Monday, March 28, 2011: The Dynamic European Championship has the sensation of the day as Finnish player Marika Poikkijoki has defeated Jasmin Ouschan in today's 8-ball quarter-final with 6:5.
The match started out and looked like “business as usual” for Ouschan. Ouschan took a 4:2 lead over her opponent when Poikkijoki took a time-out. After that, Jasmin won another rack which brought her to the hill, leading 5:2. Then the wonder began ... Poikkijoki played very steadily and concentrated while some mistakes crept into Ouschan's play. Poikkijoki managed to tie the match at 5:5 with Jasmin to break. Jasmin broke the balls ... and scratched! The table was open but not easy for Marika. She pocketed ball after ball and screamed when she pocketed the final 8 to proceed to the semi-final, jolting Jasmin out of the 8-ball competition. “It's awesome” were her first words after the final. It is the first time since 2006 that Jasmin does not take a medal in a European Championship division. “I must concentrate and handle the pressure in my match against Jasmin”, Marika said before the match. “I think Jasmin has more pressure on her since no one really expects me to win”, Poikkijoki said. After she won, she was very emotional: “I am so happy that I cannot put this into words”, she said with a tear in her eye. Her hands were still shaking. “I need some time now to realize what happened. I think that now I really deserve a medal in the EC.” Marika has never won a medal in the women's division before. Now she has one for sure, only the colour is still to be determined.
To complete the family “tragedy” for the day, Jasmin's brother Albin Ouschan lost his quarter-final match against Denis Grabe from Estonia 6:8.
Results Men's quarter-final matches 8-ball:
Tomasz Kaplan (POL) v Carlos Cabello (SPA) 7:8
Bruno Muratore (ITA) v Ralf Souquet (GER) 7:8
Denis Grabe (EST) v Albin Ouschan (AUT) 8:6
Dominic Jentsch (GER) v Bahram Lotfy (DEN) 8:4
Results Women's quarterfinal matches 8-ball
Jasmin Ouschan (AUT) v Marika Poikkijoki (FIN) 5:6
Ana Gradisnik (SLO) v Line Kjoersvik (NOR) 2:6
Kynthia Orfanidis (NED) v Anastasia Nechaeva (RUS) 6:0
Petra Stadlbauer (AUT) v Katarzyna Wesolowska (POL) 6:4
Men's semi-finals:
Carlos Cabello (SPA) v Ralf Souquet (GER)
Denis Grabe (EST) v Dominic Jentsch (GER)
Women's semi-finals:
Marika Poikkijoki (FIN) v Line Kjoersvik (NOR)
Kynthia Orfanidis (NED) v Petra Stadlbauer (AUT)
Wheelchair semi-finals:
Kurt Deklerck (BEL) v Fred Dinsmore (IRL)
Jouni Tahti (FIN) v Aslum Aboobakar (GBR)
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 event website www.epconline.eu or contact our press office.
