South Africa's Erin Lazarus wins silver at Commonwealth Billiard Games

IOL News

5 days ago

Erin Lazarus, 21, was narrowly edged out in the final of Blackball competition at the Commonwealth Billiard Games which concluded in Mauritius this week.
Image: Shelley Kjonstad/Independent Newspapers
SOUTH Africa's reigning ladies Blackball champion Erin Lazarus narrowly missed out on pocketing the Commonwealth title in Mauritius this week.
Lazarus 21, lost in the final of the Blackball discipline at Commonwealth Billiard Games played in Balaclava, a competition that was played under the auspices of the World Pool Association.
She delivered another gutsy performance after falling behind in the final against Malaysia's Klaudia Djajalie, and just when it seemed like she was clawing her way back to draw level on the number of frames won, time had run out.
Djajalie, a seasoned campaigner, held on for a 4-3 win and Lazarus had to be content with the silver medal.
'Things didn't go my way in the final. With a bit more luck, it might have, but I'm very proud to have won a silver medal for my country.
'It was a great honour to get to the final, considering that I was almost dead and buried in my semi-final match,' said Lazarus
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The event drew participation from 36 Commonwealth countries, and the other disciplines included were 10-Ball Pool, Heyball and Snooker.
To qualify for a shot at the respective disciplines in this competition, participants needed to be crowned national champs in their homelands.
Lazarus earned her entry by winning the SA Championship played in Durban during March.
The Balaclava tournament was only the second major event that Lazarus had entered in 2025 and progressed with ease to the semi-final stage.
Her opponent was Uganda's Kisakye Marion, who raced to a 4-1 lead, with 30 minutes of the contest to play.
Having built a formidable lead, Marion changed tactics as she looked to run down the clock by playing more defensive shots and stifle Lazarus' comeback attempt.
But Lazarus was not to be denied, she levelled at 4-4 and eventually won 5-4 before the time expired.
'That win gave me a huge confidence boost, going into the final. I was in a virtually hopeless situation.'
In the final, Lazarus said she was 'cueing the ball better, my thinking processes were better and I was potting better'.
'In every frame, I was in the hunt, but something went wrong each time in the closing stages,' she said.
She fell behind 3-1 and then 4-2 and managed to get the frame score to 4-3 before the contest ended.
'It was disappointing to lose in the final, and it is unlike me to lose in such circumstances. My performance has given me belief that I have the ability to win this competition sometime in the future.
'I'm grateful to my parents (Ian and Cassandra) who were with me in Mauritius and the support I got from my teammates. I also appreciate the administrators from Blackball SA who worked behind the scenes to ensure our participation,' she said.
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