STOCKHOLM - Hello, it's Therese, we're in Stockholm, but I'll be back home tomorrow. The world champion is on a city trip with her girl friend Eveline for about five days: a short Swedish getaway ahead of a hugely busy period. January is a marathon month for Therese Klompenhouwer, who celebrated her 40th birthday in a relaxed atmosphere in Stockholm this Tuesday. But after her return to the Netherlands, weeks of running and flying are coming up to move to another house and for billiards. So just a quick calculation: Therese will cover some 22,000 kilometres in just over four weeks. Amsterdam-Stockholm-Amsterdam-Nijkerk-Blaricum-Sittard-Berlicum-Amsterdam-Seoul-Wonju-Seoul-Amsterdam. ''It is actually not doable, but it just works out that way,'' she says on the evening before her departure from the Swedish capital.
Therese has in fact sold her house in Nijkerk and is moving with her girl friend to a new house in Blaricum in the coming weeks. ''So that means, emptying the old house, moving everything and furnishing the new house.'' And add to that for these few weeks: the Dutch Women's championships in Sittard this week in Sittard (6-8 January), a few days later the Masters in Berlicum (12-15 January), two days later leaving for South Korea for the World Grand Prix 3-Cushion, a trio of events in a fortnight' time (18 January-1 February).
''It's an annoying confluence, but I admit it's all fun to do,'' Therese outlines the contrast. So basically, a luxury problem for the five-time world three cushion champion, who is chasing her 16th consecutive Dutch title in Sittard next weekend. ''I haven't seen a cue for five days because we've really been out for these days. We did a lot of fun things together, looked around, saw a lot and enjoyed it. From now on, we're starting up, living at a fast pace from one tournament to another.''
This Friday is the start of the Dutch Championship with 24 players, where Therese is one of the seven seeded players and only enters the tournament on Saturday in a first group with four players. Main competitors at first sight: Karina Jetten, Monique van Exter, Mirjam Pruim, Daisy Werdekker. The Masters will kick off next week with the preliminary rounds, in which Therese will play in the group with Jerry Hermans, Raimond Burgman and Jack Wijnen and where the best two players will advance to the knockout with eight finalists on Saturday 14 January.
The main focus in these turbulent weeks is the Korean triptych in Wonju, a city 150 kilometers from Seoul. There, 20 world top players and over 20 other invitees and wildcards have been invited to tournaments with a total prize money of just under half a million (450,000 euros). Therese Klompenhouwer, the reigning world champion, is one of six ladies in that field, including Dick Jaspers, Dani Sánchez, Tayfun Tasdemir, Torbjörn Blomdahl, Marco Zanetti and Eddy Merckx.
Kozoom/Frits Bakker: What are you most looking forward to in that long marathon of matches? And how does it feel to start the year like that, first nationally, then internationally with the world's top players?
Therese: My plan is to focus more on the women's tournaments from this year onwards, because the CEB, the European federation, and the KNBB are paying more and more attention to us. Thus, apart from the European Championships, we will also have a European Championship for country teams and a women's Grand Prix in Valencia. Those are big prospects to shine for us. That's among other reasons why I will skip the Grand Prix tournaments in the Netherlands. I will do my last Masters next week, no matter how much I like the event. But apart from that, of course I want the Dutch women's title again, where I have already won 15 times in a row. You can say, there is no opposition, but there is always the pressure to have to win. And then are waiting the Korean tournaments, where I have been invited like last year. I love playing in Korea, know a lot of people there by now and it's wonderful to play in the events with the best players in the world. In the main tournament, we play in groups of eight, so that means you then play at least seven games. It's great to start the year like this and hopefully play good averages.
Kozoom/FB: What else does the year look like, will you keep competing in the World Cups? And the leagues with your teams?
Therese: Yes, although I will not play all the World Cups. I think definitely in Porto, in Korea and Veghel, but I will skip Las Vegas and Ho Chi Minh and Ankara I won't play because that time, we move to our new house. The announcement of more European events is forcing me to make choices. I will definitely keep playing the competitions with my teams in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. For later in the year, the World championship in Turkey is high on my list, so it will be busy again. For the Grand Prix tournaments in the Netherlands, I honestly don't have the motivation anymore. I mainly want to win as many titles as possible.
Kozoom/FB: Shall we assume that you will become Dutch champion again this Sunday? And how ambitious are you to play your last Masters?
Therese: I am top favorite for the Dutch title, but just saying I will win again is something I will never do myself. I want to finish the Masters nicely. I have never been in the top eight, but I did come very close a few times. Last year, for instance. I won against Kay de Zwart 3-0 and over 2 average. Then Jaspers had to beat Wilkowski. He did, 3-2, which meant Wilkowski went on by set scores and I was just eliminated.
Kozoom/FB: So your new life is going to look different: new girlfriend, new house, new surroundings, turned 40, different mindset in your billiard career. But actually, as a figurehead of women's billiards in the world, you say: ambitions are undiminished.
Therese: I am facing an extremely busy time right now, we have to get through that. But like I said: it will all be fun, I'm looking forward to it. Training has slipped a few days because of the Swedish trip, but I'm not worried about that. My form can't just suddenly be gone. It should even have been good to clear my head with such a busy month ahead. I am very much looking forward to the coming weeks with so many prestigious tournaments. I am ready and looking forward to it.
Kozoom/FB: I saw an interview in NRC paper few days ago with a lot of nice quotes: still a few nice highlights.
Therese: For the first time, I was on the shortlist in the Netherlands for the election Sportslady of the Year. Not many people can say they have been world champion five times and European champion nine times. It felt like recognition that I was rewarded.
I became European champion this year in Belgium with a world record: 30 caroms in 9 innings. I improved my record by 3 innings. The World Championship was special because I became champion in my own country. I played another world record, overall average. Over six games almost 1,400. It's nice that I can deliver something extra in big tournaments.
Billiards is very difficult, you have to be fit, otherwise your brain doesn't work as well. Your stroke has to be perfect, your arm has to feel good. I know exactly what to do, yet there are times when I can't execute it properly. When you become insecure, it's difficult to play a good match. Years ago, I had help with that from a sports psychologist. I now know what to do: when my heart starts beating faster, or when I get restless. Then I pay attention to my breathing, keep thinking positively. I also play against men, but at a women's tournament I am mentally very strong.
The competition comes mainly from South Korea. There are 10,000 match tables in Seoul only, we don't even have that in Europe. So, watch out for all Korean players, they are very disciplined. I have a lot of experience, luckily I still can win on that.
Thanks Therese, for the interview.
Therese and their girl friend Eveline during the citytrip in Stockholm