ANTALYA - The Dutch billiard stars have been leading all the way in the ladies three cushion in Europe and Therese Klompenhouwer is the undisputed champion. The leading lady in women's billiards showed her supremacy these days at the tournament in Antalya, where her eighth title in a row was never in danger. Karina Jetten, also from the Netherlands, was a wonderful second on stage. Belgian Jaimie Buelens and Spanish Estela Cardoso came to pick up the other main prizes. The orange gala in the final was awarded with a logical score: Therese Klompenhouwer-Karina Jetten: 30-20 in 21 innings.
The kiss after the final match was orange in taste, the generous laughter from the other two players on stage was sincere. The Dutch anthem (Wilhelmus) lasted infinitely long and Diane Wild, the president of the European federation, brought the medal to the champion, who earned 1.000 euros with her new first prize. Therese Klompenhouwer played the best match ever, the best average ever (1.411 in the knock-outs) and the best run ever: 11.
Therese Klompenhouwer is superior now with all those records and wins in Europe. She played the best match ever at the European championship (30 in 13) and improved the best run ever at the Europeans in the final, which was with ten on the name of Gülsen Degener. Therese decided the final at a score of 22-11 in Jetten's favor with a run of 11!. After that, the way to victory was definitely opened. In all five matches before the final, the opposition was too poor to threaten the champion. Steffi Daske and Karina Jetten came closest with 30-22 and 30-20, the first opponents were overpowered with 25-3 and 30-5.
Therese's hegemony at the European Championships has been going on since 2005, when she won her first final against Gerrie Geelen. Luxembourg followed in 2007 (final against Danielle le Bruyn), Odense in 2009 (final against Karina Jetten), Lille in 2011 (final against Danielle le Bruyn), Brandenburg in 2013 (final against Karina Jetten), Brandenburg in 2015 (final against Gülsen Degener), Brandenburg in 2019 (final against Güzin Müjde Karakasli) and now Antalya in 2020.''I think this is the form of my life," Therese said after the ceremony.
''I seemed a bit in trouble in the first part of the final, but because of that run of 11, I was on the right track again. And so, I did live up to what I said before the tournament. I've never been this good and actually, I couldn't be beat here. I am increasingly focusing on the men's tournaments, such as the World Cup in Antalya in a few days. I will start there on Wednesday, I have to survive for a day at least and then I can play with the big guns."
Therese briefly recalled a phone call that she received from the Netherlands half an hour before the final match. ''A very close friend, that I know for more than twenty years, called me and said that she is incurably sick. She said: this title, you must win for me. Of course I was upset, but I understand that she called me. And indeed, I did win this title for her."
Therese Klompenhouwer, Karina Jetten and the Turkish ladies referees before the final match
Karina Jetten in full focus during the finals
The European championship, over three days in a stylish resort in Antalya, sparkled the most during a high-quality match by Therese Klompenhouwer. The Dutch top lady defeated Turkish Argu Gök 30-5 in 13 innings after a 29-2 lead in eight innings. That was the best match ever played at a European women's championship.
The tournament had a big Turkish and Dutch input from five players. The Turkish homeland soon lost Gülsen Degener and had no players left to battle for the podium positions on the final day with the last four.
Therese Klompenhouwer already topped the standings after the pre-rounds were played with 24. The Dutch recorded 0.961 on average, Karina Jetten was the second with 0.806. The top four in the preliminaries was the same as the positions on the final stage: Klompenhouwer, Jetten, Cardoso and Buelens. The other four players for the last eight: Daisy Werdekker, Danielle le Bruyn, Irena Hambalkova and Steffi Daske.
Semi finals:
Therese Klompenhouwer-Jaimie Buelens 30-16 (27)
The Dutch/Belgian clash, always interesting in all sports disciplines, was decided in the second part by the better final sprint of Therese Klompenhouwer. The 32-year-old Belgian player, six-time champion in her country, never before had reached the semi-finals at a European championship and had a promising start. "I managed to make it difficult for Therese for a long time. That is something to be proud of for me," the 'Mechelse' lady said afterwards.
The match started a bit slow (Buelens leading 7-5 in 12), was launched by a short attack of Klompenhouwer (11-8), but was countered by the Belgian to 14-13 by a small run of three. It was the last come-back, because from then on, Klompenhouwer set the pace for a bigger lead: 20-13 in the 22nd and in the final phase first with a run aof four to 29-15 and finally with a bankshot to 30-16.
Therese Klompenhouwer and Jaimie Buelens before their match in the semi-finals
Jaimie Buelens, strong performance, first time on a European podium
Therese Klompenhouwer, on the way to her final points in the semi final
Semi finals:
Karina Jetten-Estela Cardoso 29-27 (40)
Two high runs by Karina Jetten and a faltering finish. The Dutch defeated Estela Cardoso from Spain in a match with two faces. Before the break a strong Jetten, at the end a defensive tactic by both, many bad positions and many misses for the final winner. The Spanish couldn't put real counters against. Jetten showed before and just after the stop how well she can play billiards, including runs of 7 and 8. But after that eight in the 24th inning (28-15), the control and the good feeling disappeared.
The Spanish was previously mentioned by Therese Klompenhouwer as one of her most important rivals. To reach the best four of the tournament turned out to be the best attainable. With Karina Jetten, the final day went on to a final with two Dutch ladies. Estela: ''I am happy with my medal, but I could have fought more in my last match. I tried to leave her bad positions, but I myself could not score on easy positions. Anyway, I'm happy with my second medal after once I was second when Therese won.''
Estela Cardoso and Karina Jetten before the semi-final match
Estela Cardoso, a last attempt to chase Karina Jetten
Karina Jetten, the joy after her last points: great start, struggling finish