Jasmin Ouschan Reigns at the 2025 WPBA Olhausen Iron City Invitational
Olhausen Dan and Paula Bourget, ICB Eric Asencio, Runner-up Kristina Tkach, her Dad and Coach, Champion Jasmin Ouschan, Iron City Owner Michael Catanese, WPBA President and Tournament Director Dean Roeseler
photo: Gabriel Abruzzese
February 2, 2025 – Iron City Billiards, Birmingham, USA – Austria’s Jasmin Ouschan delivered a stunning comeback performance to capture the championship at the 2025 WPBA Olhausen Iron City Invitational, the season’s first World Ranking Event. Ouschan’s title not only marks her triumphant return after missing a significant portion of the 2024 season—dropping her ranking to #60—but also sets a bold tone for the new season.
A Unique Format and Early Stage 1 Dominance
The invitational featured a distinctive format with 80 competitors. The top 32 seeded players advanced automatically to the Final Stage, while the remaining 48 battled it out in Stage 1 on January 29th and 30th. Only 16 players advanced from Stage 1 to join the Final Stage. In Stage 1, Ouschan won her three matches with lopsided victories, posting a combined game record of 21–2.
Joining Ouschan by also going undefeated in Stage 1 were Judie Wilson, Nguyen Bich Tram, Jessica Barnes, Jeannie Seaver, Eylul Kibaroglu (who also missed most of the 2024 season), Mayte Ropero, and young 13-year-old phenom Jordan Helfery. Eight additional players advanced through the Loser’s Qualification round: Kia Burwell, Betsy Sundholm, Debbie Schjodt, Marianne Merrill, Susan Mello, Shanelle Loraine, Joanne Ashton, and the legend Dawn Hopkins. All 16 of these Stage 1 qualifiers received a bonus of $100 for their advancement.
Intense Battles in the Final Stage
The Final Stage, which began on January 31st, showcased top-tier competition as 48 players vied for the championship and crucial world ranking points. World #1 Kristina Tkach, a dominant force in the WPBA, advanced with a bye in the opening round followed by commanding wins over Jessica Barnes (8–2), Ashley Benoit (8–2), April Larson (8–2), and former #1 Kelly Fisher (8–1). Tkach’s near-perfect hot-seat performance over Ouschan—highlighted by five Break and Runs—secured her spot on the A Side of the bracket and a ticket to the finals.
Former #1 Wei Tzu-Chien also made a significant run, besting Olivia Cheng (8–1), 14-year-old prodigy Savannah Easton (8–4), and second-seeded Margarita Fefilova (8–3) before falling to an invigorated Ouschan (4–8) in the hot-seat match. Wei rebounded with strong victories over Veronique Menard (8–0) and her longtime friend Kelly Fisher (8–5) to punch her ticket into the final four.
A Finals for the Record Books
The championship finals pitted Ouschan against Kristina Tkach in a tightly contested match. Both competitors exchanged game wins early on, with nerves evident in the opening racks. Ouschan gradually pulled ahead, eventually leading 8–7. After leaving herself a larger angle on the frozen-to-the-rail 5 ball she hooked herself on the 6-ball—giving Tkach a glimmer of hope, but Ouschan recovered quickly, kicking the ball in and completing the rack to secure a 9–7 advantage and reaching the Hill first.
In the following rack, Tkach made an early ball on the break but failed to meet the 3-point rule, giving Ouschan her first real opportunity to close out the match. Though Ouschan missed the out and Tkach salvaged the rack to bring the score to 9–8. In the subsequent rack, Jasmin also failed to complete the 3-point rule, both players exchanged chances amid a flurry of brilliant safety plays. Ultimately, Ouschan found a narrow window on a difficult long shot and expertly ran the remaining balls to capture the title, igniting celebrations among fans and competitors alike.
Runner - up: Kristina Tkach, Champion: Jasmin Ouschan
Purse and Prize Distribution
With a total purse of $52,200, the event rewarded its competitors as follows:
1st: $11,000 – Jasmin Ouschan
2nd: $7,000 – Kristina Tkach
3rd: $4,500 – Wei Tzu-Chien
4th: $3,100 – Kelly Fisher
5th-6th: $2,500 – Veronique Menard, Margarita Fefilova
7th-8th: $2,000 – Brittany Bryant, Kaylee McIntosh
9th-12th: $1,500 – Pia Filler, Kristina Zlateva, Mayte Ropero, April Larson
13th-16th: $1,100 – Ashley Benoit, Savannah Easton, Jordan Helfery, Briana Miller
17th-24th: $700 – Caroline Pao, Teruko Macklin, Angela Janic, Lisa Cossette, Monica Webb, Sofia Mast, Eylul Kibaroglu, Kennedy Meyman
Additionally, every Stage 1 qualifier received $100 for advancing, totaling $1,600.
A Note of Thanks to Our Sponsors
This memorable event would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors. A heartfelt thank you goes out to Olhausen Billiards, Mezz Cues, Kamui, and our host, Iron City Billiards. Their dedication and support made this World Ranking event a reality, ensuring that we continue to bring top-tier competition to WPBA fans around the world.
Looking Ahead
The thrilling action in Iron City sets the stage for an exciting season. The WPBA is happy to announce we are going back to New York at Raxx Pool Room Bar & Grill in West Hempstead, NY — from May 1st to 4th with another $25,000 Added Event. Fans and players alike can look forward to more high-stakes matchups and breakthrough performances as the battle for world ranking points continues in the lead-up to the World Championships. The WPBA is hosting the first-ever Women’s World 8-ball Championships, this summer at Oneida Casino in Green Bay, Wisconsin from July 2nd - 6th. Stay tuned to WPBA.com or follow us online on all the socials. WPBA Rankings have been updated and Jasmin moved all the way up to #28 with this victory.
For full match results and additional details, please visit: DigitalPool.com.
Olhausen Dan Bourget presenting the Championship Trophy to Jasmin Ouschan
