Four teams for play-offs, two teams are out

APELDOORN/SAS VAN GENT - The pairings for the play-off semifinals are now known. Dallinga/AEJ will play a home- and away match against Biljartcafé Jorissen and MCR/De Uitspanning will meet Pressplate-Machielsen twice. The Ripa Recycling/Pearle team will join Capelle-De Terp in the relegation from the highest division. They lost the final round match 3-5, home against De Distel Biljarts. There were two rivals left: HCR Prinsen got out of trouble beating Holland Mineraal 6-2. Post Luchtkanalen did not have a prayer as they faced Dallinga/AEJ: 8-0.

Dion Bergmans, optician from Hulst, must have thought: "If we (Ripa/Pearle) are going out, I might as well enjoy it as long as I still can". The fourth Ripa player won his match against Jan Verkijk (50-44), former owner of the Linker Maasoever room in Rotterdam, in 100 innings. That match may well have set a new low record for the Eredivisie. Front man Francis Forton managed a draw against Jef Philipoom (50-50 in 47), but the match points went to De Distel thanks to Gerwin Valentijn's win over Ronnie Daniels (50-26 in 27) and John Tijssens win over Jens van Dam (50-37 in 37).

Capelle-De Terp and Ripa Recycling will be replaced in the Eredivisie next season by the two first division champions: Aardexpress and De Eekhoorn.

Dallinga/AEJ showed up without Frédéric Caudron, but took nothing for granted in Rosmalen: Post Luchtkanalen was brushed aside with maximum 8-0 figures. Dick Jaspers, Eddy Merckx, Jean Paul de Bruijn and Patrick Vasseur won in 28, 31, 26 and 59 innings.

MCR/De Uitspanning and Pressplate Machielsen.fa already got a taste of the play-off semifinal, and it ended in a draw. Roland Forthomme beat Eddy Leppens 50-42 in 26, Peter Ceulemans, on a high level earlier this week in the French league, did even better when he beat Richard Bitalis today: 50-24 in 19. Roland Uytdewilligen was valuable to MCR with a victory over Barry van Beers: 50-48 in 28. Sander Jonen beat Raimond Groot 50-44 in 36.

Biljartcafé Jorissen got the better of Van Wanrooy 6-2, Herman van Daalen being the best winner in 29 innings. HCR Prinsen was host to Holland Mineraal and won that important derby. Christian Rudolph, Anno de Kleine and Raymund Swertz won for Prinsen, Wesley de Jaeger had the honor win for Holland Mineraal.