3-Cushion
MALLE - The battle for the Belgian title seems to turn out into a race between two teams in the upcoming months: De Goeie Queue and BC Deurne. The third title contender, BC De Ploeg, turned off in the fourteenth round by a loos against the leader: De Goeie Queue-De Ploeg ended in 6-2. BC Deurne stayed on track with a win against BC Op Meir (6-2).
The most remarkable game in the crowded top match in the Salpho was the duel between Peter Ceulemans and Jean van Erp before the break. Wesley de Jaeger an excellent match against Michel van Camp at the other table (42-30 in 24).
Therefore it was important for De Goeie Queue that Ceulemans tied the score at the break. The Malinois did so with an impressive score. Jean van Erp launched the match with runs of 5 and 9 in the sixth and seventh inning, (20-13), Peter Ceulemans immediately responded with 6 and 10 in the eighth and ninth (29-22). The home player had a sublime endrush as well (3 and 6), when Jean van Erp lost his way and only scored three caroms in his last eight innings (42-25 in 16, averages 2.76225/1.562).
The lead players in the home team, Frédéric Caudron and Eddy Leppens, required a win after the break for the full profit. Martin Horn, who sparkled against Jaspers last week with a great match, couldn't match with another top player this time: Caudron won 50-36 in 28. Eddy Leppens was leading the entire game against Jef Philipoom, but eventually was only two points ahead at the finish: 50-48 in 41.
With eight laps to go, De Ploeg is almost certainly out of the title race, in which BC Deurne is still a dangerous rival for De Goeie Queue with two points down. The team of Dick Jaspers, who weekly shows his majestic form in Belgium, defeated Op de Meir 6-2.
Jaspers himself finished off the job on court one in his match against Wim van Cromvoirt 50-17 in 26, Eddy Merckx outsprinted Henk Habraken 50-40 in 29. Before the break, Davy van Havere bested Marc Roofthooft (42-30 in 42) and only Jean Paul de Bruijn lost to Rudy de Laet, who finished with six when De Bruijn was at 41.
KBC Zanzibar slipped through the eye of the needle by a 5-3 victory against Kortrijk. Jimmy Mues was the best man for the home team with 1.615 against Frédéric Roelants (42-23 in 26), Roland Forthomme got the better of Stany Buyle 50-43 in 40. Kenny Miatton and Martin Ravestyn played a draw in 43.
De Ploeg 2 and Mister 100 Lier shared the points with leading roles for Thorsten Frings (1.724), who gained victory against Kurt Ceulemans 50-26 and Raymond Ceulemans (1.500) with a win against Tom Persyn 42-24 in 28.
BC De Witte Molen had a total off-day in the home match against Biljart Express. The Turnhout team starred with an 8-0 win and a remarkable score in the match between the Dutch players Frans van Kuijk and Glenn Hoffman (50-16 in 25 innings). Gerwin Valentijn (1.562), Martin Spoormans (1.500) and Guy van Litsemborg (1.166) lifted the team average to 1.520 against 0.834 for De Witte Molen, that lost his fourth place in the ranking to Zanzibar.
BC Op de Meir 2 snatched victory against BC Herentals (5-3). Barry van Beers and Christian Rudolph played a draw after the Dutchman had hit back from a 42-24 backlog. Rudolph missed his matchpoint at 44-49, then Van Beers finished with six and Rudolph made one in the equalizer.