3-Cushion
LIER - They sometimes ask me, said Raymond's grandson Bart Ceulemans, if my grandfather is still playing billiards. And Bart answers: ,,Well he does, sometimes... and not so bad at all.'' Not so bad at all? What to say about the match in Lier, last Monday night when Raymond Ceulemans defeated Jean van Erp 42-26 in 15 for the Belgian league: 2.800 average for the master (!).
Raymond Ceulemans (76) is a winner who never quits, as he feels now, who still wants to perform on a high level for years. ,,I'll keep on playing as long as I have fun'', he says. ,,I love to play in a team and enjoy the games with my teammates.''
The billiard legend decided more than ten years ago, in 2001, to not play individual anymore, only team matches. ,,I stopped playing for the rankings.'' And in these years he still shows up every week with Mister 100 in Belgium and in the home matches with the Jorissen team in the Netherlands.
,,I sometimes feel more as a coach than as a player and the boys in the team like that.''
The 'Dutch' average is slightly below his Belgian, maybe because he's playing more matches for his Belgian team: in the Belgian league Ceulemans' average is 1.570.
The match on Monday night, against Jean van Erp, was excellent from the start. Raymond: ,,Jean started very strong as well with 2, 8 and 5 in the first innings. I was 19-9 down after six innings.'' But then he started to score with runs of 7, 6 and finally he finished with a nine, making an average of almost three.
,,I had a great focus against Jean'', says the master, ,,and I played at the table which I know very well. And moreover, Jean is an opponent against whom I wouldn't care if I lost. That's why I could play more relaxed. But for sure, I know that Jean is a tough opponent, one of the top five players in the Netherlands.''
Mister 100 lost despite the super master of the all times champion 5-3 against De Ploeg after a 3-1 lead at the break. Kurt and Bart Ceulemans lost their matches against Martin Horn (50-44 in 35) and Jef Philipoom (50-31 in 36). ,,We could have been on 4-0 at the break'', says Raymond.
,,Koen had some good chances to beat Wesley de Jaeger, who benefited well from a few misses. And Wesley did well, we have to agree, he scored a world class carom when it mattered at the end.''
BC Deurne and De Goeie Queue played their match for the league one week before (4-4), in the other three matches on Monday, Biljart Express won 7-1 against BC Op de Meir with a shining Frans van Kuijk who beat Wim van Cromvoirt 50-22 in 28.
BC Herentals bested De Ploeg 2 6-2 with Christian Rudolph (36 innings), Dave Christiani (32) and Leon Smolders (37) in a main role. De Witte Molen took the win against Kortrijk 6-2. Ad Broeders was the best player in that match with 2.000 average.