3-Cushion
VLAARDINGEN - The struggle for a place in the play-offs in the Premier League on Sunday was focused primarily on the duel between Delta-Fast from Sluiskil and Snellen Recycling from Zundert. The crucial match in this encounter was between Jean Paul de Bruijn (Delta) and Peter Ceulemans. De Bruijn seemed on his way to victory on a score of 49-39, but in a miraculous final sprint the young Ceulemans took the win: 50-49 in 36 innings.
Glenn Hofman won for the fourth time in a row, now against Jan Arnouts (50-28 in 27), Eddy Leppens claimed the last win for Delta by a wide margin against Roland Forthomme (50-19 in 22). The second victory for Snellen was for Barry van Beers, which left Peter de Backer far behind: 50-34 in 32.
Best player of the weekend was Richard Bitalis in the match between TOVV and Verbrugge. The Frenchman grew into a fantastic shap, beating Ronny Daniels with 50-28 in only nineteen innings! TOVV won the match in the lower regions of the ranking 6-2. Eddy Merckx and Martin Spoormans went on together to 43-43, then Merckx took the win: 50-47.
On top of the ranking the two leaders stayed onbeaten. The leader, Crystal Kelly, had no problems with Twentevisie, that was in former years one of the top teams in Holland. The Kelly-Boys continued their victory march (6-2), the best match was for Frédéric Caudron, who beat Christian Rudolph 50-45 in 32, including a run of nine.
Raimond Burgman was the only player who lost his match for the leader. Dave van Geel defeated the number two of Holland with 50-43 in 41 innings.
The teamchampion, Van Donge en De Roo, won the match with Dekker Keukens by a 6-2 score, thanks to Dick Jaspers (against Jef Philipoom), Torbjörn Blomdahl (Valentijn) and Ad Koorevaar (Van der Wurf). Jean van Erp, this week one of the four Dutch participants in the World championship in Sluiskil, lost 50-36 to John Tijssens. Blomdahl played the best match for his team in 24 innings.
Michael Nilsson, in the World championship this week together in a group with Filippos Kasidokostas and Dion Nelin, showed his good shape in his match for A1 biljarts. The Swede beat his Turkish opponent Murat Coklu 50-36 in 21 innings.
Emar Logistics is the surprising runner-up in the competition. The team, with Francis Forton as his leader, is number four now, just before Delta-Fast after beating De Vrachtkar: 8-0.
The results of the fourth round:
Delta/Fast-Snellen Recycling 4-4. Leppens-Forthomme 50-19 (22), De Bruijn-P.Ceulemans 49-50 (36), De Backer-Van Beers 34-50 (32), Hofman-Arnouts 50-28 (27).
TOVV mlr/MCR-Verbrugge Hyunday 6-2. Merckx-Spoormans 50-47 (36), Christiani-Habraken 50-44 (34), Bitalis-Daniels 50-28 (19), Sciacca-Wittens 46-50 (46).
Twentevisie-Crystal Kelly 2-6. Rudolph-Caudron 45-50 (32), De Kleine-Van Kuyk 46-50 (41), Van Geel-Burgman 50-43 (41), Lenting-Ceulemans 36-50 (41).
Dekker Keukens-Van Donge en De Roo 2-6. Philipoom-Jaspers 34-50 (25), Valentijn-Blomdahl 33-50 (24), Tijssens-Van Erp 50-36 (29), Van der Wurf-Koorevaar 15-50 (34).
De Vrachtkart-Emar Logistics 0-8. Loncelle-Forton 46-50 (33), De Jaeger-Martens 27-50 (30), Breur-Wijnen 46-50 (45), A. van Beers-Broeders 41-50 (45).
A1 Biljarts-DBL Holland Mineraal 4-4. Nilsson-Coklu 50-36 (21), Brants-Galla 40-50 (35), Van der Spoel-Pijl 43-50 (32), Wienk-Spilman 50-49 (47).