VLAARDINGEN - The player who could beat Dick Jaspers in the Grand Prix in Vlaardingen, of course was the big favorite to win the tournament. Jean van Erp indeed won the final against Ad Koorevaar and was very glad with his performance. ,,I am delighted with this result and I have a solid second place in the Dutch ranking behind Dick Jaspers now.'' Van Erp will play the World championship in Peru for the Netherlands with two other countrymen: Dick Jaspers and Raimond Burgman.
The 37-year old player from Heeswijk-Dinther defeated in the second Grand Prix of the season Eric van Hoorn, lost against Glenn Hofmann (50-36 in 21) in the preliminaries, but seeded for the next round. Ther he beat Ruud Hölscher, in the quarter final Jeffrey Jorissen, Dick Jaspers in the semis and Ad Koorevaar in the final. He had an overall average over six games of 1.722 and played three times on a row 2.000 (three times 25 innings) in his last three matches.
,,I played very well at the moments that I needed it'', said Van Erp, who has been particularly successful with teams in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany in his career, but could celebrate now his biggest individual victory in Vlaardingen .
The victory was crowned with a win in the semi finals against Dick Jaspers, who is his captain player in the team in the Dutch division. ,,I was 39-35 behind against Dick, but finished with ten, four and one'', he says. Against Ad Koorevaar he saw an advantage disappear by a run of his opponent. ,,I was 37-28 on the lead, but Ad made a run of nine and brought the score at 37-37. Then I finished with three, six, zero and four.''
Ad Koorevaar had placed for the finals with a win against Herman Slikker, in which he scored a run of eighteen, the highest of the tournament. Koorevaar also performed on a high level and could be content about his excellent tournament.