A BOLA – Vânia Franco and Portugal in the ’round of 16′ of the European Pool (Billiards)
A 6-4 victory over the Dutch Lynn Pijpers, this Thursday, in the recaps of the ’10 Ball’ discipline of the women’s individual competition of the European Pool Championships, taking place in Antalya (Turkey) from the 11th to the 11th This month, Vânia Oliveira Franco qualified for the round of 16 of this variant, while the Men’s Team of Portugal, composed of Américo Francisco, Bruno Sousa and Miguel Silva, beat Slovakia 2-1 and still play on this day. round of 16, against the Czech Republic.
There are eight national athletes competing in Antalya: individuals João Grilo (P. Ferreira) and Carlos Correia (Boavista) and the sextet of the national team, verified by Sara Rocha (Bracara) and Vânia Oliveira Franco (FC Porto) in females, and by Miguel Silva (Billiard Academy Miguel Silva, Funchal), João Sousa (Boavista), Bruno Sousa (HotShot, Odivelas) and Américo Francisco (P. Ferreira) in males.
In a total of 21 games in the individual competitions of the ’10 Ball’ discipline played on Wednesday and Thursday in the Europeans of this variant of billiards, nine victories and 12 defeats for Portugal, with all competitors out of the competition for the decisions of this variant in the men’s race, on Friday: Vânia Oliveira Franco is the only one in Portugal, in women’s.
On Wednesday, Américo Francisco beat Norwegian Mats Schjetine (8-7) and Swiss Michael Schneider by 8-4, even, this Thursday (12.15 pm), evaluating window with Italian Daniele Corrieri: lost 6-8, and came in 33rd, on the brink of the final 32nd frame.
Also shining on Wednesday, alongside Américo Francisco was Miguel Silva: victories over Croatian Ante Sola, in ‘black’ (8-7) and German Thorsten Hohmann (8-4). This Thursday, he lost 6-8 to Estonian Gert Mamre… and the end of the dream.
João Grilo, also from P. Ferreira, was defeated on Wednesday by the Austrian Maximilian Letchner in the ‘black’ game (7-8) and faced Croatian Ante Sola on Thursday morning: he lost 5-8 and was eliminated in this one subject.
Along the way, on the 3rd, in the ’10 Ball’ discipline, was the chess player Carlos Correia, who entered the competition losing 2-8 against Italian Steffano Dellino.
Carlos Correia also beat the Luxembourger Sam Wentzel in the ‘black’ (8-7) but an elimination was conclusively consummated (1-8) against the Slovakian Jaroslav Polach, European Pool nuns always played in a ‘double KO’ system : only on the second failure the player is eliminated.
Another good-looking player João Sousa made his debut on Wednesday losing to Serbia’s Aleksa Pecelj (4-8), but an 8-5 victory over Slovenian Klemen Gradisnik made him re-enter the fight in the individual competition of this discipline of ‘ Bola 10 ‘, in which he faced this Thursday the Turkish Celik Emre, with another defeat (5-8) dictating the farewell of the competition.
As for Bruno Sousa (HotShot, from Odivelas), he debuted at the Venice Resort Hotel in Antalya with a bitter defeat also in the ‘black’ group (7-8) against the Spaniard Ike Andoni Echevarria, but in the recaps, a victory over the Czech Filip Lebduska (8-4) put him back in the fray: this Thursday he started moderating with the Danish Christoffer Lentz: 3-8 dictated his elimination, too, in the discipline ’10 Ball’.
A Portuguese joy in the women’s competition
In the women’s competition of ‘Bola 10’, and as mentioned at the beginning, Vânia Franco (FC Porto) – not in the first individual competition of the 2021 Europeans, ‘Straight Pool’ (or ’14 +1 ‘) – won on Wednesday- Polish Oliwia Zalewska by 6-4 and started this Thursday without chances (3-6) against German Ina Kaplan, European champion already in Antalya in ‘Straight Pool’ (or ’14 +1 ‘).
But a 6-4 victory, in the repechages, against the Dutch Lynn Pijpers, relaunched a national athlete in the competition… and for the round of 16 of the ’10 Ball’, where he returns to play on Friday, the 5th (14.30 hours). locations, 11:30 am in mainland Portugal), before a rival to be appointed.
Spanish Silvia López Fibla, Slovenian Ana Gradisnik, Bojana Sarac (Croatia), Tamara Rademakers (Netherlands), Norwegian Nina Torvund, Belarusian Marharyta Fefilava or German Ina Kaplan and Veronika Ivanovskaia are like eight rivals for Vania Ivanovskaia.
Sara Rocha (Bracara) – not classified in the EuroTour competition that preceded the Europeans – made her debut in the ’10 Ball’ on Wednesday with a defeat by 1-6 against Belarusian Marharyta Fefilava, starting this Thursday with heavy defeat (1-6) against a Finnish Rikka Vayrynen to dictate an elimination in the tournament.
Portugal recovers and beats Slovakia (2-1)
This Thursday also begins the Men’s Team competition, with Portugal – Américo Francisco, Bruno Sousa and Miguel Silva – a match in the afternoon in Slovakia (Zsolt Domján, Jaroslav Polach and Lukas Kovac).
Américo Francisco made it 1-0 for Portugal by beating Zsolt Donján by expressive 8-1 in the ‘Bola 8’ discipline, but Jaroslav Polach equaled 1-1 for the Slovaks after beating Bruno Sousa by 9-5 in the ‘Bola 9’.
Everything to decide in the ‘Bola 10’, where Miguel Silva came to be losing by 1-4 and 4-6 before Lukas Kovac, but the Madeiran recovered and won in the ‘black’ (8-7), giving a victory by 2 -1 to Portugal, who will play this Thursday afternoon (from 17.30 hours in Lisbon) with the Czech Republic, in the round of 16, access to the quarter finals, which will be played on Friday , on the 5th, at 10.45 am local time (7.45 am in mainland Portugal.
In the Women’s Team competition, in which Vânia Oliveira Franco and Sara Rocha are two-time European champions, Portugal starts on Friday, the 5th, defending the scepter at the Venice Resort Hotel Antalya, at 10.45 am local (7.45 am in mainland Portugal) before the hostess Turkey.