3-Cushion
LILLE - Two weeks of relative rest, with a small party now and then, haven't disturbed the rhythm of Therese Klompenhouwer towards the European championship three-cushion for women. The Dutch phenomenon in ladies billiard (born January 3, 1983 in Nijkerk), who defeated all her competitors two weeks ago in the New York tournamant, is the big favorite for a new European title in Lille this week (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). Karina Jetten, also from the Netherlands, is one of the challengers. She is the vice world champion of 2008, where she was defeated by the Japanese Orie Hida in the final.
The tournament for the European title will be played in the Skema Business School in Lille, which is hosting the major event. Sixteen players are divided into four groups of four, the group leaders are three Dutch players (Therese Klompenhouwer, Gerrie Geelen, Karina Jetten) and one Turkish (Gülsen Degener).
Karina Jetten thinks she is one of the outsiders. The 39-year-old player, born in Simpelveld (Limburg), lives in the Belgian Berneau now, between Maastricht and Liège. She played her first European tournament in 2007 and was successively the third, second and second. Two years ago she was defeated by Therese Klompenhouwer in the final in Odense.
Karina Jetten (married, no children), is a typical player who has her highlights in major tournaments. The palmares, third in the European championship in 2007, second in the World championships in 2008, second in the European championship in 2009, is the best of all behind the unmatched Therese Klompenhouwer.
,,I must say that my last year was not the best, but I hope to be top again in Lille,'' says Jetten, who had a great experience in the tournament of New York two weeks ago. ,,I had a very lovely week there and have met great people.''
Frits Bakker: What do you do in everyday's life?
Karina Jetten:,, I'm working in the kitchen of a restaurant, Brasserie La Meuse in Eysden, but I can decide myself how many hours I work. If I have to train or play matches abroad, I get the full cooperation. It's a busy life, but I always can handle it.''
FB: When did you start playing billiards?
KJ: ,,When I was ten, I begain to find it very funny to play billiards. My father played three-cushion too. I had no other hobbies, because I'm not really such a sporty type. I did some motorcycling in the past, but I've been fallen a few times and have stopped, because it was too dangerous for me to do. Billiards is my passion, but I know I should be more seriously. I like to have a beer or wine after the matches with the other players. We all have the same passion and I like to talk about it in that ambiance.''
FB: When was your first big tournament?
KJ: ,,I received a wildcard for the World championship in Hoensbroek in 2006, close to where I lived. There my passion grew even more. I've taken some lessons of Dave Christiani and later from 2008 I had Christ van der Smissen as my teacher as the coach of the federation. That has been stopped unfortunately in April last year.''
FB: What kind of player are you?
KJ: ,,My strong point is that I fight for every carom, I'm a big fighter on the table. That's the main reason for my palmares so far, when you notice that I only play matches for five years.''
FB: How popular is women's billiards in the Netherlands and in the world?
KJ: ,,It could be better than it is today. Billiards is topsport, if you see what top players have to do, how many hours of training and competitions you need. But we just get back a little publicity and media attention for it. I play billiards because for me it's a great sport, but it would be nice if we would get some more publicity in the tournament. That's the same all over the world, I think.''
FB: Is women's billiard popular in certain areas in the Netherlands?
KJ: ,,Not really, because if we play a Dutch championship with sixteen players, they come from everywhere. You can see the same in the world. Japan is strong, but there is a considerable spread of female top players. The Netherlands in fact has the best players: we had the numbers one, second and third in the last European championship. Therefore we are the favorites this week in Lille.''
FB:,, We can not avoid: Therese Klompenhouwer, three times title holder, of course is the absolute favorite again for this European championship. What makes her so strong and hard to beat?
KJ: ,,She plays so convinced, so sure of her own quality and is simply so very good. The way she can deal with the pressure is incredible clever, because everyone wants to beat her. Therese is mentally so strong, that she can handle it, she is an undisputed top player, a star in womens's billiard. I think it's almost impossible to beat her, but you never now what can happen. I really look forward to the championship in Lille.''
The groups for the European championships in Lille are:
Group A: Therese Klompenhouwer (Neth), Danielle le Bruijn (Bel), Marianne Mortensen (Danish), Michaele Esser (German).
Group B: Gerrie Geelen (Neth), Helga Mitterböck (Aus), Maria Isabel Romia (Spain), Céline Jacques (France).
Group C: Karina Jetten (Neth), Jeannette Jensen (Danish), Natascha Al Mamar (Aus), Christine Morel (France).
Group D: Gülsen Degener (Turk), Anja Wijnen (Neth), Julie Dechamps (France), Jaimie Buelens (Belgian).