3-Cushion
SLUISKIL Two Dutch players, one as a favorite to win the world title, the other playing for his home crowd, this afternoon opened the World championship in Sluiskil. Dick Jaspers won the match against Jean Paul de Bruijn, despite a very difficult start. The score at the end was 3-1 for the Jaspers, who found his good feeling after two sets on the brand new billiards.
Jean Paul de Bruijn later spoke of a beautiful, but missed opportunity. "I could take a 2-0 lead, then I would have had a big chance to win'', he said after the match, which was played for a fiercely compassionate audience. The Dutch clash got the attention it deserved.
Dion Nelin won on the other table in a quick match of Michael Nilsson. Adnan Yüksel had to go deep to beat Czech Martin Bohac, but could finish on 3-2.
Jean van Erp ended as the winner of the most exciting match in the first round. The Colombian Alexander Salazar, for whom the national flag was hung in the tribunes, showed himself a tough opponent for the Dutchman, who twice led in sets, but Salazar fought back to 2-2, including a run of ten in the fourth set.
In the decisive fifth set Jean van Erp showed to have the longest breath. He won with a difference of two points.