Jean Paul de Bruijn runs 26 in Belgian league

AARTSELAAR (BELGIUM) - Dutchman Jean Paul de Bruijn made a run of 26 in the Belgian team competition this Monday evening. That’s just two caroms away from the world record 28 which is held by five players. The Dutch player made the run in Aartselaar, where De Bruijn was playing a league match with the DBC De Leug 2 team. The match on centercourt was against another Dutchman, Jack Wijnen in front of some 40 billiard fans.

The high run was made in the second inning when the going got tough after De Bruijn had scored 1 point in the first. So the score after that run was 27-1 in two innings. The final score in the match was 40-19 in 13 innings: average for De Bruijn 3.077.

The world record run of 28 is now in the name of Japanese Komori, Belgians Raymond Ceulemans, Frédéric Caudron and Roland Forthomme and since last year Korean player Jun Tae Kim. The world federation has promised a 29,000 euros premium for the improvement of the world record (29 or more).

Jean Paul de Bruijn, four-time Dutch three-cushion champion, plays in second-class competition in Belgium for the DBC De Leug 2 team, for which also another Zeeland player and pupil of De Bruijn plays: Joris van ‘t Zelfden who is his crewmate. The two Dutchmen won their match this evening against Meerlese Biljartclub, the match thus ended in 4-4.

’’I felt very happy making that wonderful run’’, Jean Paul de Bruijn commented when he had made the trip back home. ’’I think it’s also Dick Jaspers' Dutch record, that makes me even more happy. But of course the feeling prevails that I was very close to the world record. The run initially went very smoothly with a lot of positional play, but later there werd some difficult balls coming up.‘’

When JP made the 20, his highest run so far, he felt already a sense of relief. ‘’I could continue and didn't really feel much tension, even when coming closer to the record.’’ The 27th carom, unfortunately, was a miss. ’’That point I had to make with a bankshot over two rails. I misjudged it just a little bit, too bad, because I was so close. But of course I felt satisfaction for that great run.’’

There was not much of a crowd in De Leug's hall, but there were some snooker players in the room who all went to JP’s table to see what happened.

In Belgian’s highest class, the top match between Mister 100 Lier and Biljart Express in Turnhout on Monday evening ended in a 7-1 victory for Biljart Express. Eddy Merckx won the match against Peter Ceulemans 40-20 in 14 innings (2,857). Biljart Express joins Mister 100 in the lead as a result of that victory.