HAARLO - The national anthem sounded in the Haarlo billiard clover for a new Dutch talent in three cushion. The 18-year-old Tom Slikker seized the national title for players under 22 in the final against Bradley Roeten. The champion received a ticket for the European championship on the 1st and 2nd in May in Brandenburg. The achievement of two new young players could not have be planned better. The 'Zeeuw' Joey de Kok, who lost in the semi-finals to the champion, says farewell to his junior years. Tom Slikker, an 18-year-old player from Den Helder, is a beautiful champion with four years ahead in the juniors.
Tom Slikker once climbed with a cue onto the billiard table as a 3-year old boy in the café of his father William and his mother Esther. He first chose football as a sport. "I've been a football player for ten years'', he said after the award ceremony at Hotel Restaurant Café Prinsen. "When I had developed myself further in billiards and was allowed to play at Dutch championships, I stopped playing football and focused on billiards again.''
Tom Slikker started the preliminaries at the junior championship on Friday. He finished second in his group and was facing the big favorite Joey de Kok in the semi-finals. "That was my toughest game, because I had a good lead in the end, but my opponent came close.''
The final against the two year older Bradley Roeten from The Hague was certainly not a walk-over. Slikker finally took the win and was allowed to climb on the highest podium for his first Dutch title.
The ranking in Group A:
1 Joey de Kok 8-0.980-9
2 Hans Snellen 4-0.480-5
3 Andy Nab 4-0.473-5
4 Jordy Jong 2-0.483-5
5 Leon Dudink 2-0.340-4
The ranking in Group B:
1 Bradley Roeten 8-0.657-4
2 Tom Slikker 6-0.744-6
3 Lars van de Mortel 4-0.416-5
4 Xavier Siahaya 2-0.469-4
5 Nick Dudink 0-0.331-4
The final ranking at the Dutch championship under 22:
1 Tom Slikker 0.735-6
2 Bradley Roeten 0.686-4
3 Joey de Kok 0.864-9
3 Hans Snellen 0.446-5
5 Andy Nab 0.473-5
6 Lars van de Mortel 0.416-5
7 Jordy Jong 0.483-5
8 Xaver Siahaya 0.469-4
9 Leon Dudink 0.340-4
10 Nick Dudink 0.331-4.