TRABZON - It certainly was not the start Therese Klompenhouwer had expected. How close was the Dutch lady in her first match of the day in Trabzon to the final elimination in the World Cup. Six times (!) her Turkish opponent missed the matchball and with an average far below what she's used to, the 28-year old Klompenhouwer lastly won this bizarre match.
The average (0.558) she played was far beneath her level, she realized immediately after the dramatic start against the Egyptian Khaled Salem. The expectations were so high. ,,I've played a few strong matches last weeks, I feel at home here, the tournament is played in a nice hotel, on the Platin billiards I won my first European title. So basically I was ready to start very strongly'', she said.
Tonight she repaired the lucky win with a victory over Mehmet Saglam, the Turk in the group who had won his first match against Salem 2-1. The multiple Dutch champion, with a maximum match average of 2.045 and a highest run of twelve to her name, now took the match with 2-1 and 0.825 average. So she returns into the tournament tomorrow, maybe on her way to a place in the main tournament.
Therese Klompenhouwer, who won three European titles and one silver medal on a World championship, is a professional billiards star, she learned to play in the cafe of her parents in Nijkerk, where she was the sparring partner of her brother Jarno. ,,I'm truly in love with the game'', she says, ,,because it is such a beautiful sport. I enjoy to watch the top players. It has always fascinated me, alreadgy from th very first years I play billiards.''
For many years the KNBB (Dutch billiard federation) supported her to develop her talent in practicing sessions with Christ van der Smissen. The training of young talents, for example also Glenn Hofman, last year has been stopped for financial reasons. ,,I miss the training of Christ very much'', Therese says. ,,My average now fluctuates around 1,000, I knew that I can do much better. But I need someone to help me.''
She cannot complain about the support from her family and friends. ,,My girlfriend Bertine likes what I'm doing en she's my greatest fan. But also my family and friends support me. You cannot believe what they all do for me. I am very grateful for that. They fully understand that sometimes I can't go to birthday parties, because I have to play a game.''
,,It's very hard'', she admits ,,that all the support of the KNBB has been withdrawn. I must pay for all my trips and stays at the World Cup tournaments myself now. There's no more support from the federation.''
Therese Klompenhouwer however sees participating in those tournaments as the only way to continue her development. ,,It is not a punishment for me to go everywhere, I love to play in all the World Cups. I usually amuse myself with with the Dutch guys, but often also with the Belgian players. The atmosphere is very amicable.''
Does she feel that she still is viewed as a stranger in a male-dominated sport? ,,That doesn't disturb me anymore. I showed everybody that I can play a nice game of billiards. And I'm often wrongly underestimated at the table. That only makes me stronger.''
Therese Klompenhouwer by the way is in Trabzon with three other women: the well known Turkish player Gülşen Degener, the Korean Kyung Hee Oh and another Turkish player. ,,I see billiards not as a pure sport for men. What others think about it, it's up to them.''