Both players were not expected to meet in the early loser’s round. Melling took down Ivan Nunez (ESP) 9:2 before falling to Tobias Bongers (GER) 3:9.
Hohmann lost his match against Petri Makkonen (FIN) 2:9 which brought him in the match against Melling. Table 1 featured the clash of the two high profile players. It went back and forth with both of them trying to go for their chances. After 14 racks, the score was 7:7 with Hohmann at the table. He tried to line up the 6-ball but scratched and handed the table to Melling with ball in hand. The Brit ran out and went on the hill to take an 8:7 lead. In the next rack, Melling had all chances for him but he fell out of position on the 3-ball. He went for a kick shot into the 9-ball but could not make it. This time Hohmann was on the punishing side and took the rack from Melling to go to 8:8. In the deciding rack, Hohmann missed the 2-ball and things looked very bright for Melling. But he shockingly missed the 3-ball and gave the table to Hohmann who then kept his nerves together and won the rack and the match with 9:8. This result eliminated Melling from the event and took Hohmann into the next round of the loser’s side.
Earlier today, the event started with first round matches. As the sun was heating up the North Italian town, the action got started at the BHR Hotel. Like in most of the Euro-Tour events, the first round matches do not really provide huge surprises. Unranked players face one another and the one going through normally meets a high profile player. So winner’s round 1 is the round which usually provides the first surprises at a Euro-Tour event. This was not the case today. Some unseeded high class players like Chris Melling (GBR) or Jayson Shaw (GBR) made short work of their opponents while former World Champion Thorsten Hohmann (GER) got a tough draw with Petri Makkonen (FIN). The match did not go at all to the likings of Hohmann who in the end had to give in with 2:9 to Makkonen. Another victim of the first round was local hero Fabio Petroni (ITA). The Italian is a former European Champion and has been Italy’s flagship in pool billiards for quite some time. He fell to unheralded Wilhelm Georg (GER) with 6:9 and joined Hohmann on the loser’s side.
As the tournament went along, the next two top players received a victim status for the day. Ruslan Chinakhov (RUS) lost by a whisker to Jani Siekkinen (FIN) with 8:9 while Siekkinen’s fellow countryman Jere Virtaranta (FIN) defeated Imran Majid (GBR) with 9:6. In the same round, Ralf Souquet (GER) just barely made it over Fabio Rizzi (FRA) with 9:8. Darren Appleton (GBR) was overpowered by young Jeppe Thyde (DEN) with 6:9.
Tomorrow, the Dynamic Billard Treviso Open will continue at 09:00 CET.
Every day, up to two matches will be streamed LIVE over the EPBF Facebook page and on the EPBF YouTube channel. Check for updates and announcements.
The Dynamic Billard Treviso Open 2020 are played in the Best Western Premier BHR Treviso Hotel in Treviso, Italy, on up to 21 tables which are all streamed LIVE throughout the whole event. In order to be able to follow all the action LIVE, premium membership can be obtained at www.kozoom.com. Once a premium membership is held, all events for the respective period of time can be viewed LIVE. Additionally, a huge video gallery is contained in the website.
The event is hosted by the European Governing Body for Pool, the European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF) and organized by International Billiard Promotion (IBP). For further information and reference please go to the federation website www.epbf.com or visit us on Facebook for regular news clips or contact our press office press@epbf.com.