ROSMALEN - For almost all the players on the final stage of the Dutch cup finals, these last days get another extension. Tomorrow (Sunday), the 18th round will be played in the Kozoom league, the Dutch premier league. SIS Schoonmaak, the frontrunner, and Team Eekhoorn, the number 2, have already gone home and can quietly prepare for the match they play for the league. The players of Cues&Darts and Bousema Lochem will still be in action on Saturday (from 11.00 am) in the final for the cup. They will play in the same line-up a day later, only Javier Palazón, a topper in the PBA, will play with Cues&Darts in the home match against Dekker from Sprundel. Furthermore, Team Eekhoorn, among others, is again at its strongest, as Nikos Polychronopoulos is the frontrunner against Zundert.
Jerry Hermans said it this week before the elimination in the cup. ''The difference whether we play with Nikos or without is very big.'' That same day, with Peter and Kurt Ceulemans not in the best of form, the deed was done: Team Eekhoorn may focus on the league again.
The same goes for SIS Schoonmaak, but in the same line-up as in the cup. The opponent is Burgmans Biljarts, which had an excellent performance in Rosmalen where Anno de Kleine and Bart Ceulemans eliminated the favorite SIS Schoonmaak and Anno de Kleine won against Glenn Hofman on Friday. This Sunday, Anno de Kleine has a day off, in his place Eddy Leppens is the front man. He plays against Eddy Merckx.
SIS Schoonmaak is the leader in the Kozoom league with five matches to go. The leader has a 1-point lead over Team Eekhoorn, 4 over Topbiljart Zundert and 5 over Cues&Darts. Dekker and Bousema are looking out for the top 4 places.
J&F Auto and DKM Tools play an important match in the lower regions. Both teams are willing desperately to stay in the premier league. J&F Auto wil lose Joey de Kok and Therese Klompenhouwer, DKM Tools made a top transfer with Frédéric Caudron. There is still a good chance DKM Tools will continue to play at Camping De Eekhoorn after all.
Burgmans Biljarts repeats against SIS Schoonmaak (De Kleine-Merckx, Bart Ceulemans-Van Erp), Cues&Darts does the same against Dekker (Hofman-Christiani, Legazpi-Van Beers). Aartsbouw Sprundel plays at home against Dallinga, Bousema at home against Team Nachtwacht, number last on the rankings, one point behind Aartsbouw Sprundel.
Jeffrey Jorissen and Gökhan Salman, playing for Bousema in premier league
Peter Ceulemans, looking for revenge after Dutch cup performance
Sunday 7 April, play round 18, the teams and line-ups:
Burgmans Biljarts-SIS Schoonmaak
Anno de Kleine-Eddy Merckx
Bart Ceulemans-Jean van Erp
Marco Janssen-Raimond Burgman
Johan Roijers-Martien van der Spoel
Team Eekhoorn-STZ Zundert
Nikos Polychronopoulos-Sergio Jimenez
Peter Ceulemans-Thorsten Frings
Frans van Kuyk-Sam van Etten
Kurt Ceulemans-Francis Forton
Cues&Darts/Xtreme-Dekker/APSprundel
Glenn Hofman-Dave Christiani
Ruben Legazpi-Barry van Beers
Javier Palazón-Gerwin Valentijn
Huub Wilkowski-Henk Blauwblomme
ousema/JBScues-Team Nachtwacht
Jeffrey Jorissen-Ismaïl Yasin
Johan Loncelle-Savas Bulut
Gökhan Salman-Erwin Kivits
Frans van Schaik-Harry van de Ven
J&F Auto/New Jorissen-DKM Tools
Kay de Zwart-Ronny Lindemann
Joey de Kok-Davy van Havere
Therese Klompenhouwer-Roland Uijtdewillegen
Herman van Daalen-Jack Wijnen
Aartsbouw Sprundel-Dallinga.com
Turgay Orak-Jean Paul de Bruijn
Ronny Brants-Steven van Acker
Dirk Weeremans-Peter De Backer
Tom Persyn-Berry Dallinga.