Peter De Backer on top with team in Belgium

KERKSKEN - The Belgian team competition will catch up with some other match in the coming weeks, but for now the team T's Place from Kerksken is in the lead. The league start is more or less surprising, because Biljart Express, Mister 100 and Op de Meir have to chase T's Place, where Peter De Backer is the still unbeaten leader. That leading position was not in danger this week playing against Kortrijk 2, the match which was won 7-1 in a home match in Kerksken (a village five kilometers from Aalst).

T's Place, which further plays with Huub Wilkowski, Joey de Kok and Patrick Kesteloot, tops the standings with 6 match points out of 4 matches. The team lost only to Biljart Express, despite Peter De Backer's nice draw against Eddy Merckx (40-40 in 20 innings). De Backer also played a draw this week against Cédric Melnytschenko (40-40 in 31), but for the leaders, Wilkowski (in 32), De Kok (in 36) and Kesteloot (in 40) won. Peter De Backer: ,,The ranking is still a bit skewed, because we have only had one of the top teams so far: a loss against Biljart Express. So, our position will definitely be hunted in the coming weeks.‘’

Mister 100 still has to catch up with the match against Herstal, which was postponed from September 20 to October 17. The team can take over the lead if they win. Mr. 100 won 6-2 in this week's away match against KBC Kortrijkse. Peter Ceulemans, just returned from the World championship in Vietnam, bested Ronny Brants 40-30 in 35, Bart Ceulemans won his match against Frédéric Beghin 40-27 in 33 (best winner for his team) and Kurt Ceulemans beat Philip Vandendriessche 40-35 in 36. Only Jerry Hermans lost to Martin Ravestyn: 40-39 in 41.

Royal Brugse and TBA played a draw thanks in part to wins by Frank Martens over Steven van Acker (40-22 in 28) and by Henk Blauwblomme against Ronny Daniels (40-34 in 36). Koen Saver played an excellent match for Bruges, beating Stischinsky 40-20 in 23.

De Leug and De Ploeg also played equal with Andy de Bondt and Mik Durwael winning for De Leug in 22 and 33 innings. Ronny Lindemann and Dustin Jäschke, De Ploeg's two Germans helped their team to the deserved match point. Lindemann won against Van Havere 40-23 in 18, best game of this round. Jäschke beat Therese Klompenhouwer 40-24 in 27  Witte Molen-Herstal is played tonight, 3rd of October.

The provisional standings (matches played, match points):

1. T's Place 4-6
2. Op de Meir 4-5
3. Biljart Express 4-5
4. Mr. 100 3-5
5. Kortrijk 4-4
6. De Leug 4-4
7. Brugge 4-3
8. Kortrijk 2 3-4
9. Herstal 2-2
10. Witte Molen 3-3
11. De Ploeg 4-2