Alexander Kazakis (GRE) has had a good day „at the office“ today. After having won the 10-ball Kremlin Cup earlier this month, Kazakis came here to Treviso with a lot of wind underneath his wings to play the Dynamic Billard Treviso Open, the final event of the Euro-Tour in 2016. He seems to be on a streak. In his first winner’s round match, Kazakis wasted no time with Guilherme Sousa (POR) and defeated him 9:4. In the next round, the opponent was punished even harder. Ryan Pisany (MLT) fell to the sharp blade of Kazakis and received the maximum penalty. 9:0 was the final result that put Kazakis in the winner’s qualification round where he will be up against Arjan Matrizi (ALB).
Former World 9-ball Champion Daryl Peach (GBR) did not catch that good of a day as Kazakis. He won his first match 9:4 over Adam Mscisz (POL) but then met Sascha Trautmann (GER). The German prove to be too strong for Peach today and showed no mercy for him. 9:3 was the final result that put Peach on the loser’s side of the draw.
Joining the list of the fallen heroes from today is Albin Ouschan (AUT), current 9-ball World Champion. He started with an easy prey in winner’s round one with a comfortable 9:4 victory over Mariusz Skoneczny (POL). In the next round, Ouschan stood against Andrey Seroshtan (RUS). That match went completely against the World Champion. Seroshtan dominated the table and in the end handed Ouschan a tough and painful 9:4 debacle. Seroshtan, who earlier today overpowered Andreas Madsen (DEN) 9:5 now will go against Jose Alberto Delgado (ESP) in the winner’s qualification round.
Another interesting encounter took place in winner’s round one between Konstantin Stepanov (RUS) and newbie Aleksa Pecelj (SRB). The 16-year-old kid from Serbia came here to Treviso for his first Euro-Tour experience and he came up with some impressive performances. In round one, he defeated Jorge Garcia-Fonseca (ESP) with 9:0. Then he met Stepanov who is constantly ranked in the top 32 in Europe since years. However, Pecelj did not show too much respect and tried to live for the moment. He used his chances whenever he got them and Stepanov committed some unnecessary mistakes. This combination lead to a score of 8:8 with Pecelj having the final break shot. He could not make a ball off the break but left no shot for Stepanov. The cue ball was hiding partly behind the 8-ball and he could not see the whole of the 1-ball. He played a push-out and left a tough position for Pecelj. The young Serbian decided to go for a combination shot that was very hard to make. Playing that shot in that situation would have probably not been the choice of many players. But Pecelj went for it and made it. He then used his chance and ran the rack to win with 9:8 over a disappointed Stepanov. In his next match in winner’s round two, Pecelj lost to Olivier Mortier (BEL) 7:9.
This year’s Mosconi Cup Captain for Team EUROPE, Marcus Chamat (SWE). received a painful whipping today from Hubert Lopotko (POL). In winner’s round one, Lopotko destroyed Chamat on table 1 and handed him a clear 9:5 defeat. Thereafter, Chamat went to the loser’s side and ousted Tom Bjerke (NOR) 9:6. Having received a walk-over in the next round, Chamat will be up next against Thomas Poeschl (GER) on Friday morning at 10:30 local time. On the other hand, Lopotko has made his way through to the winner’s qualification round by taking down Kristjan Kuusik (EST) 9:5 after the destruction of Chamat. At 13:30tomorrow, he will face Stephan Cohen (FRA) for a spot in the single elimination of the event.
The Euro-Tour is played on 20 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 purchased 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.eurotouronline.com, visit us on Facebook or check out our youtube channel for regular news clips or contact our press office press@epbf.com.
TWO MORE seeded teams crashed out of the 2015 Dafabet World Cup of Pool as the penultimate session of round one matches continued at the York Hall. The #11 seeds Spain were well beaten by unfancied Czech Republic while the seventh seeded Greece were overturned by Singapore. The other match saw former champions Finland enjoy a tidy win over Belgium.
Taking place at the York Hall in London, the Dafabet World Cup of Pool features 32 two-man teams from around the globe competing for a $250,000 prize fund. Televised live in over 40 countries around the world, the event is now entering its tenth year.
In a low quality match with plenty of errors, the Czech Republic had too much to the Spanish pair of the two Franciscos (Diaz-Pizarro & Sanchez Ruiz). In particular Sanchez Ruiz had a bit of a nightmare as he had a couple of glaring misses that helped the Czechs on their way.
Roman Hybler and Michal Gavenciak, who had reach the quarter-finals of the inaugural World Cup of Pool back in 2006, pulled away from 3-3 after being guilty of early errors themselves.
The turning point was the seventh rack as Gavenciak refused an open 6 ball in favour of laying a telling snooker. The Spanish failed to escape and with ball in hand the score became 4-3. From a powerful Gavenciak break in the eighth the Czechs ran out, and a 2/9 combo in the next made it 6-3. Spain could not recover as the Czechs booked a second round match against Qatar.
Commented Hybler, “We are really pleased to be into the second round. At the start of the match there was a lot of pressure for both teams and you could feel it. When we went 4-3 up I felt more confident and we made some good shots.
“We watched Qatar against USA last night. America was a favourite and they are out but the Qatari guys are very good. We will enjoy that match and hopefully go through to the quarter-final.”
Gavenciak added, “I wasn’t feeling my game at the start because I could feel the pressure but I relaxed as the game went on and now the first game has been won I know I will be more confident in the second match.
“The practice table doesn’t have the same pressure as the TV table and with the lighting it plays a little bit differently from the practice room.”
Finland, who has a very strong track record in the World Cup, was the better team as they disposed of Belgium to make the second round. The Finns have been champions, runners up and twice semi-finalist in the nine year history of the event and will be looking for a deep finish this year.
The same pair who won in 2012 – Mika Immonen and Petri Makkonen – look one of the more solid pairings in the event as they took their chances. The Belgian duo of Serge Das and Olivier Mortier had far too many errors to genuinely contend in the match as Finland ran out 7-4 winners.
“It’s great to be over the first hurdle because there have been some shocks in the first round and we avoided that and we are glad to be alive in the tournament,” said Immonen.
“Playing at York Hall is always very special. There is a great atmosphere here and it is a familiar venue. I was born in London so it is really special to play here.”
Makkonen, whose win at the German Open in the summer pushed him up to No.4 on the European rankings, said “We have confidence in both of our games and it is easy to play alongside Mika. We have to work on our breaks a bit more. The table is sliding so we have to adjust our shots but overall we played well today.”
In the final match another seeded pairing bit the dust as Greece got overturned by Singapore in a close and entertaining match. The star of the show was teenage sensation Aloysius Yapp of Singapore, who at 19 seems to have an old head on young shoulders.
With his partner, the more seasoned Chang Keng Kwang, played his part as they capitalised on some glaring Greek mistakes. Ekonomopoulus and Kazakis never looked entirely comfortable but at 5-5 the match was anyone’s but a failed attempt at a tricky combo on the 9 allowed the Singaporeans to take the rack and they ran out the last for the win.
Commented Yapp, “We played well and I am overwhelmed to beat Greece. They are a great team and Nikos has played in the Mosconi Cup, Kazakis went far in the World 9-ball last week. They are very good players so it is a great feeling for us to win.
“We are ready for Finland. We are playing very well and with this format, anyone can win.”
Results
England A (1) 7-5 Australia
Korea (16) 7-6 Malaysia
Indonesia 7-3 Germany
Romania 7-4 China
Austria (5) 7-5 Peru
France 7-6 Canada (12)
Poland (13) 7-3 New Zealand
Chinese Taipei (4) 7-5 Estonia
Holland (3) 7-3 India
Japan (14) 7-3 Italy
Qatar 7-5 USA (6)
Philippines (2) 7-4 Russia
The following broadcasters are screening live coverage of the Dafabet World Cup of Pool:
Sky Sports – GB and Ireland; Sky – New Zealand; CCTV – China; Nova TV – Czech Republic & Slovakia; OSN – Middle East & North Africa; ESPN 3 – USA; ESPN Latin America –Central & South America; Viasat – Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Bulgaria & the Baltic states.
For fans outside those territories, Perform Group will be streaming the event via their www.livesport.tv service. In addition the Dafabet World Cup of Pool is syndicated around the world as 31 x 1 hour programmes by Matchroom Television.
Featuring 32 two-man teams from around the world, the Dafabet World Cup of pool is celebrating its tenth year as defending champion England attempt to become the first team ever to successfully defend the title. The event runs from 22nd to 27th September.
Tickets are now on sale at www.SEETickets.com and are priced at 10.00 per evening session (Tuesday to Friday), 12.50 per evening session on the Saturday and Sunday. Weekend afternoon sessions are 7.50 while Tuesday to Friday afternoons are free!
A season ticket covering all sessions is priced at 65.00.
The World Cup of Pool will carry a $250,000 prize fund including $60,000 for the champions. The event will be produced by Matchroom Sport Television and televised live on Sky Sports and then syndicated internationally as 31 x 1 hour programmes.
Diamond Billiards are the Official Table of the 2015 World Cup of Pool; the Official Cloth is supplied by Iwan Simonis and the Official Balls are Super Aramith. The Official Cue, Chalk and Rest are supplied by Predator.
With the annual World Cup of Pool coming back to London this September, Matchroom Sport can announce the 32 teams and players set to contest the annual $250,000 pairs tournament. Taking place at pool’s fiercest venue, the York Hall in Bethnal Green, the World Cup runs from Tuesday 22nd to 27th September.
Defending champions are England A with Karl Boyes and Darren Appleton looking to become the first pair to successfully defend their crown. Competition will be tough though, with a host of previous winners and finalists taking part.
Germany will be represented by 2011 champions Thorsten Hohmann and Ralf Souquet and 2012 winners Mika Immonen and Petri Makkonen (Finland) will be once again taking part. America’s Shane Van Boening, a winner with Rodney Morris in 2008, is paired with Mike Dechaine this time, while Li Hewen, a two-time winner in 2007 and 2010 will be partnered by Liu Haitao as they make a run for title number three for China.
Holland, desperately unlucky to be runners up in 2013 and 2014, will be looking to go one better as Niels Feijen and Nick Van Den Berg team up once again. Daryl Peach and Mark Gray, who came so close for England in 2008, will also be trying to repeat those performances.
Other highly fancied teams include the Philippines which pairs former World No.1 Carlo Biado with under-rated Warren Kiamco and Taiwan – World 10 Ball champion Ko Pin Yi and Chang Yu Lung. Team Austria will also fancy their chances as World No.1 Albin Ouschan and Mario He pair up one again.
Commencing on Tuesday 22nd and culminating in the final on the evening of Sunday 27th, the event will be played to a single elimination format over six days with two sessions a day.
There are 31 matches in total.
Tickets are now on sale at www.SEETickets.com and are priced at £10.00 per evening session (Tuesday to Friday), £12.50 per evening session on the Saturday and Sunday. Weekend afternoon sessions are £7.50 while Tuesday to Friday afternoons are free!
A season ticket covering all sessions is priced at £65.00.
The World Cup of Pool will carry a $250,000 prize fund including $60,000 for the champions. The event will be produced by Matchroom Sport Television and televised live on Sky Sports and then syndicated internationally as 31 x 1 hour programmes.
THERE were comfortable wins for Germany, Canada and Switzerland at the 2014 Betway World Cup of Pool as the opening session of day three unwound at the Mountbatten Centre, Portsmouth. There is just one more round one game remaining as India and England B slug it out in the opening game of Thursday evening.
In the opening game, 2011 champions Germany – Thorsten Hohmann and Ralf Souquet – had too much for Malaysia, represented by Alan Tan and Ibrahim Amir, as they coasted to a 7-1 victory.
“We’re obviously very happy with the result and the performance,” said a delighted Hohmann.
“I missed a bank shot in the first rack but after that we didn’t make too many mistakes. We got a little fortunate getting balls after the break, that is very important and we were able to string a few racks together so that helped our confidence.
“We are still trying to figure out the speed of the table but I think this match will set us up positively for the rest of the tournament,” he added.
His partner Souquet said, “The break is huge. We were a little fortunate after the breaks to get a shot on the lowest ball, and twice it was tight but we were able to get out and string three or four racks together and that was key.”
The Germans will be playing Canada in the second round after Alex Pagulayan and John Morra looked in good shape as they took care of late subs Malta by 7-1. Tony Drago and Alex Borg have had little luck over the years in the Betway World Cup and that continued as they crashed out of the event. The Maltese pair had come in for Vietnam who had travel difficulties and could not make it to Portsmouth.
Commented John Morra: “We haven’t had a lot of chance to play together in the build up to this tournament but we have played together in this tournament before so we know where we are at.
“Against Germany we will have to stick to our game plan. We both played them both in individual tournaments and we all have wins over each other. If we repeat what we did today then we should be ok.”
In the final match of the session, Switzerland completed a trio of one-sided wins as they overcame another substitute team, Belgium, who were replacing Thailand. The duo of Ronni Regli and Dimitri Jungo have recorded some decent wins in previous editions of the event, and they looked solid enough today, although Serge Das and Olivier Mortier gifted some chances. They can now look forward to a round two match against Holland tomorrow afternoon.
“We are looking forward to playing Holland, the reason we are in the tournament is to play against the best players,” said Regli.
Jungo added, “Holland are one of the favourites but in the last two years we have won against some of the best teams in this tournament.”
Now in its ninth year, the Betway World Cup of Pool features 32 two-player teams from around the world battling it out for a $250,000 prize fund. The defending champions are the Philippines who will be among the favourites to claim a record-breaking fourth World Cup.
All tickets are priced at £5 (afternoons) and £10 evenings and are available from the venue or www.seetickets.com
THE EUROPEAN QUALIFYING event for the 2014 World Cup of Pool gets underway tomorrow (Tuesday) in Portoroz, Slovenia with a first round match-up against China awaiting the victors. There are eight two-man teams taking part with the winning team gaining a sport at the Mountbatten Centre, Portsmouth where the World Cup takes place from 23rd to 28th September.
With a $250,000 prize fund on offer, there will be everything to play for and the European qualifiers have got a superb record of upsetting the odds in recent years. Last year, Hungary KO’d China in the first round and then Russia to reach the quarter finals and in 2011 both Switzerland and Estonia turned the form book on its head when they beat China and England respectively in the first round in Manila.
All qualifying matches will be streamed live by Kozoom via their streaming platform. Please go to www.eurotouronline.eu or www.eurotouronline.com and click on the logo ‘Qualifier World Cup of Pool’.
Commented a Matchroom Sport spokesman, “There is plenty of strength in depth in European pool and the performances of the qualifiers down the years is testament to that. “The winners will go into the main event as unknowns and will have nothing to lose and every chance of upsetting the odds!”
The World Cup of Pool will carry a $250,000 prize fund including $60,000 for the champions. The event will be produced by Matchroom Sport Television and televised live on Sky Sports and other stations around the world and then syndicated internationally as 31 x 1 hour programmes.
All tickets are priced at £5 (afternoons) and £10 evenings and are available from the venue or www.seetickets.com
Diamond Billiards are the Official Table of the 2014 World Cup of Pool; the Official Cloth is supplied by Iwan Simonis and the Official Balls are Super Aramith. Predator is the Official Cue of the event.
Niels Feijen (NED) ousted Ralf Souquet (GER) from the Dynamic Billard Italian Open 2014, handing him a clear 9:3 defeat in the round of the final 32 players. The fact that these two players met in this early stage of the event was a bit unfortunate. However, Feijen dominated the match and the balls also did not roll in Souquet’s favor. In the end, Feijen deserved the victory. He will now play Karl Boyes (GBR) in the round of the final 16 players. Boyes took care of Fabio Petroni (ITA), one of the local heroes of the event.
The whole day was determined by close matches and strong comebacks. Already at 09:00 in the first round of the day, Radoslaw Babica (POL) performed a marvelous comeback. He was already trailing 2:6 to Pierfrancesco Garzia (ITA) when he managed to turn the match around and claim the victory with 9:7.
In the next round it was Henrikas Strolis (LIT) who came up as a big surprise. He was trailing 3:7 and still managed to win 9:8 over Michele Bianchini (ITA) who missed the 7-ball at 8:8.
Roman Hybler (CZE) looked like the sure winner in his match with Sanne Azar (SWE). He suddenly snookered himself with only three balls left on the table. He tried a jump shot but could not pocket the object ball. Azar accepted the gift and won 9:8.
The drama continued through the winner’s qualification round. Mateusz Sniegocki (POL) and Marcus Chamat (SWE) also went hill-hill and this time Chamat committed a foul on the 2-ball when he tried a difficult safety shot. Sniegocki ran out an booked his seat among the top 32 players of the event, sending Chamat to the loser’s side. There, he met Phil Burford (GBR) as a revenge match from round 1 where Chamat defeated Burford. In the loser’s qualification match, Burford succeeded in taking revenge winning the match this time – 9:8 of course!
Talking about revenge matches, Marco Dorenburg (GER) made his way through the loser’s side with victories over Olivier Mortier (BEL) with 9:1, Manuel Gama (POR) with 9:8 and Ivica Putnik (CRO) with 9:8. He then met Daryl Peach (GBR) in the loser’s qualification round. Dorenburg lost his opening match to Peach and looked forward to his chance to get even. And he achieved the impossible! Dorenburg ousted Peach with 9:7 from the event. He was then drawn against Marc Bijsterbosch (NED) who he also defeated with 9:2. Dorenburg booked his seat in the round of the final 16 players.
Germany’s Andreas Roschkowsky, who went undefeated to capture the Paris Open on the weekend of January 21-22, never did end up facing the event’s reigning champion, Nick Van Den Berg. That task fell to the UK’s Karl Boyes in the event semifinals. Boyes eliminated Van Den Berg and went on to challenge Roschkowsky in the finals. The event drew its maximum 64 entrants to qualifying rounds on Saturday at the Leader Club Billiard 94 in Sucy-en-Brie, a Parisian suburb, and moved to the Cercle Clichy Montmartre in Paris on Sunday for its final, single elimination rounds.
The two finalists – Roschkowsky and Boyes – opened strong in Saturday’s double elimination qualifiers, giving up only four racks between them as they chalked up identical 8-1 scores against their first two opponents; Severine Titaux and Jean Klug for Roschkowsky, Kem Sen and Stephane Vanel for Boyes. Reigning champion Van Den Berg gave up 10 racks in his first two matches against Alex Eve (4) and Olivier Mortier (6). Nikalaos Malaj gave up nine against Steve Leisen (4) and Joao Roque (5) and was the last of the four semifinalists.
Cristina De La Garza, who has recently emigrated to Europe, was among the early casualties in the qualifying rounds. She was shut out in the opening round by Quentin Clerc-Pithon, and though she battled to double hill in the first loss-side round, she was eliminated by Yves Bonnet.
The field whittled down to 16 players, and turned into a single elimination contest. Roschkowsky defeated Ivaylo Markof 9-6, survived a double hill battle against Stephan Cohan and downed Serge Das 9-3 to move among the final four. Boyes, in the meantime, after getting by Tilman Rumland 8-2, and Nicolas Kalb 9-5, defeated Nick Ekonomopoulos 9-3 to join his eventual finals opponent among those final four. Roschkowsky then eliminated Malaj 9-3, as Boyes was busy defeating Van Den Berg 9-6. Roschkowsky dominated the final match, allowing Boyes only two racks on his way to the Paris Open title.
