BERLICUM - The best of eight finalists in the preliminaries at the Jumbo Masters in Berlicum is Jean Paul de Bruijn. The 57-year old from 'Zeeuws-Vlaanderen' in the South of Holland wants to take another shot at the Dutch three-cushion title after a two-year absence due to his PBA adventure in South Korea. The Masters title he won twice before in his career. Dick Jaspers, 20-time Master and Barry van Beers remained unbeaten in the three days of qualification with sixteen players and six match points in the Jumbo Masters 2022. Jeffrey Jorissen was group winner with 4 points. The knock-outs start tomorrow, Friday, at 10.00 and continue with matches at 12.00, 14.00 and 16.00 o'clock.
Jean Paul de Bruijn, former world champion in one cushion discipline and in 2005 after the World Championship in Spain, where he lost the final to Dani Sánchez, the number 4 of the world ranking, has adapted very fast to the status he had for years in Dutch three cushion. The victory in the Doetinchem Grand Prix, a fortnight ago in the final against Huub Wilkowski, immediately marked the high qualities of the Zeeuw player again.
At the Masters, where the stands were already quite full in the first days of the preliminaries, Jean Paul de Bruijn consecutively defeated Volkan Cetin, Sam van Etten and finally in a super-fast match Roland Uijtdewillegen: twice he won 3-1, in his last match 3-0. With those figures, he was the best of the pre-selection, where 8 players qualified and 8 players had to leave the Masters.
Dick Jaspers, with victories over Therese Klompenhouwer, Kay de Zwart and Huub Wilkowski, was the runner-up in the ranking. The showdown in that four-round event was very exciting. Therese Klompenhouwer was brilliant with a great performance against Kay de Zwart (3-0, 2,307 average, run 9), but was kept out of the knock-outs by an excellent Huub Wilkowski, who forced two set wins against Dick Jaspers and with the same set difference as Therese. But Wilkowski had two set wins more and robbed the ladies world champion of the illusion to survive the preliminaries at the Masters for the first time.
Jeffrey Jorissen climbed over Jean van Erp in the last session of Group C by defeating Raymund Swertz 3-1, while Jean van Erp was beaten by Martien van der Spoel 3-2 in that last round.
For Group D, the crucial match was played on this fourth day. Barry van Beers had already qualified after two rounds and also won his last match against Joey de Kok. For the second place, Raimond Burgman and Dave Christiani were tied for the whole match. In the final sprint, Burgman was unapproachable: he finished with a run of 9.
The qualified players after the preliminaries are:
Jean Paul de Bruijn
Barry van Beers
Dick Jaspers
Jeffrey Jorissen
Jean van Erp
Sam van Etten
Raimond Burgman
Huub Wilkowski
The matches for the quarter finals, tomorrow, Friday:
10.00: Jorissen-Van Erp
12.00: Van Etten-Van Beers
14.00: Jaspers-Burgman
16.00: De Bruijn-Wilkowski
The winner of Jorissen-Van Erp will then play the winner of De Bruijn-Wilkowski.
The winner of Jaspers-Burgman will play the winner of Van Beers-Van Etten.
The final ranking after the preliminaries, Group A:
1 Dick Jaspers 6-1,682-7
2 Huub Wilkowski 2-1,325-8
3 Therese Klompenhouwer 2-1,326-9
4 Kay de Zwart 2-1,233-7.
The final score in Group B:
1 Jean Paul de Bruijn 6-1,943-7
2 Sam van Etten 4-1,483-5
3 Roland Uijtdewillegen 2-1,072-7
4 Volkan Cetin 0-1,157-6
The final score in Group C:
1 Jeffrey Jorissen 4-1,555-8
2 Jean van Erp 4-1,542-9
3 Raymund Swertz 2-1,420-8
4 Martien van der Spoel 2-1,483-3
The final score in Group D:
1 Barry van Beers 6-1,364-8
2 Raimond Burgman 4-1,432-9
3 Dave Christiani 2-1,125-6
4 Joey de Kok 0-0,884-5.
Sam van Etten was the number two in Jean Paul de Bruijn's group
Therese Klompenhouwer, a world match, but no qualification