3-Cushion
BREDA - The last day of play in the Buffalo league (tomorrow, Sunday 19 March) will decide about the third play-off spot. Two teams are already certain of competing for the national team title: Eureka Billird and Medisch Centrum Breda. HCR Prinsen (with the advantage) and A1 Biljarts can look forward to a very exciting last day, because they will decide matters face to face. Dallinga can reach the same number of match points, but will always lose on percentage. The team from Zeeland will play MCB tomorrow, in Zundert.
Eureka Billard will start the last round with the lead, they have 31 points and are ahead of MCB with 29, HCR with 27. A1 Biljarts and Dallinga share fourth place. With A1 and HCR playing each other tomorrow, Dallinga can no longer get to third. If Haarlo (HCR) wins or draws, they will be in a play-off with Eureka and MCR. A1 needs to win, to get Eddy Merckx's men into the final three. As it is after today: Prinsen 101 game points, A1 Biljarts 99, Dallinga 89.
HCR Prinsen had a profitable day today, when they hosted Burgmans Biljarts (6-2 win). The victory was never really in danger, because Peter De Backer (40-22 in 21 against Marco Janssen), Jelle Pijl (40-34 in 32 against Rik van Beers) and Anno de Kleine (40-30 in 27 against Bert van Manen) had fairly good margins.
Burgmans Biljarts drops to the penultimate position, because Bousema Lochem managed to beat 't Hartje/Van Wanrooy. At halftime, the guests had a 3-1 lead. In the second session, Tayfun Tasdemir beat Murat Naci Coklu (40-22 in 14, best match of the round), but Gökhan Salman brought home the bacon when he beat Savas Bulut 40-29 in 28.
The classic encounter between Frédéric Caudron and Eddy Merckx, in the match between Dallinga and A1 Biljarts, was again a quality affair, but mostly from Caudron's side. The lead player of the home team beat his rival 40-26 in 18 innings (high run 8). Thanks to the win of Jean Paul de Bruijn and the draw between Steven van Acker and Martien van der Spoel (in 25) the points stayed in Sluiskil. It was not enough to reach the play-offs. Meerten Dallinga, team captain, said even before the match started: ,,I am afraid we've lost a few too many points along the way.''
Medisch Centrum Breda consolidated its position against TOVV 2 with a maximum win: 8-0. Roland Forthomme and Peter Ceulemans, in 24 and 26 innings, were the best winners.
Buffalo.nl took itself out of the race when it lost at home to Team Eekhoorn. The only winner from The Hague was Jeffrey Jorissen, who beat Kenny Miatton 40-26 in 27 innings. Frans van Kuyk decided the match against Glenn Hofman in the home strait, the player from Brabant won 40-39 in 21 innings.
Leader Eureka Billard had only one winning player today: Dave Christiani beat Semih Sayginer (40-31 in 27). Birol Uymaz, Martin Spoormans and Frans van Schaik decided the match in favor of TOVV/Royal Pro.