TILBURG/ZUNDERT - The outcome was still more or less surprising when the decisions fell in the Dutch three-cushion league last Sunday. Team Eekhoorn unexpectedly went down, leaving Cues&Darts and Topsport Zundert to grab the two remaining places for the play-offs. Roland Forthomme for Zundert and Robinson Morales for Cues&Darts were the match winners with two wins each. Roland Forthomme first won his match against Ismaïl Yasin 40-11 in 21 on Saturday and against Dave Christiani 40-8 in 24 on Sunday: the Belgian, who is making his farewell tour for Zundert, made 80 points in 45 innings, his opponents did not get more than 11 and 8 points. Robinson Morales did what Ruben Legazpi didn’t manage to do for Cues&Darts. The Colombian won his two matches, on Saturday against Jean van Erp 40-34 in 24, Sunday against Peter De Backer 40-24 in 21. That Saturday match was still lost by Cue&Darts against SIS Schoonmaak 6-2, as Jef Philipoom stumbled on one carom against Raimond Burgman.
Monique Wilkowski, the team leader, later said: ’’That Saturday was a sad day for our team. We all went to the cremation of Kim, the wife of our local owner Dennis Mast, who died so suddenly. At least I had lost my head in the evening we had to play, no doubt that was also for the players' minds. Fortunately, on Sunday we were able to finish it off in sportive way, we are happy about that.''
Cues&Darts and Topsport Zundert were able to arrange quickly the play-offs match. That will be played on Wednesday 31 May at Cues&Darts.
The top two prizes in the DKM Tools league had already been divided for Saturday and Sunday's double round. SIS Schoonmaak and Dekker Keukens were sure of the post-competition. Cues&Darts and Topsport Zundert finished in positions 3 and 4, allowing them to compete with SIS Schoonmaak and Dekker Keukens in the final rounds. Cues&Darts and Zundert meet first, with the winner playing against Dekker and the winner of that match against SIS Schoonmaak.
Team Eekhoorn was the big winner on Saturday, but ended up as the big loser on Sunday. The Oosterhout team, that had the chances in their own hands, lost the home match against Burgmans Biljarts by an unexpected score: 2-6 at home. Peter Ceulemans was the only winner against Anno de Kleine (40-22 in 24). Birol Uymaz lost to Eddy Leppens (40-28 in 27), Kurt Ceulemans to Marco Janssen (40-36 in 32) and Jerry Hermans to Bart Ceulemans (40-29 in 33). As a result, Team Eekhoorn dropped to fifth position with 23 points, three less than Cues&Darts, one less than Topsport Zundert.
Team Eekhoorn can certainly bring up as an excuse that Frans van Kuyk could not play in the final stages due to injury. The Brabant player is struggling with an uncooperative nerve in the shoulder. ''I've already had a few treatments, but it still won't help,'' Van Kuyk told Saturday's away match against Dallinga.
Cues&Darts secured third position in the league table with a 5-3 win over Dallinga. For the Zeeland team, only Jean Paul de Bruijn won against Ruben Legazpi 40-38 in 26. Peter De Backer and Berry Dallinga lost to Robinson Morales and Wesley de Jaeger. Steven van Acker played a draw against Huub Wilkowski.
The other big day winner was STZ Zundert, which managed to win 8-0 against the strong Dekker Keukens (already sure of second place) in the Zundert billiard stronghold. Roland Forthomme, Thorsten Frings, Francis Forton and Sam van Etten were spectacular winners against Dave Christiani, Barry van Beers, Gerwin Valentijn and Henk Blauwblomme. Roland Forthomme even beat Dave Christiani, one of the best players in this competition, 40-8 in 24 innings.
Bousema Lochem held SIS Schoonmaak to a nice 4-4 in the last match. Eddy Merckx and Jean van Erp won for SIS against Martin Horn and Johan Loncelle (18 and 31 innings). For Bousema, Gökhan Salman and Frans van Schaik won against Raimond Burgman and Raymund Swertz (21 and 23 innings).
Burgmans Biljarts finishes in position number 10 and plays promotion/relegation.
Robinson Morales, double winner for Cues&Darts
The final ranking after 21 matches:
- SIS Schoonmaak 21-32
- Dekker/AP Sprundel 21-27
- Cues&Darts/Xtreme 21-26
- Topbiljart Zundert 21-24
- Team Eekhoorn 21-23
- Dallinga 21-21
- Bousema/JBScues 21-20
- Woonwonder/'t Hartje 21-20
- J&F Auto's/Jorissen 21-20
- Burgmans Billiards 21-19
- Post Luchtkanalen 21-6