Breaking with the big guns at UK pool tourney

A RUNNER’S-UP medal in the team event is what Durban’s Erin Lazarus, 20, pocketed after representing South Africa at the 2024 Blackball International World Championships in Bridlington, UK.

There was no lucky break for Lazarus in the team event final at the host venue, the Bridlington Spa, in Yorkshire, recently.

Lazarus, a business science and finance student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, had to also settle for the runners-up gong at the previous Championship played in Morocco in 2022.

She also had aspirations in the singles and doubles competitions in Bridlington, but Lazarus bowed out in the early rounds after being edged out in tightly contested encounters.

Overall, Lazarus rated her UK experience as a “treasured memory”.

“It ranks high up as an experience because it was my first time playing in Europe. All my previous appearances for South Africa were in competitions in Africa.”

Lazarus was a part of the nearly 100-member South African squad that had entrants in the Men’s, Women’s, Seniors and age group divisions at the Championships, which drew 10 teams from around the world.

She said she appreciated the professional manner in which the competition was administered and the support from locals at the events.

It took Lazarus three days to acclimatise to the new and slick tables laid out for the event.

“The tables were top class, but a bit different to what I was used to. I did struggle initially with the bouncier cushions and tighter pockets.”

Lazarus said the colder weather conditions also took some getting used to.

In the doubles competition, her partner was Joy Wilkenberg, the current SA champ. They lost in the first round to a French pairing.

“It was a tense contest with both teams barely making a mistake. What cost us in the end was the few times that a ball did not drop when we broke. They followed up by closing games on each occasion.”

She was confident of a good showing in the singles competition and got off to a good start by beating South Africa’s Beatrice Monyake, the defending world champion, in her first encounter.

Her Round of 16 opponent was a French competitor.

Lazarus raced to a 4-1 lead initially but her wily opponent fought back by disturbing her rhythm.

“I was playing a fast game and the momentum was with me. Every time she had a visit to the table she deliberately slowed me down with defensive shots. I tried to change my game but she eventually won 7-5.”

She said the match lasted three-and-a-half hours.

“It was a mentally draining match that turned into a ‘touch-touch’ game. The other quarter-final matches had already begun and we were still battling it out.

“I’ve never been in such an intense battle before. I was disappointed with surrendering a 4-1 lead in such a big tournament.”

Lazarus said her French opponent lost in the next fixture, which was immediately after their duel.

“I guess she was drained out too.”

Going into the team final, Lazarus said they were optimistic because they had beaten the French 13-12 in the round-robin stages of the competition, in what was regarded as the match of the tournament.

Lazarus said the event was an immense learning experience and she took in much from the French players.

“They were very disciplined, determined and their preparation was excellent. They went to a boot camp before the tournament and they had a sports psychologist working with them.”

She prayed that similar resources were provided to the SA team in the future.

After nine days of competition, Lazarus and three others travelled to Manchester and caught her beloved Man United in action against Brentford in an English Premiership match at Old Trafford.

“It was an out-of-this-world experience. When the players came onto the field, the atmosphere was insane. We sat near the halfway line on the Sir Bobby Charlton stand.”

Lazarus, who is now busy with university exams, with some of her preparation being done while in the UK, said she hadn’t finalised her playing plans for 2025, but she was keen to have a go at Heyball pool.

Heyball is the Chinese version of the game and is growing rapidly in popularity around the world.

“There is a league in SA and I want to give it a try.