3-Cushion
APELDOORN - Under normal circumstances, it could have been the highlight of the league weekend. The match between A1 Biljarts and Dallinga was scheduled for the seventeenth round, and fans may have hoped for a confrontation between Eddy Merckx for the home team and Frédéric Caudron for Dallinga: the two Belgians who will defend their world title for national teams next week in Viersen.
But no, Caudron will stay in Turkey for a few more days, after he won that country's team championship today with Gaziantepspor, his new star ensemble with Tayfun Tasdemir and Murat Naci Coklu, amongst others.
Eddy Merckx is back on time for the Dutch league, after his glorious performance in the French league on Friday. He was there with his title holder team of CetSi Morangis, and wiped the floor with his countryman Martin Ravestyn in ten innings: 50-8. The score sheet was nothing short of spectacular: 0-0-1-0-7-21-10-4-0-7 !!!
A1 Biljarts will most likely have a stroll in the park this Sunday, because Dallinga will play without Caudron and Jean Paul de Bruijn. The player from Zeeland will defend his title in the Dutch 1-cushion championship in Winschoten.
It is not unthinkable that the composition of the play-offs, the top-4 who will compete for the title, will be decided this weekend. MCR/De Uitspanning (25 points after 16 rounds), Buffalo.nl and STZ Zundert (23 from 16) and A1 Biljarts (21 from 16) can distance themselves from the pack, where Eekhoorn, Dallinga and Prinsen are already trailing by four points or more.
Dallinga in its improvised line-up (Van Acker, Bart Ceulemans, Berry Dallinga and Jean Paul de Kraker against Merckx, Burgman, Van der Spoel and Wienk) and Eekhoorn visiting Zundert will have a tough day. HCR Prinsen, six points behind nr. 4 A1 Biljarts, will face red lantern VDO, but they will do it without lead player Dick Jaspers.
Other good matches in this weekend: the Turkish confrontation between Tayfun Tasdemir and Murat Naci Coklu (Hartje/Van Wanrooy-Holland Mineraal), Martin Horn - Eddy Leppens in the match between Post Luchtkanalen - MCR/De Uitspanning and Peter Ceulemans - Kurt Ceulemans at Zundert - Eekhoorn.
The full program for Sunday:
Post Luchtkanalen - MCR/De Uitspanning
Horn-Leppens
Van Havere-Christiani
De Zwart-Uytdewillegen
Van Wijk-Hoefnagels
A1 Biljarts - Dallinga.com
Merckx-Van Acker
Burgman-B. Ceulemans
Van der Spoel-Dallinga
Wienk-De Kraker
Hartje/Van Wanrooy - Holland M/Bousema
Tasemir-Coklu
Spoormans-Klompenhouwer
Broeders-Van Schaik
Martens-Spilleman
STZ Zundert - Eekhoorn
Forthomme-Van Kuyk
P. Ceulemans-K. Ceulemans
Van Beers-Miatton
Groot-Hermans
VDO - HCR Prinsen
Weijenburg-De Kleine
Wijnen-Pijl
Van de Heuvel-Claessen
Van Venrooy-Van Geel
Buffalo.n l -De Distel
Hofman-Valentijn
Van Erp-Philipoom
Jorissen-Tijssens
Van Daalen-Van der Wurf