Local Hero Ouschan Eliminates Defending Champ Karl Boyes

Tough matches with unexpected results

Saturday, July 09, 2011: On the center match table, Albin Ouschan (AUT) defeated last year's Euro-Tour Austria Open winner Karl Boyes (GBR) with 9:5.

In the beginning, both players seemed to be much focussed. However, Karl Boyes left the better impression on the spectator. He broke and ran his first three racks without any doubt. Ouschan also won his first three racks but with a bit more trouble than Boyes. Then the curiosities started to happen. Boyes broke at the score of 3:3 and the 9-ball went down to give him a small 4:3 lead. Then Ouschan had the break shot. He pocketed two balls but had no position on the three. Both players played safety shots on the 3-ball. When Ouschan tried to thin cut the 3-ball in the corner pocket, he missed it but the cue ball hit the 9-ball and pocketed it to tie the game at 4:4.

Then Ouschan managed to win the next two racks, getting a small advantage over Boyes. Boyes broke the balls after not having had much luck on his side, and the 9-ball went down while the cue ball also scratched. Boyes got frustrated. Ouschan ran out and took a 7:4 lead.

In the 12th rack, Lady Luck seemed to have thought about it once more and turned to Boyes again. He now also missed a ball and the cue ball unintentionally pocketed the 9-ball. The score turned to 7:5 in favour of Ouschan.

Then Boyes got a dry break and Ouschan had some easy balls on the table for a comfortable run out, which brought him on the hill with 8:5. Boyes then took a timeout. When he came back, Ouschan broke well, pocketed two balls and played a good safety shot. Boyes tried to hit the 1-ball and fired the cue ball into it over the rail. It looked like he has had it for that match. Ouschan used his chances and ran the rack to win the match with 9:5

Ouschan said after the match: “I felt quite well before the match. I knew I was going to deliver a good performance”. When asked about the many unwanted 9-ball shots, he smiled and said: “I agree. That was an amazing match with a lot of curiosities happening on the table”. His goal for the tournament is quite simple. “I have never achieved a finish among the top 8 in the Euro-Tour. If I can get there, everything is possible.” He will have to play Richard Jones (GBR) in the round of the last 16 players.

Other notable results were Mateusz Sniegocki (POL) ousting heavyweight Ralf Souquet (GER) with 9:7. Nick v.d. Berg (NED) was overpowered by newcomer Bartosz Rozwadowski (POL) 9:1. No good day for The Netherlands. After See was eliminated the round before, last Dutch hope Niels Feijen had to give in to Mark Gray (GBR) with 8:9 after scratching with the cue ball in the final rack. Darren Appleton (GBR) was already leading 8:3 over 19-year old Marlin Koehler (GER) when the German kid fought back and took rack after rack off the experienced former World Champion. In the end, Appleton could win the match with 9:8. Another former World Champion who left the stage in this round was Oliver Ortmann (GER). He fell to Hubert Lopotko (POL) with 5:9.

Here are all results for the last 32:

Nick v.d. Berg NED v Bartosz Rozwadowski POL 1 : 9
Hubert Lopotko POL v Oliver Ortmann GER 9 : 5
Mark Gray GBR v Niels Feijen NED 9 : 8
Carlo Dalmatin CRO v Imran Majid GBR 3 : 9
Darren Appleton GBR v Marlin Koehler GER 9 : 8
Andreas Gerwen SWE v Philipp Stojanovic CRO 8 : 9
Albin Ouschan AUT v Karl Boyes GBR 9 : 5
Richard Jones GBR v Pedro Fonseca POR 9 : 7
Serge Das BEL v Francisco Diaz-Pizarro ESP 9 : 5
Nicolas Ottermann GER v Raj Hundal IND 7 : 9
Carlos Cabello ESP v Thomas Engert GER 9 : 8
Konstantin Stepanov RUS v Milos Verkic SRB 9 : 7
Daryl Peach GBR v Jayson Shaw SCO 9 : 3
Manuel Ederer GER v Christian Reimering GER 1 : 9
Mateusz Sniegocki POL v Ralf Souquet GER 9 : 7
Miko Balasz HUN v Chris Melling GBR 6 : 9

Last 16 players:

Bartosz Rozwadowski POL v Hubert Lopotko POL
Mark Gray GBR v Imran Majid GBR
Darren Appleton GBR v Philipp Stojanovic CRO
Albin Ouschan AUT v Richard Jones GBR
Serge Das BEL v Raj Hundal IND
Carlos Cabello ESP v Konstantin Stepanov RUS
Daryl Peach GBR v Christian Reimering GER
Mateusz Sniegocki POL v Chris Melling GBR

The matches will start tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM local time.

The Euro-Tour 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 event website www.eurotouronline.eu , follow us on twitter @EPBF_News or contact our press office.