ZOERSEL - The European ladies three-cushion championship, played over three days in Zoersel (Belgium), showed how far the qualities of the 22 players differ on the first day. The sovereign European title holder, Therese Klompenhouwer from the Netherlands, was merciless with two victories against French Celine Jacques (25-5 and 25-3), who moves up to the knock-outs as well due to a cancellation of one of the players. Today, Saturday, the eighth finals will start at 14.00 with sixteen players. Who will be the absolute and almost certain winner, has revealed itself on the first day: Therese, the queen of women's billiards, towers with 1.111 far above the competition as it was expected.
The European top of ladies billiards has shown its highs and lows in the run-up to the two final days. Therese Klompenhouwer won her best match with 1.562 on average, Celine Jacques, twice her opponent, was qualified due to the system with 0.178, the worst average of all players. Even Danielle le Bruyn, busy with organizing and not focused enough on billiards, is still among the sixteen players with 0.321 on average.
The Dutch ladies, who were with five at this championship, dominated the first positions in the qualifications. Therese Klompenhouwer (4 matchpoints, 1.111 on average, 7 high run) leads the field ahead of Karina Jetten (4, 0.694, 4) and Mirjam Pruim (4, 0.641, 4). Jaimie Buelens had a very poor start for Belgium, but recovered with the second best match of the day following Klompenhouwer. The Turkish ladies are with three in the best sixteen: Gülsen Degener as best (4, 0.617, 4) ahead of Arzu Gök (2, 0.494, 4) and Müjde Karakasli (2, 0.474, 3). The same goes for the French trio with Magali Declunder (3, 0.588, 6), Christine Morel (2, 0.543, 6) and Celine Jacques (0, 0.178, 3). Charlotte Sörensen from Denmark is a rather new face. The only player in her twenties, Nanna Petersen (24) from Denmark, was eliminated after two losses and 0.448. ]Dutch Joke Martijn made the best run (8). Two routines were also eliminated: Marianne Mortensen from Denmark and Helga Mitterböck from Austria.
The system of organizing and inviting was hotly debated on the first day of the European Championship. The pretence to let the maximum of players participate, is at the cost of quality. Therese Klompenhouwer said before and during the first match day: ''I plead to invite sixteen players and not forced five or six players from one country. For a field of 24 players, there is not enough quality in Europe.'' The European federation should also do well to use an average limit of 0.500. In the preliminaries on Friday, matches were matches played with 0.172, 0.187, 0.200 and 0.238, not worthy of a European title race. All winners on that first day were far from the shadow of the 1.538 of Klompenhouwer in her second appearance.
The main shortcoming of the system (groups of three, of which the best two move on to the best sixteen) became clear when two players had cancelled. Therefore, two groups with two players were played, who both went to the best sixteen after a double match against each other. Celine Jacque (0 points, 0.178) and Danielle le Bruyn (0 points, 0.321) took advantage of the unfair competition. Monique Wilkowski (1 point, 0.517) was one of the victims and has to go home. And how bizarre the system can work, shows the schedule for the eighth finals: Therese Klompenhouwer plays for the third time in a row against Celine Jacques!!!
The new European director, Eva Viding Bussel from Sweden, who is the CEB delegate at this European Championship, wants to investigate the cycle of tournaments for ladies and juniors and the format that is used. She impressed during her first appearance with new, fresh ideas that she wants to launch. ''We spoke a lot about the number of participants these days, but it is not a black and white situation. Do you want to promote as many players as possible or the best players? The more players, the more inspiration for other ladies (hopefully), who also want to play at this level one day. The risk is always that you fill up the field just to get a full field of players. We see the result of that here. I want to look for the best solution, together with the ladies and with the federations.'' (See interview later today)
Therese Klompenhouwer, the leader by far after the prerounds
The ranking of qualified players after the prerounds:
1 Therese Klompenhouwer 4-1.111-7
2 Karina Jetten 4-0.694-4
3 Mirjam Pruim 4-0-641-4
4 Gülsen Degener 4-0.617-4
5 Jaimie Buelens 4-0.544-5
6 Charlotte Sörensen 3-0.602-4
7 Magali Declunder 3-0.588-6
8 Christine Morel 2-0.543-6
9 Estela Cardoso 2-0.523-4
10 Arzu Gök 2-0.494-4
11 Müjde Karakasli 2-0.474-3
12 Irena Michalkova 2-0.447-4
13 Joke Martijn 2-0.413-8
14 Monika Steinberger 2-0.318-3
15 Danielle le Bruyn 0-0.321-3
16 Céline Jacques 0-0.178-3.
The matches for the 1/8th finals today, Saturday
14.00:
Klompenhouwer-Jacques
Morel-Cardoso
Buelens-Michaelkova
Degener-Martijn
16.00:
Pruim-Steinberger
Sörensen-Karakasli
Jetten-Le Bruyn
Declunder-Gök.
Estela Cardoso and Arzu Gök in a TikTok moment?
Karina Jetten, the number 2 in the ranking after the prerounds
Mirjam Pruim, in Dutch and European top 3 so far
The European director for youth and ladies, Eva Viding Bussel from Sweden
Martin Spoormans, famous referee at the European ladies championship
The new young face at the Europeans, Nanna Petersen
The Dutch pictureman Paul Brekelmans taking some shots of the playing field