Golden Tulip Jagershorst
Valkenswaardseweg 44
Leende
Netherlands
www.europeanpocketbilliardfederation.com
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www.goldentulipjagershorst.nl
Thursday-Saturday 20-23 September 2018
Shane van Boening (USA), the first US player ever to win a Euro-Tour event
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Van Boening conquers Europe
After an enormously thrilling final match from both players at the Dynamic Billard Leende Open 2018, Shane van Boening (USA) defeated Eklent Kaci (ALB) with a heartbreaking 9:8.
The match was a hell of a thriller. Kaci started out furiously and won the first 5 consecutive racks. Van Boening was a bit unlucky and Kaci capitalised from all mistakes without any merci. Somehow van Boening managed to turn the tide in the match. He got to 1:6 and then got some momentum. He took three racks in a row before he allowed Kaci another rack in his account. When the score was 4:7 from van Boening's point of view, he again shifted into overdrive and got to 7:7. At that time, he went for his timeout. He came back and the Albanian got to the hill first, winning rack 15 to make the score 8:7 for Kaci. Then van Boening broke and ran rack 16 to make the match a hill-hill affair. It was Kaci's break in the deciding rack 17. He executed a nearly perfect break shot and had the 1-ball and the 5-ball down with a perfect layout and an easy shot on the 2-ball. However, he pocketed the 2-ball but fell short in position for the 3-ball. Because of that, he could not cut the 3-ball in but went for a bank shot. He pocketed the 3-ball over the bank and put the cue ball behind the 7-ball. The 4-ball was completely hidden. What a drama for Kaci. He went for his jump stick and tried to jump the 4-ball in but missed it. Van Boening got to the table and cleared all balls remaining, winning the final match of the Dynamic Billard Leende Open 2018 by a whisker with 9:8 after a brilliant final.
"I always believe in myself", said van Boening after the final match when asked about the situation when he was trailing 0:5 and 1:6. "I worked on my mental side and I practice a lot. I try to stay calm in those situations and it helped me a lot today". "Coming to Europe and winning the Euro-Tour as the first American really makes me proud", van Boening added.
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1. Shane van Boening (USA)
2. Eklent Kaci (ALB)
3. Albin Ouschan (AUT)
3. Pijus Labutis (LIT)
5. Corey Deuel (USA)
5. Skyler Woodward (USA)
5. Kim Laaksonen (FIN)
5. Petri Makkonen (FIN)
This finish puts Eklent Kaci as the new #1 on the top of the Euro-Tour rankings, leading #2 Mario He and #3 Albin Ouschan (both AUT). �I am very proud to be the #1 ranked player now in Europe,� Kaci mentioned. �But to be honest at the moment I still suffer from this defeat in the final�, Kaci admitted.
That concludes the coverage of the Dynamic Billard Leende Open 2018 Euro-Tour event. The next event to be covered will be the Dynamic Billard Klagenfurt Open 2018, October 11-14.
The event is hosted by the European Governing Body for Pool, the European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF) and organised by International Billiard Promotion (IBP). For further information and reference please go to www.eurotouronline.com . You can also visit us on our Facebook page or check out the EPBF YouTube channel for regular news clips or contact our press office press@epbf.com.
SATURDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2018
Eklent Kaci (ALB)
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It�s the business end at the European 9-ball tour from Leende NL
With the last 16 entering day four of the Dynamic Billard Leende Open on Saturday morning, Friday was time to say goodbye to the other 143 players on who made their way to Leende Netherlands for the fourth stop on the tour calendar. Eklent Kaci, Albania�s biggest billiard talent is the new number 1 on the European rankings, largely down to his own enormous talent, and a little helping hand from Shane VanBoening.
With the single elimination starting, the draw brought the current number 1�s from their respective continents together, Europe�s Mario He and USA�s Shane VanBoening entered the centre stage. Shane started well and raced into an early 5-1 lead over Mario who was clearly struggling with the pressure and expectations of a continent. With the match slipping away, Mario took a technical time-out with his coach and suddenly, found the rhythm that was missing earlier pulling the match back level 5-5 to the delight of the Europeans in the audience, Shane was now suddenly on the ropes. A mistake by Mario in the 11th rack and a few positional errors thereafter cost him dearly and a match that was Mario�s for the taking, slowley slipped away with Shane shooting some amazing shots to close the match out 9-6 and move to the last 16 while Mario must reflect on a missed opportunity.
It was not all doom and gloom for the Austrian contingent as Maximillian Lechner and Albin Ouschan survived a slight scare in their own matches but now have a good chance to be in the mix when the medals are given on Sunday.
The other Americans who are mingling with the best Europe has to offer are Skyler Woodward, Corey Deuel and Billy Thorpe, the later having the misfortune of playing Shane in the last 16 Saturday. If there is a consolation of a meeting like this, it has to be that one of the USA team will make it to the last 8 players.
Friday through Sunday, EPBF will show two feature matches LIVE on the EPBF Facebook page. The complete tournament is shown on kozoom.com for premium pass holders.
The Dynamic Billard Leende Open 2018 will continue tomorrow morning at 10:00 local time with matches from last 16 players single elimination.
The event is hosted by the European Governing Body for Pool, the European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF) and organised by International Billiard Promotion (IBP). For further information and reference please go to www.eurotouronline.com . You can also visit us on our Facebook page or check out the EPBF YouTube channel for regular news clips or contact our press office press@epbf.com.
FRIDAY 21 SEPTEMBER 2018
Oscar Domoiguez (left) and Mika van Berkel
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Dominguez keeps a foot in the door
At the Dynamic Billard Leende Open 2018, Oscar Dominguez (USA) kept a foot in the door by winning his matches on day two after losing yesterday to Austria�s Maximilian Lechner.
Today, Oscar Dominguez had to enter the arena against Mika van Berkel (NED). Van Berkel is a 12-year-old boy who happened to meet one of the top US players in the event. Dominguez, sent to the loser�s round yesterday after a tough struggle against Maximilian Lechner with 8:9, can be considered an experienced and well known player who is attempting to make his way into the US team for this year�s Mosconi Cup. Today, he eliminated Ruben Frick (GER) 9:2 before he went up against van Berkel. The match went a bit as expected and in the end, Dominguez won the encounter clearly with 9:4. However, van Berkel�s enthusiasm and his braveness to compete against elite players cannot be regarded high enough. In future years, there will definitely be more to write about the young man. Today however, Dominguez was too much of an obstacle for him.
Former #1 Euro-Tour player Mark Gray (GBR) who had lost very surprisingly his opening with 6:9 yesterday to unheralded Mohammed-Hassan Baabad (KSA) is still in the race on the loser�s side. Today, Gray took down Abdurrahim Akdag (TUR) 9:5, then whitewashed Michael Wortmann (GER) 9:0 and finally overpowered Albert Casellas-Planas (ESP) 9:2. Gray will need two more victories in order to be among the last 32 players in the field.
Friday through Sunday, EPBF will show two feature matches LIVE on the EPBF Facebook page. The complete tournament is shown on kozoom.com for premium pass holders.
The Dynamic Billard Leende Open 2018 will continue tomorrow morning at 09:00 local time with matches from the winner�s qualification round.
The event is hosted by the European Governing Body for Pool, the European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF) and organised by International Billiard Promotion (IBP). For further information and reference please go to www.eurotouronline.com . You can also visit us on our Facebook page or check out the EPBF YouTube channel for regular news clips or contact our press office press@epbf.com.
THURSDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2018
Mario He, Skyler Woodward and Shane van Boening
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Top seeds through on day one at the Eurotour
With the Dynamic Billard Leende Open 2018 underway here in Leende Netherlands, there was relief for some top seeds on day one. Austria�s Mario He the current European number one had a great escape in his first-round match today against the Dutchman, Tim De Ruyter. It was a close encounter with the score line level at 6-6 when Mario found an extra gear after a poor shot from De Ruyter and eventually got over the line with a score 9-7. Chasing Mario in the rankings is Albania�s Eklent Kaci, who, with a decent result here in Leende will overtake Mario to claim first spot on the European rankings. Eklent has laid down his marker here with a routine victory over a Spanish newcomer Juan Antonio Pina 9-6 and now awaits the young Portuguese Samuel Santos at 3pm local time Friday.
The Americans came to town for this stop of the European 9-ball tour and they have a lot to gain here with some decent results. The USA Mosconi cup team is decided from the eight Americans who are here, so the pressure is on for them to perform. Tyler Styer came unstuck when meeting the experienced Karol Skowerski in his first match. Karol, with bags of experience, proved too much to handle for the young American winning in fine style 9-4 and now leaving the American a mountain to climb as he now faces the �Italian Stallion� Fabio Petroni in a must win match on the loser�s side Friday.
Oscar Dominguez is another American with an uphill climb, after losing to Austria�s Maximillian Lechner 8-9 and then winning against Saudi�s Amer Hadi Alderbani in a late match Thursday, he will face Germany�s Ruben Frick in a do or die match at 3pm Friday.
With USA�s Shane Van Boening, Skyler Woodward, Billy Thorpe, Mitchell Ellerman and Shane McMinn all through on the winner�s side, there�s still some jockeying for those team places yet.
Corey Deuel will face Poland�s Wiktor Zielinski in a mouth-watering match on Friday at 1:30pm. The up and coming Zielinski will be eager to take down a legend like Corey and has some form of his own as Wiktor already has a Eurotour title under his belt while Corey is visiting the Eurotour for the first time.
Spain�s Francisco Sanchez-Ruiz had Germany�s Joshua Filler all over the place in their first-round match. Filler raced off to a 6-2 lead only to watch as the Spaniard pulled back rack after rack and left Filler sitting on the same 6 racks he already had with the Sanchez winning the match 9-6.
Friday through Sunday, EPBF will show two feature matches LIVE on the EPBF Facebook page. The complete tournament is shown on kozoom.com for premium pass holders.
The event is hosted by the European Governing Body for Pool, the European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF) and organised by International Billiard Promotion (IBP). Play starts Thursday at 09:00 local time, for further information and reference please go to the federation website www.epbf.com under the Eurotour tab. You can also visit us on our Facebook page or check out the EPBF YouTube channel for regular news clips or contact our press office press@epbf.com.
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