3-Cushion
VLAARDINGEN/SLUISKIL – The double clash in the playoffs, decisive for which team will be the new Dutch champion, must be estimated on beforehand as a fifty-fifty match. TOVV.nl/MCR and Dallinga/Frans Bevers, the two absolute top teams in the league, have shown that they are perfect matches to one another, that a prognosis is impossible.
Jan Kikken, the team leader of Dallinga, says already for weeks that he absolutely wants the double: his team (Dallinga) won the Dutch cup in Zundert two weeks ago. The title is the next mission.
TOVV has another motivation: Eddy Merckx, Frans van Kuyk and Dave Christiani are leaving the successful team at the end of the season. They want to offer the sponsor a great farewell.
On Friday evening the two teams meet first in the Oogh of Vlaerdingh in Vlaardingen (sessions at 19.00 and 21.00), on Sunday afternoon is the return in Hotel Dallinga in Sluiskil (13.00 and 15.00). TOVV reached the final by a large victory in the semifinals over Snellen Recycling. Dallinga won the derby against Martens Cleaning after 6-2 and 2-6 in the regular match on caroms.
The deciding match in Sluiskil will be broadcasted on Sunday live on Kozoom without a Premium pass is required. Besides live images, Kozoom also offers the spectators interviews with players and coaches.
In the double clash, the Belgian classic between two world class players, Eddy Merckx (TOVV) and Frédéric Caudron (Dallinga), is by far the most special match.
Regarding the current form of both players: Caudron showed himself the strongest two weeks ago in the Dutch cup final and played a better tournament in the Belgian cup than his rival, who started unlucky and was outplayed in the first round by Francis Forton.
Frédéric Caudron played a formidable tournament, but lost the final against Peter De Backer. Caudron, by the way, leaves one day after the final for a trip to South Korea and announced on his facebook page that he will launch big (billiard)news in about six days.
Frans van Kuyk (TOVV) and Eddy Leppens (Dallinga) meet on table two. Dave Christiani, who stunted in the duel with Snellen (50 in 20, 17 and 13 runs) plays the double against Jean Paul de Bruijn. Richard Bitalis faces a former sparring partner, Glenn Hoffman.