3-Cushion
ZUNDERT - The best teams in the Dutch league close the season in the upcoming weeks in a battle for the title and for the cup. The reigning champion, A1 Billiards, missed the play offs. The team did not manage to qualify. The teams of Dallinga/Frans Bevers and TOVV.nl/MCR are the big favorites.
Before the play-offs, eight teams meet each other in the cup final this weekend: they start in Biljartcentrum Den Hoek in Zundert on Thursday and Friday in two groups of four, the final rounds are on Saturday and Sunday.
The cup final gets its showdown, traditionally after a long series of preliminary rounds. The four teams from last year’s playoffs are the favorites, four other teams come to the start in the role of challengers.
The tournament will be a gala with many top players, such as Frédéric Caudron, Eddy Merckx, the Dutch champion Jean Paul de Bruijn, Raimond Burgman, Frans van Kuyk, Murat Naci Coklu, Dion Nelin, Glenn Hoffman and Dave Christiani.
Dallinga/Frans Bevers and TOVV.nl/MCR have also qualified for the final and are the main contenders, but the tournament has shown last year that a cup final is never predictable.
Jan Kikken, the team leader of Dallinga/Frans Bevers, says that his team will show up with a lot of ambition. ,,I really want to win both, the title and the cup.’’
,,My players have shown a great form after the league stop. Frédéric Caudron, Glenn Hoffman and Jean Paul de Bruijn played an excellent European championship. Glenn was a big surprise with his third place. Frédéric played a fantastic world record run. And Jean Paul became Dutch champion, a great result.''
Dallinga will play both the cup final and the playoffs in the same lin-up: with Caudron, Leppens, De Bruijn and Hofman. ,,The title is for me more important than the cup'', ensures Kikken. ,,But I'm honest, with such a strong foursome, we must win both of them.’’
In group A of the cup final will play Dallinga/Frans Bevers, Holland Mineraal, Landswelvaren/Iets Anders and Hultermans Installatiebedrijf.
Group B: TOVV.nl/MCR, A1 Biljarts, Post Luchtkanalen and Eekhoorn 1.
The opening of the tournament is on Thursday at 13.30, the first matches at 14.00. The semi-finals start on Saturday at 20.30 and continue on Sunday at 12.00.
The finals are Sunday at 15:00.
The line-up of the teams:
Dallinga/Frans Bevers: Frédéric Caudron, Eddy Leppens, Jean Paul de Bruijn, Glenn Hoffman.
Mineraal Holland: Murat Naci Coklu, Steffan Galla, Anno Small, Jelle Pijl, Stefan Spilleman.
Landswelvaren/Iets Anders: Francis Forton, Henk Habraken, Ronnie Daniels, Kees Wittens.
Hultermans Installatiebedrijf: Jack Wijnen, Willie Damen, Dingeman Picocrie, Bart Hultermans.
TOVV.nl/MCR: Eddy Merckx, Frans van Kuyk, Dave Christiani, Richard Bitalis, Emilio Sciacca.
A1 Biljarts: Dion Nelin, Raimond Burgman, Henk Blauwblomme, Martien van der Spoel, Addie Wienk.
Post Luchtkanalen: Ronny Lindemann, Huub Wilkowski, Marc Warrants, Wilco van Wijk, Marcel van Berkel.
Eekhoorn 1: Eddy Willems, Adrie Demming, John Roovers, Wiljan van den Heuvel, Rini Boeren.
The playoffs for the championship in the Dutch league will be played later in the month.
A1 Biljarts, that won the title last year, did not succeed to reach the final round. Dallinga/Frans Bevers and TOVV.nl/MCR qualified in an early stage. Snellen Recycling had a strong second half of the season, Martens Cleaning secured the place in the final round thanks to a strong endrush.
Snellen Recycling and TOVV.nl/MCR will open the play-offs with a home match for Snellen in Zundert on May 13. The return is two days later on 15 May.
The ’Zeeuwse derby’ between Dallinga/Frans Bevers and Martens Cleaning starts on May 15 with a home match for Dallinga in Sluiskil. Martens receives the opponent one day later, on May 16. The team plays its last match in the locality in Kapelle.
The finals are on 25 and 26 May, the locations are determined by the winners of the semifinals.
Kozoom will broadcast the matches for the cup final live this weekend for Premium pass holders.