3-Cushion
MERKSEM - The leader (De Goeie Queue) watched without playing and the competition is further behind after eight days of playing. The reigning champion BC Deurne lost for its home crowd against Biljart Express (6-2) with Dick Jaspers in a killers role.
The Dutchman needed just one inning more (50 in 11 innings, run of 16) than Jef Philipoom one week before, but Jaspers’ team was disappointing.
Eddy Merckx (facing an exceptionally strong Gerwin Valentijn), Jean Paul de Bruijn and Ludo Dielis lost their matches, therefore the Turnhout team took the full profit. That means De Goeie Queue tops the rank now four points ahead of BC Deurne and KBC Zanzibar.
The match between KBC De Goeie Queue and Zanzibar was played in advance on October 14, with a 6-2 victory. Eddy Leppens was, shortly before his departure for the World Cup in Medellin, the best player in eighteen innings. Back home from this World Cup, he concludes: ,,I played very well there in Colombia, but my form is already very stable in all my matches this year. I play around 1.700 in the Netherlands and almost 2.000 in Belgium.’’
He has kept the good feeling in the World Cup in Colombia. ,,Of course, I’m convinced that I could have won. Actually I missed the win against Frédéric (Caudron), when I failed to score a makeable point after my run of thirteen. And we all know, Frédéric is punishing immediately, after such a miss. But looking back, I returned with a lot of confidence, I believe in myself, more than ever.’’
Leppens admits that his team is now definitely one of the title candidates. ,,We are more balanced now, because Michel van Camp also wins his matches. But we should not rejoice too soon: it’s a long way. And in two weeks we play against Biljart Express, the team that beat BC Deurne.’’
De Goeie Queue is playing before the winter, on the way to the title of ’winter champion’, against Mr. 100, Biljart Express, De Ploeg 2 and BC Herentals.
De Ploeg 1 (victory over BC Herentals) and De Witte Molen (draw against BC De Ploeg 2, are five points behind the leader.
Dick Jaspers was by far the best player in the seventh round . He started against Frans van Kuyk with a gorgeous 30 in eight innings, then made his run of 16 and finished 50-9 in 11 innings (4.545).
Gerwin Valentijn either had a lightning start against Eddy Merckx with 25 in five innings and 40 points in 7. Merckx crawled back with a nine to 46-25, but then the Dutchman decided the match 50-39 in 17 (2.941/2.294, runs nine and ten).
Martin Spoormans forced Jean Paul de Bruijn in defense from the start with 13 and 4 (17-1 after two innings). The break score was 27-19 in 14 innings, Spoormans led 39-20 in 20 and eventually ran out to 42-26 in 23 innings.
Guy Litsenborg defeated Ludo Dielis 42-31 in 38 innings.
The winners average was 1.606, the losers 1.640.
Jean van Erp was the best man for De Ploeg with a victory over Leon Smolders (42-28) and 1.500 average. Martin Horn won the German clash against Christian Rudolph 50-25 in 43.
De Witte Molen tied against De Ploeg 2, BC Op de Meir 1 won 6-2 in the away match vs KBC Kortrijkse and BC Op de Meir and Mr. 100 played a draw with Roland Uytdewilligen (1.515) and Raymond Ceulemans (1.400) as best players of the evening.