2009 European Play offs and European Champs

[Mignon]

When will the final begin? Was scheduled for 2pm but that is obviously not true anymore

[Mignon]

Anyone, please?
Mmmm... Why bother to travel to Belgium if you don't show the results?
Shame the Polish site is down... It was so reliable

[AntMac147]

It's back up again - 2-2.

[JanieWatkins]

Thanks for that, will be interesting to see how he gets on.

Incidentally I was reading about a strange snooker variant called Sinuca Brasileira which appears to be popular in Brazil.

ROFL!!! Sinuca is the Portuguese word for snooker and Brasiliera is Brasil!!

they do play another sport, really the social sport on an even smaller table and around 4 million people regularly play that the boys told me

Incidentally it's 3-3 in the final best of 9. Tony was 2-0 down, 3-2 up but now it's looking close.

[Migtsf]

ROFL!!! Sinuca is the Portuguese word for snooker and Brasiliera is Brasil!!

Actually "Sinuca" is not a portuguese word. At least I can't find it in any good portuguese dictionary. It must be another Brazilian invention.

Here in Portugal we use the word Snooker in the English form, but when people use that word they are most likely thinking about 8-ball pool, the most popular cue sport in this part of the World. Snooker is called English Snooker or as we say it: "Snooker Inglês".

[rivercard]

From GSC:

Tony Drago 5-4 Roy Stolk
21-61, 1-85(57), 75(75)-4, 80(80)-1, 61-35, 4-84, 25-87(62), 70-66, 67(53)-31

Late night drama as Tony battles back from needing a snooker to stay in the match, with some superb safety. He got the snooker and then slotted a long pink, and the black to force the decider.... don't go away!!

DRAGO IS BACK - A huge yell of delight as he sank the match ball red and a roar from the packed house as the hugely popular Malta player regains his Main Tour place.

-----------------------------------

Congratulations Tony! The standard of the final wasn't that bad either, 5 half centuries in a best of 9 is OK for an amateur event I guess. If anyone saw the match (apart from the GSC crew) it would be nice to hear a report as I doubt any videos were made.

[dannyd0g]

Congratulations Tony Drago !

[spike]

Well done Tony!

[JanieWatkins]

Tony asked me to thanks everyone for their good luck messages and good wishes. He's thrilled to bits with his win tonight.

[Matt_2745]

Great to see him back, look forward to seeing him at the EISS next season.

[Monique]

Well done Tony! It was a tremendous match, maybe not top notch snooker but very high pressure and enthralling. Tony's joy was endearing, as were Alex Borg's and the Maltese coach's.
Roy Stolk was obviouly very disapointed having been ahead 4-3. The 8th frame Tony won on the black after getting the snooker he needed was absolute susppense. But all praise to Roy, he proved himself a remarkable contender under pressure!
Great!!!!


http://www.global-snooker.com/020609...ck-on-tour.asp

Tony Drago let out a roar of delight that could be heard all the way back in Malta as the match ball disappeared and the Tornado regained his place on the main professional Tour with victory in the 2009 EBSA European Play Offs.Drago showed nerves of steel to clinch the deciding frame. But it nearly went awry when the match ball black hung on the lip of the pocket to end his run of 53, and there was one last chance for Stolk. But Drago snookered him on the yellow and, rarely for Drago, he potted the yellow with the rest, and let out a huge whoop of delight. As did the packed audience.


Ever generous to an opponent, Drago immediately said of Stolk. "You know this guy, he may not big a big name, but he is a big player. He played very well and he has a brilliant temperament.

"Does this really mean I have my place back? After twenty-five years as a professional, I can't tell you how much I missed it."


"I couldn't have done any of this without Jimmy White. He gave me the keys to his club so I could go and practice and he reignited my love for the game. We practiced together a lot and I fell in love with the game again. He was always my hero and I want to thank him publicly.


"When you come to a tournament and you know you have to win it and finish number one (or nowhere) that is huge pressure. If anyone doubted before that I do have the bottle, then I have proved to them and me that I have a big heart and the bottle to stand up under the pressure."

At the start of the best of nine match it was the Dutchman, Stolk, who was quicker out of the blocks. He edged the opener on the pink and followed it with 57 to take a 2-0 lead.


In typical Tornado style Drago whistled in breaks of 75 and 80 to level the match and gained a 3-2 lead with a colours success in the fifth.


Stolk totally dominated the next to level again and he regained the lead at 4-3 with a run of 62.


When Stolk sank the green in the eighth frame to leave Drago needing a snooker, it looked very much as if the Maltese dream was in tatters. However Drago played a series of superb safety shots and eventually got the telling snooker on the blue.


Drago's positional shot from blue to pink went sadly astray and he was left with a long pink to the green pocket. His cue arm didn't let him down and he sank the pink to land
perfectly on the black to send the match into its thrilling final frame.

Kurt Maflin took the high break prize for his 123 made in the last 16.

Frame Scores
Tony Drago 5-4 Roy Stolk
21-61, 1-85(57), 75(75)-4, 80(80)-1, 61-35, 61-35, 4-84, 25-87(62), 70-66, 67(53)-31

Be sure to follow the link... some pictures there.

[Snookerlisa]

Who is Roy Stolk????

[Monique]

Who is Roy Stolk????

An very good amateur from the Netherlands ... this is an amateur event, with a place on the MT to be gained from it for the winner.

[Monique]

All infos regarding the EBSA European Championship underway in Belgium are here:

http://www.snooker.pl/turnieje/2009/me/en/mem_2009.php

live scoring: http://www.snooker.pl/turnieje/2008/me19/en/ts_2008.php

and of course on GSC.

[dannyd0g]

Why is there a second very simillar tournament to the one thats just gone

What does Drago gain by competing in this one when he's already won a main tour place ?