POLAND CAPTURED BOTH team sets of gold medals on Monday evening at the DYNAMIC BILLARD European Championships in Podčetrtek, Slovenia. Both men and women were defending the titles they won last year in Tampere, Finland and while the men enjoyed an easier win over Spain, the ladies match came down to a deciding rack in the three-rack decider against Germany after they had shared the spoils of the two matches.
The Spain v Poland men’s final was the best of three with Francisco Diaz Pizarro up against Mateusz Sniegocki at 8-ball, Francisco Sanchez-Ruiz taking on Daniel Maciol (9-ball) and Jonas Souto facing Wojciech Szewczyk at 10-ball.
Ultimately the featured 9-ball match between Sanchez Ruiz and Maciol never completed as the Polish duo competing at 8-ball and 10-ball reached the finish line in advance to seal the title for the Poles.
Sniegocki was the first to record a victory as he won 8-5 over Diaz Pizarro after trailing 2-3 in the early stages. The match was anyone’s at 5-5 but Sniegocki won three racks on a run to take the win. Szewczyk was always in control of his 10-ball match-up against Jonas Souto. He led 3-0 before the Spaniard came back into it at 4-3, but an uninterrupted run of four racks saw the Pole home by a comfortable 8-3 scoreline.
Also taking home the medals were Sebastian Batkowski (Poland) and Diego Pedro Simon and Iker Andoni Echeverria (Spain) who all competed in the earlier rounds of the event.
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Commented Szewczyk, “Spain is obviously a great team – we had three even matches and, in the beginning, it wasn’t looking so colourful. I was in front but Daniel and Mateusz were a little bit behind but they crept back and Mateusz actually won confidently. I managed to close it out and Daniel was also in the lead so I think we really deserved this one.”
Maciol added, “I was losing 0-3 and then I finished a few racks to make the match even. I wouldn’t say it was the best match on the main table but obviously when I was watching my friends and could see that they were leading I was feeling better and better.”
Sniegocki concluded, “I don’t know how it happened but I managed to win the match without a good break which is pretty tough. In the beginning he played very well and was leading 3-1 but I took the chances to come back because he missed twice and I just did my job and I’m very happy that we all won.”
Bronze medals went to the Netherlands – Niels Feijen, Yannick Pongers, Marc Bijsterbosch & Mika Van Berkel – and Germany (Joshua Filler, Stefan Kasper & Moritz Neuhausen.)Oliwia Zalewska
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The women’s event came down to Poland and Germany with Oliwia Zalewska facing Veronika Ivanovskaia on the 8-ball table and Monika Zabek against Pia Filler at 9-ball. In the event of both teams sharing the two matches, the medals would be determined by a three-rack shoot-out.
Ivanovskaia showed tremendous resolve to win her match against Oliwia Zalewska 6-5. She trailed from 2-1 down until the final 8-ball dropped and at 5-3 down, she knew she had to win every rack to carry the victory.
That left all focus on Zabek who lead Pia Filler from the start and was 6-4 ahead in the race-to-7 when the other match concluded. She held her nerve to run out a 7-4 winner and set up a nerve-jangling play-off for the destination of the title.
The shoot-out was 10-ball scotch doubles, best of three, and it was Poland who took the opener. Germany gained ball-in-hand in the must-win second rack and composed themselves well to run out and set up the decider.
There was plenty happening in the early stages with a scratch followed by a failure to contact the lowest numbered ball. Neither side could take advantage though, before a fine snooker from Zalewska gave her team a chance. Germany escaped it and although the 2 ball was pocketed by Zabek, the table was a little too clustered for a runout.
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There was a ball-in-hand opportunity for Poland and this time, they made the most of it to clear the table and win the team gold medals.
Commented Zalewska, “It was a very tough match and we were under pressure from the beginning and didn’t make many mistakes. It was run out after run out and I don’t think we had the energy to keep up that pressure. The last rack I was just paralysed and it was a long day with very hard matches.”
Zabek added, “Pia didn’t play so good but you know you have to play your best to beat her. Maybe I won and Oliwia lost but we are a team and the match before, she won and I lost and I think we’re perfect with each other.”
The bronze medallists were Sweden (Linnea Hjalmarstrom, Louise Furberg & Helena Nyberg Benjamin) and Austria – Sandra Baumgartner & Lena Primus.
Tuesday is the final day of the 2024 Dynamic Billard European Championships. Play gets underway in the 9-ball division at 9.00 and concludes with the four finals at 16.00.