Post a reply

EBSA European Championships 2012

Postby roy142857

The EBSA European Snooker Championships 2012 for Masters, Ladies and Men will be held on 5th - 15th June at Daugavpils in Latvia.

Daugavpils is Latvia's second largest city, and the largest Russian-speaking city in Latvia, although sizeable Polish and Latvian populations too. (Because it's Russian-speaking but in the EU it has attracted an amount of income in recent years through Russian language courses).

Let's hope the event is as well organised and has streamed tables like this years tournament in Bulgaria (would rather like it to coincide with a dip in my work schedule like this years did too ... :-) )

Re: EBSA European Championships 2012

Postby roy142857

Known entrants from the British Isles so far:

Mens
John Whitty (England)
Rodney Goggins (Ireland)
Brendan O'Donoghue (Ireland)
Greg Casey (Ireland)
Darryl Hill (Isle of Man)
James McBain (Scotland)
Craig MacGillivray (Scotland)
Scott Donaldson (Scotland)
Duane Jones (Wales)
Marcel Price (Wales)
Daniel Wells (Wales)

(Although this is the Men's tournament, not the under 21's, some very young players entered including Ivan Kakovsky of Russia who is 12, and a couple of 13 year olds ...)

Women
NONE

Masters
Kevin Firth (England) <ok>
Steve Judd (England)
Phil Mumford (England)
Mark Tuite (Ireland)
Frank Sarsfield (Ireland)
Anthony Bonnar (Ireland)
Michael McDonald (Northern Ireland)
Scott Dunbar (Scotland)
Darren Morgan (Wales)
Robert Watkins (Wales) (oldest player entered so far at 67)

Re: EBSA European Championships 2012

Postby roy142857

Just running through the groups the British Isles players are drawn in ... one or two in here trying to make amends for not winning through at Q School ...

In Group A Gareth Allen (Wales) and Craig MacGillivray (Scotland) are up against Ahmed Benraïssi (France), Maxime Shkundalev (Belarus) and David Marquez (Spain).

In Group D Duane Jones (Wales) and Darryl Hill (Isle of Man) are up against Lukas Krenek (Czechia), Maris Volajs (Lithuania) and youngster Belan Sharif (Sweden).

In Group E Marcel Price (Wales) is up against Bernharð Bernharðsson (Iceland), Jim Johansson (Sweden), George Louka (Cyprus) and Jury Belozjorov (Latvia).

In Group F Brendan O`Donoghue (Ireland) is up against Thorri Jensson (Iceland), Antonis Poullos (Cyprus), Muhammed Leysi (Turkey) and Maris Kalva (Latvia)

In Group G Greg Casey (Ireland) is up against Guy Hendrickx (Belgium), Al Urfy Bairaq (Sweden), Tin Venos (Croatia) and Jevgenij Abeltins (Latvia)

In Group H Rodney Goggins (Ireland) is up against Alexander Gauss (Austria), Elvijs Melnis (Latvia), teenager Georgi Velichkov (Bulgaria) and the 13 year old Vladyslav Vyshnevskyy (Ukraine).

In Group J John Whitty (England's sole representative) and new Scottish Champion James McBain are up against Sergiy Isayenko (Ukraine), Sanjin Kusan (Croatia) and 14 year old Rodion Judin (Latvia)

In Group R Scott Donaldson (Scotland) is up against Rene Vaxelaire (France), Danny Eriksen (Denmark), Romanas Baradulinas (Lithuania) and 52 years old (but not in the Masters competition!) Francisco Rodriguez (Spain).

Darren Paris is in Group K but representing Switzerland, where he's up against Marcin Nitschke (Poland), Maurice Le Duc (Netherlands), Bratislav Krustev (Bulgaria) and Sergey Kolcov (Latvia).

I can (with regret) confirm no British entries in the Ladies Championship.

I'll try to run through the groups in the Masters later this week ... just to mention, Kev is drawn in the same group as Alan Trigg (who's representing Ukraine) and Dean Thomas from Wales ... wishing him much luck / success etc.!

Edit: looks like 3 of the tables are to be streamed live ...

Re: EBSA European Championships 2012

Postby Wildey

Sonny wrote:Dan Wells isn't entering as he qualified through Q School which means he's being replaced by...

COME ON GAZ :D


Here is the website

http://www.ebsa.tv/

does the winner of this get on this season in whitch case it means Missing Wuxi and Aussie Open or is it for the 2013/2014 season ?

Re: EBSA European Championships 2012

Postby roy142857

Wild WC wrote:
Sonny wrote:Dan Wells isn't entering as he qualified through Q School which means he's being replaced by...

COME ON GAZ :D


Here is the website

http://www.ebsa.tv/

does the winner of this get on this season in whitch case it means Missing Wuxi and Aussie Open or is it for the 2013/2014 season ?


I wish I knew!

All the earlier indications were that the winner should be on this year.

3 ways I can think of handling it ...

1. Let the player join this year and just not worry about their initial disadvantage.
2. Hold over the matches in the sections they are drawn in to be played later.
3. Let them join but let their two years run a little longer than everybody else's, and then their continuation on tour (or not) depends on their ranking after the equivalent events in two years time.

But no idea what World Snooker intend!

Re: EBSA European Championships 2012

Postby Roland

Gaz has been invited to enter the Wuxi and Australian qualifying events but he's turned it down because he's going to Latvia. That should tell you that the winner of this event gets a tour card and joins the season after these initial qualifying events. OK the winner will be at a disadvantage, but there will be 2 seasons minus 2 events worth of points to play for so it shouldn't really have a major impact on the winners chances of staying on tour unless they are borderline.

Re: EBSA European Championships 2012

Postby Wildey

Sonny wrote:Gaz has been invited to enter the Wuxi and Australian qualifying events but he's turned it down because he's going to Latvia. That should tell you that the winner of this event gets a tour card and joins the season after these initial qualifying events. OK the winner will be at a disadvantage, but there will be 2 seasons minus 2 events worth of points to play for so it shouldn't really have a major impact on the winners chances of staying on tour unless they are borderline.

yea but the winner should also be handed minimum points for both Wuxi and Australia not their fault they cant play in them

Re: EBSA European Championships 2012

Postby Wildey

Sonny wrote:I disagree. Anyway, minimum points, what is it? Zero?

minimum points would be about 500 points not much but at that end could be the difference between being inside the top 64 after 2 years or not.

Re: EBSA European Championships 2012

Postby Monique

Sonny wrote:I disagree. Anyway, minimum points, what is it? Zero?


It's not much, but it's not zero. Anyway I agree with you. Under the new rules players don't get any points if they don't enter a tournament, whatever the reason, valid as it is. And when Michael White wasn't allowed to enter the qualifiers of the first tournament, on his first season, despite having been accepted as a pro because he was a couple of weeks short of his 16th birthday, he didn't get any points. It was hardly his fault. Similarly players who had visa problems, lasting for months, by no fault of their own never got the points neither.

Re: EBSA European Championships 2012

Postby Wildey

its different from being ill or a child in a school play etc

they playing in a tour qualifying event thats not played until after the tour starts the proof is there for all to see..

Re: EBSA European Championships 2012

Postby Roland

Everyone in this event had the opportunity to qualify through Q School. I think the winner won't care, they'll be too happy to be on the main tour to worry too much about points lost for the first 2 events.

Re: EBSA European Championships 2012

Postby Monique

Wild WC wrote:its different from being ill or a child in a school play etc

they playing in a tour qualifying event thats not played until after the tour starts the proof is there for all to see..


It's not a matter of proof or not. The rules are simple: you don't enter, you don't get points whatever the reason.
Now, I think that WSA and the various other snooker "bodies" should sit together and work out the calendar and make sure that qualifying events are run before the start of the season, with a reasonable gap so that new pros have the time they need to get the paperwork and other formalities done. Even if it means starting in July rather than early June.

Re: EBSA European Championships 2012

Postby Wildey

Sonny wrote:Everyone in this event had the opportunity to qualify through Q School. I think the winner won't care, they'll be too happy to be on the main tour to worry too much about points lost for the first 2 events.

yes i guess you both are right :-) god im mellowing in my old age :|

EBSA European Championships 2012

Postby gaz147

There is a space on the tour list for EBSA Champion with June 14th written instead of a name which confirms there is a tour place available. Duane has pulled out of it to play in the pro tournaments. I am going to Latvia to try and get the 2 year tour card.

Re: EBSA European Championships 2012

Postby roy142857

gaz147 wrote:There is a space on the tour list for EBSA Champion with June 14th written instead of a name which confirms there is a tour place available. Duane has pulled out of it to play in the pro tournaments. I am going to Latvia to try and get the 2 year tour card.


Wishing you luck for this one Gaz, reckon your chances pretty good, but Scott Donaldson and Michal Zielinski must fancy their chances too. Plenty of wily, experienced guys to watch out for and a few younger ones who might just 'break out' (e.g. Georgi Velichkov). Bon chance! (As they say t'other side of the Channel)

Edit: - I see with Duane out they've shifted you to (what was) his group (Group D), looks like another Latvian into Group A

Re: EBSA European Championships 2012

Postby Roland

Yes Gaz, go out and win this thing and then come back and argue about points you missed out on from the first 2 rankers <ok>

And good luck mate, we're rooting for you!

Re: EBSA European Championships 2012

Postby roy142857

Gaz opens his account tomorrow morning (11 am) against Maris Volajs, one of the local Latvian players (best tournament break of 62).

Scott Donaldson similarly eases himself in tomorrow evening (5 pm) against Lithuania's Romanas Baradulinas (best tournament break of 49).

Re: EBSA European Championships 2012

Postby roy142857

Kev's first match in the Masters is also 11am our time today, against Dean Thomas of Wales.

Early matches underway already, Scotland's Craig MacGillivray made short work of his match against David Marquez of Spain, won it 4 -1.

No sign of any live streaming at the moment ...

Re: EBSA European Championships 2012

Postby Roland

Gaz says he can't see the balls - there's no lights above the tables! You'd think the organisers would know about such things.

Re: EBSA European Championships 2012

Postby Kev

Morning, as said above the lights here are weird they are using the stadium lights as table lights depending which row of tables your on to which end the glare is.
Tables 1-8 the glare is when playing from D to black pockets and tables 9-16 it's black to baulk you need a sun vizor to see the shots but besides that the lighting in general is not the best massive shadows on everything, alot have said there just too dull!
Besides that in my opinion the tables wonderful and play very nice what a superb venue, fix the lighting and were on a winner here.

Re: EBSA European Championships 2012

Postby roy142857

Back after a couple of days sorting problems etc. ...

Anyone know if the live streaming is working, can see Table 9 should be streamed but couldn't get on it?

Can see Gaz has won all 3 of his Group D matches - just one group match to go now, early afternoon match tomorrow (i.e. 11 a.m. our time) against the Isle of Man's young hope Darryl Hill.

Kev won two matches, but lost to the 'Ukrainian' Alan Trigg. If Table 9 is still streamed then, Kev should be on the stream for his final group match early on Sunday (8 a.m. our time) against Ojars Blezurs of Latvia.

Just a quick summary of other British Isles players (total group matches for the mens is 4) ... Craig MacGillivray 3-0, Marcel Price 1-2, Brendan O'Donoghue 3-0, Greg Casey 3-0, Rodney Goggins 3-0, John Whitty 2-0, James McBain 2-0, Darren Paris (representing Switzerland) 1-0, Scott Donaldson 2-0. And in the Masters (5 matches to play each) - Darren Morgan 3-0, Kevin McMahon 2-1, Robert Watkins 3-0, Anthony Bonnar 2-1, Dean Thomas 0-3, Steve Judd 2-0, Phil Mumford 2-0, Michael McDonald 1-2, Mark Tuite 2-0, Frank Sarsfield 3-0, John Terry 3-0.

Re: EBSA European Championships 2012

Postby roy142857

Further wins now from Paris, Whitty and Donaldson. Paris playing particularly well, he's beaten the two top ranked players in his group, Poland's Marcin Nitschke (4-0) and Maurice Le Duc of the Netherlands (4-1).

Other than that not too much that's unpredictable at the moment - a lot of familiar names amongst the unbeaten players, continental players still unbeaten with 3 wins are experienced players Gerrit Bij De Leij (Netherlands), Kevin van Hove (Belgium) and Kristján Helgason of Iceland, plus the two young Poles Grzegorz Biernadski and Michał Zieliński. Quite a few players still only played 2 matches and have won both. Alan Trigg's protege, the 13 year old Ukrainian Vladyslav Vyshnevskyy, has been performing fairly well, got clobbered by Rodney Goggins 4-0, but beat top Austrian Alexander Gauss 4-2.

Re: EBSA European Championships 2012

Postby GER147

Great 4-3 win, from 3-1 down for James McBain (Scotland) v John Whitty (England) :hatoff:

Scott Donaldson & Craig MacGillivray both won their final group matches 4-0 and topped their groups...

C'MON THE SCOTS!!! :-D

Re: EBSA European Championships 2012

Postby roy142857

Sonny wrote:No great surprises when looking at the groups

http://esnooker.pl/turnieje/2012/me/en/memgall_2012.php


Indeed. And most players will qualify for the knockout, I think only the last placed player in each group goes out, for most it's more about positioning yourself in the draw, frame difference can be quite important for that (from memory of tournaments past they'll seed them by frame difference).

So unbeaten players in frame difference order :

Scott Donaldson (Scotland) 15
Rodney Goggins (Ireland) 15
Brendan O'Donoghue (Ireland) 15
Darren Paris (Switzerland) 15
Kristján Helgason (Iceland) 14
Craig MacGillivray (Scotland) 14
Michał Zieliński (Poland) 14
Greg Casey (Ireland) 13
Gareth Allen (Wales) 12
Kevin Van Hove (Belgium) 12
Grzegorz Biernadski (Poland) 11
Gerrit Bij De Leij (Netherlands) 10
George Louka (Cyprus) 10
James McBain (Scotland) 10
Antti Tolvanen (Finland) 10

... and those with 3 wins from 4 and a good frame difference ...

Alex Borg (Malta) 10
Jim Johansson (Sweden) 10
Darryl Hill (Isle of Man) 9
Rene Van Rijsbergen (Netherlands) 9
David Vaitzman (Israel) 9
John Whitty (England) 9
Mika Karhu (Finland) 8
Dominik Scherübl (Austria) 7

Re: EBSA European Championships 2012

Postby roy142857

In the Ladies Championship (the strength of the the home 'team'), players by frame difference (5 best of 5 matches each, showing matches won then frame difference):

Wendy Jans (Belgium) 5, 15
Anastasia Nechaeva (Russia) 5, 14
Tatjana Vasiljeva (Latvia) 5, 12
Daria Sirotina (Russia) 4, 11
Anna Prysazhnuka (Latvia) 4, 9
Irina Gorbataya (Russia) 5, 8
Inese Lukashevska (Latvia) 4, 7
Monika Mickute (Lithuania) 4, 7
Nawal Touzani (Belgium) 3, 4