3-Cushion
THE HAGUE - The billiards star of Frans van Schaik shone like never before on a rainy day in The Hague. For the first time in his career, after taking a shot of morphine, the 52-year-old Amsterdam player won the Grand Prix in The Hague on Saturday afternoon. Full of disbelief, stunned by so much luck and the powerful feeling that he had made a small miracle in the last Grand Prix of the year, he reacted in Frans van Schaik words: ,,I'm going to enter the books forever, What is this a wonderful victory. I really played bad, but everyone played his worst match against me. I just wandered in the wild, but you know... And guess what: if the Netherlands has two teams at the World championships for national teams in Viersen next year, Frans van Schaik will be there, at a World championship, who can believe that?
In the final, Frans van Schaik took the win against Barry van Beers (40-36 in 28 innings), in the semi-final he was the better of Raymund Swertz, another unexpected finalist (40-32 in 37) and in the previous knockout rounds he dealt with Raimond Burgman (40-33 in 33) and Roland Uijtdewillegen (40-40 in 46, win after shootouts).
Frans van Schaik's personal story, makes the Grand Prix victory even more bizarre. Frans, in a total euphoria in the hour after the victory: ,,Three weeks ago, they discovered a double hernia. And it's not operable. That means, they will try to kill the nerve with cortisone in the coming weeks. I now use morphine to kill the pain. And if it's worked out, I'm getting rid of the pain. I couldn't sleep until five o'clock this night, then, with morphine, I slept for three hours. I was about to cancel this week, but I want to play the Masters and could use some more points. This Thursday I could hardly walk, I had pain in my arm, pain in my neck. I played a match with only one foot, my foot and knee were very painful. That's why, it's a miracle that I win the tournament here.''
Two years ago, he played a final against Dick Jaspers in Vlaardingen. Frans van Schaik is mainly known as the man from Billjartschool Holland, a nice beer after the match. Where Frans van Schaik is in the room, they will all know and hear it.
The Grand Prix, in one of Holland's most wonderful and sociable billiard cafes, celebrated Frans van Schaik for a rare highlight in his career. ,,I am almost ashamed for my average. Two years ago I had 1.340, 1.390 and now hardly 1.000 over my last two GP tournaments. But yes, sometimes it all comes together and who knows... the were all nervous to play with me, haha.''
Barry van Beers, back from a medical intervention and for a while without billiards, took victories over Dave Christiani (40-28 in 24), Jean van Erp (40-28 in 19) and Dick Jaspers (40-36 in 32).
The last 2017 Grand Prix was also Raymund Swertz' tournament: winner against Therese Klompenhouwer (40-33 in 25), Glenn Hofman (40-33 in 35) and just beaten by Frans van Schaik, the man of the tournament.
Sander Jonen was the better of Jean Paul de Bruijn for the first time in his career, but was knocked-down one round later by Jean van Erp by 40-5 in 14. Jean Paul de Bruijn lost to Dick Jaspers, Jean van Erp to Barry van Beers.
The final ranking of the Grand Prix in The Hague:
1 Frans van Schaik 1.052
2 Barry van Beers 1.437
3 Dick Jaspers 1.843
4 Raymund Swertz 1.131
5 Jean van Erp 1.566
6 Jean Paul de Bruijn 1.459
7 Glenn Hofman 1.378
8 Roland Uijtdewillegen 1.147
9 Peter Vlaar 0.973
10 Therese Klompenhouwer 1.264
11 Raimond Burgman 1.378
12 Jeffrey Jorissen 1.309
13 Sander Jonen 1.036
14 Dave Christiani 1.151
15 Bert van Manen 0.959
16 Jack van Peer 0.895.
The final ranking after the series of 2017 Grand Prix tournaments;
1 Dick Jaspers 214 punten, 2.008
2 Jean Paul de Bruijn 186-1.641
3 Frans van Schaik 138-1.209
4 Glenn Hofman 128-1.440
5 Jean van Erp 122-1.533
6 Raimond Burgman 106-1.432
7 Dave Christiani 106-1.351
8 Martien van der Spoel 100-1.351
9 Barry van Beers 86-1.377
10 Jeffrey Jorissen 78-1.358
11 Roland Uijtdewillegen 74-1.293
12 Raymund Swertz 74-1.135
13 Huub Wilkowski 74-1.090
14 Therese Klompenhouwer 64-1.214
15 Sander Jonen 64-1.013
16 Harry van de Ven 62-1.239.
De draw for the Masters:
Poule A:
Dick Jaspers
Martien van der Spoel
Barry van Beers
Therese Klompenhouwer
Poule B:
Jean Paul de Bruijn
Dave Christiani
Roland Uijtdewillegen
Harry van de Ven
Poule C:
Frans van Schaik
Raimond Burgman
Jeffrey Jorissen
Huub Wilkowski
Poule D:
Glenn Hofman
Jean van Erp
Raymund Swertz
Sander Jonen.
Frans van Schaik after his final win in The Hague