BOXTEL - When we say Peter De Backer, the man of the magical final run of 26 today, we think about the early years of this century. Second place three times at a World championship three cushion in the years that Dani Sánchez, Eddy Merckx and Marco Zanetti won the title. The experts commented in these years that Peter De Backer has the talent of a world class player but not for the future. We could see that later because the Belgian player preferred starting a billiard business over giving it his all for his sports career. And when we say Peter De Backer now, ten years later, we think about his sporadic highlights, some very solid victories and Peter De Backer the 'golf billiard player', the other passion of the Belgian all-round player.
But on Peter De Backers day, the glorious day, today in the Dutch league, another qualification must be added. 'The nearly-forgotten, 52-year-old whimsical Belgian billiard player', who on rainy Sunday in 2019 had the world record high run (28) for the taking. The player who delivered a phenomenal performance in a Brabant billiard room with around 40 spectators, who was two caroms away from the world record, but had to stop his run, because he was at the end of his match. The player who is still in love with three-cushion said "So, I'm going to enjoy this for a long time, because it means that it's not over with Peter De Backer.'' And with the feeling that remains, what would have happened when I could have go on in the run, because the 27th points was soo easy.''
Describing the run himself, in the match against Jac van Peer, which was levelling in the first twelve innings and with 14 caroms for Peter De Backer on the scoreboard:
"I didn't really touch the balls so well so far, but the run, I slowly felt that my feeling on the table got better. So, I made 4, 5, 6 and ran out to 10 without any problems. The next part, to 15 and 16, was running smoothly and I began to think about the 20, which I have never made in a real match. And still, I remained very calm... and made some perfect shots. The 20-points was passed, still going on in my rhythm... and at 23 I heard: 3 points to go. I realized that that I could not reach the world record, 28, but I made the last three, well controlled, in a kind of dream. When I finished the math with that incredible 26, I woke up again. The reward was wonderful. The match next to me was stopped at 20, they all watched my table. The tension had been increased, but I didn't lose my focus. How would that have been if I had reached 28, I wonder now.''
The final run was made without any lucky ball. Peter De Backer, "I thought, after the match, that I had made two very difficult points, but Eddy Merckx, who was close to the table, had seen three or four.'' Anyway, "It is a fantastic feeling.''
Peter De Backer was looking for an explanation, "I've been playing better than usual, the last year. My last ten years were a bit less, because I started the business, PDB-art in Aalst, I continued to practice and play in two competitions, the Netherlands and Belgium, but I also focussed more and more on 'golf billiards', a game which is only played in Belgium, with ten balls, two goals and obstacles in the middle of the billiard. The game has more than 10,000 players in Belgium, which is four times as many as carom billiards. Golf billiards is the chess under the billiard disciplines.''
The progression - and maybe that sounds commercial - is caused by his new cue, Peter De Backer knows for sure. "We have produced a new cue with my own brand, the PDB-pro, with a new technology. The first models were on the market in May 2018. The difference with other cues, from famous brands, is that the shafts consist of many more different wood parts, called laminates. It used to be 20, now we built it with 50. That means, that the power that is transferred to the cue ball, is much better. There is more life and energy in the ball. The reactions are enthusiastic, from many players. And for me it's the reason that I do a lot better now. Anyway, a match like today, with such a huge run, you can never play on orders, it comes out of nowhere.''
This Sunday was already very special, because Dave Christiani, normally Peter De Backers team mate, made a 40-in-ten match in the German league. And in the Dutch league, Frans van Kuyk was leading 21-1 in 8 to Eddy Leppens at the break. The same Frans van Kuyk indeed who finished a match with 25 in the Dutch league in 2017.
SIS Cleaning (0-8 against Burgmans), Zundert (6-2 against A1), Bousema (8-0 against Aardexpress) and L & B Ledermode (6-2 against 't Ivoor) achieved the maximum victory in the thirteenth round, only Prinsen lost a valuable point against Team Eekhoorn. Eddy Leppens came back after his bad start, but Frans van Kuyk still won 40-24 in 22, Jerry Hermans was the other winner for Eekhoorn against Jelle Pijl, 40-26 in 28. Glenn Hofman had a great finish after a worrying deficit against Marco Janssen: he took the win at 40-39 after 1-5-5 in the three last innings.
Besides Peter De Backer (40 in 13), Caudron (14), Merckx (18), Uymaz (18) and Coklu (18) were the best match winners.
Peter De Backer, back on top with a miracle run