The 2019 Verhoeven Open in New York ended in a day of mighty triumph for Belgian Eddy Merckx. The defending champion in the event – having beaten Germany's Martin Horn in the 2018 final – was literally unstoppable in his repeat run for the trophy. Merckx finished the event unbeaten in 12 games and capped his win in the final match against Torbjorn Blomdahl with a majestic run of 18. Simply breathtaking.
World Champion and number one ranked Dick Jaspers of the Netherlands defeated Korea's Haeng-Jik Kim in a tough fought final match to win the fourth event in the series, the 2019 UMB World Cup held in Porto, Portugal.
Three times Junior World Champion Javier Palazon of Spain, at age 31 adds his first world cup victory in Blankenberge, Belgium to his list of accomplishments. Palazon defeated a favored Martin Horn of Germany in the finals with a combination of tenacious will and disciplined defensive strategy to achieve his career first victory.
The Portuguese three cushion title is back in the hands of Rui Manuel Costa, the most successful player in his country. The 59-year-old FC Porto player was crowned the winner after a marathon of preliminary rounds and a final with eight players, in which he finished ahead of Paulo Andrade.
He came to the Pan Americans to defend the title he won last year. And again the Colombian Pedro González was the best of all in Lima, Peru. The 2018 and 2019 Mister Pan American beat Erick Téllez from Costa Rica in the final 40-33 in 24 innings.
The Frenchman Jérémy Bury, number ten in the world ranking and vice-world champion, has been crowned three-cushion champion of his country. It was his third French championship in a row, and his ninth in total. That brings Bury just two titles behind another French champion in three cushion: Richard Bitalis, who won 11 titles.
Congratulations to Torbjorn Blomdahl who regained the national championship of Sweden for the 29th time after a rare loss to David Pennor in 2018.
The 2019 edition of the UMB World Cup held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam was akin to a mirror image of the 2018 result. Frederic Caudron won the title with two fellow Belgians - Roland Forthomme and Eddy Merckx joining him on the podium. Marco Zanetti of Italy rounded out the field. In 2018 it was 3 Vietnamese atop the field in this same event, oddly with Caudron as the fourth man.