BRANDENBURG - The golden race of the Dutch billiard players at the European championships in Brandenburg was crowned with two more titles on the final day. The nation team with Dick Jaspers and Raimond Burgman defeated Belgium (Merckx/Caudron) after a blistering start. Raymund Swertz brought the medal score at seven for the Netherlands with a win in balk-line 71/2.
The hegemony of the orange team was impressive: Sam van Etten in the category under 17, Guido Kauffeld in the juniors free game, the ladies Therese Klompenhouwer and Monique van Exter, Raymund Swertz (two times in balk-line and finally the Dutch team with Dick Jaspers and Raimond Burgman colored the playing room orange with seven golden medals at the end of the tournament in the Stahlpalast.
The tournament closed with Raymund Swertz (nickname Swertzenecker), showing himself as the absolute master of the balk-lines. Both in the 47/2 and the 71/2, the young Limburg player delivered a formidable performance. His last final against Marek Faus (71/2) turned out into penalty runs this afternoon after the end score of 200-200 in five innings. The Dutchman scored 20 points from the break, Faus missed from the spots.
The Italians dominated the 5 pins tournament and shone with the sublime Marco Zanetti in three cushion, the Belgians amongst others with Frédéric Caudron in one cushion and Eric Daelman in artistic, the Germans and Spaniards grabbed some titles, but ultimately the European championship 2013 was a Dutch party.
The apotheosis brought the Dutch in the arena against the supposed unbeatable Belgians. The world champions were the big favorites to take European gold with their star team, but were defeated by a sparkling start of Jaspers and Burgman. Dick Jaspers made runs of nine, nine and seven in his first 5 innings against Eddy Merckx (average 5.200). Raimond Burgman did almost as well with his lightning start against Frédéric Caudron: a run of twelve in the third inning, six in the sixth, with which he led 24-16 (average 4.000).
The Dutch had a little slump, of course, when their opponents started to fight themselves back in the game. Caudron closed the gap with a run of ten in the twelfth inning and thereafter even won the match 40-32 in 15 innings (2.667/2.286).
Dick Jaspers’ win was not in danger, but Merckx did a last effort to disturb the Dutch triumph march. He made a seven-run in the 16th inning and was 36-29 behind at that moment.
The Belgian world champion needed at least 32 caroms, so only three caroms for the last chance of his team.
Jaspers, however, showed his outstanding class and scored the last four points with nerves of steel.
At the crucial moment, in the 17th inning, he secured the title for Holland: 40-29.