BRANDENBURG - The Italian Andrea Quarta was the best of four Italians on the podium of the 5 pins discipline. He took the title for the fourth time at the European championship, eleven years after his world title in 2008. His previous title dates are 2005, 2007 and 2010. The Italians dominated the 5-pins discipline and the championship under 21 ended with Italian champion Riccardo Matino. The clash in the semi-final between Andrea Quarta and another illustrious Italian, Michelangelo Aniello, was one of the highlights of the senior championship. That match, between two eternal rivals on the Italian professional circuit, was a real thriller over five sets: 33-60, 60-46, 37-60, 60-50 and 60-51.
The final between Quarta and Fioravante Vecchione was a high class demonstration of the champion in the last two decisive sets. The set scores: 60-44, 57-60, 60-33, 60-23. Vecchione made it to the final by beating another Italian, Camilo Gomez, 60-50, 60-32, 60-37. The Czech Marco Belfiore, the Danish Rene Hendriksen, the German Salvatore Brancaccio and the Italian Giorgio Minelli were eliminated in the quarterfinals.
In the championship under 21, only two Italians were among the participants. On the podium together with the winner were Dane Lukas Mortensen, who was defeated in the final 3-1 (50-4, 23-50, 50-40 and 50-34) and the losing semi-finalists: the Germans Michel Peters and Max Gabel.
The free game under 17 ended in a final between the Belgian Jelle Billiet and the Frenchman Nathan Legendre. The 17-year-old Belgian, a student of Freddy Staelens, a known three-cushion player, Staelens, won the gold medal. He defeated Legendre 200-66 in 10. Billiet is living in the small village Sint Laureins, near Eeklo. There he started playing billiards at the age of thirteen. ''I often went to a billiard cafe with my grandfather and then started playing myself. I was doing cycling races until last year, but the combination was not ideal. And now I want to focus more on billiards, also on three cushion.''
Jelle Billiet was the better of his fellow countryman Nick Rosier 200-72 in 5 in the semi-finals. Nathan Legendre beat Nick Dudink 200-126 in 9. Billiet played the best match of the tournament in the semi-final: 200 in 5. The best run came from Nick Dudink: 114.
Andrea Quarta on the way to his fourth European title in 5 pins
The podium for 5 pins under 21 with the Italian winner Riccardo Matino
The Belgian victory in free game under 17: second left the winner Jelle Billiet