ROSMALEN - The only Dutch billiard player who can regularly beat the world champion is Raimond Burgman. The 55-year-old expert managed again this Saturday night against Dick Jaspers with an impressive performance. In the Grand Prix final in Rosmalen, Burgman was unstoppable for Jaspers in the final phase with runs of 8, 6 and 6. The victory in this Grand Prix, the 14th in his career, was convincing and sovereign: 40-30 in 20 innings. Burgman did not back down from the world's best reputation.
When Burgman's star started to shine in the decisive part, Jaspers could not answer. The battle between the two rivals, who have been playing against each other for about thirty years, ended with the deserved winner. "I realize that I am facing the world champion, but it always feels like a kind of Ajax-Feyenoord when we play against each other," Burgman typified the match for gold and silver. ''I played a super tournament and scored well and solidly at the important moments.''
The two remaining players after a long day of four sessions were in balance in the final until 14-14 in the 11th inning. Burgman was the first to attack with a run of 8 (24-19) and moments later with 6 in the 17th inning and a final run of six in the 20th inning.
"It was incredibly strong what Raimond showed", Jaspers said later. ''I left a terrible shot at one point, but he scored with a fantastic bank shot. When the gap was on ten points, he gave me no chance anymore. He is definitely the deserved winner." Raimond Burgman showed his good form from the start with an unbeaten series in the pre-rounds (1.904), then, in the knock-out, first defeated Sander Jonen 40-36 in 28, in the quarterfinals Barry van Beers 40-25 in 20 and in the semi-finals Jean van Erp with 40-27 in 32. Dick Jaspers, with 2.450 in the pre-rounds, defeated Frans van Schaik in the quarters 40-27 in 27 and in the semi-finals Dave Christiani 40-27 in 26.
Dick Jaspers: ''The lack of international tournaments does not bother Burgman in the national Grand Prix tournaments. He is a player who not only can play wonderful billiards, but his strength is most of all to control his opponent. He can stop him perfectly. That's a strong weapon in our own country. He would not be that successful in World Cups and other major tournaments, because there, they play much more aggressively and attackingly."
In the Netherlands, Burgman won two Grand Prix tournaments last year and he played the final match in all four. In Rosmalen, he won the second of four Dutch tournaments to be played this year. Besides Burgman and Jaspers, the top four also consisted of Dave Christiani and Jean van Erp. The losers in the quarterfinals were Therese Klompenhouwer, after a strong tournament (including a 40 in 21 against Volkan Cetin), Jeffrey Jorissen (who disappointed in his last match against Jean van Erp), Frans van Schaik and Barry van Beers.
The third Grand Prix tournament is played in Capelle aan den IJssel.