Oliver Szolnoki
STARTING TOMORROW, THIS week sees the final stops on the 2024 EuroTour calendar as both men’s and women’s events take place on both the DYNAMIC BILLARD EuroTour and the PREDATOR Women’s EuroTour. Both events are 10-ball with the Dynamic Billard Antalya Open getting underway on Thursday 14th November at 9.00 local time and concluding with the final at 18.00 on Saturday. The Predator Antalya Open starts on Saturday 16th at 9.00 with the championship match set for Sunday at 17.00. All the action takes place in the plush Xanadu Resort Hotel in Belek on the southern coast of Turkey.
200 players are in attendance for the men’s event although the field includes a smattering of ladies who are making the most of the long weekend and competing in both competitions. The tournament is well-supported by local players, with a Turkish contingent of 71, making up over a third of the field.
The highest ranked player in the tournament is Hungary’s Oliver Szolnoki at #2, and he has a chance to top the rankings this week with a strong finish. Szolnoki is also looking for his maiden EuroTour win following a runners-up spot as well as semi-final finishes over the past 24 months. His gold-medal winning performance in 10-ball at the Dynamic Billard European Championships in the summer will stand him in good stead when play gets underway.
Aside from the large number of Turkish players competing, there are 18 Poles in attendance as well as 23 players representing Germany. The highest ranked of those is young Felix Vogel – #6 – who at 16 years-old, has made remarkable progress in the adult ranks. Vogel has competed in two finals on the EuroTour this year, and a victory can only be a matter of time.
The Predator Antalya Open features a strong field of 48 players gets underway tomorrow with a field of 46 players. On top of the rankings and a definite favourite this week is Ina Kaplan (Germany) who has really dominated the Euro Tour in 2024.
The 37-year-old has achieved two wins, a runner-up and a 9th place in the four events so far this year. She heads a German team of eight players – the most represented nation in the tournament. There are seven players representing Turkey and a contingent of five from Switzerland.
For streaming fans, Tables 1 & 2 will be shown throughout on YouTube. Table 1 will be on the Kozoom channel, while Table 2 will be available throughout on the EPBF platform. All other tables can be viewed on the Kozoom.com website, where there are a variety of subscription options.
Table 1 link = https://www.youtube.com/@KozoomTV/streams
Table 2 link = https://www.youtube.com/@theepbf/streams
Tables 1-20 = https://home.kozoom.com/en/all-cue-sports
As well as the prize money, there are Tour ranking points on offer. This week’s Euro Tour tournaments are 10-ball and players compete in a double-elimination format, playing down to the last 32 competitors for the men and last 16 for the women. From there it is single elimination until the finish. The men’s matches are races-to-8 racks with alternate break, while the women play a race-to-6.
Results, live scoring, and draw are available at www.epbf.com
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