Going into the PRP Nineball Open last weekend (Sept. 14-18) at the Exe Boston Hotel in Zaragoza, Spain, the struggle for a 3rd place spot on the Mosconi Cup’s European team, defined, as of August 31, by the Nineball World Rankings, was something of a race between Austria’s Mario He and Spain’s Francisco Sanchez-Ruiz. Both made it undefeated through two separate knockout rounds of the 128-entrant field in Spain. They both went on, undefeated to the finals where Sanchez-Ruiz prevailed to claim the event title, his fourth major title of the year.
With the USA’s Shane Van Boening and Germany’s Joshua Filler holding the top two spots in those Nineball World Rankings and being too far ahead in the rankings to be unseated, each Mosconi Cup team will select two more from the list at the conclusion of the final three ranking events; The Euro Tour Dynamic Billiards Slovenia Open in Lasko, Slovenia (Oct. 1-3), the Sandcastle 9-Ball Open at Sandcastle Billiards in Edison, NJ (Oct. 6-8) and the US Open Pool Championship at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, NJ (Oct. 10-15). With Austria’s Albin Ouschan, who did not compete in Spain, currently in the #3 position in the World Rankings and in the driver’s seat to claim a second spot on the Mosconi Cup team, the third selected seat continues to be a struggle between Sanchez-Ruiz (currently #4) and He (#5). Though at the moment, Sanchez-Ruiz has a commanding lead and seems likely to draw the third pick, it might well continue into next week’s Slovenia Open and depending on whether the two opt for a trip to New Jersey afterwards, it could end up on this side of the Atlantic.
Sanchez-Ruiz and He emerged from separate brackets to advance to the PRP Nineball Open’s final draw of 32. Sanchez-Ruiz, after being awarded an opening round bye, defeated two of his fellow countrymen, Manuel Fernandez and Gabriel Carral 9-2 to qualify for the single-elimination Phase Two (well over 50% of the field was from Spain). He was joined from the winners’ side of the bracket by countrymen Jose Alberto Delgado and Jose Castillo, Lithuania’s Pijus Labutis, Poland’s Wiktor Zielinski and Mieszko Fortunski, Marc Bijsterbosch from the Netherlands and Hungary’s Oliver Szolnoki.
In the other Phase 1 bracket, Mario He (also awarded a bye) defeated Spaniards Amalia Matas 9-4 and Mayte Ropero 9-7 to be among the winners’ side competitors to advance. Germany’s Ralf Souquet was on that list, too, as were Poland’s Konrad Juszczyszyn, Switzerland’s Ronald Regli, Spain’s David Alcaide and Jonas Souto, Estonia’s Denis Grabe and, also in the running for that 3rd spot on the Mosconi Cup team, behind He, Alex Kazakis from Greece.
Sanchez-Ruiz’ toughest battle advancing to the event’s quarterfinals came in the opening round of the single-elimination Round 2, when Francisco Diaz chalked up eight racks against him. From there, it was relatively smooth sailing through Ivan Nunez 11-3 for Sanchez-Ruiz to arrive at his quarterfinal matchup versus Delgado. He, on the other hand, began his single-elimination advancement with two double hill matches against Portugal’s Sara Rocha and Spain’s Iker Echeverria, which he successfully negotiated to face Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Sanjin Pehlivanovic. Three competitors lurking behind Sanchez-Ruiz and He on the rankings list, appeared in the other two quarterfinals. Kazakis, immediately below He on the list, faced Denis Grabe (in the 20s on the list), as Szolnoki, immediately below Kazakis, met up with Zielinski, immediately behind him.
Sanchez-Ruiz downed Delgado 11-5 and in the semifinals, picked up Zielenski, who’d eliminated Szolnoki 11-8. He defeated Pehlivanovic 11-2 and drew Kazakis, who’d eliminated Grabe 11-7.
Assuring their spots on the rankings list, Sanchez-Ruiz and He advanced to the finals; Sanchez-Ruiz 11-5 over Zielinski and He 11-2 over Kazakis.
It was clear from the outset of the finals that Sanchez-Ruiz and He were playing for more than bragging rights at their local pub. He broke the initial rack and ran the table to open the scoring. Sanchez-Ruiz broke and won the second to create the first of only two ties in the race to 13.
Sanchez-Ruiz won the next four to go ahead 5-1, at which point the two of them embarked on a series of runs that narrowed that lead down to between two and three racks. He got within a single rack three times in that stretch, at 6-5, 7-6 and 8-7, but He’s win of rack #15 opened the door for Sanchez-Ruiz to head on out on a four-match run that put him on the hill, ahead by five at 12-7.
He, though, came right back and matched Sanchez-Ruiz’ longest run of the game at the start, winning five racks to force a single deciding game. He broke, but left himself with a low-percentage shot at the 1-ball, sitting north of and at a sharp angle to a side pocket. He played safe and began a two-ball safety battle that took up nearly half of the final match-time. Sanchez-Ruiz broke it up after He had given him an opening on the 2-ball that also opened the table. Sanchez-Ruiz ran them from there and claimed the event title.
The battle for the two remaining European Mosconi Cup slots (not counting the coach’s two wild-card picks), moves on to Lasko, Slovenia.
Allison Fisher knocked Kelly Fisher out of the Predator Canada Open and then produced an almost faultless performance to reach the semi finals with a 4-0, 4-1 win against Japan’s Kyoko Sone.
Fisher will meet Kristina Zlateva in the first of Saturday’s semi finals in Alberta, while Bean Hung put in two impressive performances on the TV table to reach the final four, where Chia Hua Chen awaits.
Kelly Fisher had won all three previous Women’s Pro Billiard Series tournaments but was drawn against her close friend and fellow Brit Allison in the last 16 in Alberta Canada. Allison won the first set 4-3 but Kelly’s class and form ensured she took the match to a shootout by winning the second set 4-2.
Kelly, the three-time Pro Billiard Series champion, was shooting first and missed on her very first innings. Neither woman missed again and Allison held her nerve to reach the quarter-finals.
She returned to the TV table later in the day to face Sone, who had won an all-Japan match against Sakura Muramatsu 4-2, 4-3 earlier in the day. The Duchess of Doom was carrying all the confidence of her earlier win and didn’t miss a ball as she cruised the first set 4-0. Sone’s first chance came at the start of the second set but a missed 5 to the middle allowed Fisher to take the game.
Confidence was flowing for the Brit but a close-up seat would be no consolation for Sone. A rare visit was presented after Fisher broke dry in the fourth and Sone loosened her arm and got on the board with a calm clearance. However, hopes of a comeback were ended when a missed 1 ball via two rails brought Fisher back to the table to complete her 4-0, 4-1 win.
Fisher’s semi-final opponent will be Kristina Zlateva of Bulgaria. The 29 year old defeated Maite Ropero Garcia 4-2, 4-2 to meet Joanne Ashton in the last eight. Ashton took the first set 4-2 but Zlateva bounced back brilliantly to take the second set 4-0, and eventually won the shootout in sudden death.
Australia’s Bean Hung put in two standout performances on the TV table to make her way to the semi finals. First, she beat home favorite Brittany Bryant 4-1, 4-3 before overcoming Caroline Pao in the quarter finals, 4-2, 4-0. Pao struggled to capitalize on the chances she had, especially in the first set, but Hung was clinical in taking her chances.
The semi final line-up is completed by Chia Hua Chen, who defeated Tamami Okuda 4-2, 4-2 before being pushed to hill-hill of the second set of her quarter-final by Sara Rocha. ‘Amber’ Chen had won the first set 4-0, but Rocha fought hard to remain alive in the tournament. However, Chen won the deciding game of the second set to avoid the shootout and move to the last four.
The Predator Canada Open, the latest stop on the Women’s Pro Billiard Series, is down to the final 16 in Alberta, Canada.
The first stage of the tournament is now complete and the brackets have been redrawn for the single elimination stage, which begins 10am local time Friday.
Kelly Fisher’s quest to make it four in four on the Predator Pro Billiard Series remains strong. After winning 4-0, 4-0 against Mary Avina on Wednesday the Brit followed it up with a 4-2, 4-1 score against impressive young Bulgarian Kristina Zlateva. She’ll now face her fellow Brit and namesake Allison Fisher in the last 16.
That is because Allison came through the one loss side of the draw but made it through with two wins on Thursday. Fisher found herself on the one loss side after a shootout defeat yesterday but hit the practice table and defeated Stephanie Mitchell and Maryann McConnell to qualify.
Fisher said: “I feel very relieved to qualify for the last 16 because my first match yesterday was a real struggle and I lost in a shootout. I practiced last night and got comfortable with the table. I felt much more settled today.”
Canada’s Brittany Bryant stayed undefeated with a 4-2, 4-0 win against Naomi Williams. Bryant has been enjoying have a Pro Billiard Series tournament in her home country and will face Bean Hung in the next round.
Other last 16 matches include Eylul Kibaroglu vs Caroline Pao, Sara Rocha vs Amalia Matas and Maite Ropero Garcia vs Kristina Zlateva. Action begins at 10am with the feature table live on Billiard TV, Kozoom and the World Billiard TV YouTube channel.
Savannah Easton, the 12 year-old from Las Vegas, exited the tournament with a shootout defeat to Kyoko Soni. Easton had moved to the one loss side of the brackets on Wednesday night but put in an impressive 4-2, 4-3 win over Toni Sakamoto to stay alive before her tournament was ended by Soni. Easton plays the final of the CSI Western Canadian Championships Junior 8-Ball tomorrow.
Ana Gradisnik of Slovenia is the Predator Women’s Treviso Open champion following a hard fought 7-5 victory over Sara Rocha of Portugal. It was Gradisnik’s second Euro Tour title following victory in Austria last year and cements her position at the top of the women’s rankings. Taking place at the BHR Treviso Hotel, it was a game of two halves as Gradisnik built a significant lead, and then Rocha came back at her, before the champion closed the match out.
Said a jubilant Gradisnik; “I started pretty well but then I got nervous and when the momentum changed and it went to 5-4, I was very nervous. I just tried to stay calm and collected, kind of. I didn’t manage to but then, at the end it turned out good!”
Played out in the main arena, Gradisnik took the opening rack but broke down with three balls remaining in the next to allow Rocha to level the match at 1-1. Gradisnik though, confidently ran through the next to restore her one rack advantage. There was nothing off the break for the Slovenian in the fourth game but after visits from both players, Gradisnik asserted herself to increase her lead.
A push out from Gradisnik in the fifth game was handed back to her by Rocha and they both went back and forth before a tidy 6/9 combo sealed the rack for the Slovenian girl. Two balls went down for Rocha in the next but there wasn’t enough travel on the third ball and she lost the table to Gradisnik. Rocha had her opportunity but missed the 9 ball, leaving it hanging in the pocket for Gradisnik.
By this stage, Gradisnik held a 5 -1 lead and was cruising but Rochas stopped the rot in the next game as she reduced her deficit to three games, trailing 5-2 in the race-to-seven match. Gradisnik looked set in the next but missed the 7 ball and Rocha grabbed her chance with both hands to get to 5-3.
An illegal break from Gradisnik allowed Rocha an opportunity and she composed herself well to run out to move just one rack behind. Gradisnik, though, derailed the Rocha comeback as she took the next rack to put herself on the hill. Rocha showed some big heart in the 11th game as she ran out to move the score to 6-5.
A dry break from Rocha gave Gradisnik a chance but she missed a difficult 1 ball but the Portuguese’s one rail kick left the 1 ball out in the open. With the title at stake, Gradisnik took a deep breath and carefully cleared the table for victory.
Gradisnik added, “I have trouble sometimes in the final. I’ve lost so many times that it’s in my head a little bit and I was struggling with that. I’m very proud and it’s something you dream of (being European No,1) when you’re playing these tournaments so that makes me very proud and happy.
“Really, I’m just looking to practice and elevate my game. I don’t want to play on the same level, event though I’m No.1 currently, that doesn’t really mean anything in terms of my game, so I just want to improve my game.”
Predator Euro Tour Women tournaments are 9-ball and the field contest a double-elimination format, playing down to the last 16 competitors, and then single elimination until the finish. All matches are a race to 7 racks with alternate break.
All the matches can be viewed live at www.kozoom.com
Results, live scoring and draw are available at www.epbf.com
The second event of the year on the Predator Euro Tour Women is well underway at the BHR Treviso Hotel in Italy as 46 of Europe’s finest female players contest the Treviso Open. With just two rounds of play completed on the opening day of the competition (Saturday), the full field resumed on Sunday morning.
Following a solid day’s play consisting of six rounds, the field reduced down to the final four who will be contesting the semi-finals on Monday.
It was Swedish veteran Louise Furberg who was first into the semi-finals as she enjoyed a fine win over Veronika Hubrtova (Czech). It was yet another solid victory for Furberg who, whilst not a regular on the tour of late, showed what a danger she can be.
Kristina Zlateva of Bulgaria was the next player to make her way into the last four as she disposed of Oliwia Zalewska 7-1. The ever-dangerous Zlateva, who recently competed in the WPA World 9 Ball Championship, will be tough to beat as the tournament enters the business end.
No.9 ranked player Sara Rocha (Portugal) booked a semi-final meeting with Furberg as she got the better of Diana Stateczny (Germany) by a 7-2 scoreline. The final semi-final spot was taken by Ana Gradisnik, the Slovenian European No.1. She will face Zlateva in what will be a hard-fought contest.
With the semi-final line-up set, play resumes at 10.00 on Monday morning with the championship match scheduled for 12 midday.
All Predator Euro Tour Women tournaments are 9-ball and the field contest a double-elimination format, playing down to the last 16 competitors, and then single elimination until the finish. All matches are a race to 7 racks with alternate break.
All the matches can be viewed live at www.kozoom.com
Results, live scoring and draw are available at www.epbf.com
After 11 days of play, the 42nd annual Dynamic Billards European Championships for Men, Women and Wheelchair users concluded on Saturday 12th March. With 15 separate events to contend for, nearly 200 athletes from across Europe came to the picturesque Slovenian town of Lasko.
In the end it was the German squad who topped the medal table with five gold, three silver and three bronze to total 11 medals overall. They were some distance ahead of Finland in second place who secured five medals – three gold, a silver and a bronze. In total, 21 different countries were among the medals.
Individually, there were four multi-medallists in the men’s divisions. Veteran Niels Feijen (NED) headed the table with a gold medal in the 9 ball plus two bronzes. Sanjin Pehlivanovic (BIH) grabbed a gold in the 10 ball plus a bronze in the 8 ball. Poland’s Wojciech Szewczyk took two silvers in the 10 ball and team event respectively. Finally, Mario He of Austria took a silver and a bronze.
In the ladies’ events, it was the fast-improving Pia Filler of Germany who led the way. She collected gold medals in the 8 ball and the team competition as well as a silver in the straight pool. In total, seven other players collected two medals each. Amalia Matas (ESP), Oliwia Zalewska (POL), Tina Vogelmann (GER) and Eyllul Kibaroglu (TUR) all won a gold plus a bronze while Ana Gradisnik (SLO) took two silvers. The other two multi-medallist women were Line Kjorsvik (NOR) and Sara Rocha of Portugal.
In the wheelchair division, it was once again Finland’s Jouni Tahti who came out on top with two gold medals. The other gold was won by his long-time rival Henrik Larsson who also left with a silver and a bronze. Ireland’s Fred Dinsmore came close twice but had to settle for two silver medals and a bronze. The remaining double-medallist was Britain’s David Beaumont who collected a brace of bronzes.
Poland’s Oliwia Zalewska won her third Dynamic Billard European Championships gold medal, this time in the Women’s 9-Ball, as she enjoyed a surprisingly easy win over Slovenian hope Ana Gradisnik, running out a 7-0 winner. The Polish girl had won the 8-ball title in Antalya last year.
Having not really showed in the other disciplines, Zalewska saved her best till last. She lost her first match in the 9-ball division but battled her way through the one-loss side to reach the single elimination last 16. Wins over Silvia Lopez Fibla (Spain) and Sweden’s My Nguyen left her a semi-final pairing against Spain’s dangerous Amalia Matas. A 7-0 win put her into the championship match which she cruised through for the gold.
“During the final, I wasn’t thinking about winning the title; I’m thinking about the game and my level of playing. Of course, I love this feeling of winning and yes, the whole of the time spent practising and the emotions that go into it are all a big part of this victory,” said Zalewska.
The gold medallist is the mother of an 18-month-old child and added, “I’m sorry my baby can’t be here with me and my husband but it would be too long to spend away from home so we will all enjoy this title when we get home.”
WOMEN’S
Final
Oliwia Zalewska (POL) 7 – 0 Ana Gradisnik (SLO)
Semi Finals
Oliwia Zalewska (POL) 7 – 0 Amalia Matas (ESP)
Ana Gradisnik (SLO) 7 – 4 Sara Rocha (POR)
WHEELCHAIR
Jouni Tahti
In the wheelchair division Jouni Tahti made it an unbelievable 28th Dynamic Billard European Championship gold medal as he came from behind to outpace Ireland’s Fred Dinsmore, winning 7 – 6 in a battle royale. The Finn collected his first ever EC gold in 2002 and 20 years later, he is still the wheelchair games dominant force.
Dinsmore, who had already won bronze and silver in the 10-ball and 8-ball respectively, looked on his way to a gold medal, holding a 6-3 lead but Tahti, showed why he is a serial gold medallist as he dug in and pipped the Irishman at the post.
Commented Tahti, “When I was 6-3 down, I didn’t give up as there is always hope and I knew I could turn it around. To win gold medals you often need to overcome very tough situations and I’m pleased I had what it took to achieve that. I’m really looking forward to defending my title in Tampere next year and I’ll be going all out for three gold medals in my home country.”
Final
Jouni Tahti (FIN) 7 – 6 Fred Dinsmore (IRE)
Semi Finals
Jouni Tahti (FIN) 7 – 5 David Beaumont (GBR)
Fred Dinsmore (IRE) 7 – 5 Henrik Larsson (SWE)
UNDER 23
Moritz Neuhausen
Moritz Neuhausen, the 2019 Under 17’s and 2021 Under19’s WPA World 9 Ball Champion, added another trophy to his cabinet as he won an all-German final 9-7 to take 9-ball gold at the Dynamic Billard European Championships. His opponent Luca Menn gave him a tough battle but it was Neuhausen who prevailed to add to his credentials as a potential new German superstar of the game.
Neuhausen, 21, had survived a gripping hill-hill thriller in his semi-final match against another star of the future in Norway’s Emil Andre Gangflot. There is an overflow of top young talent in Europe currently and Neuhausen may just be the pick of the bunch.
“That’s my first title in the Under 23 division. I had two titles previously, one in teams so I’m really happy with this win. I’ve won some big titles in my age group and hopefully I can take that forward into open tournaments but there’s a lot of space for improvement and I’ll keep working hard,” said Neuhausen.
Final
Moritz Neuhausen (GER) 9 – 7 Luca Menn (GER)
Semi Finals
Luca Menn (GER) 9 – 3 Haris Trtovac (SRB)
Moritz Neuhausen (GER) 9 – 8 Emil Andre Gangflot (NOR)
The 2022 Dynamic Billards European Championship sees 15 separate events across four disciplines – 8, 9 and 10 ball as well as straight pool – plus the men’s and women’s team competitions. In total there are four divisions; men, women, under 23 men and wheelchair users.
Eyllul Kibaroglu (Turkey) and Jouni Tahti of Finland took the gold medals in the women’s and wheelchair divisions respectively at the Dynamic Billard European Championships in Lasko, Slovenia. For the Turkish girl, it was a repeat of her triumph at the ECs in Turkey last year while medal-machine Tahti revenged a defeat by Henrik Larsson as he defeated the Swede for gold.
Kibaroglu had run undefeated through the tournament for her repeat win, defeating a brace of German players to land the title. First, she beat Melanie Sűßenguth 6-3 in the semi-final and then topped Ina Kaplan 6-3 in the championship match.
For Kibaroglu, who has enjoyed the success of her European Championships victory in her home country, it was a major achievement to retain her crown; “I’m so happy that I managed to defend my title from Antalya. There are a lot of great players here and you have to play well throughout the tournament. There are still more opportunities ahead this week and I have plans for the 8 ball and 9 ball.”
Finland’s Jouni Tahti
In the wheelchair division it was pool’s version of El Classico as Jouni Tahti and Henrik Larsson faced off for the gold medal. These two players have absolutely dominated wheelchair pool over the years and at the 2021 European Championships it was Larsson who claimed gold against his perennial rival Tahti. The Finn though, had other plans this year as he comfortably gained revenge via a 5-2 scoreline.
Commented Tahti; “It always seems to be myself and Henrik but there are some great players improving so every match can be tough. I’m going to go for the treble of 10 ball, 8 ball and 9 ball but it’s not going to be easy with the quality of competition here. That said, I’m always delighted to win another European Championship gold medal and I played good enough all competition to achieve that goal.”
WOMEN’S
Final
Eyllul Kibaroglu (TUR) 6 – 3 Ina Kaplan (GER)
Semi Finals
Eyllul Kibaroglu (TUR) 6 – 3 Melanie Sűßenguth (GER)
Ina Kaplan (GER) 6 – 1 Sara Rocha (POR)
WHEELCHAIR
Final
Jouni Tahti (FIN) 5 – 2 Henrik Larsson (SWE)
Semi Finals
Jouni Tahti (FIN) 5 – 3 Fred Dinsmore (IRE)
Henrik Larsson (SWE) 5 – 2 David Beaumont (GBR)
The 2022 Dynamic Billards European Championship sees 15 separate events across four disciplines – 8, 9 and 10 ball as well as straight pool – plus the men’s and women’s team competitions. In total there are four divisions; men, women, under 23 men and wheelchair users.
One more time, Jasmin Ouschan (AUT) won a tournament in her home country. In the final match of the Predator St. Johann im Pongau Open 2019, she smashed Marharyta Fefilava (BLR) with 7:1.
The final match started not so bad for Fefilava. She missed the 9-ball and almost gave the first rack away to Ouschan. But since she left a tough shot, Ouschan also missed and gave the present back to Fefilava who then pocketed the 1-ball to get a 1:0 lead. In the next rack, Fefilava once again missed an easy shot. This time the 3-ball hung in the corner pocket. Ouschan got to the table and cleared it in her special style, leaving no room for doubt or errors. Ouschan had arrived in her usual tournament mode. If a player wants to have a chance against Ouschan, one must play focussed in the beginning and use the chances that are given if any. Committing mistakes against the Austrian exceptional player is almost like surrendering. At 3:1 for Ouschan, Fefilava got to the table next time when Ouschan came up with an illegal break. After an exchange of safety shots, Ouschan committed a foul and allowed Fefilava to get to the table with ball in hand. To the horror of the audience, Fefilava hooked herself behind the 6-ball straight after her first shot. She was completely off track in that match. Ouschan stayed cold as ice and ran another rack for a comfortable 4:1 lead over a shaking Fefilava. The next time Fefilava got to the table, the score was already 5:1. Ouschan again had an illegal break. Fefilava ran all balls and again missed the 9-ball. What a drama for the player from Belarus! She made her way into this final with some great performances just to totally collapse in the final, not getting going at all in this match against Ouschan. Jasmin Ouschan however, stayed focussed and played her game, taking the title by winning 7:1 over a devastated Fefilava.
In the semi-finals, Ouschan defeated Sara Rocha (POR) after a tight match with 7:5. Fefilava took down surprise player Veronika Hubrtova (CZE) with 7:4. Worth mentioning are also the 5th place finishes of Monika Margeta (SWE), Ina Kaplan (GER), Tamara Peeters (NED) and Diana Khodjaeva (BEL).
Top Eight Finishers
1. Jasmin Ouschan AUT
2. Marharyta Fefilava BLR
3. Veronika Hubrtova CZE
Sara Rocha POR
5. Ina Kaplan GER
Tamara Peeters NED
Monika Margeta SWE
Diana Khodjaeva BEL
That concludes the coverage from the Predator St. Johann im Pongau Open 2019.
The Predator St. Johann im Pongau Open were played in the Sporthotel Alpina Alpendorf in St. Johann im Pongau, Austria, on up to 22 tables which were 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 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.womeneurotouronline.com or visit us on Facebook for regular news clips or contact our press office press@epbf.com.
The Team competition of the Dynamic Billard European Championships 2019 have been decided. The Spanish Men’s Team and the Portuguese Women’s Team took the titles in their respective division.
The Spanish team took a straight way into the final match against the Austrians. After defeating Cyprus with 2:0, they dethroned the defending Champion team Poland with 2:1. Then they booked their seat in the quarter-final with a victory of team Russia. After eliminating team Czech Republic, the Spaniards again met team Poland. Once more, they won 2:1. In the final match, Francisco Diaz-Pizarro was the first one ready when he pocketed the final 10-ball against Albin Ouschan to win his individual with 8:3. The 8-ball match was still on and also pretty close. Alcaide was leading 7:6 over Maximilian Lechner when Francisco Sanchez-Ruiz won pretty clearly with 9:5 in his 9-ball match over Mario He. That brought the second point to team Spain which already was the title for them.
Top 8 Men’s Teams
1. Spain
2. Austria
3. Poland
Russia
5. Czech Republic
Germany
Portugal
Sweden
In the women’s team competition, the current titleholders were able to defend their crown. Team Portugal with Sara Rocha and Vania Franco went undefeated all the way into the final match. They overcame Team Spain 2:0, then Team Italy 2:0. In the semi-final, the had a thriller against Team Russia and managed to win that in the shoot-out with 8:7. In the final match, the Portuguese met team Germany. Sara Rocha was dominating the 9-ball match with Veronica Ivanovskaia and clearly rode the winning wave with 7:2. The 8-ball match between Franco and Tina Vogelmann was a bit closer, but in the end Franco took the match and the title winning 6:3 over the German.
Top 8 Women’s Team
1. Portugal
2. Germany
3. Poland
Russia
5. Italy
Switzerland
Turkey
Ukraine
The situation in the medal table has not changed too much, but the distances are pretty close between the different nations. Poland is still leading the table with 2 Gold, 1 Silver and 3 Bronze Medals. The Russian team is up their neck, only having one Bronze Medal less than the Polish. Third ranked nation is Finland with one medal of each colour.
Earlier today, matches of the 9-ball individuals were played. Defending Champion Konrad Juszczyszyn (POL) took down Marc Turpel (LUX) and eliminated him with 9:1 from the field. Denis Grabe (EST) paved his way into the round of the last 32 players in 9-ball by outplaying Jani Uski (FIN) 9:8. In the all-Russian class between Fedor Gorst and Konstantin Stepanov, Gorst remained on top in the end and won the match with 9:6. „The Kaiser“ Ralf Souquet (GER) had to deal with „The Terminator“ Niels Feijen (NED). While Souquet has already taken a silver medal in the 8-ball earlier this week, Feijen was still looking for his medal to come. But Souquet destroyed that dream of Feijen by winning 9:5. With Feijen out of the 9-ball, he will not be able to win a medal in the individuals in this year’s European Championships. Another national clash happened between the two Dutch players Jan Rempe and Marc Bijsterbosch. Young Rempe sneaked past Bijsterbosch by taking the match with 9:8. Joshua Filler (GER) wasted no time with Sergey Lutsker (RUS), winning 9:2 in 25 minutes. French up and rising player Alex Montpellier sealed the destiny for Eklent Kaci (ALB) in the 9-ball individuals by making it with 9:8 over the Albanian. Sam Wetzel (LUX) surprisingly took out newly crowned 10-ball European Champion Mieszko Fortunski (POL) 9:8. That surprise was as close and as unexpected as the match between Mats Schjetne (NOR) and Francisco Sanchez-Ruiz (ESP). 9:8 was the final result in favour of Schjetne.
The final day of the Dynamic Billard European Championships 2019 for men, women, U23 and wheelchair athletes will commence tomorrow morning at 10:00 CET with matches in the 9-ball individuals competition in the Men’s and Under 23 division.
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.
