Billiards: Christoph Ringes of SG Johannesberg won the World Cup

Christophe Rentis, who started as an amateur with the goal of not being kicked out of the first round, started out as a World Cup winner in billiards alongside Joshua Feller of Great Britain. SG Johannesberg can slowly enjoy the victory.

Fulda / Milton Keynes – “Everything is fine now. This is the greatest thing in the world,” said Christophe Rents, blazing his World Cup victory and his achievements and experience in Great Britain. “Those were the worst six days of my life,” he says, laughing, looking at nights of restlessness, nervous tension and exhausting heroism.

Exactly ten years after Thorsten Hohmann won the World Cup with Ralf Souquet, Germany is now the winner again. The weird thing: Thorsten Hohmann was born in Fulda and played billiards with PBC Fulda. The professional is now a member of SG Johannesberg, a club that German champion Christoph Reintjes has been a member of since Summer 2020 and who wants to transfer to First Division. (Read here: Handball: Alice Vogler is the new coach for FT Fulda’s men’s first team)

Billiards: Christoph Ringes of SG Johannesburg won the World Cup with Joshua Feller

Reintjes thanks Joshua Feller for the fact that an amateur can participate in the World Cup. The world number one was looking for a partner for the tournament. There were two German Professionals and Amateur Reintjes to choose from. The guy from Bad Kreuznach justified the fact that the 39-year-old was chosen with a slight smile: “Maybe the other two weren’t good enough, or the chemistry wasn’t right.” Because Filler is Burned. With billiard legend Ralph at his side, he has been sent off numerous times in the first round in recent years. It shouldn’t be repeated this time in Milton Keynes, England, at a 32-team stadium.

“The further we progressed in the tournament, the more hunger we got, and as we grew from match to match, we went through the six days with passion and euphoria,” Reintjes said, looking back. The game never left him. Not even at night. “I hardly slept, I woke up early and thought about it, and it was reflected in my games, and I thought about the performance. The pressure was tremendous,” he describes.

Christophe Ringes: “If you win very happily you can’t party, it wouldn’t be fair from a sporting point of view.”

How was the good chemistry between the duo in the Round of 16 against Kuwait, a terrible experience. “Nothing happened, we played badly.” But they made their way, and Kuwaitis were not left without flaw: winning 7-4 was the reward. In the semi-final against Estonia, Filler / Reintjes converted a 2: 7 deficit into a 9: 7 win. “That was an absolute fighting spirit,” Reintjes describes. You have to believe in yourself and you can win every match. In the final, the hosts waited with Darren Appleton and Karl Boyes, who had already won the final seven years earlier. Fortuna was added to the self-belief among Germans.

While the Boise missed an opportunity to lead the British at 6: 6, Filler / Reintjes extended the lead to 10: 6 with ninety very lucky ones. The annoying Brit was clearly shortened again before Feller scored the final score of 11: 7. However, there were no happy dances – out of respect for the opponent. “If you win very happily, you won’t be able to party, and it just wouldn’t be fair in terms of sport,” says Reintjes. So recent World Cup winners sat for a while before gobbling up a somewhat tied up joy, which is now even more intense.

Especially since the prize money should not be despised. There was $ 60,000 for the two. Reintjes reveals “Share them”. And the success brought him something else, too: an invitation to the world singles championships in two weeks in the same location. Then the Johannesburg player will travel to England again. With self-confidence. “I have the confidence to do something,” he says. “If I go there, I want to win too,” says Reintjes. Continuation is required!