Pongau Open
FANTASTIC FEIJEN Claims 11th Euro Crown Story by LUKE RICHES - EPBF / Photos courtesy EPBF
Niels Feijen is the 2022 Dynamic Billard St Johan im Pongau Open champion after a string of rock-solid performances, culminating in a superb 9-4 victory over Spain’s Francisco Sanchez Ruiz in the title match at the Alpina Sporthotel in the Austrian mountains.
I
t is 21 years since the Terminator’s maiden Euro Tour win and six years since his last, and this victory was a testimony to Feijen’s endurance as one of pool’s premier players. Said a delighted Feijen; “It’s a great feeling! I was struggling for a long time on the Euro Tour, not getting any results. It’s not that the level is better, there’s just more really good players now. I love the game but it’s more up and down now than when I was in my 20s and 30s. Sometimes I don’t care and sometimes
I really, really want to win and put the effort in like now, and that is super-rewarding when it pays off.” Feijen had enjoyed some hard-fought wins as he progressed through the tournament, none more so than his come-from-behind 9-8 win over Wiktor Zielinski in the last eight but in Sanchez Ruiz he was facing, arguably the form player in the world currently. After dropping the opener, Sanchez Ruiz reeled off the next three racks to open up an ominous lead before Fei-
jen ran out from the break after leaving a very makeable table. In the next, they both had visits, trying to force the error from their opponent, before Feijen potted the pink 4 with some style and he cleared to level the match. Feijen came with a marvellous table length bank to down the 6 in the next and set up a rack-winning opportunity. It was his third rack in a row and put him into a 4-3 lead. That became 5-3 after Feijen ran a difficult table following an illegal break from Sanchez Ruiz.
Niels Feijen
26 | Billiards Buzz • July 2022
