ANTALYA – The European billiards championships in all disciplines are approaching the finals and the battle for the last medals. With five long days remaining in the magnificent arena of the Royal Seginus Hotel in Antalya, the women's will compete for the three-cushion title (Klompenhouwer-Sörensen final) today, the balk-line players in the 47/2 discipline have started their mission, and the world's elite men’s, with Martin Horn as the title holder in three-cushion, battle it out for the European podium places starting tomorrow, Thursday. The national teams conclude the mega-event this weekend. The men's three-cushion final, with 64 players, will be held on Saturday.
The title tournament had a tough start, as all Italian players had withdrawn in the days leading up to the tournament due to the war in the Middle East. That had a major impact on the 5-pin billiards event, where German Toni Rosenberg won the title ahead of Danes Erling Sjoburg and Kim Henriksen, Alfredo Jose Torre Rosini from San Marino, and Henrik Rijholt, also from Denmark. The Danes finished with six players in the top 10 and seized a significant share of the power that otherwise belongs to the Italians. Among the Dutch players, Marco Wolfs finished 14th, among the Belgians, Peter Debaes finished 17th, and Gianluca Memmi 18th.
Frenchman Xavier Le Roy captured the title in the one-cushion final against Raymund Swertz after a preliminary battle in which players like Nikolas Gerassimopoulos and Arnim Kahofer reached the podium, while players like Patrick Niessen, Willy Gérimont, and Xavier Gretillat failed to advance to the final rounds.
The three-cushion billiards under-25 event was a showcase for Amir Ibraimov, who had just turned 18 and is the biggest European talent. The German defeated Nikolaus Kogelbauer from Austria in the final, while Daniel Sainz-Pardo and Abdullah Kaya, the only Turkish player on the podium after the elimination of Canozkan, Ozbas, and Akkoca, also took the podium. The Dutchman, Joris van 't Zelfden, was the only player to defeat the eventual champion, but was eliminated in the knockouts by the Greek Tsokantas.
Arnim Kahofer had a fantastic finish on the final day of the 71/2 balkline billiards. The Austrian, who has developed in all disciplines in recent years, was sublime in the gold medal matches. He defeated Esteve Mata in the final and defeated Willy Gérimont in a single inning in the semifinal. Alongside the champion, Arnim Kahofer, the podium also included Esteve Mata, Willy Gérimont, and Gert-Jan Veldhuizen.
Turkish leading player Baris Cin was the master of artistic billiards. The home player proved himself a real champion in the final against René Dericks, the reigning world champion, who was also happy with silver in this tournament. Also finishing in the top five were Sergio Sanchez, Erik Vervliet, who played an unfortunate semifinal against Dericks after only fifteen minutes of rest between matches, and Haci arap Yaman, another Turkish favorite.
Today, Wednesday, the women's competition comes to a climax, with Therese Klompenhouwer the main favorite for the title in the final at 11:30 AM Western European Time, and Charlotte Sörensen attempting to defend her title.
The national teams started with 12 teams in 5 pins, and the balkline players in the 47/2 format. The national teams also started in the artistic format. The absolute highlight in the marathon of disciplines is the men's three-cushion final. The first preliminary matches are scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, at 7:00 AM Western European time. Dutch player Jeffrey Jorissen is one of the substitutes for the players who withdrew their participation. The Netherlands will feature Therese Klompenhouwer, among others, and Denmark's Charlotte Sörensen has been given a ticket to play with the men's team. Coincidentally, Charlotte Sörensen will play against her partner, Tommy Ebeling, at 7:00 PM.
The preliminary rounds will continue on Thursday until 3:30 PM, with the final rounds featuring, among others, Amir Ibraimov, the under-25 champion. The finals will then continue with 32 players starting at 5:45 PM (7:45 PM in Turkey). Playing in the opening rounds at no fewer than 16 tables, players including Martin Horn, Torbjörn Blomdahl, Nick Polychronopoulos, Jérémy Bury, Ruben Legazpi, Frédéric Caudron, Tayfun Tasdemir, Dick Jaspers, Arnim Kahofer, Berkay Karakurt, Peter Ceulemans, Roland Forthomme, Glenn Hofman, Tolgahan Kiraz, and Eddy Merckx will be playing. The men's semifinals are Friday at 3:00 PM and 5:30 PM Western European Time, with the final on Saturday at 10:00 AM.
The European Championship tournament concludes this weekend with the national team finals.
