AMSTERDAM - Dick Jaspers and Raimond Burgman were already killed in the semifinals, two players who can be seen as the revelations of the season were on the top of the podium. Martien van der Spoel first defeated Raimond Burgman on the last day and then won the finals against Dave Christiani, who had eliminated even more surprisingly Dick Jaspers in the semifinals.
The final chord of the first elite ranking of the year was for two players who played a wonderful tournament and dethroned the reigning champions in the Netherlands. Martien van der Spoel won the final. He had a flawless start (41-15 in fourteen innings) and came to the finish after a comeback in the match of his opponent: 50-43 in 35 innings.
Dave Christiani was apparently not recovered from the spectacular match against Dick Jaspers in the semifinal. The player who's born in Limburg overwhelmed the number one in the world with a great performance. He defeated Jaspers 50-35 in 20 innings, an average of 2.500 for Christiani. Martien van der Spoel beat another top player in Dutch biljaren. He left Raimond Burgman behind with a score of 50-43 in 35 innings.
The final was a match between two players who have a solid base as players in the classic games and slowly have specialized in three-cushion. Martien van der Spoel (29 years from Nijmegen) took in the Grand Dutch in Haarlo not only the title in the balk-line 71/2, he also won the tournament in three-cushion.
Sander Jonen of Biljart en Dart centrum Osdorp, where the elite tournament was held, spoke about a successful event. ,,We had some beautiful days, only on the final day there were less spectators, due to the good weather.''