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Ouschan and He win the Euro-Tour events in Veldhoven

Mario He and Jasmin Ouschan

Jasmin Ouschan (AUT) and Mario He (AUT) went all the way to glory and pocketed the victories in their respective tournament.
 
In the men’s event, the Dynamic Billard Veldhoven Open 2018 Euro-Tour, Mario He defeated Eklent Kaci with 9:8 after a thrilling final match. In rack #3, Mario He forced Kaci to commit a foul and got ball in hand. But all of a sudden he found himself snookered behind the 6-ball when the 5-ball was on. He had completely misjudged the positioning of that shot. However, Mario He went for his jump stick and pocketed the 5-ball with a tremendous jump-shot over the whole table, having position for the next ball and running the rack to get to a 2:1 advantage over Kaci. The match went along with both players taking racks in turn. It was pretty striking that both played really accurate and only committed mistakes when the opponent forced them to. Balls were always pocketed into he center of the respective pocket. They both were full of self-confidence and optimism. It was Eklent Kaci in rack #15 who missed an easy 2-ball. He played it on the edge of the corner pocket and allowed Mario He to come back to the table though he could have scored to point into his account, going on the hill first. But instead, Mario He won that rack and got to the hill first, putting a hell of a lot of pressure on Kaci. But he wouldn’t be Eklent Kaci if he couldn’t stand the heat. The Albanian performed very calm and scored to make the match hill-hill at 8:8. It was Mario He to break. He had a ball pocketed and a tough shot on the 1-ball. But he fired that ball in without hesitation. Then, the layout was quite makable for him. He pocketed all remaining balls and deservedly won a very high class final match against Eklent Kaci with 9:8.
 
Top Eight Men
 
1. Mario He AUT
2. Eklent Kaci ALB
3. Niels Feijen NED
    David Alcaide ESP
5. Konstantin Stepanov RUS
    Maksim Dudanets RUS
    Marc Bijsterbosch NED
    Kim Laaksonen FIN
 
The women’s final was played between Jasmin Ouschan and Oliwia Czuprynska. Czuprynska had to overcome Sara Rocha (POR) in the semi-final this morning. The outcome of that match was totally open since Rocha really played up to her limits in this event. Czuprynska managed to get a 4:2 lead over Rocha, but the Portuguese struck back and even overtook Czuprynska on the fast lane, conquering 5:4 intermediate advantage over Czuprynska. After that, the batteries of Rocha seemed to have burned out. Czuprynska took the next three racks and won the semi-final with 7:5, booking her seat in the final match. Jasmin Ouschan had her semi-final match against Tamara Peeters-Rademakers (NED). That encounter ran quite smoothly for the favoured Austrian. Ouschan achieved a comfortable 7:3 victory over Peeters-Rademakers and booked her seat for the final match. The final match started out quite even. Both contestants performed rock solid and the was displayed on the scoreboard. After 5 racks, Ouschan had a thin 3:2 lead over Czuprynska. In rack #6, Ouschan missed a long 9-ball and gave Czuprynska a chance to tie the score at 3:3. But Czuprynska also missed and Ouschan did not give her a second attempt and instead scored herself to turn the score 4:2. Form that moment on, Czuprynska had totally lost her rhythm and momentum. As so often, Ouschan dominated the table to her liking. The mistake that Czuprynska made in rack #6 broke her neck and Ouschan grew strong from it. In the end, the finals result displayed on the scoreboard was 7:3 in favour of Ouschan.
 
Top Eight Women
 
1. Jasmin Ouschan AUT
2. Oliwia Czuprynska POL
3. Sara Rocha POR
    Tamara Peeters-Rademakers NED
5. Natalia Seroshtan RUS
    Martine Christiansen NOR
    Eylul Kibaroglu TUR
    Marharyta Fefilava BLR
 
That concludes the coverage of the Dynamic Billard Veldhoven open and the EPBF Veldhoven Open for Women.
 
The tournaments were played on up to 60 tables which were all streamed LIVE throughout the whole event.
 
The event was hosted by the European Governing Body for Pool, the European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF) and organised by International Billiard Promotion (IBP). For further information and reference please go to the federation website www.eurotouronline.eu or visit us on Facebook for regular news clips or contact our press office press@epbf.com.

Jasmin Ouschan completes Austrian victory

Jasmin Ouschan

Jasmin Ouschan (AUT) just won the Dynamic Billard Austria Women’s Open in Alpina Wellness & Sports Hotel, St. Johann i.Pg., Austria, with a clear 7:2 victory over Veronika Ivanovskaia (GER).
 
She was and is the powerhouse in European women’s pool billiard. Jasmin Ouschan has just completed the Austrian victory in St. Johann i.Pg. After Mario He’s victory from yesterday, she did not fall short and took the title in the women’s version of the Euro-Tour. Ouschan had a good start into the tournament. She took her first three victories impressively clear with 7:0 over Anne Darda (GER), 7:2 against Kateryna Polovinchuk (UKR) and 7:1 against Martine Christiansen (NOR). Then, her performance suffered a little bit. „I needed some help during some matches of this tournament“, stated Ouschan after the final match, „but our new national coach Andreas Roschkowsky from Germany is a really nice and knowledgeable person who I have a great contact with. He knew exactly what to say and analysed my matches spot-on so I could find my personal rhythm back“. The „turbulences“ in Ouschan’s way into the final match were caused by Ana Gradisnik (SLO) 7:4 and Katarzyna Wesolowska (POL) where Ouschan was already trailing 0:4 but managed to win the match with 7:5. „There is still a lot of work to do“, said Roschkowsky, „we are on a great track but I have some new ideas for the future“. The semi-final was again a clear 7:1 victory for Ouschan. Her opponent in the final match was Veronika Ivanovskaia. The German lady had defeated Claudia Von Rohr (SUI) 7:5, Sara Rocha (POR) 7:1 and in an epic battle in the semi-final Kristina Tkach (RUS) with 7:5. That match was broadcasted LIVE on the EPBF Facebook page today. However, the final match was far from exciting and turned into a disaster for Ivanovskaia. Ouschan was too strong for her and rightfully took the match 7:2 and added another tournament victory to her portfolio.
 
Result final match
Jasmin Ouschan (AUT) v Veronika Ivanovskaia (GER) 7:2
 
Results semi-finals
Kristina Tkach (RUS) v Veronika Ivanovskaia 5:7
Jasmin Ouschan v Tina Vogelmann (GER) 7:1
 
Results quarter-finals
Kristina Tkach v Amalia Matas (ESP) 7:3
Veronika Ivanovskaia v Sara Rocha (POR) 7:1
Katarzyna Wesolowska (POL) v Jasmin Ouschan 5:7
Melanie Suessenguth (GER) v Tina Vogelmann 4:7
 
Top eight players Dynamic Billard Austrian Open
1. Jasmin Ouschan
2. Veronika Ivanovskaia
3. Kristina Tkach
Tina Vogelmann
5. Amalia Matas
Sara Rocha
Katarzyna Wesolowska
Melanie Suessenguth
 
That concludes the coverage from the Dynamic Billard Austrian Open in Alpina Wellness & Sports Hotel, St. Johann i.Pg., Austria.
 
The events were hosted by the European Governing Body for Pool, the European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF) and organized by International Billiard Promotion (IBP). For further information and reference please go to the federation website www.epbf.com, visit us on Facebook or check out our youtube channel for regular news clips or contact our press office press@epbf.com.

Grabe Takes Second in a Row

Denis Grabe (EST) has just won the Dynamic Billard Slovenian Open Euro-Tour event in Portoroz, Slovenia. He defeated Marc Bijsterbosch (NED) with a clear 9:4 result.

 

Grabe took his first Euro-Tour title ever at the last Euro-Tour in St. Johann, Austria. Already there he defeated bis names like current 9-ball World Champion Niels Feijen (NED). Here again, Grabe got the better of players like Karl Boyes (GBR) 9:4, Albin Ouschan (AUT) 9:3, Marcus Chamat (SWE) 9:3 and in the final up and coming young Dutch player Marc Bijsterbosch (NED) 9:4. „I think I am really on a roll at the moment“, stated Grabe after the final match. „The victories do not come easy to me at all. They are hard work. But I am very confident at this point in time and I want to make use of it while it lasts“, added Grabe.

 

It could be witnessed in general at this Euro-Tour event that many young players were doing extremely well. Maybe a new generation is knocking on the door of the established players…

 

Earlier today, Karl Boyes’ (GBR) journey was cruelly stopped by said Grabe. Boyes managed to defeat BCA Hall of Famer Ralf Souquet (GER) twice yesterday and was full of confidence and good hopes for today. But Grabe put an abrupt end to that. After the match, Boyes and Carlos Cabello (ESP) were randomly drawn for an anti-doping test, conducted by the Slovenian Anti-Doping Association SLOADO.

 

Also remarkable is the fact that many nations were represented in the final stages of the tournament. In the quarter-finals, eight different nations had a player in the field left. This shows the tight level of competition in Europe as of current.

 

Final standings:

  1. Denis Grabe (EST)
  2. Marc Bijsterbosch (NED)
  3. Marcus Chamat (SWE)
    Mats Schjetne (NOR)
  4. Mark Gray (GBR)
    Petri Makkonen (FIN)
    Radoslaw Babica (POL)
    Albin Ouschan (AUT)

The top ten players of the Euro-Tour rankings are now:

  1. Nick Van Den Berg (NED)
  2. Niels Feijen (NED)
  3. Daniele Corrieri (ITA)
  4. Karol Skowerski (POL)
  5. Mark Gray (GBR)
  6. Konstantin Stepanov (RUS)
  7. Albin Ouschan (AUT)
  8. Phil Burford (GBR)
  9. Radoslaw Babica (POL)
  10. Imran Majid (GBR)
  11.  

In the women’s division, the favorite players are in the winner’s bracket on their way to the single elimination stage of the event. Jasmin Ouschan (AUT) is playing Sandra Baumgartner (AUT), Oliwia Czuprynska (POL) battles it out with Kristina Schagan (GER), Ana Mazhirina (RUS) and Ine Helvik (NOR) are having a match and Martine Christiansen (NOR) plays against Monica Margeta (SWE) for a seat in the quarterfinals tomorrow. The last match is quite open. The first three matches clearly have heavily favored favorites in Ouschan, Czuprynska and Mazhirina.

 

The Women’s Euro-Tour Slovenian Open will continue tomorrow morning at 09:00 CET. The final is scheduled for 15:00 CET.

 

More information about participants, schedules, achievements, rankings, etc can be found on the event website www.eurotouronline.com

 

The event is hosted by the European Pocket Billiard Federation EPBF and organized by International Billiard Promotion Foundation IBPF.

 

Feijen takes Longoni Open on 6th attempt!

Feijen finally wins his sponsor’s own open!

Last night, we concluded the most spectacular Longoni Benelux Open to date. With 240 entries, this sixth edition of the event was the biggest in the series. An incredible field of superb pros, counting no less than seven world champions, in a fierce battle for the championship title, the coveted Longoni cup, the fame and the substantial prize fund.

Yesterday, the elite 'Final 32' lined up some amazing matches. In the early stages of the day, there were already quite some matches worthy of a final, to name but a few:

 
Nick Van Den Berg (NL) vs Huidji See (NL) [1st round]
Tony Drago (NL) vs Karl Boyes (ENG) [2nd round]
Nick van den Berg (NL) vs Niels Feijen (Official) (NL) [one loss side
Huidji See (NL) vs Andreas Roschkowsky (D) [3rd round]
Ralf Souquet (D) vs Oliver Oliver "the Machine" Ortmann (Official) (D) [3rd round]
 
By reaching the Final 32, a fantastic achievement in itself, Longoni junior pro Kamila Khodjaeva earned the status of Best Lady, including a prize money bonus.
 
In the end, eight die hards reached the Quarter Finals. Reigning world 9ball champion Niels Feijen escaped from elimination with hill/hill matches against fellow countryman Nick van den Berg and former world 8ball champion Karl Boyes. Tony Drago, dealt with his opponents in 'Tornado' mode, which put him in the quarters so fast that that he had to wait a long time for all the other matches to catch up. The double knock out stage resulted in the following Quarter Finals:
 
Andreas Roschkowsky (D) 8-7 Marc Bijsterbosch (NL)
Oliver Ortmann (D) 3-8 Daryl Peach (ENG)
Lars Kuckherm (D) 8-5 Kevin Becker (D)
Tony Drago (MLT) 4-8 Niels Feijen (NL)
 
Former Longoni Benelux Open Champions reached the first Semi Final. While the other saw two German '1. Bundesliga' teammates facing each other in battle:
 
Andreas Roschkowsky (D) 5-8 Daryl Peach (ENG)
Lars Kuckherm (D) 3-8 Niels Feijen (NL)
 
In the end, the conclusion of the event was a revanche match of the 2012 Final. This time, the pool gods favoured Niels Feijen, who had his more than eager eyes on nothing else but the prize. Eventually, 'The Terminator' had to win the Longoni Benelux Open. Everybody expected him to. After all, he is the event's MVP.
 
Daryl Peach (ENG) 3-8 Niels Feijen (NL)
 
((( Niels Feijen is the 2014 Longoni Benelux Open Champion )))
 
In the meantime, the 2014 Longoni Benelux Open Ladies Side Event's Final was still in progress. It became a double hill thriller. Martine Christiansencould have finished it. Instead, she left the 9ball rattling in the jaws of the corner pocket. The cool and collected Kamila Khodjaeva grabbed the opportunity with both hands and pocketed the last two balls for the win. Double success for the fresh new Longoni team member.
 
Martine Christiansen (NOR) 4-5 Kamila Khodjaeva (B)
 
There was no better scenario than this for Longoni cues. A double win, the most successful and fulfilling event in the series and smiling faces, throughout the long weekend.
 
And last, but not least, I want to thank all the players and spectators for attending in great numbers, Thurston Rotterdam and its great staff for hosting the event, Kem Sen and his www.ebillard.fr team for putting together a fantastic live stream, the tournament staff – Alain Desmet, Tom Penrose,Stefan Osnabrug and guest master photographer JP Parmentier – and the people who helped – Crelis Hogchem and Johan Bakermans – all our partners in this venture: Hotel One, King Kong Hostel, Sumo, KNBB, Kamui,Serge Das Billiards, Loontjens Biljarts, Iwan Simonis, Saluc for their Aramith pool balls and Rotterdam Topsport.

Monica Webb takes the title in the Women’s Euro-Tour

Monica Webb

Monica Webb (USA) just won the Dynamic Billard Austrian Open Women Euro-Tour event in beautiful St. Johann/Pg., Austria, with a convincing 7:3 victory over favored hometown hero Jasmin Ouschan (AUT).
 
It has been Webb’s tournament from the very beginning. She played great throughout the whole event. Results like 7:4 over #2 ranked player Ana Mazhirina (RUS), 7:3 over #5 ranked Ina Kaplan (GER), 7:2 over multiple European and World Champion Oliwia Czuprynska (POL) and 7:3 against another multiple European and World Champion Jasmin Ouschan in the final demonstrated her domination in this event. Although being handicapped with a foot in plaster she performed better than ever in Europe. „I felt great in this event“, stated Webb after the match. „I have practiced a lot during the last months and I think it is paying off now“. When asked about her plans for the future, she answered with a smile: „I will definitely continue playing the Euro-Tour“.
 
Jasmin Ouschan’s way into the final was also quite impressive. Two victories over Kamila Khodjaeva (BEL) with 7:3 and 7:5 and a 7:2 victory over Line Kjoersvik (NOR) are among the impressive results from Ouschan.
 
The final match however was not Ouschan’s. She committed too many mistakes which was very unusual for Ouschan. For example, she left the 9-ball hanging over the pocket and missed several easy shots. Maybe the pressure to win on home soil is too big on her. However, her opponent benefitted from these mistakes. „I think I also had some luck in the right moments“, commented Webb modestly. But luck belongs to any sports and her performance here did not have too much to do with luck. She was simply better than the rest of the field. She is a very modest person and her victory is absolutely deserved.
 
 
 
Top 8 finishers Men’s Dynamic Billard Austrian Open 2014
 
Monica Webb (USA)
Jasmin Ouschan (AUT)
Line Kjörsvik (NOR)
Veronika Ivanovskaia (GER)
Ana Mazhirina (RUS)
Claudia Kunz (SUI)
Kamila Khodjaeva (BEL)
Oliwia Czuprynska (POL)
 
Top Ten players Euro-Tour ranking
 
Jasmin Ouschan (AUT)
Ana Mazhirina (RUS)
Caroline Roos (SWE)
Martine Christiansen (NOR)
Ina Kaplan (GER)
Jennifer Vietz (GER)
Nataliya Seroshtan (RUS)
Louise Furberg (SWE)
Sandra Baumgartner (AUT)
Ine Helvik (NOR)
This concludes the coverage from Alpina Wellness and Sports Hotel in Alpendorf, St. Johann/Pg., Austria. All results and more info can be found online at www.eurotourwomenonline.eu .
 
The event was hosted by the European Governing Body for Pool, the European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF) and organized by International Billiard Promotion (IBP). For further information and reference please go to the federation websitewww.epbf.com or contact the press office press@epbf.com.

Souquet and Ouschan win the Dynamic Billard North Cyprus Open

Ralf Souquet and Jasmin Ouschan

Ralf Souquet (GER) and Jasmin Ouschan (AUT) have won the titles at the Dynamic Billard North Cyprus Open Euro-Tour.
 
In the men’s division, Ralf Souquet played at his best. He took down great names like Ivo Aarts (NED) 9:0, Imran Majid (GBR) 9:3, Mieszko Fortunski (POL) 9:3 and in the final match Karl Boyes (GBR) with 9:4. The final match was dominated by Souquet from start to finish. A bit scrappy in the beginning, Souquet turned out to have the far better break shot than Boyes. He pocketed almost every time a ball on his break and ran out 4 racks without even allowing Boyes into the table. The Brit however had to struggle with his break shot. Most of the time, he came up dry with no ball down or not enough balls crossing the kitchen line. This situation was taken advantage of by Souquet without any mercy. The BCA Hall of Famer played up to his standard and rightfully took the final match with 9:4. "I did not have the best two weeks before at the European Championships", stated Souquet after the match. "I won a bronze Medal in 9-Ball and one in the team competition. Normally, I am aiming for more", he added. "I am happy that I found my game in the Euro-Tour and that I was able to perform on that level", mentioned the likable German.
 
The first 8 players in the men’s division were:
 
1. Ralf Souquet (GER)
 
2. Karl Boyes (GBR)
 
3. Chris Melling (GBR)
Mieszko Fortunski (POL)
 
5. Phil Burford (GBR)
Imran Majid (GBR)
Francisco Diaz-Pizarro (ESP)
Serge Das (BEL)
 
The Top Ten men in the Euro-Tour rankings are:
 
1. Nick Van Den Berg (NED)
 
2 .Niels Feijen (NED)
 
3. Phil Burford (GBR)
 
4. Karol Skowerski (POL)
 
5. Tomasz Kaplan (POL)
 
6. Mateusz Sniegocki (POL)
 
7. Albin Ouschan (AUT)
 
8. Konstantin Stepanov (RUS)
 
9. Mark Gray (GBR)
 
10. Chris Melling (GBR)
 
These new rankings after the Dynamic Billard North Cyprus Open determine the European participants for the Men’s World 9-Ball Championships in Qatar later this year. Nominated through the WPA rankings will be: Thorsten Hohmann (GER), Karl Boyes (GBR), Mika Immonen (FIN), Nick Ekonomopoulos (GRE), Darren Appleton (GBR), Chris Melling (GBR), Niels Feijen (GER), Ralf Souquet (GER) and Huidji See. Nominated through the European Championships will be: Jürgen Jenisy (AUT), Albin Ouschan (AUT), Mateusz Sniegocki (POL), Konstantin Stepanov (RUS) and Michel Barthol (CRO). Nominated through the Euro-Tour rankings will be: Nick Van Den Berg (NED), Phil Burford (GBR), Karol Skowerski (POL), Tomasz Kaplan (POL), Mark Gray (GBR), Daryl Peach (GBR), Radoslaw Babica (POL), Stephan Cohen (FRA), Mieszko Fortunski (POL), Alex Kazakis (GRE), Imran Majid (GBR), Andreas Gerwen (SWE), Ivo Aarts (NED), Mario He (AUT), Petri Makkonen (FIN), Manuel Gama (POR), Artem Koshovyi (UKR) and Bruno Muratore (ITA). Nominated through the European Senior Championships will be: Tom Strom (SWE).
 
These names are subject to confirmation by the EPBF.
 
In the women’s final, Jasmin Ouschan demonstrated her superiority over all other players. In a total of six matches, she only lost seven (7!) individual racks! She defeated Katrine Feijen (DEN) 7:1, Monika Margeta (SWE) 7:1, Katarzyna Wesolowska (POL) 7:1, Oliwia Czuprynska (POL) 7:3, Monica Webb (USA) 7:1 and Kristina Tkach (RUS) in the final match even with 7:0. "I always try and play my best game", said Ouschan after the match. "This time, I was really feeling good and I think that was the reason why I could perform with my best game".
 
The first 8 players in the women’s division were:
 
1. Jasmin Ouschan (AUT)
 
2. Kristina Tkach (RUS)
 
3. Monica Webb (USA)
Ana Gradisnik (SLO)
 
5. Caroline Roos (SWE)
Kristina Zlateva (BUL)
Claudia Kunz (SUI)
Oliwia Czuprynska (POL)
 
The Top Ten women in the Euro-Tour rankings are:
 
1. Jasmin Ouschan (AUT)
 
2. Anna Mazhirina (RUS)
 
3. Caroline Roos (SWE)
 
4. Martine Christiansen (NOR)
 
5. Ina Kaplan (GER)
 
6. Jennifer Vietz (GER)
 
7. Nataliya Seroshtan (RUS)
 
8. Louise Furberg (SWE)
 
9. Sandra Baumgartner (AUT)
 
10. Ine Helvik (NOR)
 
That concludes the coverage of the Dynamic Billard North Cyprus Open Euro-Tour for Men and Women.
 
All results and more info can be found on www.eurotouronline.eu . Videos of the event can be viewed by premium members at www.kozoom.com.
 
The event was hosted by the European Governing Body for Pool, the European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF) and organized by International Billiard Promotion (IBP). For further information and reference please go to the federation website www.eurotouronline.eu or contact our press office press@epbf.com.

No one able to stop Feijen so far

Niels Feijen (NED)

Niels Feijen is on fire! After winning the 9-Ball European Champion title two days ago, he is now in the final 16 players of the Dynamic Billard North Cyprus Open Euro-Tour event. He had an epic clash with Albin Ouschan (AUT) in the round of the last 32 players. Feijen seemed to be unstoppable by Ouschan. After 8 racks, the scoreboard displayed 7:1 for Feijen. Then the tide seemed to turn in the match. Ouschan won a rack after Feijen gave him a good safety position but Ouschan luckily pocketed the 2-ball. That obviously gave him wind underneath his wings. Ouschan managed to pull a few racks back from Feijen. And „The Terminator“ seemed to be impressed by Ouschan’s comeback. 6:7 was the score after 13 racks. Then, Ouschan came up with a sloppy played safety shot. That was his end in the tournament. Feijen ran that rack and the next one to win this match with 9:6. He will now face Chris Melling (GBR) in the next round.
 
Other notable results from today include Manuel Gama (POR) ousting Darren Appleton (GBR) from the event with 9:6. Serge Das (BEL) had a close heads-up match with Daryl Peach (GBR). Das had the better end in his favor, winning the match with 9:8 over Peach. Young „Orange“ player Ivo Aarts (NED) also still has the chance to leave his footprints in the tournament. He defeated Babken Melkonyan (ROM) with 9:6 and will now have to deal with „grandmaster“ Ralf Souquet (GER) in the next round.
 
In the women’s Euro-Tour event, all-time favored player Jasmin Ouschan (AUT) won her match in the round of the final 16 players clearly with 7:1 over Katarzyna Wesolowska (POL). She will now face Wesolowska’s teammate Oliwia Czuprynska (POL) who eliminated Kateryna Polovinchuk (UKR) 7:1 in the next round. Kristina Zlateva (BUL) has a match with Monica Webb (USA) in the same round. Zlateva overcame Martine Christiansen (NOR) 7:3 while Webb destroyed Darya Sirotina (RUS) with 7:1. Caroline Roos (SWE) will play Ana Gradisnik (SLO) in the same round, just like Claudia Kunz (SUI) versus Kristina Tkach (RUS).
 
The Euro-Tour event will continue tomorrow morning at 10:00 am local time.
 
All results and more info can be found on www.eurotouronline.eu . LIVEStream of all 24 tables can be viewed at www.kozoom.com.
 
The event is hosted by the European Governing Body for Pool, the European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF) and organized by International Billiard Promotion (IBP). For further information and reference please go to the federation website www.eurotouronline.eu or contact our press office press@epbf.com.

Major upsets and “business as usual” go hand in hand

112 Men, 48 Women and 17 Wheelchair players have entered the 8-ball individuals at the 2014 Dynamic Billard European Championships in order to grab the title in their respective division.
Defending Champion David Alcaide (ESP) seems to be hard to stop at this year's Dynamic Billard European Championships. After taking the 10-ball title earlier this week, he is right on track in the 8-ball as well. With victories over Vincent Facquet (FRA) 8:4, Marcus Chamat (SWE) 8:3 and Alex Montpellier (FRA) 8:4, he made his way to the stage of the final 32 players where he will meet his fellow countryman Francisco Sanchez Ruiz (ESP) tomorrow morning at 09:00 local time. A big upset happened in the match between Konstantin Stepanov (RUS) and Georg Hoeberl (AUT). The Austrian eliminated the Russian superstar with 8:6 from the event. Somehow, these Austrians seem to be in a perfect shape these days. Jürgen Jenisy (AUT) ousted Tomasz Kaplan (POL) 8:5 from the 8-ball event. Probably the biggest surprise was the victory of Ioan Ladanyi (ROM) over 10-Ball World Champion Hudji See (NED) with 8:0 ! A whitewash for the World Champion from a complete underdog! Albin Ouschan (AUT) could not follow his teammates in to the next round. He lost clearly with 2:8 to Jakub Koniar (SVK). Daryl Peach (GBR) was another famous victim of today's play. He had to bow to Christian Surdea (ROM) with 7:8. Two Romanians taking care of two major upsets. Niels Feijen (NED) just crossed the finish line with an 8:7 victory over Kasper Kristoffersen (DEN).
 
In the women's division, defending Champion Line Kjoersvik (NOR) is straight on track. She won her first two matches over Alice Marcotte (FRA) 6:0 and Eylul Kibaroglu (TUR) 6:3. She has booked her seat in the single elimination round of the last 16 players. Among others, she is joined by Tamara Peeters-Rademakers (NED) who surprisingly sent Oliwia Czuprynska (POL) to the loser's side with 6:4. All time favorite Jasmin Ouschan (AUT) has also secured her spot in the round of the last 16 players. She won over Claudia Kunz (SUI) 6:3 and Nathalie Seichter (NED) 6:0. Last year's runner-up Marika Poikkijoki (FIN) did not have smooth sailing today. She won her first match with Kynthia Orfanidis (NED) 6:3 but then fell to Martine Christiansen (NOR) 5:6. On the loser's side, Poikkijoki had to deal with Russian Anna Mazhirina (RUS). Mazhirina made too many potting errors and opened the way for Poikkijoki to win the match with 6:3. Kamila Khodjaeva (BEL) came up with some impressive 8-ball action today. She defeated Sandra Baumgartner (AUT) 6:4 and Kristina Schagan (GER) 6:1. The strong Polish women Katarzyna Wesolowska (POL) and Oliwia Czuprynska (POL) did not have too much luck in their game today. While Czuprynska managed to get back into the round of the last 16 players through the loser's round with a 6:4 victory over Veronika Hubrtova (CZE), Weslowska's 8-ball journey has ended for 2014. She lost to unheralded Severine Titaux (FRA) 5:6.
The wheelchair division saw all favorites making their way through to the quarter-finals today. Defending Champion Fred Dinsmore (IRE) started his journey today with a 5:2 victory over Aslam Abubaker (GBR). Then he just managed to defeat Leszek Blumczynski (POL) with 5:4 to book his seat among the final eight players. Multi-time European and World Champion Jouni Tähti (FIN) took down Joachim Schuler (GER) 5:1 and then Craig Welsh (GBR) 5:0. He was definitely in a good stroke all day long. Belgium's Kurt Deklerck (BEL) won over Tony Southern (GBR) 5:3 and then got the better of Tankred Volkmer (GER) with 5:4. Finally, Henrik Larsson (SWE) won his matches over Daniel Luton (GBR) 5:2 and David Himpe (BEL) 5:1. These four players can be considered the serious favorites in the wheelchair division. However, they will get an opponent from the loser's side and have to continue in single-elimination mode from tomorrow on to find out who will be the Champion in 8-ball.

Play will commence tomorrow morning 09:00 local time with the 8-ball competition. All results and more info can be found on www.epconline.eu. LIVEStream can be viewed at www.kozoom.com.

The event is hosted by the European Governing Body for Pool, the European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF) and organized by International Billiard Promotion (IBP). For further information and reference please go to the federation website www.epconline.eu or contact our press office press@epbf.com.

“Black Widow” Camp announced

CAMBY, IN. — Aspiring young pool players will be offered a rare opportunity to learn from, and interact with, some of the game’s legends at the inaugural Black Widow Junior’s Camp, former world champion Jeanette Lee announced today.

The camp, which will be held July 29-31 at Bradford Woods, an educational nature facility in central Indiana, will feature instruction both on and off the table by Lee and a group of professionals like Johnny Archer, Allison Fisher, Nick Varner, Karen Corr, Shane Van Boening, Vivian Villarreal and more.
 

“Our future champions need and want our guidance and friendship,” said Ms.Lee, who established the Black Widow Foundation in order to develop programs like the Black Widow Junior’s Camp. “Students will have the opportunity to interact and bond with other players with similar interests and skill levels. They will also experience first hand the skill and dedication of the professional players.”

The Black Widow Junior’s Camp is designed to bridge the gap between accomplished junior players (age 14-18, with intermediate-to-advanced skill) and professionals. Class sessions will be short, designed to hold the interest of the students, allowing for maximum on-table instruction and demonstration. In addition to on-table instruction, campers will be offered short classes on marketing, public relations, nutrition and fitness, and career planning.

The program will feature core curriculum as well as electives, allowing for an experience that can be tailored to the specific needs and interests of individual campers.


The cost is $1,000 per student, which includes instruction, activities, lodging, all meals, snacks, prizes and 24-hour chaperones.

For more information on the Black Widow Junior’s Camp, go to http://blackwidowfoundation.org/, or call 317-455-3381.
 
About the Black Widow Foundation
The Black Widow Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit charitable foundation, established in 2013. The BWF is committed to the positive development of personal character and leadership skill sets of aspiring youth amateur and professional billiard players, as well as supporting the positive development of atrisk youth and individuals facing difficult life challenges.

About Jeanette Lee
Jeanette Lee, known throughout the world as “The Black Widow,” has enjoyed one of the most illustrious careers in billiards history. Formerly ranked the No. 1 player in the world, Ms. Lee has won more than 30 national and international titles. She is also a member of both the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame (2013) and the Women’s Professional Billiard Association Hall of Fame (2012), and has been ranked among the industry’s most recognizable and influential people by Billiards Digest.

 

Many Shootout Decisions in Euro Team Competition

The team competition always creates a special atmosphere at the European Championships each year. Players all gather together and support their own national team. That was the situation today at the Dynamic Billard European Championships for Men, Women and Wheelchair Athletes in Kyrenia, North Cyprus.

 

Several upsets can be reported from today’s lineups. In the women’s division, team Switzerland with Klaudia Kunz and Christine Feldmann defeated clearly favored team Poland with 2:1. Feldmann lost 4:7 in 9-ball to Katarzyna Wesolowska but her teammate Kunz defeated Oliwia Czuprynska in 8-ball 6:2. The shootout was won by the Swiss team which booked them a seat in the semi-finals already.

 

The other semi-finalist in the women’s division is team Norway, consisting of Line Kjoersvik and Martine Christiansen. They defeated team Germany 2:0, then team Bulgaria with the same result. In the winner’s qualification round, the Norwegians had to deal with team Russia which is composed of Ana Mazhirina and Darya Sirotina. Mazhirina lost 9-ball 4:7 to Christiansen while Sirotina defeated Kjoersvik with 6:5 in 8-ball. The shootout went in favor of the Scandinavian ladies. Norway as well as Switzerland are waiting in the semi-finals for their opponents to be determined tomorrow.

 

In the men’s division, the defending Champions Netherlands had a thriller going on against long-time rival Germany. Nick Van Den Berg made a quick 1:0 lead for the Netherlands, winning the 8-ball with 8:4 over Andreas Roschkowsky. Ralf Souquet had a heartbreaker in 9-ball against Niels Feijen which he won with 9:8. At that time, Sebastian Staab was down 2:6 to World 10-ball Champion Huidji See in 10-ball. But Staab was able to turn the tide in the match. he took 6 racks in a row and won his match with 8:6. Germany takes a spot in the quarter-finals while The Netherlands need to win another match on the loser’s side over the winner Poland v Great Britain.

 

Team Austria is the second quarter-finalist of the day. With victories over Norway 2:1, Croatia 2:0 and Russia 2:1, the Austrians with Albin Ouschan, Mario He and Jürgen Jenisy are looking forward to get their opponent drawn from the loser’s side tomorrow. Team Spain with David Alcaide, Francesco Diaz and Francisco Sanchez Ruiz are also in the quarter-final round. The defeated Switzerland 3:0, Poland 2:0 and their neighbors Portugal 3:0. Strong performance by team Spain for today. The final quarterfinalist is team Finland. The boys from the far north around Petri Makkonen, Aki Heiskanen, Jussi Iivonen and Abbas Al-Marayati have earned their spot through victories over Belgium and Sweden. In the first round, team Finland had a walk-over.

 

Play will commence tomorrow morning 09:00 local time with the team competition. All results and more info can be found on www.epconline.eu. LIVEStream can be viewed at www.kozoom.com.

 

The event is hosted by the European Governing Body for Pool, the European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF) and organized by International Billiard Promotion (IBP). For further information and reference please go to the federation website www.epconline.eu or contact our press officepress@epbf.com.