UDEN - The climax in the battle for the Dutch championship for teams, at the end of the play-offs, kept the hall of SIS billiard centre in suspense until the last moment. The immense cup for the Dutch champion teams finally disappeared back into the trophy room of the SIS Schoonmaak team after a hard and fair fight. The duel against STZ Zundert, which was only decided in three games, remained exciting until the last caroms. Two teams fought with constantly and alternately changing chances for the much-coveted championship. The victory of routine player Raimond Burgman against young North Holland player Sam van Etten was good for gold for SIS Schoonmaak. Carl Verhoeven, the team owner, could finally raise the big cup in the midst of his players just an hour later. The sponsor and team owner himself had a busy day as temporary kitchen chief, could hardly encourage his players, but could still cheer exuberantly after the job was finally done.
''I had moments when I no longer believed in it,'' Carl Verhoeven admitted later. The match went back and forth in the three encounters: first with a superior Roland Forthomme against Eddy Merckx, relying on the admirable fighting spirit of Jean van Erp, but most of all thanks to the iron mentality of Raimond Burgman, who, after a sober start against Sam van Etten, became the match winner of this national final with three resounding victories. The championship fell to the team that was leader in the rankings throughout the competition in the premier league and is thus the deserved champion. But how deep the SIS boys of Carl Verhoeven and Jan van de Vorle had to go against the Zundert team, which found great form at the end of the league and emerged as a major revelation in the play-offs.
Carl Verhoeven called out from behind the cooker, in a bad moment: ''We're are giving away the title, very unfortunate but it turns out like that. I'll send you a picture of the opponent.'' The team captain did not give a penny for prolongation of the title, saw the whole season as the frontrunner go by in a nightmare. But how fantastic in the end was the apotheosis, the finishing touch, the final countdown of the red-and-black team at its own SIS centre.
Jan van de Vorle, the team captain, said: ’’The rescue for the team came from all sides at the end. Eddy Merckx, who had lost twice to Forthomme, outdid himself at the moment supréme with a magnificent run of 16, and then only Raimond Burgman had to win from Sam van Etten, as he had done twice before.''
That happened in that stunning final from SIS. Eddy Merckx suddenly did manage to get rid of Roland Forthomme, winning 40-21 in 15 innings. And Raimond Burgman beat Sam van Etten, after 40-28 and 40-11 in the first games now 40-25 in 32 innings.
The relief was intense, to realise that the title was in after all, came not much later, the joy of the championship suddenly splashing off the players and the team management again. Champion, cup, prolongation of the two big prizes thus. SIS Schoonmaak, with team boss Carl Verhoeven, could once again revel in the wonderful successes with the best team in the Netherlands, even though the difference in quality with Zundert, the rival for the title, had been almost minimal.
Carl Verhoeven said in his afterthought that the SIS team will remain intact for next season and that Dick Jaspers will even play slightly more matches again. ''Surely the ambassador of Dutch billiards should not be missing from the premier league.''
The SIS boss looked back on a final of the league in which his team was no longer so dominant. ’’We got a lot of opposition from Cues&Darts, Dekker and Zundert, who were very focused to win against us. I really didn't expect this scenario in the play-offs, but in the end we fought like lions. Jean van Erp exclaimed at one point: ''We won't give it away, we'll fight to the last gasp.'' That's what we did, we still manage to get the double for the second time.''
The overall picture of the matches in the final is that Raimond Burgman won his three games against Sam van Etten. Thorsten Frings won once from Jean van Erp and played a draw twice. Roland Forthomme won twice against Eddy Merckx, the third game was won by Merckx. Raymund Swertz won againsy Rik van Beers, who in turn won and played a draw against Martien van der Spoel.
Remarkable moments:
X Jean van Erp's come-back on Friday against Thorsten Frings
X The two resounding victories of Roland Forthomme over Eddy Merckx
X Eddy Merckx's important revenge on Forthomme, including a run of 16
X Two equalizes by Rik van Beers: 10 and 7.
Carl Verhoeven, the team boss, celebrating the title with his players
The averages over three matches are:
1 Roland Forthomme 1,741
2 Eddy Merckx 1.620
3 Raimond Burgman 1.558
4 Thorsten Frings 1.518
5 Jean van Erp 1,443
6 Raymund Swertz 1,250
7 Rik van Beers 1,231
8 Martien van der Spoel 1.222
9 Sam van Etten 0.831.
Results of this weekend's matches:
Friday, Zundert-SIS:
Forthomme-Merckx 40-28 (28)
Frings-Van Erp 40-40 (31)
Van Etten-Burgman 28-40 (40)
Van Beers-Swertz 37-40 (32)
Match score: 3-5
Saturday SIS-Zundert:
Merckx-Rorthomme 26-40 (15)
Van Erp-Frings 34-40 (18)
Burgman-Van Etten 40-11 (21)
Van der Spoel-Van Beers 37-40 (25)
Match score 2-6
Decision SIS-Zundert
Merckx-Forthomme 40-21 (15)
Van Erp-Frings 40-40 (30)
Burgman-Van Etten 40-25 (32)
Van der Spoel-Van Beers 40-40 (38)
Match score: 6-2 for SIS