The 10 Ball Division concluded today at the EPBF / Dynamic Billiards European Seniors Championships in Treviso, Italy and there were gold medals for Ulrike Andersson of Sweden in the ladies’ division and Switzerland’s Sascha Specchia in the men’s’.
13 players contested the ladies’ tournament and it was Andersson who prevailed in the final, beating Germany’s Susanne Wessel 5-3 in an exciting encounter in which both players’ lack of success on the break shot added to the drama.
Earlier in the competition Andersson had been defeated 5-1 by Wessel at the winners’ qualification stage so her success in the final was all the sweeter. With the match finely poised at 3-3, Wessel frustratingly delivered her fourth dry break of the final and it was Andersson who got things rolling with a tremendous pot.
She made a poor positional shot though, making the orange 5 more difficult than it should have been and consequently missed it. Wessel then took up the running but heartbreakingly scratched going from 7 to 8. With ball in hand, Andersson cleared to reach the hill with the break in her favour.
Another dry break though saw Wessel return to try and save the match. Working her way through the table, the German lady fell short on the 6 ball. The balls were there for the taking and Andersson composed herself to run through to the 10 ball before her opponent conceded it to hand her the title.
The win completed a career hat trick of senior European Championship titles for Andersson as she added to 8 ball and 9 ball titles won at previous European Championships.
“After losing to Susanna earlier, I improved through the day and played my best game of the tournament in the final and I’m really happy about that. I won my first European Championship title in the straight pool division in 1999!
“Of course, now I’m going to try for the 8 and 9 ball divisions. Try to love the game as much as I do and maybe you will in it,” She added.
In the men’s division it was Sascha Specchia who put in a dominating performance in the championship match to defeat compatriot Murat Ayas by 7-1. The 47 year-old from Lyss, Switzerland, moved effortlessly through the winner’s side of the 72-man field, winning seven matches in total on his way to the gold medal.
Wins against Gianluca Boni (7-0) and Zdenko Lisik (7-4) got the Swiss into the last 32 where he defeated Tuesday’s straight pool gold medallist Jorge Tinoco. A brace of Italian players – Riccardo Sini and once again, Boni, were his last 16 and quarter-final victims respectively.
A win over Sweden’s Morgan Norberg saw Specchia guarantee at least a silver medal. His opponent in the final, Murat Ayas, lost his opening game which always adds pressure, but he battled through to the semi-final where he defeated Reiner Wirsbitzki, to hand the German a bronze medal to add to the silver he had already won in the straight pool division.
The final itself didn’t really take off as Specchia ran away with it to earn the coveted gold medal.
Commented Specchia; “I don’t know what to say! I’ve won gold in the Junior’s, silver in the Men’s and silver in the Seniors and now gold so it’s been a beautiful day for me.
“It’s not really easy to play against a friend and team mate, but a final is a final and we play pool and pool is a single sport and we both wanted to win,” he added.
Medals – Men
Gold – Sascha Specchia (SUI)
Silver – Murat Ayas (SUI)
Bronze – Morgan Norberg (SWE)
Reiner Wirsbitzki (GER)
Medals – Ladies
Gold – Ulrike Andersson (SWE)
Silver – Susanne Wessel (GER)
Bronze – Alexandra Cunha (GBR)
Karin Michl (GER)
Play continues on Friday the men’s and ladies’ 8 ball divisions.
The titles at the Dynamic Billard European Championships for Seniors & Ladies 2019 9-ball have been awarded today. Ine Helvik (NOR) and Ricardo Sini (ITA) have snatched the last two remaining titles.
The final in the seniors 9-ball division was played between Ricardo Sini and Sami Karttunen (FIN). Sini had a furious start and ran away with a 4:1 score after 5 racks played. But then he started committing several unforced errors which brought Karttunen back into the match. After 9 racks played, the Finish was even leading 5:4 over Sini. Throughout the whole match, Sini had the better break shot but his easy mistakes almost cost him the match. He recovered after rack 9 and got back to his earlier shape, winning the match with 8:5 over Karttunen. This was mainly since Sini got the breaks right and Karttunen had some unfortunate scratches in the latter stage of the match.
In the final of the ladies 9-ball division, Ine Helvik met Susanne Wessel (GER). Helvik got off to a 3:0 lead and never allowed anyone to think that she was giving this lead away at any time. Wessel tried to recover but Helvik played too strong and too consistent for her today. 6:3 was the final result which brought the title to Helvik in the ladies final match.
That concludes the coverage from the Dynamic Billard European Championships for Seniors & Ladies 2019. The next event to be covered will be the Dynamic Billard Klagenfurt Open 2019, October 10-12, and the Predator Klagenfurt Women Open, October 12-13.
The Championships are played on 24 tables which are all streamed LIVE throughout the whole event. In order to be able to follow all the action LIVE, premium membership can be obtained at www.kozoom.com. Once a premium membership is held, all events for the respective period of time can be viewed LIVE. Additionally, a huge video gallery is contained in the website.
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 visit us on Facebook for regular news clips or contact our press office press@epbf.com.
In a remarkable match in the men’s division, Mario He (AUT) managed to outplay the defending Champion Marc Bijsterbosch (NED) and sneaked past him with an 8:7 victory. After 6 racks in the match, Bijsterbosch was on track and had a 4:2 lead over Mario He. He was half way there already. But Mario He is known to be a really dangerous player when it comes to comebacks since he never surrenders. Just like today. The Austrian levelled the match at 4:4 and from then on it was both players scoring points in turn. This led to an inevitable 7:7 hill-hill situation with Mario having the break shot. The pressure was on for He, being up against the defending Champion. Mario he broke and the 8-ball went in the pocket. He had a nice layout in front of him with a clear shot on the 1-ball but the 2-ball was very close to the 4-ball. Mario He pocketed the 1-ball but overran the position. He now had a really thin cut on the 2-ball in front of him. Having in mind the pressure that must have been on him, the difficulty of the shot could not have been higher. However, Mario He mastered the situation and pocketed the 2-ball, having all of his problems solved from now on. The rest of the layout was smooth sailing for the Austrian. Mario cleared the table and took the match with the closest of all results, 8:7 against a disappointed Marc Bijsterbosch who will get another chance on the loser’s side while Mario he is already qualified for the single elimination round of the final 64 players in men’s 10-ball.
The 10-ball competition in both youth divisions, U17 and U19 had one thing in common: almost no seeded players were attending the event. This had to do with the fact that 7 out of 8 players reached the time limit in their respective division. The only seeded player was Ivan Galic (CRO) in the U17 division. He became 3rd last year and therefore was seeded #1 this year. Galic had a walk-over in the first round and then outplayed Arseniy Kovalerchik (RUS) 6:3 to make it to the round of the last 32 athletes. Galic’s younger brother Luka joined him there with victories over Mehmet Ozbay (TNC) 6:5 and Ihor Lialin (UKR) 6:2. The earliest possibility for the to see each other would be the final match though. It’s noticeable this year that not only „the usual suspects“ with regards to nations make their way in the tournament. The single elimination is composed of players from many different nations which is a proof that the level of play in the „weaker“ nations has grown throughout the last years.
Same goes for the senior’s division. Athletes from 13 different nations are among the 16 players who have already qualified over the winner’s bracket into the round of the final 32 players. Also here the bandwidth of nations represented has increased compared to previous year which can be regarded as a very positive development for the sport of pool billiards. Last year’s winner as well as one bronze medallist are not playing this year. The other two medallists from last year Reiner Wirsbitzki (GER) and Murat Ayas (SUI) have reached the round of the final 32 players.
In the women’s 10-ball division, the two names that normally dominate European pool events are Jasmin Ouschan (AUT) and Kristina Tkach (RUS). However, last year was not their 10-ball year and they were both not among the medallists. Therefore, they were not seeded this year. Defending Champion Amalia Matas (ESP) is not present, so Ana Gradisnik (SLO) was seeded #1. She and some other names are definitely worth keeping an eye on in this year’s 10-ball competition as well. In this group belong Kateryna Polovinchuk (UKR), Oliwia Czuprynska (POL) and Marharyta Fefilava (BLR). All those athletes are still on the winner’s side except Fefilava who lost 1:6 to Polovinchuk.
The wheelchair athletes have also entered the stage today and started their first discipline, the 10-ball game. 19 athletes have enlisted into the competition. Defending Champion Kurt Deklerck (BEL) received a pretty tough debacle in his first match, losing to fellow countryman David Himpe (BEL) 2:5 in the winner’s qualification round. Deklerck will go on the loser’s side and meet Kim Ronny Nygaard (NOR) for another shot at making it into the round of the last 8 athletes.
The Dynamic Billard European Pool Championships 2018 will commence tomorrow morning at 09:00 CET with matches in the 10-ball individuals competition girls, seniors, U17 and U19.
The Jubilee Championships are played on 60 tables which are all streamed LIVE throughout the whole event. In order to be able to follow all the action LIVE, premium membership can be obtained at www.kozoom.com. Once a premium membership is held, all events for the respective period of time can be viewed LIVE. Additionally, a huge video gallery is contained in the website.
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 visit us on Facebook for regular news clips or contact our press office press@epbf.com.
Left to right: Lely, Dalen, Glatz, Wirsbitzki and Rohmer
Today at the Dynamic Billard European Championships for Seniors and Ladies at the Golden Tulip Jagershorst Hotel in Leende, The Netherlands, the 9-ball individuals were played to the single elimination stage.
In the seniors division, several surprises happened. defending Champion Jan Keller got ousted by unheralded Pontus Dalen (SWE) 8:4 in the loser’s qualification round. Then Dalen went ahead and took down Steffen Gross (GER) in a heartbreaker with 8:7. He will play Reiner Wirsbitzki (GER) tomorrow morning in the next round. Wirsbitzki, who always belongs to the circle of potential winners in seniors pool, also joined Dalen with victories over Sami Karttunen (FIN) 8:5 and then Michael Stark (AUT) 8:1.
One famous name in Dutch pool billiards is Alex Lely (NED). The former European Champion and top player is mainly known to be a coach and a commentator for Euro-Sports these days. Today however, he joined the seniors 9-ball competition. An early loss to Manuel Pereira (POR) 5:8 made him take the detour over the loser’s side. But he made his way back into the single elimination stage and defeated his first victim there, Vyacheslav Derbilov (RUS) 8:5. He will face Murat Ayas (SUI) in his next encounter tomorrow.
Another great name from the past is Marc Glatz (LUX). The German-born player from Luxembourg also went over the loser’s side and also got a foot back into the field by winning 8:5 over Tomi Ahonen (FIN). After that, he eliminated Mats Elfroos (SWE) 8:3 to get a match against Manuel Pereira (POR) tomorrow.
In the ladies division, Nathalie Rohmer (FRA) has already reached the quarterfinals. Her teammate Stella Julien (FRA) has been drawn against her to play for a spot in the medal match.
Tomorrow, the Dynamic Billard European Championships for Seniors and Ladies at the Golden Tulip Jagershorst Hotel in Leende, The Netherlands will continue at 09:00 CET with single elimination matches of the 9-ball individuals.
Every day, one match from the events will be shown LIVE on the Facebook page of the EPBF. All Facebook users may check out the high standard of quality which is provided for all the events and see what the Kozoom members receive all the time. You can see all the matches live via www.kozoom.com who stream the whole event on 23 tables on the internet LIVE. The FB live matches are announced on the EPBF Facebook page around noon every day. Results and schedules can be found at www.europeanpoolchampionships.eu so why not come and check out all the LIVE action of the Dynamic Billard European Championships for Youth.
The event is 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.europeanpoolchampionships.eu, visit us on Facebook or check out our youtube channel for regular news clips or contact our press office press@epbf.com.
The next medals have been awarded at the Dynamic Billard European Championships for Seniors and Ladies at the Golden Tulip Jagershorst Hotel in Leende, The Netherlands. Vegar Kristiansen (NOR) and Ine Helvik (NOR) took the titles in the 10-ball division. Three out of a total of 8 medals including both titles went to Norway today.
The final match in the seniors division was as fiercely fought over as expected. Reiner Wirsbitzki (GER) as well as Vegar Kristiansen (NOR) both have a lot of experience and several titles under their belt. In total, they have won 7 titles and won 24 medals on former European Championships. So this time, a real favourite could not be spotted at all before the match. And the match confirmed that assumption. They both took racks in turn and their play was determined by a lot of tactical and safety elements. In the end, Kristiansen turned out to be the stronger player today. His safety play as well as his pocketing skills outmastered Wirsbitzki. He took three consecutive racks and made 8:5 the final score in his favour. Kristiansen seemed to have more power left in the end of the match.
In the ladies division, EPBF Board member Ine Helvik started out as strong as she performed in the semi-final match earlier today where she clearly wiped the floor with her opponent Wienke Thamsen (GER) and won 6:1. Her opponent in the final match, Nathalie Rohmer (FRA) had a bit more work to do. She needed 9 racks before she was able to finish Barbara Bolfelli (ITA) 6:3. In the final, Helvik continued as dominant as she played in the semis and even before that while Rohmer missed a few shots too many. Consequently, after 5 racks the scoreboard displayed a 4:1 lead for Helvik. But the match was not over yet. Rohmer pulled one rack back from Helvik but the Norwegian had a straight answer for her, winning the next rack and getting on the hill at 5:2. Helvik was at the table with her own break coming up. She had some balls down and a nice layout in front of her. She went ahead and played that rack rock solid. However, her nerves obviously played a trick on her when she dogged the 10-ball and left a long shot for Rohmer. The French also missed the 10-ball and left it for Helvik who pocketed it and crowned her strong performance with her first title on a European Championship level ever.
Earlier today, more rounds in the team competition have been played. In the seniors division, the losers side was up today. Teams Finland and Portugal won both their matches. They will be up in the loser’s qualification round. Finland will play Switzerland will the Portuguese team will have to deal with the German team. In the ladies division, Teams Germany and Portugal have made it to the semi-finals which will be played on Saturday afternoon at 14:30 CET.
Tomorrow, the Dynamic Billard European Championships for Seniors and Ladies at the Golden Tulip Jagershorst Hotel in Leende, The Netherlands will continue at 09:00 CET with the first matches of the 8-ball individuals.
Every day, one match from the events will be shown LIVE on the Facebook page of the EPBF. All Facebook users may check out the high standard of quality which is provided for all the events and see what the Kozoom members receive all the time. You can see all the matches live via www.kozoom.com who stream the whole event on 23 tables on the internet LIVE. The FB live matches are announced on the EPBF Facebook page around noon every day. Results and schedules can be found at www.europeanpoolchampionships.eu so why not come and check out all the LIVE action of the Dynamic Billard European Championships for Youth.
The event is 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.europeanpoolchampionships.eu, visit us on Facebook or check out our youtube channel for regular news clips or contact our press office press@epbf.com.
At the Dynamic European Championships 2012 in the straight pool division, Ruslan Chinakhov (RUS) creamed Dominic Jentsch (GER) with 125:4 in just 4 innings.
The German player never had a chance in the single-sided match. Chinakhov opened the match and played a good safety shot. Then Jentsch played a safety shot himself, leaving a tough long shot at the 4-ball for Chinakhov. The Russian made it and played 92 (!) balls in a row, putting a lot of pressure on Jentsch. When Jentsch came to the table, he found a tough situation for him. He pocketed two balls but scratched with the cue ball. That gave Chinakhov the chance to take a 121:4 lead over Jentsch. The German then tried a bank shot but missed it. Chinakhov ran the remaining balls and deservedly won the match.
In the women’s division, defending Champion Jasmin Ouschan (AUT) erased Silvia Gaudino (ITA) 75:1. Belgium’s hopes of a medal were terminated when Kamila Khodjaeva got beat 69:75 by Katarzyna Wesolowska (POL).
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 , follow us on twitter @EPBF_News or contact our press office.
