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Champions L&B after final win in Holland

06/09/2019

Published by frits bakker

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© © Judith Adams
The champions team L&B Ledermode after the double win over STZ Zundert

HOEVEN/ZUNDERT - The premier league for three cushion in Holland, the Buffalo league, waved goodbye to the champion L&B at the end of the play-offs this weekend. Three players out of five leave the L&B Ledermode team, that won 8-0 and 6-2 in the double final on Friday and Saturday against STZ Zundert. The ending of a long season again led to discussions about the system and whether or not to have play-offs at the end of the regular competition? The strong champion team from Hoeven, which saved the best for last, took full advantage of the play-offs with the top four in the competition. SIS Schoonmaak was the number one after having led the entire season ahead of Bousema Lochem, STZ Zundert and L&B Ledermode. The roles were reversed in the semi-finals of the play-offs. L&B Ledermode won the double against SIS Schoonmaak, STZ Zundert eliminated Bousema Lochem. The result: a final between L&B Ledermode and STZ Zundert, the numbers three and four from the competition.

The course of that final was also not in favour of the system. Where a thrilling ending had been hoped for, the decision actually fell in the first meeting in Hoeven. The 8-0 lead for Eddy Merckx, Dave Christiani, Peter De Backer and Gerwin Valentijn and a margin of 50 caroms advantage, made the second collision almost unnecessary. STZ Zundert already seemed reconciled with the runner-up position: the team also lost the second game, in front of its own crowd in D'n Hoek, 6-2.

Eddy Merckx and Dave Christiani remained unbeaten for the champions, Peter De Backer won and lost to Barry van Beers, after his highlight in the first match with a starting run of 11. Gerwin Valentijn and John Tijssens switched positions in the two games against Rik van Beers and both won their match for L&B. Barry van Beers was the only winner for Zundert in eight games.

L&B Ledermode will be renamed next season and will move to 't Schuurtje in Maarssen. Eddy Merckx (to SIS Schoonmaak), Dave Christiani ('t Ivoor) and Peter De Backer (Dallinga.com) are leaving the team. Peter Ceulemans leaves STZ Zundert and will play for Team Eekhoorn.

Paul Brekelmans from the 3-cushion Section KBBB recently said that in a meeting with team leaders it will be decided whether the system with the play-offs will be maintained for the upcoming league. The Dutch league will lose two Dutch players (De Bruijn and Hofman) and seven foreigners (Caudron, Leppens, Bulut, Martinez, Zapata, Anguita and Yüksel) after the suspensions of the UMB, because they will play for the Korean organization PBA. The first tournament of the Koreans has been played now, so that the suspensions, both national and international, start on July 15.

The money maker in that PBA tournament with 128 players, 108 of whom were Koreans, was Filippos Kasidokostas with a 75,000 gross in euros. Savas Bulut was the best of the other Europeans, Pedro Piedrabuena for USA and Robinson Morales from Colombia were in the last 8.

The results of the finals in the play-offs:

L&B Ledermode-STZ Zundert 8-0
Merckx-Forthomme (40-22 (20)
Christiani-Ceulemans 40-30 (24)
De Backer-B. van Beers 40-24 (32)
Valentijn-R. van Beers 40-34 (34)

STZ Zundert-L&B Ledermode 2-6
Forthomme-Merckx 34-40 (20)
Ceulemans-Christiani 30-40 (23)
B. van Beers-De Backer 40-25 (25)
R. van Beers-Tijssens 29-40 (25)

 

 

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