LIER – The billiards legend has once again showed his unparalleled class. Raymond Ceulemans, at 88, played a match to 40 caroms in 15 innings in the Belgian league this Friday evening. That means 2.667 on average, which is still a top match for many of today's world-class players. The Belgian grandmaster played the match in the Mister 100, his home arena. His opponent was Freddy Staelens, who was overwhelmed 40-15. Raymond Ceulemans, with his fantastic record of 37 world titles in three-cushion s, is no longer playing individual tournaments in his twilight years, but is still active in the Belgian and Dutch leagues. At the end of this season, Ceulemans will undergo eye surgery, but he appears to be in top form.
In his Friday evening match, the maestro scored 19 points in 7 innings, 23 in 8 innings, 27 in 10 innings, and 32 in 13 innings, scoring a run of 7. Ceulemans plays his matches in the second Belgian division with the Mister 100 4 team.
Bart Ceulemans, who followed the match, said: "He played a fantastic match and is much better than last year. Back then, our grandpa played 0.900. Two weeks ago, he also scored a 40 in 23 innings, so he feels at home again at the billiards table."
Raymond Ceulemans has 4 children and 10 grandchildren. His wife, Angèle, is also still in good health.