Dick Jaspers starts Masters gala as the champion

BERLICUM - The final match at the Masters between Dick Jaspers and Raimond Burgman, who battled it out for the title many times in recent history, is the opening match at the Dutch three-cushion championship this year. The most bizarre KNBB Masters in thirty years, because it is played without spectators, starts this Sunday (April 25) in Berlicum, Brabant and is divided over three days of qualifying rounds (Sunday, Monday and Tuesday) and two finals days: Wednesday the quarter-finals, Thursday the semi-finals and final.

Dick Jaspers, the number one on the world rankings, is by far the most celebrated player of the sixteen finalists. The location for the match is De Durpsherd, the venue in Berlicum, the kick-off is Sunday at 10.00. Kozoom's cameras will focus on Dick Jaspers and Raimond Burgman that early hour Sunday morning, who together have played six times for the red-white-blue tricolour. Five times Jaspers won, once, in 1989 in Tiel, Burgman won. Ziggo Sport's live broadcasts will start on the second day of the Masters.

The Dutch title is at stake this year for the 93rd time (since 1928). Starting 1987, the tournament is on the calendar as the Dutch Masters. For the first time since 2012 the tournament will be played in sets. The matches, both in the preliminaries and in the knock-outs, determine the winner in three won sets of 10 caroms. There is no time-out in the sets and no equalizing inning.

Dick Jaspers is besides 21 times winner of the Dutch title also the record holder overall average with 2,395 in 2009.

The groups and the schedule:

Group A: Dick Jaspers, Raimond Burgman, Frans van Schaik, Harrie van de Ven
Group B: Jeffrey Jorissen, Joey de Kok, Martien van der Spoel, Jack van Peer
Group C: Roland Uijtdewillegen, Raymund Swertz, Jean van Erp, Huub Wilkowski
Group D: Dave Christiani, Barry van Beers, Kay de Zwart, Ludo Kools.

The match days in the preliminaries start at 10.00, the next sessions all days at 11.35, 13.30 and 14.45.
On Wednesday the quarter finals are played according to the same time schedule.
Thursday at 10.30 and 12.15 are the semi-finals, the final is at 14.00.

Dick Jaspers in better days: Masters winner in front of full stands