HAARLO - How proud they must feel, the national billiards directors, the Dutch audience and the champions themselves after a weekend with wonderful successes, high level billiards and two very young and talented winners at the Grand Dutch and the Masters Artistic. The 19-year-old Sam van Etten took the title in the pentathlon on Saturday afternoon and therefore can call himself the best allrounder in the Netherlands for at least two years. The 18-year-old Jop de Jong was the best in artistic on the same day.
The two very young talents, Sam van Etten from Horna, living in Schermerhorn, who began to play billiards in the cafe of his parents when he was seven and Jop de Jong from Bathmen took the victory against routined players like Dave Christiani, Raymund Swertz and Jos Bongers in the Grand Dutch and Sander Jonen, Martin van Rhee and Erik Vijverberg in the the Masters artistic. The Dutch billiards welcomed two very new, young stars after a years of professional development.
Both in the Grand Dutch and in the Masters Aritstic the final fight in the crowded hall of Prinsen in Haarlo was exciting until the last caroms and the final set. Sam van Etten, who won all his free game matches in one inning and was extremely strong in 47/2, 71/2 and two of his one cushion matches, took a 4-0 lead against Dave Christiani by the free game in one (100-2) and balkline 47/2 in three innings (150-31). Dave Christiani thus came back on Saturday for the othere three games, knowing he could not afford a loss anymore.
He won first the three cushion matc, 30-13 in 21 innings and needed to put up a great fight in 71/2, because Van Etten started with 127 (match to 150 points). After three misses of Van Etten, his opponent came back to 127-94. But when Van Etten then finished, Christiani had only one chance: to finish with 54. And he did it in an unorthodox way. Rarely, the balls rolled as Christiani wanted to, he had to find the points everywhere and nowhere at the table and never could find the position on the line.
But he didit... And with a 5-3 score in favor of Sam van Etten, one cushion had to bring the decision. Dave Christiani was the favorite, partly because he's a master in this game and already played a match (100 points) in one inning in this tournament. But now, in the final of the Grand Dutch, he failed. Sam van Etten had another perfect start with a run of 34 and was 95-49 ahead after seven innings. He ran out in the eighth and then secured the title. Christiani's equalizing inning was of no importance (100-700).
The joy was sincere, after the win, but of course he enjoyed it very much, the new shining champion who dethroned Dave Christiani after two consecutive victories in the Grand Dutch. Sam van Etten, two years ago the European junior champion, showed in Haarlo that he is among the all-rounders in Holland now and maybe in Europe and the world.
He took his title without too many supporters in the room, he said: ,,My parents have a cafe and had a big party today, but fortunately my grandfather came here to see me take the championship.''
Raymund Swertz took the third place on the final day beating Michel van Silfhout 6-4. Swertz won the free game in one inning, 71/2 in eight and three cushion in 21. Van Silfhout was the best in the 47/2 in four innings and one cushion in three innings.
Jos Bongers defeated Demi Pattiruhu for the fifth place 9-1, Micha van Bochem was seventh by a victory over Dennis Timmers 8-2.
In the Masters Artistic, Jop de Jong and Martin van Rhee were the group winners. Sander Jonen managed, despite a poor prelude this week (disease and research in hospital) yet qualified fort he semi-finals, where he lost in a great match 3-0 to Jop de Jong: 82.790/70.202.
Martin van Rhee won the neck-and-neck race with Rene Dericks 3-2 and 71.601. Therefore Jop de Jong and Martin van Rhee faced in the final. The young guy was first out of the blocks and showed his excellent form: 60-49 in 57-50 in 10 for 2-0 in the score.
Van Rhee bravely fought back, won the third and fourth with 46-33 and 75-69 in nine and five, but in the deciding set, Jop de Jong was unstoppable in the final phase: he triumphed with 48-41 and could write his first major title on his palmares.
He was over the moon with it: ,,I had a great start in the final, was 2-0 ahead, but then missed five match points. Happily I could win the set when we were 2-2. I thank everyone for the wonderful support, all the people who have sympathized, but also Dibo Biljarts and Erik Vijverberg.''
The final score at the Masters Artistic:
1 Jop de Jong, 63.287
2 Martin van Rhee 70.895
3 Sander Jonen 64.080
4 Rene Derickx 59.395
5 Erik Vijverbelrg 56.161
6 Jennifer Smits 49.687
7 Mark Janssen 45.378
8 Robert van Veenendaal 43.881.
Jop de Jong, 18 years and winner of the Masters artistic with Jonen, Van Rhee and Vijverberg