ETTEN LEUR - Dutch player Dick Jaspers was for many years the champion of famous tournaments like Crystal Kelly and the Agipi Masters. The three fold world champion won Crystal Kelly eight times (eighteen editions) and was two times the fantastic winner of Agipi, where he was by far the big money maker. This week he's heading for Lausanne for a tournament with that status, from there he travels to the World championship in Seoul and in three weeks to the World Cup in Hurghada.
The Swiss tournament is a wonderful warm-up, the World championship must be the highlight in these hectic weeks.
,,The World championship has a magical sound for me.''
Dick Jaspers is not one to complain about the schedule that's coming up. ,,We just had three relatively quiet weeks'', he realizes. ,,I still practice, when there are no matches for a while. You have to, if you want to keep up with the world's best. I think most of the players in the top-10 make many hours at the table these days.''
Kozoom looked up the three-time world champion and this year's winner of the Porto World Cup, on his way to 2014's three last challenges.
Kozoom/Frits Bakker: Your level has been very high for a few months now, in the leagues and the last Grand Prix. Are you surprising yourself, after a few seasons without a major title?
Dick Jaspers: This is what I am known for, a fairly constant and high level of play. I enjoy doing well in the leagues, but I would much rather excel in one of the big tournaments. Especially the WC, that is the biggest one of the season. That is where you make your name. That is what people will remember. That is Jaspers, they will say, he was world champion three times over. A World Cup victory does not resound like that. Many good players have never won a world title, they do not know what it's like in that spotlight.
Kozoom/FB: The league is more like a chore, a way to survive. Is that how you see it?
DJ: It is a good thing that we get that podium, that there are sponsors who make it possible. It enables us to play as professionals. I think the league is the perfect place to test your game, and I always give it 100 %. League records are great, but again: there is nothing like a WC.
Kozoom/FB: How happy were you with that World Cup victory in Porto. Was it a load off your back, a confirmation of your class after a lesser period?
DJ: I always react in a controlled manner, but deep inside I was jumping for joy. It was indeed a relief, even though I never doubted myself. You need a little luck to win, sometimes. My last two victories in that tournament, against the Vietnamese guy and against Roland Forthomme in the final could have gone the other way. I was sharp, I dealt with the pressure and I was a little bit lucky. A load off my back? Not like that, you will not see me jumping on cloud nine. My game or my attitude did not change in those few years without a major win. It felt so good though. I enjoyed it at home for days, afterwards. And then, I suddenly turn back into that down to earth Dutchman, who says: back to work. I need that, I am a player who needs to practice, always.
Kozoom/FB: Have you looked for an explanation, for those lesser years? Like Marco Zanetti, who is now more or less stationary, after that incredible year he had?
DJ: It could be, that a type of saturation sets in, as it has with Marco. We are all on a tightrope, and we could fall off at any given time. It is my impression though, that Frédéric Caudron and Torbjörn Blomdahl win tournaments easier than the rest of us. That we need to work harder at it, Zanetti, Sánchez, Merckx and myself. We may win a match, but then we need to recharge for the next one, to keep winning. Blomdahl and Caudron seem less depleted, their confidence is deeper than ours. Once they feel the table, they just steamroll opponents, and they play nothing but great averages.
Kozoom/FB: The level of the world's best keeps going up, can you explain that?
DJ: It is strange actually, because the matches are now to 40, and we have less time, given the 40 second rule. If you don't feel quite right at the table, you are vulnerable. Caudron and Blomdahl handle that better too. And the general level? Yes, there are more players in the hunt, and they have all improved. It is a revolution of sorts. Eight or nine players in the top 10 practice like maniacs, in my opinion. It was not like that in the old days.
Kozoom/FB: These stories that come from Korea and Vietnam, about players making eight, nine hours a day at the table, did that have an effect? Do you and the other European top players say: we are not going to let ourselves be dominated by these Asian guys?
DJ: Yes, that is a factor. The Asians are very dedicated, and very disciplined. They have the ability to practice long hours, they can be tough on themselves. We are fighters though, we can take the pain and we are strong, tactically. And we realize what we are up against. It motivates us to be the best we can be, and stay on top.
Kozoom/FB: Those eight practice hours a day, is that something you believe in? Should a player do that?
DJ: I don't think so, even though I practice often. But you also need rest, to make sure you are comfortable in your own skin, to be confident.
Kozoom/FB: The years add up, for the generation you and Blomdahl and Zanetti are in. How much ambition do you still have?
DJ: We are running out of time, I do realize that. There will come a moment when the flame burns less brightly. We are aware of that, and we want to perform while we still can. I still feel good, and I am full of motivation. Can't see that go down in the upcoming years, and I want to take all the chances that are there.
Kozoom/FB: The magic WC is around the corner, good luck, Dick.
Dick Jaspers: Thank you, I will give it my best shot.