From the 14th till the 24th of march the 2007 Men, Women and Wheelchair European Championships took place in Liberec/Czech Republic. The scene of this big event was the huge Hotel Babylon that confused a lot of players and coaches with it´s complicated construction. With a big swimming pool, bowling centre, sauna ,massage center etc. the Hotel gave the players a chance to relax a little bit after the matches. The EPBF-team tried to pull out all the stops to make this European Championships to an amazing event.
Straight Pool
We started again with the straight pool contest. Because of my straight pool title last year I was seeded as Nr. 1 ranked player which made me have a walk-over in the first round. My first match was against Aino Pehkonen from Finland. After a few problems with my position play I pulled through and was able to win my first match with 75:63. In the next round I faced Susanne Nyman from Sweden. I was not really satisfied with my performance in the first match so I put attention on the concentration and on my rhythm. It helps and brought a rapid lead and my game become more solid. I won clearly with 75:17. My next opponent was Diana Stateczny from Germany. She finished second 2005 in straight pool and I knew her game can be really though. I was struggling a lot at the beginning and gave away so many important chances. She took the lead and the match seemed to slip away but I managed to come back into the match and win with a 49 balls run at the end. In the quarterfinal I played Tanja Kirschmann also from Germany. Because of the victory against Stateczny I felt very confident after the good finish before and this was one of my key elements for this match. With a clear victory I entered the semi final.
Charlotte Sörensen from Denmark was my opponent in the semi final. She has already been European champion and is definitely one of the best in the field but she couldn’t show a lot of her skills. Sörensen played a really good opening shot but I was able to make a ball. I played one rack after another and gave her no chances. I played flawless pool and entered the final with an amazing 75:0 performance. This was not just a great match it has been also a new European record.
The final could have been the Austrian championships as well, because I played Sabrina Naverschnig from Austria. Sometimes I have training lessons with her and obviously I am doing a good job!
I started the match with a foul so I had -1. She was not really impressed by the entire crowd watching her so she just started with run of 30 balls. She put me a little bit under pressure and nobody really thought that I could repeat this record. Well I didn´t, I broke again the record, made a run of 76 balls and took the European straight pool title for the third time in a row.
Women 1st Jasmin Ouschan (AUT)
Men 1st Niels Feijen (NED) 2nd Sabrina Naverschnig (AUT) 2nd Konstantin Stepanov (RUS) 3rd Estelle Bijnen (NED) 3rd Martin Kempter (AUT) Charlotte Sörensen (DEN) Radoslaw Babica (POL)
8 Ball
After the straight pool discipline we started with 8 ball. In the first round the draw made me play against Tanja Kastrun from Slovenia. Without any problems I simply crushed her 6:1. Tanja Kirschmann was my next opponent and with the amazing straight pool performance in my mind, I ran out 5 games and didn’t give her any air to breathe. On the next day I faced a good old friend from the Youth European Championships. It was Janine Schwan also from Germany. I took this match really serious and put her under a lot of pressure. She could not withstand my strong game and I sent her into the losers round. My ramble through the women field did not have an end with Mary Mischitz from Rumania. I dominated the match in every second and kicked her out with a score of 6:1. The quarter final was against Louise Furberg. I know how good she can play, so I took this match very serious and prepared myself special for it. I kept my eyes on the table and the balls all the time and it brought me a rapid lead. I was concentrated a 100 percent and not even she could do anything about it. I entered the semi final with clear 6:1 victory.
In the semi final I faced Diana Stateczny from Germany again. At the beginning I made good use of my opportunities and took the lead. But all of a sudden my concentration broke and I could not find my rhythm anymore. I played one bad position after another which led to many mistakes. At the score of 5:5 I had my only break where I could not make a ball and it was the only rack where Diana was able to run out. So I had to say goodbye to the 8 ball discipline and be satisfied with the bronze medal.
Women 1st Diana Steczny (GER) Men 1st Oliver Ortmann (GER) Wheelchair 1st Daniel Luton (GBR) 2nd Charlotte Sörensen (DEN) 2nd Tony Drago (MAL) 2nd Henrik Larsson (SWE) 3rd Jasmin Ouschan (AUT) 3rd Aris Damoulakis (GRE) 3rd Roy Kimberly (GBR) Estelle Bijnen (NED) Marcus Westen (GER) Matej Brajkovic (SLO)
9 Ball
After the bitter end in 8 ball I put now all my focus on 9 ball. After having some time to relax and get some energy back I started out with a 7:2 victory against Nydegger from Switzerland. I continued my good performance by crushing the number 1 of Italy, Tiziana Cacciamani. When I heard who I play in the next round I already started making complot theories because I played again, what a wonder, against Janine Schwan from Germany. Even though it was my sixth match against somebody from Germany, but I managed to stay focused and entered the final round. Cacciamani from Italy successfully won the matches in the losers round so the draw made us play each other again. This time I struggled a little bit with the safeties which made her come closer and closer, but it was still enough to win with 7:4. In the quarter final I was pretty sure that my complot theories are not that wrong. This time I did not play somebody from Germany but I played Louise Furberg from Sweden again. I had a little bit of a hard time with some positions but all in all I played a solid game and strong enough to enter the semi final with a 7:4 victory.
Line Kjorsvik from Norway, the defending Champion in 9 ball was already waiting there for me. I started with a run-out and felt really good. In the next game I played an awesome jump shot but I got unlucky and scratched. That was obviously a signal for Kjorsvik to show off. She made everything and even when I played a safety, she found a way to do it better. I lost 7:2 and that was my signal that the European Championships were over, for me.
When I look at the my medals I have to say that this was my worst EC but when I look at my performance except of the 2 semi finals then I am proud of myself. I played a really good and solid level throughout the tournament, broke a record, broke it again and made a lot of new experiences. And maybe these experiences will bring me one step closer to reach my future goals.
Women 1st Eylul Kibaroglu (TUR) Men 1st Thorsten Hohmann (GER) Wheelchair 1st Kimberley, Roy (GBR) 2nd Line Kjorsvik (NOR) 2nd Radoslav Babica (POL) 2nd Hendrik Larsson (SWE) 3rd Jasmin Ouschan (AUT) 3rd Ralf Souquet (GER) 3rd Jouni Tahti (FIN) Sabrina Naverschnig (AUT) Konstantin Stepanov (RUS) Matej Brajkovic (SLO)
Match Results:
Straight Pool Results:
Jasmin Ouschan
vs.
Aino Pehkonen (FIN)
75:63
Jasmin Ouschan
vs.
Susanne Nyman (SWE)
75:17
Jasmin Ouschan
vs.
Diana Stateczny (GER)
75:42
Jasmin Ouschan
vs.
Tanja Kirschmann (GER)
75:39
Jasmin Ouschan
vs.
Charlotte Sörensen (DEN)
75:0
Jasmin Ouschan
Vs.
Sabrina Naverschnig (AUT)
75:30
8 Ball Results:
Jasmin Ouschan
vs.
Tanja Kastrun (SLO)
6:1
Jasmin Ouschan
vs.
Tanja Kirschmann (GER)
6:1
Jasmin Ouschan
vs.
Janine Schwan (GER)
6:2
Jasmin Ouschan
vs.
Mary Luiza Mischitz (RUM)
6:1
Jasmin Ouschan
vs.
Louise Furberg (SWE)
6:1
Jasmin Ouschan
Vs.
Diana Stateczny (GER)
5:6
9 Ball Results:
Jasmin Ouschan
vs.
Ingrid Nydegger (SUI)
7:2
Jasmin Ouschan
vs.
Tiziana Cacciamani (ITA)
7:1
Jasmin Ouschan
vs.
Janine Schwan (GER)
7:3
Jasmin Ouschan
vs.
Tiziana Cacciamani (ITA)
7.4
Jasmin Ouschan
vs.
Louise Furberg (SWE)
7.4
Jasmin Ouschan
Vs.
Line Kjorsvik (NOR)
2:7
