The penultimate discipline of the 2021 EPBF / Dynamic Billiards European Seniors Championships – the 8-ball – played out this evening at the BHR Treviso Hotel in Italy and there were gold medals for Reiner Wirsbitzki in the men’s division and Cristina Moscetti in the ladies.
In the ladies’ division, Italian Moscetti defeated Finland’s Tuuliina Panula 5-4 in a terrific comeback victory, while Germany’s Wirsbitzki defeated Gianluca Capella of Italy 7-5 to take his third medal of the championship after a bronze in straight pool and a silver in the 10-ball division.
In the men’s final, the match stood at 2-2 with both players having a break and run as well as taking a rack off their opponent’s break. The German took the next with his break to restore his lead. In the sixth game, Capella missed a cut on the 2-ball with just one other solid remaining on the table. Wirsbitski ran through his balls smoothly and deposited the 8-ball into the centre pocket to take a 4-2 lead in the race to seven match.
Wirsbitzki let fly with his two-feet-off-the-floor power break but left a messy table. He took the solids but was unable to dislodge the red stripe from the 1 ball so played safe but running out of time, he scratched and presented an opportunity to Capella, who grabbed it with both hands to reduce arrears to 4-3.
A bad kick, going for the 7-ball derailed Capella’s comeback, but Reiner missed a straight orange stripe to hand the table back to his opponent. Eventually Wirsbitski gained the initiative, though and took the rack to lead 5-3.
Capella got back to within a rack of his opponent including an excellent three ball finish when the black with tied up with two of his opponent’s balls. With the balls in the open following his break, Capella made an unforced error to scratch and hand Wirsbitzki a golden chance to reach the hill. There was nothing difficult in front of him and he cleared up to be breaking for the title.
Staring victory in the face, Wirsbitzki missed a relatively easy 9 ball and Capella got himself back in the match at 5-6 down with the break. The German potter however, got chances in the next to end the Italian’s great escape as he pocketed his way to a marvellous 7-5 victory.
Wirsbitzki was naturally thrilled with his win; “I lost the final in the straight pool then I lost the semi-final in the 10-ball and so I really wanted to win the 8-ball. It’s my third title at the European Seniors and I wanted it. I break with my hand open, normally it’s a closed hand and it’s difficult to control. Breaking softly is not good for my brain, I need the power! I played five matches today and the break was constant, really good.”
In the ladies’ final, Panula had steamrollered her way into a 3-1 lead and when Moscetti missed a difficult orange 5-ball down the rail, the Finnish lady cleared the remainder of her balls, including a pressure black to reach the hill at 4-1.
Moscetti got to the table, looking to save the match, but could only play safe. She missed the pink 4 ball to allow the straight shooting Panula back to the table but a poor positional shot gave the Italian an opportunity which she gratefully accepted to keep herself alive.
A dry break from the Italian when she least needed it put the Finn back in command and with her solid potting game, she tried to get home. Again, a poor positional shot let Moscetti back in but there was nothing on for her. The rack got a little scrappy with several visits from both players but Moscetti got the 8-ball down to get with one of Panula and put the pressure back on her opponent,
With the table looking good, Moscetti didn’t quite get the correct position with two of her balls left and played a containing safety. Panula managed to fluke an impossible snooker, trapping the cue ball between the red solid and the centre pocket and the Italian fouled. Panula missed two pocketing attempts, but try as she may Moscetti couldn’t negotiate the table with just two of her balls left.
Panula had a long 8 ball for the match but wasn’t even close. Moscetti then slammed home her remaining stripe but left the 8 ball on for Panula who promptly missed it again. The Italian didn’t though as the match went to 4-4.
They went back and forth in the decider, before an amazing jump shot by Moscetti from some distance kept her run going. Nothing was easy at this stage but the opportunity for gold was there and instead of the tentative play of early, she showed full confidence to take her remaining balls and then the 8-ball for the championship.
The win completed a full set of gold medals for Moscetti, having won 9-ball and 10-ball titles previously.
“It feels so good as I was missing the 8-ball gold – it was the only one I didn’t have and finally I’ve got it. At 4-1 I was beginning to think I was going to lose the match but then she gave me some chances and I’m like a diesel – I power up!
“Then I started to play good and with the score at 4-4 I made a miracle jump shot and a very good shot after that and I took the title. I’m looking forward to the 9 ball tomorrow so why not? It’s the European Championship’s in my home country and I really wanted this 8-ball title.”
Medals – Men’s 8-Ball
Gold – Reiner Wirsbitzki (GER)
Silver – Gianluca Capella (ITA)
Bronze – Timo Hofmann (GER)
Andrea Grosso (ITA)
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.
Jan Keller (DEN) booked a seat in the semi-finals in 9-ball today, eliminating defending Champion Henrique Correia (POR) 8:7 and then Jim Telfer (NED) 8:3 one after the other. Telfer will go up against Sanne Azar (SWE) in the semi-final. Azar took down Marcello Valoroso (ITA) 8:3 and then Tomi Ahonen (FIN) 8:5 in the quarter-finals.
The other semi-final in the seniors division is played between Manuel Pereira (POR) and Vegar Kristiansen (NOR). Pereira made his way over Markku Toivonen (FIN) 8:4 and Marinus Gennissen (NED) 8:5 while Kristiansen got the better of Davy Piergiovanni (ITA) 8:3 and Alex Habo (HUN) 8:1.
In the ladies division, the semi-finals are played between highly favored Ulrika Andersson (SWE) and Tuuliina Panula (FIN) in the first match and Karin Michl (GER) versus Susanne Wessel (GER) in the other semi-final.
Today, the Dynamic Billard European Championships for Seniors and Ladies continue with the semi-finals and the final of the 9-ball individuals competition. The final match is scheduled for 15:00 CET.
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 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.epconline.eu, visit us on Facebook or check out our youtube channel for regular news clips or contact our press officepress@epbf.com.
Ulrika Andersson (SWE) and Jan Keller (DEN) have taken the 9-ball titles at the Dynamic Billard European Championships for Seniors and Ladies in Tirana, Albania.
It was Jan Keller’s first appearance in any European Championship final. Before this 9-ball competition here in Tirana, Keller was a blank sheet of paper. He had not achieved any medals or taken any victories on European level. Honestly, he was not even really heard of before this week. But that will change drastically after today. His opponent in the final, Manuel Pereira (POR) has already collected 4 Gold, 1 Silver and 4 Bronze Medals at European Championships. So the roles for the final were clearly defined. Keller was the underdog an Pereira served as the favorite. But the match followed its own rules. Keller played calmly and enjoyed his performance at the table while Pereira seemed to struggle with his game. Keller was up 3:1 and 4:2 and he seemed to be able to gain a small advantage over Pereira. But the Portuguese tried his best and stayed in the match somehow. After seven racks, Keller was still leading but only with one rack 4:3. Then he let loose. Keller performed smoothly and it looked like it was smooth sailing for the "dark horse" from Denmark. The man who came here as a blank sheet of paper suddenly dominated one of senior pool’s powerhouses to his likings. In the end. Keller took a well deserved 8:3 victory over Pereira and collected his first medal ever on European level.
"I have prepared very well for this event", stated Keller afterwards, "I played pool every day, watch my food and did whatever I could to get in shape for this event." "I was so much looking forward to the European Championships". "9-ball is my favorite game" answered Keller when asked about his best game, 'I love the tactics involved with it." „I was not nervous during my matches since I really had nothing to lose“, mentioned Keller, "if I had lost today to Azar or Correia or Pereira, I would have still played my best. However, today my best was good enough for all of them".
In the ladies division, Ulrika Andersson played Susanne Wessel (GER). Both have already won one title each this week. Wessel took the 10-ball while Andersson grabbed the 8-ball title. The match could somehow be seen as the decider of who was the best lady player here this week. Just like in these Championships, Wessel had the better start. She got going first and was leading 3:1 after four racks. But Andersson struck back and took the next two racks, leveling the match at 3:3. Then, Wessel went for a time-out. She needed to clear her mind and got back to the table, ready for action. But Andersson had found her rhythm and did not allow Wessel back into the match. Whereas Wessel missed balls and positions, Andersson pocketed her shots or came up with good safety play. Playing on the 7-ball in rack seven, Andersson got a bit lucky. She missed the shot but left no position for Wessel. The German went rail first and left a tough position for Andersson. Ulrike Andersson hit the 7-ball but could not make it. Then, Wessel attempted to pocket the 7-ball but she failed. This time Andersson took her chance and cleared the rack, making the score 4:3 in her favor. In rack eight, Andersson started with a push-out. Wessel pocketed an awesome shot and got position. But unfortunately for her, she scratched on her next shot. With ball in hand, Andersson cleared the table and won the match and the title with 5:3. „After a long time of absence my Swedish teammates convinced me to come to this event because they told me it is organized so well,“ said Andersson after the match. „I had no expectations in my own match but I know I love the game and I know I can play pool, added Andersson, „so I just went here and played the best I could.“ „It was like a rollercoaster ride at times but I played good when I needed to.“ „I did not expect to become the best player in the ladies division this year when I arrived here but now I am ready for defending my titles next times“ mentioned the likable Swede.
Semi-final results:
Ulrika Andersson (SWE) v Tuuliina Panula (FIN) 5:0
Susanne Wessel (GER) v Karin Michl (GER) 5:4
Top Six Ladies 9-ball:
1. Ulrika Andersson (SWE)
2. Susanne Wessel (GER)
3. Karin Michl (GER)
Tuuliina Panula (FIN)
5. Patrizia Ignesti (ITA)
Cristina Moscetti (ITA)
Final Medal table after 5 of 5 events:
That concludes the coverage from the Dynamic Billard European Championships for Seniors and Ladies in Tirana, Albania.
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.epconline.eu, visit us on Facebook or check out our youtube channel for regular news clips or contact our press officepress@epbf.com.
Henrique Correia (POR), defending Champion in the seniors 9-ball individuals, has reached the round of the last 16 players by eliminating Maciej Trudnowski (POL) 8:2 from the roster.
It turned out to be a walk in the park for Correia. His Polish opponent gave him some kind of resistance in the beginning of the match only. Leading 3:1 and 4:2, Correia wasted no time with Trudnowski and demonstrated his domination at the table. Trudnowski took a time out trailing 2:6 to Correia but that did not support his game nor did it influence Correia in any way, shape or form. The Portuguese collected the needed two racks after the time out and took a well deserved 8:2 victory over Trudnowski. Correia will play Jan Keller (DEN) in the round of the last 16 players standing while Trudnowski has to settle for 17th. Keller ousted Sami Karttunen (FIN) 8:1.
Other remarkable results from today include Sandor Tot (HUN) triumphing 8:4 over Kostas Konnaris (CYP). Tot will encounter Jim Telfer (NED) in the next round who clobbered Giorgio Margola (ITA) 8:3. Vegar Kristiansen (NOR) also still has a word to say regarding the 9-ball event. He won 8:2 over Gabor Erdelyi (HUN) and will play Piergiovanni Davy (ITA) next who defeated Fabio Petroni (ITA) 8:6. The round of the last 16 players will be played tomorrowmorning at 09:00 CET.
In the ladies division, Karin Michl (GER) secured her next medal here in Tirana. She got the better of Cristina Moscetti (ITA) in the winner’s qualification round and will now wait for an opponent. Moscetti needs to battle it out with Ulrika Andersson (SWE) for a spot among the top four ladies in 9-ball. The other lady in the semi-final already is Tuuliina Panula (FIN) who just made it over Susanne Wessel (GER) 5:4. Wessel will need a victory over Patrizia Ignesti (ITA) to book a seat in the semi-finals tomorrow.
Today, the Dynamic Billard European Championships for Seniors and Ladies continue with the semi-finals and the final of the team competition. The final match is scheduled for 19:00 CET.
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 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.epconline.eu, visit us on Facebook or check out our youtube channel for regular news clips or contact our press officepress@epbf.com.
Ulrika Andersson and Sanne Azar (both SWE) take the Gold Medals at the 8-ball individuals of the Dynamic Billard European Championships for Seniors and Ladies in Tirana, Albania.
Sanne Azar defeated Reiner Wirsbitzki (GER) in the final of the seniors with 7:5. The match was filled with ups and downs on both sides. In the beginning, the show was 100% on Azar’s side. He was on fire and left no chance to Wirsbitzki who had problems in getting started at all. After four racks, the score was 4:0 in favor of Azar. Then, Wirsbitzki got some momentum and managed to put Azar under pressure. The German won three consecutive racks and Azar could feel the tension rising. Then, it was Azar’s match again. He won two racks and got to the hill with 6:3. But Wirsbitzki is a fighter. He hung in there and won another two points to once again come close to Azar. Being 5:6 down, Wirsbitzki scratched on his own break. That was enough of a chance for Azar to finish the match and take the crown over his German opponent with 7:5.
The final match in the ladies division was determined by a hue comeback from Ulrika Andersson. Germany’s Susanne Wessel was already leading 3:1 which is a comfortable advantage in a race to 5. In rack five, Andersson broke and scratched on the break shot which gave Wessel ball in hand with an open table. It was expected that she went on the hill but she missed the second-last ball of her group. Trailing 1:3, Andersson pocketed some balls and played a clever safety shot which forced Wessel to commit a foul. Andersson ran the remaining balls and the comeback started. She pulled rack after rack from Wessel who lost her game completely. She missed shots and fell out of position big time. On the other hand, Andersson got better and better and in the end took a deserved 5:3 victory to gain the first title in her career in the ladies division.
Semi-final results:
Ulrika Andersson (SWE) v Cristina Moscetti (ITA) 5:3
Susanne Wessel (GER) v Patrizia Ignesti (ITA) 5:2
Top Six 8-ball Ladies:
1. Ulrika Andersson (SWE)
2. Susanne Wessel (GER)
3. Patrizia Ignesti (ITA)
Cristina Moscetti (ITA)
5. Monika Jarecki (GER)
Karin Michl (GER)
Medal table after 3 of 5 events:
The Dynamic Billard European Championships for Seniors and Ladies will continue tomorrowmorning at 09:00 CET with matches of the 9-ball individuals.
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 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.epconline.eu, visit us on Facebook or check out our youtube channel for regular news clips or contact our press officepress@epbf.com.
Today the Dynamic Billard European Championships for Seniors and Ladies features team matches and 8-ball individuals. In the teams loser’s round one, Austria defeated Sweden in a thrilling drama 2:1.
Actually, the whole match boiled down to one shot that Sanne Azar (SWE) missed. The other two matches have finished almost simultaneously. Thomas Radakovits (AUT) won the 8-ball 7:4 over Glenn Andersson (SWE) while Stefan Ericson (SWE) snatched the 9-ball match 8:7 from Michael Moser (AUT). The team score was even at 1:1 with only the 10-ball going on between Azar and Markus Weichart (AUT). The Austrian was dominating the match very much from start until the score was 6:2. He had a nice 4-rack lead being on the hill already. But Azar can fight. He made his way back into the match and pulled rack after rack from Weichart. After 12 racks, the score was even tied at 6:6 with the showdown to come. One rack decided about going further or going home. Weichart broke the rack but no ball went down. The cue ball was frozen to the 2-ball but the 1-ball was available. Azar played an extremely difficult shot – especially in that situation – and pocketed the 1-ball. He then continued playing and had everything in front of him. No problems were on the table, it was just pocketing balls and getting position. He did everything right until he came to the 9-ball. Two more balls left on the table for the glory. Words can hardly describe what happened then. He missed a 9-ball that was almost impossible to miss and left two balls in front of the pockets on the table for Weichart. What a drama for Azar! After that huge comeback, he failed on that easy shot. Weichart got to the table and pocketed the two balls remaining for the victory. Team Austria took a 2:1 victory over team Sweden with that match and eliminated the Scandinavians out of the team competition. Austria will now play team Portugal in the next round. The Portuguese won 3:0 over North Cyprus. Team The Netherlands won 2:0 over team Turkey and will now meet team Finland who ousted team Norway 2:1 today.
Other remarkable results from today include defending 8-Ball Champion in the ladies division, Barbara Bolfelli (ITA), winning 5:0 over Ursula Habersaat (SUI). She now advances on the loser’s side to the next round where she will meet her teammate Cristina Moscetti (ITA). Karin Michl (GER) overpowered Ann-Sofie Löfgren (SWE) with 5:1 and will now encounter teammate Hildegard Kasper (GER) who defeated Monika Oeschger (SUI) with 5:0. In the winner’s qualification round, Ulrika Andersson (SWE) will meet Patrizia Ingest (ITA) while Monika Jarecki (GER) and Susanne Wessel (GER) will play the other match.
In the seniors division, defending Champion Sanne Azar outplayed Csaba Nagy (HUN) 7:3 and advanced to the single elimination round of the last 32 players which will be played today at 16:30 local time. Sandor Tot (HUN), newly crowned European Champion in seniors 10-ball, won a heartbreaker with 7:5 over strong Kostas Konnaris (CYP). Reiner Wirsbitzki (GER) made unexpected short work of „Fabulous“ Fabio Petroni (ITA) and sent him to the loser’s side with 7:1. Angelo Salzano (ITA) wrestled Dino Ceramic (BIH) down with 7:6. Gianluca Boni (ITA) got the better of Jim Telfer (NED) with 7:3.
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 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.epconline.eu, visit us on Facebook or check out our youtube channel for regular news clips or contact our press officepress@epbf.com.
Gianluca Boni (ITA) has just ousted his teammate "Fabulous" Fabio Petroni (ITA) from the 8-ball competition at the Dynamic Billard European Championships for Seniors and Ladies in Tirana, Albania, with 7:6.
Actually, Petroni was the clear favored player in this match. He does have a history in international pool, including two silver and two bronze medals that go as far back as 1998 where he lost the final in 9-ball to win the silver medal. Boni is more or less an uncharted territory in international pool. The expectations were set and the match was on. Boni managed to take first blood in the match but after that he was always trailing to Petroni. "Fabulous" even went on the hill with a comfortable 6:4 lead over Boni. But Boni hung in there and pulled two racks back from Petroni who seemed to play a bit careless at times. In the deciding 13th rack, Boni cleared all balls of his group but missed the 8-ball. Petroni even got ball in hand since Boni scratched on his attempt to pocket the 8-ball. Having seven open balls of his group in front of him, Petroni started pocketing but again, he seemed careless and negligent with his chance. He talked continuously and it looked like he felt he was already the winner. Worse came to worst for him when he played the 3rd last ball of his group and left it hanging over the pocket. He left a short and easy shot for Boni on the 8-ball who took that present and advanced with a 7:6 triumph over Petroni to the round of the last eight players while Petroni is out and has to settle for 9th place in seniors 8-ball individuals.
In the ladies division, Ulrika Andersson (SWE) one more time made her way through the winner’s side to the semi-finals, defeating Patricia Ignesti (ITA) 5:3. Also in the semi-final is Susanne Wessel (GER) who managed to get the better of her teammate Monika Jarecki (GER) 5:4.
The Dynamic Billard European Championships for Seniors and Ladies will continue tomorrowmorning at 09:00 CET with the first matches of the 9-ball individuals.
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 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.epconline.eu, visit us on Facebook or check out our youtube channel for regular news clips or contact our press officepress@epbf.com.
Susanne Wessel (GER) and Sandor Tot (HUN) have just won the Gold Medals in the 10-ball individuals at the Dynamic Billard European Championships for Seniors and Ladies in Tirana, Albania.
Sandor Tot stormed off like a hurricane in the senior’s final. He took a quick 3:0 lead over Azar, being like at times. When he fell out of position, he came up with good safeties and he did not allow Azar to get in his game at all. So the Swedish had to somehow force himself into the match. He achieved that in the 4th rack which he broke and ran at high speed. Tot gave him the right answer and did the same in the next rack, pocketing a difficult 10-ball to make the score 4:1. Rack six saw Azar making two misses in a row but coming out lucky since he never left a shot for Tot. The Hungarian attempted a safety shot and completely missed the 1-ball. So Azar got to the table with ball in hand. To everyone’s surprise, Azar already missed the second shot again. He seemed to be completely demoralized. But also Tot showed nerves. He snookered himself on the 5-ball. So he tried to leave a tough shot for his opponent but Sanne Azar made that shot and stole that rack back from Tot. After that rack, Azar took a time-out and tried to compose himself and let Tot stew in the arena, thinking about his mistake. But it did not work as Azar had hoped. Tot snatched the next rack and made the score 5:2. Only two more racks to reach out for glory for Tot. But Azar took the next rack and at 5:3, Tot came up dry with his break shot. However, Azar could not benefit form it. Obviously he was struggling with the pace that Tot put to the match. Tot got on the hill with 6:3. In the 10th rack, Tot as well as Azar missed shots but Tot was the luckier player. He got the knuckles of the pockets when he needed them and finally snatched the rack and the match from Azar, winning the title with 7:3.
The final match in the ladies division was a one-person-show by German Susanne Wessel. She simply overran Cristina Moscetti (ITA) 5:1. Moscetti never had a real chance and was only able to open her account when Wessel was already on the hill. Being 0:4 down in a final race to 5, it is almost impossible to come back. Wessel allowed Moscetti to prevent the whitewash from happening and gave her one rack before she closed the book on the final match and won the Gold Medal 5:1.
The Dynamic Billard European Championships for Seniors and Ladies will continue tomorrowmorning at 09:00 CET with matches of the 8-ball individuals seniors winner’s qualification round.
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 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.epconline.eu, visit us on Facebook or check out our youtube channel for regular news clips or contact our press officepress@epbf.com.
Jim Telfer (NED) subdued Marcel Schaerer (SUI) 7:2 in the first winner’s round of the 8-ball individuals at the Dynamic Billard European Championships for Seniors and Ladies in Tirana, Albania.
Telfer started the match with his break shot but had no ball down. So Schaerer had the first chance to win a rack since all balls were widely spread. But he snookered himself on his last colored ball and committed a foul so Telfer ran the table and drew first blood. In the next rack, Telfer almost committed the same mistake as Schaerer earlier. He pocketed all striped balls but fell out of position for the 8-ball. He attempted to pocket it over one rail into the side pocket but he failed. Now Schaerer got to the table with all the solids nicely spread out for him. But he missed his second shot already and Telfer made the 8-ball to take a 20 lead over Schaerer. As the match went on, things continued as in the first two racks. Telfer simply made less mistakes than his opponent which finally and consequently brought him the 7:2 victory over the Swiss player.
Other remarkable results include defending Champion Sanne Azar (SWE) winning his first match 7:1 over Jorgen Nilsen (NOR). In the next round, Azar will go up against Csaba Nagy (HUN). Nagy took down Davy Piergiovanni (ITA) 7:2 in the first round and then squeezed past Stefan Ericsson (SWE) by a whisker with 7:6. The draw this year is pretty tough for Reiner Wirsbitzki (GER). His first two matches were no challenge to him. He clobbered Onur Abdik (TUR) 7:1 and Tero Kaivonen (FIN) also 7:1. But his next opponent will probably give him more resistance. He will have to deal with Fabio Petroni (ITA), experienced senior player from Italy. Petroni overmastered Dag-Joran Aralden (NOR) 7:4 in his first match.
In the ladies division, Ulrika Andersson (SWE) wasted no time with Monika Oeschger (SUI). 5:0 was the final result in favor of Andersson who will go against defending Champion Barbara Bolfelli (ITA) in the next round. Patrizia Ingest (ITA) got the better of Karin Michl (GER), winning the match 5:2. Ann-Sofie Löfgren (SWE) showed nor mercy with Anne Nieminen (FIN), sending her to the loser’s side with a clear 5:1.
This afternoon at 17:00 local time, the semi-finals of the 10-ball individuals will be played with the final matches scheduled for 19:00 today.
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