AFFERDEN - 51-year-old Dutchman from Gelderland, Michel van Silfhout, won his second national title of the season last Sunday. In the final of the Dutch Championships in one cushion, he beat Raymund Swertz by a big margin: 100-28 in 5 innings with a decisive run of 69. Earlier this season, Van Silfhout became national champion balkline 71/2.
The title was all the more wonderful, because the champion left two big favorites behind him. With Raymund Swertz as his opponent, friend and long-time teammate, Michel van Silfhout was the better in the final. Jean Paul de Bruijn was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Micha van Bochem. That match ended spectacularly: De Bruijn and Van Bochem tied in the regular match 100-100 in 8, after which a shoot-out to 20 points had to decide. Van Bochem won 20-19, after De Bruijn missed his last carom, again to tie the match.
Michel van Silfhout won against Martijn Egbers on his way to the quarter-finals, beat Leo Koomen in the last eight (100-66 in 16), was the strongest in the semi-final against Gert-Jan Veldhuizen (100-37 in 9) and finally in the golden match against Raymund Swertz.
For Michel van Silfhout, it was his second national championship in one cushion . He won his first national gold in 2018, also in Afferden in the final against Sam van Etten. Van Silfhout gathered a magnificent palmares on the podium in this discipline: he came second 11 times (4 times behind Jean Paul de Bruijn, 4 times behind Jos Bongers). The Zeeland player Jean Paul de Bruijn is the record title holder: he won the Dutch title one cushion 14 times. Hans Vultink was 13 times winner.
Michel van Silfhout commented: ''The final against Raymund Swertz was special. We know each other very well, so it's very special when you are facing each other in a final match. I was able to take advantage in the match in the third inning with a run of 69, although you never know with Raymund. He can play high runs at a rapid pace, so you always have to remain careful. This time he didn't succeed and I could win in 5 innings. It was a beautiful tournament, with many exciting matches and many enthusiastic spectators.''
The championship was played for a well-filled hall at 't Töpke in Afferden, Limburg.