Germany’s Amir Ibraimov successfully defended his European U25 three-cushion title in Los Alcázares, Spain, defeating Denmark’s Daniel Kristiansen 40–27 in 24 innings in Sunday’s final. The victory confirms Ibraimov’s position at the top of Europe’s young generation, as he claims the continental crown for the second consecutive year.
The championship featured 24 players from across Europe, with several contenders producing impressive performances before the knockout stage reshaped the race for the medals.
Ibraimov raises his game in the knockout rounds
After progressing through the group stage, Ibraimov defeated Portugal’s Gonçalo Santos 40–25 in 36 innings in the quarter-finals.
His semi-final against Greece’s Dimitrios Seleventas was even more impressive. Ibraimov opened with runs of 7 and 9 points before securing a 40–32 victory in just 22 innings. Seleventas nevertheless finished on the podium, earning one of the two bronze medals.
In the final, Ibraimov quickly established control against Kristiansen. Leading 20–6 after eight innings, the German built a decisive advantage and went on to win 40–27 in 24 innings.
Kristiansen comes through a dramatic semi-final
Kristiansen’s route to the final was far from straightforward. Facing Turkey’s Alptekin Canozkan, he had to recover after his opponent produced a spectacular 10-point run in the 13th inning.
Canozkan looked well placed to reach the final, but Kristiansen fought his way back with a run of 8 points and kept the pressure on. The match went down to the final innings, where the Dane scored 4, 2 and then 1 point to reach 40 in 33 innings. Canozkan finished on 36 and took the second bronze medal alongside Seleventas.
Özbas and Morales among the leading performers
Turkey’s Seymen Özbas was one of the strongest players in the group stage, finishing at the top of the qualifying rankings. Spain’s Marcos Morales and Bruno Martinez, Denmark’s Lukas Mortensen and the Netherlands’ Joris van ’t Zelfden were also among the notable performers.
The quarter-finals, however, brought some emphatic results. Canozkan eliminated Özbas with a 40–20 win in just 15 innings, while Seleventas stopped Morales 40–14 in 19 innings. Ibraimov defeated Santos, and Kristiansen secured his semi-final place by overcoming Van ’t Zelfden.
Morales still left his mark on the tournament, recording the best match average in a 30-point game: 2.307.