16 players for the single elimination stage already determined
Friday, July 08, 2011: Albin Ouschan (AUT) defeated current World 10-Ball Champion Huidji See (NED) with 9:7.
The match saw a lot of tactical and safety play. At the score of 4:3 for See, Ouschan misses two relatively easy shots and finds himself down 3:5. Then, as if that was not bad enough for him already, See breaks the 9-ball, getting into a nice 6:3 lead over Jasmin Ouschan's brother. But Ouschan did not think of giving up. He ran two racks in a row and came closer to See at 6:5. In the 12th rack, Ouschan loses the control over the cue ball and gives See ball in hand. The Dutch World Champion accepts the gift and takes a 7:5 lead. Amazingly, See missed an easy 7-ball which luckily for him went into another pocket. In the next rack, Lady Luck was on Ouschan's side. See started playing and broke the balls. He did not get position on the 5-ball, misses it and leaves a tough position for Ouschan. Ouschan tries to cut the 5-ball in but leaves it hanging over the pocket. Luckily for Ouschan, the cue ball kicked the 9-ball in. 7:6 still for See.
The next rack was a run out from Ouschan, tying the match at 7:7. Then, Ouschan won another tactical combat and went on the hill 8:7. Having his own break, he pocketed one ball but could not get position for the ball on which was the 2-ball. He tried to play safe but fails completely. He gives an open shot to See. The Dutch runs all balls until he hooks himself behind the 8-ball, making it almost impossible for him to pocket the 7-ball. That mistake could not be healed. He hit the 7-ball but gave Ouschan the opportunity to run out which the Austrian player did. Ouschan took the match with 9:7 and advances to the single elimination stage of the event while See needs to win another match in the loser's bracket.
In another interesting and open match in the winner's qualification, Mateusz Sniegocki (POL) won over Thomas Engert (GER) with 9:5. Sniegocki had the better start and came to a 5:3, 6:4 and 7:5 lead over Engert. In the 13th rack, Engert plays a bad safety shot and Sniegocki runs the rack, leading 8:5. Being on the hill, Sniegocki was able to control the things on the table. Some safeties were exchanged when Sniegocki went for a long shot at the 4-ball, kicking the 9-ball into the corner pocket. 9:5 victory for Sniegocki over Engert who also goes to the loser's side of the event now.
Already on the loser's side, former World Champion Ralf Souquet (GER) outscored Dennis Grabe (EST) with 9:8. Both players showed a very steady performance and Dennis Grabe did not show too much fear or respect, knowing he is playing against the man who took the first two Euro-Tour event this year in France and Italy. But Souquet also played solid and made no mistakes. At a score of 8:8, Souquet got ball in hand after he forced Grabe to play a foul shot. Instead of running a difficult rack, Souquet pocketed a ball and played another safety, forcing Grabe to play his second foul. The Estonian scratched and Souquet ran out, winning the match with a margin of 9:8.
Other notable results include local top player Mario He losing against Poland's Wojciech Szewczyk with 6:9. Joakim Haugen (NOR) brought Radoslaw Babica's (POL) dreams of winning the event to an end with 9:3. Right after that, he got eliminated himself by losing 6:9 to Thomas Mehtala (SWE). Fabio Petroni (ITA) took his match in the loser's round against Christophe Creter (GER) with 9:2. Harald Stolka (GER) finished Mats Schjetne (NOR) with 9:3. Last year's winner Karl Boyes (GBR) is still hoping to stay alive in the event. He kicked out Noel Bruynooghe (BEL) with 9:4.
