifiers in single-elimination match play as No. 9-16 seeds.

The Rounds of 16 and 8 will be held in best-of-three games format. The semi-finals and the title match will be decided in one game. The winner will receive the 12.000 top prize.

Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour exempt bowler Michael Fagan (pictured left) overtook the qualifying lead in the 2nd Paraske Cup Wednesday evening at Paraske Bowl in Haine-St-Paul/La Louviere, Belgium.

Fagan, who has won the European Bowling Tour (EBT) Viernheim Open in 2005, had games of 238, 227, 209, 279, 214 and 236 for 1403 six-game total and an average of 233.83. Fagan is the first player, who reached the 1400-plateau in this year's tournament.

Early leader Geert-Jan van Baest, Netherlands, fell one spot to second place with 1355. Jimmy Ravez (right), Belgium, was third with 1345, followed by Dirk Baade, Germany, 1340, and Chris Van Damme, Belgium, 1326, in fourth and fifth place.

Rounding out the top eight, who will bypass the first two rounds of the finals, are 6. Alain Nicolas, France (1323) 7. Dirk Dreyer (left), Germany (1322) and 8. Gaetan Van Damme, Belgium (1313). Martina Beckel, Germany, remained the top-ranked woman in 12th position with 1284 total including 48 pins handicap.

Qualifying continues on Thursday and runs through Saturday night. Total 68 players will advance to the finals on Sunday, May 20: The top 56 from the qualifying plus the top six players from the first weekend not among those 56 and the top 6 from the "Desperado Squad".

Players seeded 9-68 will bowl six games from scratch to cut to the top 32, who will add four more games to their six-game total and cut to the top 8, who will join the top 8 qualifiers in single-elimination match play as No. 9-16 seeds.

The Rounds of 16 and 8 will be held in best-of-three games format. The semi-finals and the title match will be decided in one game. The winner will receive the 12.000 top prize.

Chris Van Damme, Belgium, started his six-game qualifying block in the 2nd Paraske Cup Monday evening with a 193 duplicate then rolled 266, 238, 205 and 231 to move into fourth place with 1326 pinfall and an average of 221.00.

Close behind was Alain Nicolas, France, who had a low game of 204 and a high game of 257 and finished with the second-highest block of the day (1323) to overtake the fifth place.

Geert-Jan van Baest (right), Netherlands, remained atop the leaderboard at Paraske Bowl in Haine-St-Paul/La Louviere, Belgium, with 1355 pins (225.83), with Jimmy Ravez, Belgium, in second place with 1345 and Dirk Baade, Germany, third with 1340.

Martina Beckel, (left) Germany, slipped two spots but is still the top-ranked woman in 11th position with 1284 total including 48 pins handicap.

Qualifying continues on Wednesday and runs through Saturday night. Total 68 players will advance to the finals on Sunday, May 20: The top 56 from the qualifying plus the top six players from the first weekend not among those 56 and the top 6 from the "Desperado Squad". The top 8 qualifying leaders will earn two byes.

Players seeded 9-68 will bowl six games from scratch to cut to the top 32, who will add four more games to their six-game total and cut to the top 8, who will join the top 8 qualifiers in single-elimination match play as No. 9-16 seeds.

The Rounds of 16 and 8 will be held in best-of-three games format. The semi-finals and the title match will be decided in one game. The winner will receive the 12.000 top prize.

Geert-Jan van Baest, Netherlands, led the qualifying in the 2nd Paraske Cup at Paraske Bowl in Haine-St-Paul/La Louviere, Belgium after the first weekend. The former Dutch international felled 1355 pins, an average of 225.83 over six games.

Jimmy Ravez (right), Belgium, moved into second place on Sunday with 1345.

Third and fourth place belonged to Dirk Baade and Dirk Dreyer, both of Germany, with 1340 and 1322 total pinfall, resp. Rounding out the top six were Gaetan Van Damme, Belgium, and Michael Sassen, Netherlands, both 1313. The top six players from the first weekend are automatically qualified for the finals.

Two-time World Champion Martina Beckel (left), Germany, is currently the top-ranked woman in 9th position with 1284 total including 48 pins handicap. Belgian youngster Kevin François (right), 16, shot the 278 high game on Sunday en route to a 1210 pinfall total, good for 31st place overall.

Total 68 players will advance to the finals on Sunday, May 20: The top 56 from the qualifying plus the top six players from the first weekend not among those 56 and the top 6 from the "Desperado Squad". The top 8 qualifying leaders will earn two byes.

Players seeded 9-68 will bowl six games from scratch to cut to the top 32, who will add four more games to their six-game total and cut to the top 8, who will join the top 8 qualifiers in single-elimination match play as No. 9-16 seeds.

The Rounds of 16 and 8 will be held in best-of-three games format. The semi-finals and the title match will be decided in one game. The winner will receive the 12.000 top prize.

The 2nd Paraske Cup is one of three newcomers on the 2007 European Bowling Tour and one of the Tour's Challenger tournaments. Dutch Geert-Jan Van Baest (left) set the pace on Qualifying Day One with 1355 and an average of 225.83. Second place belonged to Dirk Baade, who started out commandingly with 298 and 258, but finished with 195, 208, 181 and 200 and 1340.

Dirk Dreyer (right), both of Germany, was third with 1322. Next were Gaetan Van Damme, Belgium and Michael Sassen, Netherlands, both 1313. Sonja Uhlich, Germany, was the top-ranked woman in sixth place with 1278 including the 48 pins women's handicap.

228 players from 17 countries have registered for the 2nd Paraske Cup that takes place at Paraske Bowl in Haine-St-Paul/La Louviere, Belgium, from May 12 through 20, 2007. The tournament offers more than 60.000 Euro total prize money (approx. $81,000).

Total 68 players will survive the qualifying cut, the top 56 from the qualifying plus the top six players from the first weekend not among those 56 and the top 6 from the "Desperado Squad". The top 8 from qualifying will earn two byes.

Players seeded 9-68 will bowl six games from scratch to cut to the top 32, who will add four more games to their six-game total and cut to the top 8, who will join the top 8 qualifiers in single-elimination match play as No. 9-16 seeds.

The Rounds of 16 and 8 will be held in best-of-three games format. The semi-finals and the title match will be decided in one game. The winner will receive the 12.000 top prize.