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Thursday-Saturday 7-9 July 2011

Karl Boyes - Great Britain
Tough matches with unexpected results

On the center match table, Albin Ouschan (AUT) defeated last year�s Euro-Tour Austria Open winner Karl Boyes (GBR) 9:5.

In the beginning, both players seemed to be much focussed. However, Karl Boyes left the better impression on the spectator. He broke and ran his first three racks without any doubt. Ouschan also won his first three racks but with a bit more trouble than Boyes. Then the curiosities started to happen.

Boyes broke at the score of 3:3 and the 9-ball went down to give him a small 4:3 lead. Then Ouschan had the break shot. He pocketed two balls but had no position on the three. Both players played safety shots on the 3-ball. When Ouschan tried to thin cut the 3-ball in the corner pocket, he missed it but the cue ball hit the 9-ball and pocketed it to tie the game at 4:4.

Then Ouschan managed to win the next two racks, getting a small advantage over Boyes. Boyes broke the balls after not having had much luck on his side, and the 9-ball went down while the cue ball also scratched. Boyes got frustrated. Ouschan ran out and took a 7:4 lead.

In the 12th rack, Lady Luck seemed to have thought about it once more and turned to Boyes again. He now also missed a ball and the cue ball unintentionally pocketed the 9-ball. The score turned to 7:5 in favour of Ouschan.

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Then Boyes got a dry break and Ouschan had some easy balls on the table for a comfortable run out, which brought him on the hill with 8:5. Boyes then took a timeout. When he came back, Ouschan broke well, pocketed two balls and played a good safety shot. Boyes tried to hit the 1-ball and fired the cue ball into it over the rail. It looked like he has had it for that match. Ouschan used his chances and ran the rack to win the match with 9:5

Ouschan said after the match: �I felt quite well before the match. I knew I was going to deliver a good performance�.

When asked about the many unwanted 9-ball shots, he smiled and said: �I agree. That was an amazing match with a lot of curiosities happening on the table�. His goal for the tournament is quite simple. �I have never achieved a finish among the top 8 in the Euro-Tour. If I can get there, everything is possible.�

He will have to play Richard Jones (GBR) in the round of the last 16 players.

Other notable results were Mateusz Sniegocki (POL) ousting heavyweight Ralf Souquet (GER) with 9:7. Nick v.d. Berg (NED) was overpowered by newcomer Bartosz Rozwadowski (POL) 9:1.

No good day for The Netherlands. After See was eliminated the round before, last Dutch hope Niels Feijen had to give in to Mark Gray (GBR) with 8:9 after scratching with the cue ball in the final rack. Darren Appleton (GBR) was already leading 8:3 over 19-year old Marlin Koehler (GER) when the German kid fought back and took rack after rack off the experienced former World Champion. In the end, Appleton could win the match with 9:8.

Another former World Champion who left the stage in this round was Oliver Ortmann (GER). He fell to Hubert Lopotko (POL) with 5:9.

Dynamic Euro-Tour Austria - Reigning W10B Champion deposed

Albin Ouschan - Austria
16 players for the single elimination stage already determined

Albin Ouschan defeated current World 10-Ball Champion Huidji See 9:7.

The match saw a lot of tactical and safety play. At the score of 4:3 for See, Ouschan misses two relatively easy shots and finds himself down 3:5. Then, as if that was not bad enough for him already, See breaks the 9-ball, getting into a nice 6:3 lead over Jasmin Ouschan�s brother. But Ouschan did not think of giving up. He ran two racks in a row and came closer to See at 6:5. In the 12th rack, Ouschan loses the control over the cue ball and gives See ball in hand. The Dutch World Champion accepts the gift and takes a 7:5 lead. Amazingly, See missed an easy 7-ball which luckily for him went into another pocket. In the next rack, Lady Luck was on Ouschan�s side. See started playing and broke the balls. He did not get position on the 5-ball, misses it and leaves a tough position for Ouschan. Ouschan tries to cut the 5-ball in but leaves it hanging over the pocket. Luckily for Ouschan, the cue ball kicked the 9-ball in. 7:6 still for See.

The next rack was a run out from Ouschan, tying the match at 7:7. Then, Ouschan won another tactical combat and went on the hill 8:7. Having his own break, he pocketed one ball but could not get position for the ball on which was the 2-ball. He tried to play safe but fails completely. He gives an open shot to See. The Dutch runs all balls until he hooks himself behind the 8-ball, making it almost impossible for him to pocket the 7-ball. That mistake could not be healed. He hit the 7-ball but gave Ouschan the opportunity to run out which the Austrian player did. Ouschan took the match with 9:7 and advances to the single elimination stage of the event while See needs to win another match in the loser�s bracket.

In another interesting and open match in the winner�s qualification, Mateusz Sniegocki (POL) won over Thomas Engert (GER) with 9:5. Sniegocki had the better start and came to a 5:3, 6:4 and 7:5 lead over Engert. In the 13th rack, Engert plays a bad safety shot and Sniegocki runs the rack, leading 8:5. Being on the hill, Sniegocki was able to control the things on the table. Some safeties were exchanged when Sniegocki went for a long shot at the 4-ball, kicking the 9-ball into the corner pocket. 9:5 victory for Sniegocki over Engert who also goes to the loser�s side of the event now.

Ralf Souquet - Germany
Already on the loser�s side, former World Champion Ralf Souquet (GER) outscored Dennis Grabe (EST) with 9:8. Both players showed a very steady performance and Dennis Grabe did not show too much fear or respect, knowing he is playing against the man who took the first two Euro-Tour event this year in France and Italy. But Souquet also played solid and made no mistakes. At a score of 8:8, Souquet got ball in hand after he forced Grabe to play a foul shot. Instead of running a difficult rack, Souquet pocketed a ball and played another safety, forcing Grabe to play his second foul. The Estonian scratched and Souquet ran out, winning the match with a margin of 9:8.

Other notable results include local top player Mario He losing against Poland�s Wojciech Szewczyk with 6:9. Joakim Haugen (NOR) brought Radoslaw Babica�s (POL) dreams of winning the event to an end with 9:3. Right after that, he got eliminated himself by losing 6:9 to Thomas Mehtala (SWE). Fabio Petroni (ITA) took his match in the loser�s round against Christophe Creter (GER) with 9:2. Harald Stolka (GER) finished Mats Schjetne (NOR) with 9:3. Last year�s winner Karl Boyes (GBR) is still hoping to stay alive in the event. He kicked out Noel Bruynooghe (BEL) with 9:4.

Dynamic Euro-Tour Austria - Chamat on his way home

Dominic Jentsch - Germany
In a close encounter, Marcus Chamat was defeated by Dominic Jentsch

Dominic Jentsch (GER) eliminated Marcus Chamat (SWE) out of the event with a score of 9:7. The match was close but Jentsch was leading from the very beginning and never let Chamat overtake him.

In the early phase of the match, Jentsch left the impression that he was the more confident player. Chamat missed some shots while Jentsch almost always pocketed his shots dead center. No wonder, Jentsch was able to take a 6:2 game lead over Chamat. In the 9th rack, both players played many safety shots. Chamat turned out to be the better safety player here and was able to snatch that rack closing the gap to a 6:3 score for Jentsch. In the next rack, Jentsch played an unnecessary foul shot and Chamat came to 6:4.

Then again, Chamat missed an easy 6-ball and brought Jentsch back into his game. Jentsch was full of self-confidence and hardly made any mistakes. The match went along and the score came to 7:5 for Jentsch. In the 13th rack, again a safety contest could be watched. And again, Chamat turned out to be the winner, having the chance to run the rack. But he misses the 6-ball. AGAIN! Jentsch takes advantage of the situation, plays a good safety and forces Chamat to play a foul. Then he runs the rack, being on the hill at 8:5. What a comfortable lead for the young German. But the match was not yet over�

The next two racks, Chamat made no mistake and consequently ran both of them, making the score 8:7 for Jentsch. Then, in the 16th rack, after having taken a timeout, Jentsch breaks and one ball goes in a pocket. He plays a push-out and another safety battle started. Chamat plays one of his safeties a bit too negligent, leaving Jentsch a chance for running the rack. Jentsch plays some more great shots and deservedly wins the match with 9:7 over �Napoleon� Marcus Chamat.

Other notable results include Bruno Muratore (ITA) winning 9:3 over Tron Engebakk (NOR). Karl Boyes (GBR) sent Christoffer Magnusson (SWE) home with 9:4. Ralf Souquet (GER) defeats Giuseppe Iacobucci from Italy with 9:6. Surprisingly, Ruslan Chinakhov (RUS) falls to the sharp blade of his fellow countryman newcomer David Maslov with 5:9. Maslov will now have to deal with another Russian sharpshooter, Konstantin Stepanov, in the next round. Ivica Putnik (CRO) just overcame the last remaining lady in the event, Ana Majirina (RUS) with a margin of 9:8.

Marcus Chamat - Sweden

Dynamic Euro-Tour Austria - Friday starts with surprises

Chris Melling - Great Britain
Souquet, Chamat and Chinakhov sent to the loser�s bracket...

Ralf Souquet (GER) lost his second winner�s round against Pedro Fonseca (POR) with 5:9. The match started out relatively even. When the score reached a tie at 5:5, Fonseca gained momentum and started to win rack by rack. Souquet could not win another rack in that match and was sent to the loser�s side with a 9:5 victory for Fonseca.

...While Appleton, See, Feijen and Melling just make it!

In an exciting match, Chris Melling (GBR) just crossed the finish line before Joakim Haugen (NOR) with 9:8. The match was determined by many mistakes from both players. �These tables with the championship pockets are really tough to play�, Melling stated. The pockets are 110 mm for the corner pockets and 125mm for the side pockets. Haugen had the better start and should have been 3:0 up when he left the 9-ball hanging in the pocket. Easy prey for Melling to come to a score of 1:2. Both players� performances were determined by unusual pocketing and positioning mistakes. At 2:1 for him, Haugen missed the 8-ball and presented Melling another gift who tied the match at 2:2. Then Haugen broke the 9 to get a 3:2 lead.

As the match went on, both players seemed to be nervous and a bit unfocussed. �I did not sleep very well in the last two days�, Melling said after the match. �I was way too nervous, knowing that these tight pockets forgive nothing�, Haugen explained. As a consequence of both players not playing to their abilities, the match remained exciting and the score was tied at 7:7 when the drama unfolded. Haugen breaks, one ball goes down but he has no position on the 1-ball. He plays a bad safety shot. Then Melling misses to get position on the 3-ball and another exchange of safety shots followed. Haugen won that and got a shot at the 6-ball. He aggressively fired it in and hooked himself behind the 9-ball, having no chance to play the 7-ball.

He tries to go over the side rail but fouls. Melling gets ball in hand and cannot finish the rack. Haugen wins it and gets on the hill, leading 8:7.

Now everything looked in favour of Haugen. Melling broke, no ball went down and Haugen won the following safety battle, forcing Melling to commit a foul. With ball in hand, Haugen cleared all balls off the table but got too straight on the 7-ball. He missed it and gave a second life to Melling. The match was tied on the hill, 8:8!

Haugen broke the rack but again could not make a ball. Melling comes to the table with all balls open. He almost snookered himself on the 2-ball but just got away with it. He ran out that final rack of this amazing match and won by a margin of 9:8 over Haugen who was not playing worse than him but a bit more unlucky. Both players would have deserved to win. Even if both of them made more mistakes as usual, it was an exciting match to watch.

�I was too nervous in the beginning of the match�, Haugen said in the interview after the match. When asked about the fact that several Norwegian players had some good finishes in the recent tournaments, Haugen comments: �I agree. We are playing the Euro-Tour since two years now and it is starting to pay off. We are getting stronger and stronger and there will be more to come from Norway�.

When confronted that the match was one of his weaker performances, Melling stated: �I really struggled today. I could not get into my game at all. I just could not get going� �I think the biggest mistake I done today was that I went for too many balls. I should have played more safeties�. �My confidence is really high at the moment. I expect to win all the time which is not possible in 9-ball�.

Other notable results include Darren Appleton (GBR) only just winning 9:8 over Russian Ruslan Chinakhov. The same result stood in the end in favour of Niels Feijen (NED) who won over Jani Siekkinen from Finland. Also a 9:8 winner was Huidji See (NED) in his match against Daniel Merbitz (GER). Artem Koshovyi (UKR) defeated �Napoleon� Marcus Chamat (SWE) with 9:4.

The Euro-Tour event will be hosted by the European Governing Body for Pool, the European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF) and organized by International Billiard Promotion (IBP). For further information and reference please go to the event website www.eurotouronline.eu , follow us on twitter @EPBF_News or contact our press office.

Joakim Haugen - Norway

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