THERE WERE NO medals determined today at the PREDATOR EUROPEAN Youth Pool Championships but there was plenty of action in the 10-ball division as the three categories set themselves up for the closing stages and a race to the medals on Friday afternoon. Semi-finals are scheduled for 19.00 with the gold medal deciders at 20.45.
In the Girls competition both Linnea Hjalmarstrom (SWE) and Switzerland’s Shirin Volery are guaranteed a medal, having reached the semi-final stage. Their opponents will be decided tomorrow with the Losers’ Qualification round at 16.15.
Shirin Volery will be claiming her fifth medal overall in her European Youth Championships career and hopefully her second gold after winning this 10-ball title in 2024. She said, “The first match of the tournament is always a bit tricky and I had a break for two days. Everybody who plays here has a bit of everything as it’s a tournament with a lot of emotions but I’m here trying my best and I’m not thinking about the title.
“I enjoy the Youth ECs a lot. It’s my eighth year and my last year so I grew up here playing the youth and I’m friends with so many and it’s going to be sad to leave it.”
Shirin Volery
In the Under 19s, a pick of the last 16 match-ups could be Ivan Rudenko (UKR) and Serbia’s Luka Bugarski. Rudenko has bronze medals at 10-ball from last year and 2023, while Bugarski has three bronzes to his name, including in straight pool this week.
Bugarski said, “For now I’m playing good. After the straight pool, it was a long discipline and now this 10- ball, I had two tight matches and I’m playing really good. I feel really confident and feel like I can’t miss, but we’ll see. I’m a bit of a Mr Bronze but I hope I can win one discipline this time and I’ll give my best. The first time I won a bronze medal, it was like gold but now it doesn’t feel that away so it’s gold!” he added.
His opponent Rudenko is also gunning for his first gold medal; “I’ll try my best – it’s obviously not the easiest goal and there are many good competitors in the tournament. The straight pool division was a bit strange; I lost two strange matches which I should have won but 10-ball is going good till now so we’ll see. If you finish in the semis or in the final or if you win it, it’s just a question of that day and that match.”
Luka Bugarski
Also at the round of 16 are the Under 17s and another enticing match-up tomorrow features two players who claimed bronze in the 14.1. Martin Roser of Germany and home hope Maj Badovinac. Despite being just 14, Badovinac is playing his fifth European Championships and took a bronze in 10-ball in 2023.
He said, “Of course, I’m looking and I’ll try to do something better but we will see. I believe much more and the straight pool success means I believe in myself much better. I think I was nine-years-old when I went to my first ECs and I was pretty young but it means that I’m with old friends and I’m enjoying it.”
Roser fought hard to make it through, beating Spain’s Renzo Sierra 6-4 to qualify and he now feels he has nothing to lose; “When I came here – it’s my last year in Under 17 – it was my goal to get a podium – and I accomplished that goal in the first discipline so it’s pretty good and I can play a bit more free. That definitely helped me and it was a really good feeling to get there. It’s a dream to play a final and if I play my game, I think I have a chance at making it but I’m also very happy with my results so far.”
Martin Roser
As well as 10-ball, the team competitions in both age categories got underway today. They continue tomorrow morning and at intermittent sessions throughout the championships, culminating in the finals on Tuesday 22nd July.
The Predator European Youth Pool Championships is in its 44th year and is presented by the European Pocket Billiard Federation.
Play continues with action in the Teams, and 10-ball, which plays through to the three finals on Friday evening. Streaming of Tables 1 and 2 for the duration of the Predator European Youth Championships can be found on YouTube, via the Pro Billiard TV channel – https://www.youtube.com/@ProBilliardTV
For all results, live scoring and draw, visit www.epbf.com/tournaments/european-championships/
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