NORMAN — Since Helena Thornfeldt first turned pro, she has witnessed many changes in the world of billiards. Everything from improved tables to bigger prize money has changed the women’s professional game.
Yet nothing has varied in the game more than the players themselves.
“It’s getting tougher and tougher,” Thornfeldt said. “A lot of young girls are coming up. I’m one of the ones who have been around for a long time. A lot of these young girls coming up can play really good pool.”
Thornfeldt, nicknamed Sledgehammer, turned pro in 1995. She is part of long line of veteran players who helped build the WPBA into the dominant billiards tour in the country.
But she said it has been the younger crop of players who are transforming the tour by how much work they are willing to put in.
“It’s changed tremendously,” said Thornfeldt, a native Swede. “I think especially these last 10 years. And even these last five years, a lot of girls are coming up and playing really good pool.
“They are taking lessons, playing with the guys and working with coaches. The game is getting very competitive.”
One of those younger players looking to make a mark through her hard work is Ashley Nandrasy. Four years ago the Richland Hill, Texas, native had little interest in pool. It wasn’t until her boyfriend introduced her to the game that something clicked inside of her.
Then, Nandrasy spends the majority of her time with a pool cue in her hand.
“It wasn’t very long before I started beating my boyfriend,” Nandrasy said. “Because I would go and play every day. I was very committed. I would go and play in tournaments where there was a bunch of good players, not just play in tournaments you could win.
“I’d play in tournaments where there is everybody in the world who could just beat your butt. And that would get you to beat their butt. You can’t beat them if you don’t play them.”
The competition Nandrasy will face this week in the WPBA U.S. Open at the Riverwind Casino is much tougher than any event she will ever play. While she has kept the same routine in preparing for the Open, others may not have to put in the same amount of practice time.
“It varies for different people,” Nandrasy said. “There are some people who have a natural ability. There are some people who have to be taught. If you have a natural ability, you can do it in as little as an hour a day. But there are a lot of people … (like) me. I would go in and play a good eight hours a day. And go play in tournaments as much as possible, leagues, everything. I would try my best to play as much as possible.”
Sarah Rousey hopes to be one of those naturals. The seven-year pro wasn’t able to put in the type of practice time she knows some of her competitors will have put in. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t plan to play well.
“I really didn’t have any expectations because I haven’t played much in the past two months,” Rousey said. “I have just been working. So, to win a match today and play decent, I feel pretty good about it.”
The difference between the players who train religiously and those who don’t may come down to geography. The top seven ranked players in the world were all born outside the United States.
“I think a lot of young girls are putting in a lot of time right now, especially the foreign ones,” Thornfeldt said. “Americans do, but I think the foreign players, a lot of them, get help from their country.”
Michael Kinney 366-3537 mkinney@normantranscript.com
