DURBAN North resident Erin Lazarus won her first-ever women’s singles title at the South African Blackball National Championship held at Suncoast Casino last month.

Lazarus, a second year student at UKZN, has been playing the game since a young age but started taking the cue sport seriously from the age of 15.

The 21-year-old reflected on winning her first national title in front of a home crowd.

“My goal going into the championships was to win the singles division because it’s the most sought after in the sport. It has always been a goal of mine to lift the trophy. I feel I played with less pressure in my home town compared to last year’s event which was also held at Suncoast. In that competition I crashed out in the second round. For this competition I was a bit rusty as I had surgery and was recovering for the nationals.

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“Winning on home soil makes it extra sweet because my friends and family were there as well as players from the province. I felt I started off a bit shaky but my semi-final and final matches were my best two matches of the entire competition. Everything just came together at the right time. The feeling of being SA champ is still sinking in,” she said.

Lazarus has competed in five national champs altogether and her previous best finish was the semi-finals in 2023.

She was also full of praise for her opponent in the final, the experienced Joy Willenberg.

“Joy is one of the players I’ve looked up to since I started playing. I’ve learnt so much through her and she is one of my best friends. We speak every day and I see her as one of my mentors.”

This triumph followed her silver medal with Team South Africa at the Blackball International World Championships in the UK in October last year.

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Her attention now shifts to the upcoming Commonwealth Blackball Games in Mauritius.

“I’m looking forward to that competition which is still in the planning phases. I feel it will be a good tester for me and exciting prospect of potentially winning a trophy I’ve never won,” she said.

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