3-Cushion
VLAARDINGEN – Out of the speakers it came: 'We are the champions', after TOVV.nl/MCR had converted their home game against Dallinga-Frans Bevers to a win: 6-2. The hosts grabbed the top position, the opponents from Zeeland went home with a bad taste in their mouths. Jean Paul de Bruijn and Glenn Hofman, two of this weeks shing stars in the GP in Oosterhout, were unrecognisable. And Frédéric Caudron is not very lucky this year, when it comes to confrontations with his big rival Eddy Merckx.
Three victories in a row, in the Superprestige, the WC in Porto and now in the Dutch league, give the ruling world champion Eddy Merckx a firm advantage for now. Today he also dominated, a big win with numbers that leave no doubt: 50-30 in 22 innings.
Frans van Kuyk was head and shoulders better than Jean Paul de Bruijn (50-21 in 26) and Richard Bitalis beat his much younger opponent Glenn Hofman 50-41 in 38 innings. The only winner for Dallinga was Peter De Backer, who got the better of Emilio Sciacca by 50-29 in 33.
TOVV is now the leader on the table, two points ahead of Dallinga and A1 Biljarts, who share second place.
A1 Biljarts, last season’s champion, did well to take full points away from Zundert, beating Snelen Recycling 6 - 2. Dion Nelin was man of the match: he broke off with a run of 15, made 6 in the 2nd inning, and ended his match with a run of 11. Roland Forthomme was lucky to be able to close that gap, and even lead 44 – 39, before Nelin dished out that last uppercut.
Peter Ceulemans beat Michael Nilsson, in a close encounter (50-47), but Raimond Burgman had revenge for his loss to Barry van Beers during the GP in oosterhout: 50-32 in 37. Martien vd Spoel brought home the matchpoints by beating Harrie van de Ven (50-44 in 30).
Van de Broek/Hanbat dropped out of the top as a result of their surprise defeat in the away game against Martens Cleaning. Martin Spoormans (50-45 vs. Inwon Kang), Jean van Erp (50-44 vs. Frans van Schaik) and Jens van Dam (50-37 vs. Sander Jonen) kept the points in Zeeland. Dick van Uum of Van de Broek spoiled the party by beating Raymond Ceulemans (50-40 in 42).
The three best players of Dekker Keukens won their matches against Jacoby/Schuler: Gerwin Valentijn shone against Davy van Havere with 50-28 in 26.
Holland Mineraal pleased the home crowd with a maximum 8 – 0 victory, thanks amongst others to Murat Naci Coklu, who clobbered Kurt Ceulemans of Van Wanrooij Transport: 50-19 in 26. Anno de Kleine also had a good match, against Ivan Stitschinsky (50-35 in 29).
Post Luchtkanalen, sharing last place with Jacoby/Schuler, won their first point against Landswelvaren/Iets Anders. Wesley de Jaeger surprised Francis Forton 50-47, Huub Wilkowski won an awful grind by a point against Jack Wijnen: 50-49 in 63 innings.