10-ball down to quarter-finals
Sarajevo, Bosnia & Hercegovina: German #1 senior player, Reiner Wirsbitzki, vanquished Michael Stark (AUT) with 7:3.
It was probably the match of the wasted chances for Stark. In the third rack he should have taken the lead. But instead, he dogged the 7-ball and left it hanging over the pocket for Wirsbitzki. The German played solid as always and ran his racks. With the presents he received from Stark, Wirsbitzki was soon able to take a nice 4:1 lead. In the 6th rack, Wirsbitzki played a poor safety shot and invited Stark to make the gap between them a bit smaller. But Stark again could not benefit from Wirsbitzki's mistake. This time, he left the 10-ball in the pocket for Wirsbitzki. After that, the match changed a bit and Stark took two racks in a row. At 5:3, Wirsbitzki went for his time-out. He came back fresh and ready for more action. Stark broke and scratched with the cue ball. That was his last action in this match. Wirsbitzki ran that rack and the next one with his own break to win the encounter with 7:3. He will now proceed to the quarter-final and play against Paolo Costa (POR) who ousted Wirsbitzki's teammate Martin Schwab by a whisker with 7:6.
Other notable results from the round of the last 16 players in the senior's division include Roger Lysholm (NOR) wasting no time with Andreas Bucher (SUI), winning his match with 7:1. Tom Storm (SWE) also booked his seat in the next round, eliminating Angelo Salzano (ITA) with 7:3.
In the ladies division, Barbara Bolfelli (ITA) won her winner's qualification match over Susanne Wessel (GER) in a heartbreaker with 5:4. Ilona Zalmanova (CZE) defeated Wienke Thamsen (GER) with 5:3 in the same round and sent her to the loser's side.
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The event is hosted by the European Governing Body for Pool, the European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF) and organized by International Billiard Promotion (IBP). For further information and reference please go to the federation website www.billiardapps.com or contact our press office.
