3-Cushion
KAPELLE - The afternoon session is two matches underway and the champion is already known. The team of Van Donge en De Roo has grabbed the Dutch title after two matches. Torbjörn Blomdahl defeated Frans van Kuijk and Martin Horn won the match against Raimond Burgman. The reigning champion leads in the intermediate 4-0 and won the first match 6-2 yesterday. Therefore the team cannot been catched up.
Piet Luck, the team leader, could hardly repress his tears after the final carom of Martin Horn. ,,I know how much pression there is on these playoffs for us, because it is the last time we participate. We want to show again that we are absolute the best team in the Netherlands.''
There was no doubt about that in two years of supremacy in the league and in the cup competition. The opinion of the sponsor and the players that the championship should be decided in the regular competition without playoffs is understandable. Piet Luck: ,,We had a big lead in the league, but imagine Dick Jaspers had been ill in the days of the playoffs. Then we could lose the championship and we have played for nothing throughout the year.''
Torbjörn Blomdahl and Martin Horn made it sure that the champion won the title again in the early afternoon hours. Dick Jaspers (against Frédéric Caudron) and Jean van Erp (against Raymond Ceulemans) may crown the glory in the next session.
Martin Horn laid the base for his victory against Burgman with a run of twelve in the third inning (lead of 20-1). He finished 50-39 in 27 innings. Blomdahl and Van Kuijk again fought a great fight in the final stage of the match. Van Kuijk won 50-49 yesterday, Blomdahl was the strongest now with 50-48 in 24 innings.
The last matches today are: Caudron-Jaspers, Van Erp-Ceulemans