3-Cushion
LILLE - The Dutch Karina Jetten has already qualified for next round with the maximum score at the European Championships in Lille. Therese Klompenhouwer showed that she's the big contender for the title of course and Gülsen Degener wants to climb the podium like she always does in her European performances.
The biggest surprise, until now, is mainly coming from Jaimie Buelens, a young Belgian (23) student at the University of Louvain, who had launched the championship with a loss against Gülsen Degener, but after that she had two wins, which was a guarantee for a place in the top eight.
The amiable blond girl was hampered by a knee injury in the preparation, was looking forward to this championship frow weeks and knew after her first match: ,,I don't have the class of Gülsen (Degener) obviously, so the loss in that match I had expected. I have to do it in my next matches, I want to show the public that I can play billiard.''
And she did: in the late evening session of the first day, Jaimie defeated the Dutch Anja Wijnen 2-0. She sparkled in the second set in 9 innings, with a run of eight, the highest for that moment. The best match has been improved now by Therese Klompenhouwer, who beat the Belgian champion Daniele le Bruijn 2-0 in which she used in the first set only six innings for her twelve points.
The title defender, Therese Klompenhouwer, leads Groups A. Gerry Geelen started in B with a weak draw against Céline Jacques, but repared with a 2-0 win against Helga Mitterböck. Karina Jetten is supremely leading in Groupl C, where Natascha Al Mamar has the best chance to join her to the best eight. Gülsen Degener and Jaimie Buelens have qualified in Group D. The Turkish also won her second match against Anja Wijnen 2-0.
Jaimie Buelens defeated Anja Wijnen 2-0 and the French champion Julie Dechamps 2-1, again with a strong second set (11 innings, run of seven).