OOSTERHOUT - Six of eight players in the semi-finals of the Dutch league play-offs, tonight (Wednesday), have just returned from the World Cup in Ho Chi Minh. Team Eekhoorn and Cues&Darts face each other at De Eekhoorn in Oosterhout for the final obstacle on their way to the final encounter. The winner of this match (live on Kozoom from 19.30) may compete with SIS Schoonmaak for the teams' national title. The line-ups in this semi-final have a high World Cup content. Ruben Legazpi (Cues&Darts) came back the best from Ho Chi Minh with a place in the quarter-finals.
Cues&Darts won the first match in the play-offs 6-2 over Topsport Zundert and will face Team Eekhoorn in the same line-up tonight. Both teams come into action with two Dutchmen and two foreign players. Ruben Legazpi and Pierre Soumagne show up for Cues&Darts, Nikos Polychronopoulos and Peter Ceulemans for Team Eekhoorn. Glenn Hofman is the leader at Cues&Darts, Huub Wilkowski the number 4, at Team Eekhoorn Frans van Kuyk is the number 3 and Jerry Hermans the number 4 in the team.
The field of players coming to the tables has scored highly in the last World Cup. Ruben Legazpi was only eliminated in the quarter-finals by Turk Tolgahan Kiraz 50-40. Nikos Polychronopoulos went out in the best 8 against Berkay Karakurt 50-47.
Glenn Hofman, Ruben Legazpi, Nikos Polychronopoulos and Pierre Soumagne made it to the main draw in Ho Chi Minh, Peter Ceulemans and Huub Wilkowski were eliminated in the preliminary rounds.
Team Eekhoorn achieved 32 points in the regular competition for the Kozoom league, Cues&Darts closed the competition with 28 points. In the eight players field, Glenn Hofman was the best on average with 1.821 in 19 matches. Ruben Legazpi finished 1.808 in 15, Nikos Polychronopoulos 1.803 in 15 and Peter Ceulemans 1.553 in 21 matches.
Jerry Hermans (Eekhoorn) is expecting a full crowd and is looking forward to a match that should be the crowning glory. ’’This is the most important match of the season, although we both still hope to play the final against SIS Schoonmaak. We are slightly underdog as Glenn Hofman and Ruben Legazpi are in insane form. But anything is possible in one match, where everything is at stake.‘’
The order of matches tonight, starting at 19.30:
19.30:
Peter Ceulemans-Ruben Legazpi
Frans van Kuyk-Pierre Soumagne
21.30:
Nikos Polychronopoulos-Glenn Hofman
Jerry Hermans-Huub Wilkowski.
Jerry Hermans, looking for a full crowd in 'the most important match of the season.'