3-Cushion
TURNHOUT/LIER - The reigning champion Biljart Express has quickly turned the taste of winning in the Belgian team competition back into a top spot on the league table. In a billiard room with 80 spectators, the Turnhout players played the home match against Den Eik, which was considered a rival. The match took place in a wonderful setting this week.
The generous figures on the scoreboard, 8-0 for Biljart Express, left nothing to chance. The other big winner was Mister 100, that pushed Biljart World with the same 8-0 score even deeper into the basement of the premier league.
Eddy Merckx was on behalf of Biljart Expres the star of the fourth matchday with a resounding victory over Jean van Erp: 40-23 in 16 innings. The Dutchman started well with 11-5 in 5 innings, but a decisive series by Merckx, without outliers (4-2-2-4-3-6-5-2) brought the Belgian leader to 36-20 in 13 and turned the game into his favour. The Dutch leader of Den Eik could not do enough against it with a highest run of only 3.
Frans van Kuyk, Gerwin Valentijn and Guy van Litsenborg were solid winners against Davy van Havere, Richard Bitalis and Ludo Dielis in 33, 34 and 37 innings. A striking detail: Guy van Litsenborg played in his own room full of fans and sponsors against his old teacher Ludo Dielis and won 40-26 in 37 innings.
Mister 100 did not have any remarkable top scorers in the team either, but did not come in any danger against Biljart World. Peter Ceulemans won in 30 innings (1,333), Kurt in 31, Jerry Hermans in 35 and Bart Ceulemans in 37 innings. With that, the Ceulemans team nestled in the lead with 7 points out of 4, together with Biljart Express. The two leaders are one point ahead of Op de Meir, which won 6-2 against Biljartpalace.
Kay de Zwart was the only spoilsport in Op de Meir's winning streak with a victory over Peter De Backer (40-31 in 28 innings). Van Beers, Leppens and Stitchinsky won in 31, 26 and 40 innings against Martens, Daniels and Hendrickx.
Driebanden Club De Leug dropped out of the lead for the time being after they underwent a sovereign 8-0 win for Zanzibar, which is now moving up to the top of the middle table. Frenchman Pierre Soumagne was the best winner in the Zanzibar team with a big win over Wesley de Jaeger: 40-21 in 25. The match between Roland Forthomme and Johan Loncelle, two players in excellent form, was decided by a high run by Forthomme (12), which in the end was good for Forthomme's win: 40-29 in 27.
BC De Ploeg and KBC Brugse shared the win (4-4) with Henk Blauwblomme as the best player of the evening: 40-31 in 24 against Huub Wilkowski. De Witte Molen and Kortrijkse also drew in Sint Niklaas.
The highest run of this matchday was made by Dustin Jäschke, the leader of De Ploeg: 13.
Dustin Jäschke, high run 13 in team De Ploeg
Kay de Zwart showed his good form with a win over Peter De Backer