3-Cushion
ZUNDERT - The team captain of the champion, Jan Kikken, took note that his foursome made a promising start when he summarized two days of group matches in the cup final. He's still hoping for the cracker that everyone strongly desires on Sunday afternoon: Dallinga-Frans Bevers facing De Heeren/Millers Biljarts, the clash between the two best teams in the league. Dallinga won two matches in the group, including the last against A1 Biljarts.
The challenger, De Heeren/Millers, had a flawless race so far, led by an outstanding Dick Jaspers, who won his both matches with 2.500 and 2.368. Distinguished Heeren at the billiard gala, we may say, referring to Dirk Snip's star team.
Dallinga-Frans Bevers made a half misstep in the first rounds against Holland Mineraal, when Frédéric Caudron and Eddy Leppens recorded the full win (3-0 against Murat Naci Coklu and Anno de Kleine). Both Glenn Hoffman and Jerry Hermans were defeated in their matches against Stefan Galla and Frans van Schaik 2-1. That was, as we can consider, a miss without major consequences. The Zeeland team showed themselves with Caudron (2.368), Leppens (1.666) and Hofman (1.461) collectively very strong. Caudron even closed the day with a brilliant match against Raimond Burgman, 45 in 15 innings, 3.000 average.
A1 Biljarts and Holland Mineraal are both still in the race for the second place that gives access to the semi-finals. Raimond Burgman and his team (A1 Biljarts) recorded three match points out of two matches against Garage Verbrugge and Holland Mineraal. The Lochem team collected two match points (two draws) and is third on the ranking. Verbrugge is their last opponent in the group stage.
Addie Wienk played a prominent role in the last match for A1 Biljarts. The player from Haarlem made a run of ten in his match against Patrick Vasseur, the highest so far in the tournament (later in the last round overtaken by Caudron with 11 and equalized by Leppens with 10), followed by Berry Dallinga (2x), Dick Jaspers and Frans van Kuijk 9.
Garage Verbrugge is without any points in this group and therefore out of the game. Patrick Vasseur won two sets, Bart Ceulemans, Therese Klompenhouwer and Berry Dallinga one set.
De Heeren/Millers Biljarts leads Group B with the maximum of match points. The home team Pressplate Machielsen.fa was beaten in its second game 6-2, Van Wanrooy Transport in the opening match 8-0.
The expected clash between Dick Jaspers and Roland Forthomme was a quickie match: Jaspers won 15-13, 15-5 and 15-9 in 10, 5 and 4 innings (2.368/1.500). Eddy Merckx won two sets and lost one against Peter Ceulemans (1.952/1.550), Frans van Kuijk defeated Barry van Beers 2-1, only Raymon Groot managed to steal the win in his match with Dick van Uum, who mainly failed in the first set (15-13 in 26).
De Heeren/Millers leads the group with four match points ahead of Pressplate with two. Biljartcafé Jorissen and van Wanrooy Transport, after sharing the points in their mutual match, gathered one point. Pressplate should win its last game against Van Wanrooy to qualify for the semi-finals.
The top five in match averages after two rounds (without Caudron's match in the last evening session, 3.000 average):
1 Dick Jaspers 2.500
2 Dick Jaspers and Frédéric Caudron 2.368
4 Raimond Burgman 2.100
5 Eddy Merckx 1.952.
Top ten highest runs after two rounds (without Caudron's 11-run in the last round):
1 Addy Wienk 10
2 Berry Dallinga (2x), Dick Jaspers and Frans van Kuijk 9.
5 Raimond Burgman, Anno de Kleine, Frank Martens, Frans van Schaik, Eddy Merckx, Roland Forthomme 8.