VALENCIA - The reigning world champion Therese Klompenhouwer will open the World championship three-cushion in Valencia on Monday 30 September at 10.00. The 24 players from 15 nations compete for the title in the stately Ateneo Mercantil de Valencia. The organization led by Mr. Fernando Requena faces a tough mission, because in the second part of the week the WC for ladies is followed by the WC for juniors. Therese Klompenhouwer, triple world champion, is one of the two big favorites, the Japanese Orie Hida has won four titles. 36-year-old Dutch player, who won 11 titles in a row in her own country, returned from Seoul last Sunday, where she was invited to the Survival Masters with the men's world stars.
The opening ceremony is Monday at 10.00. The qualifiers in the groups are played to 25 points with 8 groups of 3, of which the first two players in each group qualify for the best sixteen. The final rounds are played to 30 points. The prize money has doubled compared to last year, when there was a premium system for the ladies for the first time: 2000 euros for the winner. That has doubled to 4000 euros.
The invited players, with the title defender placed as number one, come from Europe (10), 6 from Asia, 5 from America, 1 from Africa and 1 wildcard from the organization. Tournament director is Mr. Eduardo Rifaterra.
Three participants are from the Netherlands, which may delegate the world champion, two from Turkey, four from Colombia, two from Japan, two from Korea and for the first time a player from Vietnam. 15 countries are present, that is a record for the Ladies championship.
The participants:
Therese Klompenhouwer (NL)
Joke Breur (NL)
Gülsen Degener (Tur)
Irena Hambalkova (Cz)
Steffi Daske (Ger)
Marianne Mortensen (Den)
Danielle le Bruyn (Bel)
Céline Jacques (Fra)
Estela Cardoso (Spa)
Helga Mitterböck (Aus)
Karina Jetten (NL)
Güzin Mujde Karakasli (Tur)
Johanne Sandoval (Col)
Martha Castro (Col)
Jackeline Perez (Per)
Soledad Gomez (Col)
Edna Vargas (Col)
Min A Kim (Kor)
Orie Hida (Jap)
Phung Kien Tuong (Vie)
Pheavy Sruong (Cam)
Ayako Sakai (Jap)
Hyunji Yong (Kor)
Ana Juarez (Spa)
The group formats:
Group A: Therese Klompenhouwer Joke Breur, Johanna Sandoval
Group B: Pheavy Sruong, Céline Jacques, Ana Juarez
Group C: Orie Hida, Min A Kim, Karina Jetten
Group D: Gülsen Degener, Estela Cardoso, Hyunji Yong
Group E: Güzin Mujde Karakasli, Helga Mitterböck, Edna Vargas
Group F: Steffi Daske, Jackeline Perez, Soledad Gomez
Group G: Ayako Sakai, Daniëlle le Bruyn, Phung Kien Tuong
Group H: Irena Hambalkova, Marianne Mortensen, Martha Castro.
Prize money:
Winner: 4000 euros, 2nd: 3000, 3rd / 4th: 2000, 5-8: 1500, 9-16: 1000, 17-24: 250.
Japanese four times world champion, again one of the main contenders in Valencia