3-Cushion
ZUNDERT - The sponsor and sympathetic player Bart Hultermans won his last match 3-0, his team almost closed the cup final with a sensational showdown in the group. Mineraal Holland had to win his match against the Hultermans team to qualify and barred the acces to the semi-finals for the other competitor, Landswelvaren.
Murat Naci Coklu had already outclassed Jack Wijnen on the main table (3-0, 1.500/0.892), Jelle Pijl was a way too strong for Dingeman Picocrie, the substitute in the Hultermans team (3-0, 1.451/0.448).
But at that moment, Anno de Kleine still had to win his match against Willie Damen, giving Mineraal Holland the 6-2 victory that the team needed.
And what an exciting match it was: Damen won the first set 15-14, De Kleine the second set 15-4 and in the decisive set, both players balanced until 14-14.
Willie Damen missed one match ball, in a very difficult position. Anno de Kleine, usually a cold fish at the table, had made some small mistakes in the closing stages, but eventually made the winning carom: 15-14 in 20 innings, with two pretty poor averages: De Kleine 0.814, Damen 0.622.
Dallinga/Frans Bevers finished first in the group after last night’s win against Landswelvaren with five match points and 1.381 average. Mineraal Holland is one point down with 1.161.
Landswelvaren is the honorable third team with three points, but the team is eliminated for the semi-finals.
Bart Hultermans showed his bright smile after his match. ,,We are for the first time in the cup final and we are happy to play in this great ambiance’’, he said.
That he won his last match, was certainly the tournament's surprise for the sponsor, who plays for nineteen years in the Dutch league now with his team.
TOVV.nl/MCR and A1 Biljarts are playing the last group match in B. The winner of that encounter is group winner and plays in the semi-final against Holland Mineraal. The loser meets Dallinga/Frans Bevers.