Carom
BRANDENBURG - The Belgian Karolien Mathys was the big surprise this morning in the semi finals free game at the European championships for ladies. She defeated the top favorite Magali Declunder from France in the penalty shoots. The 45-year-old French free game specialist from Andernos had shown her supremacy in the prelims in three matches (120 caroms) that she won in two, four and two innings (45.00 average). That was far over the performances of the others.
The Dutch Monique van Exter, another favorite, played in her group just 7.57 and finished ahead of Karolien Mathys, who averaged 7.37. Mathys, a mother of three children (girls) lost the mutual duel 120-114 in just five innings and already demonstrated that she was capable to shine in the final games. She did it in the semi finals.
Magali Declunder suddenly got more opposition than she had expected. The French, who took the European title in 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993 (record average 42.85), 1994, 1997 and 1998, did not play since that year, because she moved to Greece. This year she made her comeback and she showed from the start how flawless she can control the balls for the high runs in americaine.
But in the semi-finals she failed at the end. The French lady missed already the breakshot, then did not manage to make the deciding gap. The Belgian reacted with a run that brought her close to the finish. She missed one more time on her road to win the match. Declunder then made her last points, but Mathys, who needed 28 points, managed to equalize.
The decision had to came from penalty shots to fifteen points. Mathys started with five and missed a bankshot, Declunder missed the breakshot.
Monique van Exter defeated Suzanne Stengel-Ponsing at the other table, although she missed one more time at ten points. But when her opponent could not take the opportunity, the Dutch closed the match with victory (150-76 in 12 innings), so that the final will be a Belgian/Dutch encounter