Niels Feijen
Niels Feijen, the 45-year-old multi-titled Dutch star, added another championship to his resume as he over-powered Austria’s Daniel Guttenberg in the final match of the Men’s 9 Ball Division at the Dynamic Billard European Championships in Lasko, Slovenia. It was the Terminator’s second gold medal in 9-ball and 11th overall.
Coming into the match as a big underdog, Guttenberger made just too many mistakes and against a player of Feijen’s calibre, they were ruthlessly punished. The Dutchman’s confidence was in full bloom from the very start of the match and it grew with every successive rack won.
Commented Feijen, “People say it’s a young man’s game and it is and it isn’t. As long as you stay fit and keep improving and you stay hungry, then it’s anybody’s game. The older you get, the commitment changes a little bit. I’m a family man and I have other things on the side, so my commitment and drive are not like it was in my 20’s and 30’s.
“But I’m going to enjoy this now. We’re going to jump in the river across from the hotel and enjoy the night. It’s an amazing feeling and it’s not getting any easier, the level of play is so high. But to win two bronzes and to finish it off with a gold is a great feeling.”
Feijen won the lag and saw the 1 ball drop into the corner pocket and quick-fire combination on the 2/9 gave him the opening rack. Guttenberger, playing in his first ever European Championship final, looked very comfortable as he ran through the balls to level the score at 1-1.
Feijen pushed out in the next after five balls were locked together around the head rail. The Austrian gave the table back and both players went back and forth with safeties. Guttenberger looked in the ascendancy after Feijen left the 3 ball out which Guttenberg potted. He did all the hard work but missed a relatively simple 5 into the centre pocket and The Terminator took his chance and the lead at 2.1.
A dry break from the Austrian left a messy table as the rack became tactical. Feijen, though, failed to put the 1 ball safe and
Guttenberger, rather than pot it, laid an easy snooker that left Feijen few options. He went for a one rail escape but missed to give ball in hand. Guttenberger, though, missed the 5 ball when the run out looked favourite and Feijen once again, took the opportunity to increase his lead. 3-1.
Feijen made the 1 and 2 balls on the break and with a makeable shot on the 3 ball, managed the run out to give himself a very tidy 4-1 lead. Guttenberger was under some pressure now. Coming into the match as the underdog, he really needed to stick with Feijen but a few needless mistakes had let the Dutchman forge ahead. Another bad error from the Austrian handed the table back to Feijen, and looking the picture of determination, he cleared up to take a 5-1 lead in the race to 9.
Feijen looked unstoppable in the next as he ran out, executing shots to perfection, to move his lead to 6-1. It looked like mission impossible for Guttenberger, and it became worse when he scratched pocketing the 2-ball and handing an open table to his opponent. Feijen though made an uncharacteristic slip as he missed the 6 ball and Guttenberger wrapped it up to trail 6-2.
Three balls went down for Feijen on the break and with a shot on the 3 ball, the run out looked a certainty and he increased his lead to 7-2. Guttenberger made two balls on his break and with the 3-ball available into the centre pocket, it was a golden chance to stop the rot. Holding off his nerves, he ran out as the score moved to 7-3.
Another crushing break from the veteran Dutchman saw two balls drop and he made no mistakes as he quickly ran out to reach the hill. In the next, with no pocket available for the 2 ball, Guttenberger tied the cue ball up behind the 4 ball. Feijen’s escape left a long pressure 2-ball which the Austrian potted and held himself together well to take the rack.
With the title a rack away, Feijen played a perfect break. The balls were all out in the open, and the master Dutchman ran out for his 11th European Championship Individual gold medal.
“The Europeans hold Olympic status for the Dutch players and it’s super important. I got that right away in straight pool and then I went all out for the 10 ball – if I’m still in, I want to get a gold medal, then bronze again, I lost in the 8 ball; I got a bit tired but then I said, one more time, all-in because I want to hear that national anthem and that was an amazing feeling!” added the champion.
Final
Niels Feijen (NED) 9 – 4 Daniel Guttenberger (AUT)
Semi Finals
Daniel Guttenberger (AUT) 9 – 1 Jakub Koniar (SVK)
Niels Feijen (NED) 9 – 6 Jani Uski (FIN)
The 2022 Dynamic Billards European Championship sees 15 separate events across four disciplines – 8, 9 and 10 ball as well as straight pool – plus the men’s and women’s team competitions. In total there are four divisions; men, women, under 23 men and wheelchair users.
All matches can be viewed live at www.kozoom.com
Results, live scoring and draw are available at
www.epbf.com/tournaments/europ
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