Dutch cup weekend casts shadow forward to premier league

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.