Correia Sweeps Third Gold as Lopez-Fibla and Silva Win 8-Ball
Three champions, three routes to 8-ball gold: a title sweep, a hill-hill escape and a home-soil comeback.
Henrique Correia completed a three-title sweep, Miguel Silva survived two straight hill-hill matches, and Silvia Lopez-Fibla turned 10-ball heartbreak into home-soil 8-ball gold at the 2026 Predator European Seniors Pool Championships in Gandia, Spain.
The three finals on October 25 reached the same destination by very different routes. Correia controlled Robin Heber 7-2 in the Seniors 56-plus final. Silva edged Raoul Reichegger 7-6 for the Seniors 46-plus crown. Lopez-Fibla beat Ulrika Andersson 5-3 to take the ladies title two days after losing the 10-ball final in a deciding rack.
| Division | Champion | Runner-up | Final score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seniors 56-plus | Henrique Correia, Portugal | Robin Heber, Germany | 7-2 |
| Seniors 46-plus | Miguel Silva, Portugal | Raoul Reichegger, Austria | 7-6 |
| Ladies | Silvia Lopez-Fibla, Spain | Ulrika Andersson, Sweden | 5-3 |
How did Correia turn one week into a title sweep?
Correia entered the 8-ball bracket with straight pool and 10-ball gold already secured. The weight of that run could have made every later match feel like a defense of perfection. Instead, he moved through the discipline without a defeat and saved his clearest statement for the final.
Heber had earned his place in the title match by beating fellow German Reiner Wirsbitzki 7-4 in the semifinal. Correia then limited the final to nine racks, winning 7-2 and leaving little room for a momentum change.
The result gave the player from Viana do Castelo three championships in three disciplines. It also kept open the chance of an unprecedented four-title sweep, with 9-ball still to be completed.
That context makes the 7-2 score more revealing. Correia was not arriving fresh for a single event. He had already played the pressure rounds of two tournaments, returned for another full bracket and maintained enough precision to produce his widest final-round margin of the week.
Why did Lopez-Fibla's gold carry a different weight?
Lopez-Fibla had been one rack from the 10-ball championship before Sinem Kokten recovered to beat her 5-4. The defeat did not disappear when the 8-ball tournament began. She had to compete while the lost opportunity was still fresh.
Her path through the one-loss side included several 5-4 matches. Those results asked the same question repeatedly: could she make the final decision with no spare rack available?
She answered it often enough to reach the semifinal, where she beat Germany's Veronika Kordian 5-2. Against Andersson, the Spaniard found a steadier rhythm and closed the final 5-3.
This was less a story of instant recovery than a player rebuilding confidence one match at a time. Lopez-Fibla did not dominate every round. She stayed in the event, survived its narrowest passages and was ready when the championship match offered a second chance.
The setting sharpened the moment. Winning in Gandia placed a Spanish champion at the center of a tournament that had otherwise been led by Portugal's senior squad.
What made Silva's second gold the toughest finish?
Silva's 8-ball title was decided by two consecutive 7-6 matches. Ferdi Ozdemir pushed him to the final rack in the semifinal. Reichegger did the same in the final.
Close scores can come from uneven play, but the final was described as a high-quality contest. Silva's task was therefore not simply to wait for errors. He had to manage a match in which the Austrian continued answering until the score reached the hill.
Silva acknowledged feeling more nervous than he had during his 10-ball victory. The scores explain why. A single poor choice, loose safety or failed clearance could have ended either match.
His response was control rather than escape. He did not remove the pressure; he continued making decisions while it was present. The 7-6 win delivered his second trophy of the championships and Portugal's second gold of the 8-ball finals.
Who completed the 8-ball podiums?
The three brackets produced six bronze medalists from five countries.
Wirsbitzki and Switzerland's Samuel Fasel shared bronze in the Seniors 56-plus division. Kordian and Kokten took the ladies bronze medals. Cyprus representative Anthony Brabin and Türkiye's Ozdemir completed the Seniors 46-plus podium.
The distribution showed the breadth of the field, but the gold medal count told a narrower story. Portugal won both senior divisions, while Spain claimed the ladies event through Lopez-Fibla.
What remained on the Gandia schedule?
The championships were set to resume with 9-ball on Monday and conclude on Tuesday, October 27. Three 9-ball titles and two team championships remained available.
For Correia, the final discipline offered a shot at four individual titles from four starts. Silva entered 9-ball with two golds already secured. Lopez-Fibla moved forward with one silver and one gold after two consecutive finals.
The closing day would therefore test three different forms of momentum: Correia chasing history, Silva seeking a third title and Lopez-Fibla trying to extend a recovery that had already transformed her week.
After the seniors and ladies championships, Gandia was scheduled to host the Revora Spanish Open, the final Predator Euro Tour event of the season, from October 29 to November 1.
Who won the 2026 European Seniors 8-ball titles?
Miguel Silva won the Seniors 46-plus title, while Henrique Correia captured the Seniors 56-plus championship.
Who won the 2026 European ladies 8-ball title?
Spain's Silvia Lopez-Fibla beat Sweden's Ulrika Andersson 5-3 in the final.
How many titles had Henrique Correia won in Gandia?
Correia had won three titles: straight pool, 10-ball and 8-ball, with the 9-ball competition still to come.
What was the closest 8-ball final?
Miguel Silva's 7-6 victory over Raoul Reichegger was the only final decided in the last rack.
When did the European Seniors Championships end?
The event was scheduled to conclude on October 27, 2026, with the 9-ball and team finals.
