SITTARD - The year in which Therese Klompenhouwer faces new challenges with an already rich record list went off to a flawless start this weekend. The Dutch three-cushion championship at the match table for women got the winner, which will no longer surprise anyone. For the sixteenth time, Therese was the best, was of superior class with her average and on the final days, it was just all about the occupation of the Dutch podium in the shadow of the champion. And so again Therese is a title richer after winning the final against Monique van Exter, who, like last year, grabbed silver at the Dutch championship. That final did not even show such an immense difference as in all previous games. Therese was even very briefly behind in the score, but later pulled off the win 30-25 in 40 innings, one of her lesser games. Especially in the semi-final against Mirjam Plum, the champion went full speed for a magnificent match. Therese won that one 30-8 in 17 innings, an average of 1.764.
''This was certainly not my best tournament,'' she noted afterwards. ''I decided the final in the four innings after the break, after that it was a bit less. My semi-final was very good, but actually I couldn't adjust very well to the table here. I was very unsure at times, but fortunately it was still good enough, winning with 1,064. I can be quite satisfied with that. I was in no danger in any game. And even with less play, difficult positions and some uncertainty, I can still beat my opponents. That has everything to do with experience.''
The run-up to the Masters (starts this week on Wednesday) and the long trip to South Korea for a marathon of matches have brought the world's best billiard star what she expected. The competition at home, with all the familiar names, remains unchanged, for many years now. The podium changes at most at one or two positions, but Gerrie Geelen, many years ago a top national player, unexpectedly returned to the scaffold of top three. Mirjam Pruim and Monique van Exter are now familiar faces there.
Therese kept a good feeling about her NK: ''I've not been able to train very much anyway and I will now spend a few days doing odd jobs with my girlfriend to prepare for the move. But I am really looking forward to the Masters and feel ready for it.''
At the Dutch Championships afterwards, the players who will play the European Championships individually and for nation teams in April in Antalya, Turkey, were also designated. Therese Klompenhouwer forms the Dutch country team together with Monique van Exter. Four Dutch players have been designated for the individual European Championships based on the two-year championships: Therese Klompenhouwer, Monique van Exter, Mirjam Pruim and Daisy Werdekker. The first reserve is Gerrie Geelen.
Therese: ''It is very nice that I will play with Monique van Exter for the Netherlands, because I must think back to my first European appearance in 1997. I was 14 at the time and played the European Championship free game. Monique became European champion there. Wonderful that we are now going to a European Championship together again, and now for the Netherlands.''
Therese Klompenhouwer defeated in the preliminary round Cynthia van Peer (25-5 in 24), Sylvia Eckel (25-9 in 18), Ineke Kooistra (25-10 in 19) and in the knock-outs first Eckel 30-11 in 37, then Mirjam Pruim 30-8 in 17 and finally Monique van Exter with the smallest margin of all her games: 30-25 in 40.
Most surprising was the elimination of Karina Jetten in the quarter-finals. The Limburgian was beaten by Gerrie Geelen on two points: 30-28 in 52. Monique van Exter 'struggled' past Daisy Werdekker in that round, one of the youngsters, who just cannot make her real breakthrough: Van Exter won 29-19 in 60 innings, the maximum duration of a match thus. Mirjam Pruim beat Joke Martijn (30-28 in 38).
Monique van Exter handled Gerrie Geelen (30-16 in 51) in the semi-finals and can look back on a reasonably successful tournament. Nevertheless, the differences between the phenomenon Therese Klompenhouwer and the rest of the players was remarkable again. Only Karina Jetten played slightly more than half Klompenhouwer's average.
Afterwards, it was striking how many compliments were addressed to the organization. The Billiard Academy in Sittard is fast becoming one of the strongholds in terms of organization. The ladies and other attendees were pampered. The Women's NK may not excel in high quality of averages, but it is more and more the annual, convivial reunion of the best there is in the Netherlands in terms of women's billiards.
The final results (average, high runs):
1 Therese Klompenhouwer 1,064-7
2 Monique van Exter 0.583-6
3 Mirjam Pruim 0.584-4
4 Gerrie Geelen 0.462-4
5 Karina Jetten 0.641-5
6 Joke Martijn 0.538-8
7 Daisy Werdekker 0.460-4
8 Sylvia Eckel 0.423-4
9 Joke Breur 0.400-4
10 Ineke Kooistra 0.495-4
The Dutch ladies in top four: Therese Klompenhouwer, Monique van Exter, Mirjam Pruim and Gerrie Geelen