Pool Players News

Pool Players News On the heels of the successful staging of the 2nd World Ten Ball Championship in Manila last November, Filipino pool players and fans will be treated to a big Christmas offering this December when the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) stages the 4th Philippine National Championships at the Star Billiards Center on December 20 to 22.

A total of 128 pool players from over 46 countries have confirmed their participation in the 2nd World Ten-Ball Championship on November 25-30 in Manila.

“It’s going to be the toughest tournament of the year,” said Yen Makabenta, chairman of Raya Sports, the organizer of the WTBC.

“All the top players are competing, every major pool powerhouse in the world has a contingent, and all national and regional champions will be here.”

To complete the main draw of 128 players, the remaining 10 spots will be contested by over 130 pool players in the WTBC qualifiers which started yesterday at the Star Billiards Center in Quezon City.

Unlike last year, the 2nd WTBC will be an all-male affair and will miss the likes of Jasmin Ouschan of Austria, who made waves last year by playing well against the men. Starting next year, female players now have their own World 10-ball championship.

Leading the stellar cast are reigning World 10-ball champion Darren Appleton of Great Britain, current world No.1 Ralf Souquet of Germany, and newly-crowned US Open champion and leading 2009 money winner Mika Immonen of Finland.

But they will have plenty of challengers, including the Filipinos.

The event carries a total pot of $262,000.

Besides Appleton, the members of the British contingent are: 2007 World 9-ball champion Daryl Peach, Imran Majid, Scott Higgins, Craig Osborne, Karl Boyes, Jonni Fulcher, Ricardo Jones, Phil Burford, and Chris Melling.

Souquet, 2008 World 8-ball champion and World Games gold medalist, leads the 9-man German contingent. The other players are former world champions Thorsten Hohmann and Oliver Ortmann, Thomas Engert, Marko Vogel, Christoph Reintjes, Ralf Mund, Klaus Zobrekis, and Benjamin Heimmerer.

The US contingent of nine players is bannered by former US Open and Predator 10-ball champion Shane Van Boening, former world champion Johnny Archer, Corey Deuel, Stevie Moore, Charlie Bryant, Shaun Wilkie, Charlie Williams, Shawn Putnam, and Oscar Dominguez.

Chinese-Taipei, will be represented by nine formidable players led by former two-time World 9-Ball champion Chao Fong Pang, money-game king Yang Ching-Shun, two-time world junior champion Ko Pin-Yi and Chang Yu-Lung. Also seeing action are Kuo Po-Cheng, Cheng Tsung-Hua, Lu Hui-Chan, Fu Che-Wei, and Wang Hung-Hsiang.

Host Philippines has, at this point, 11 pool player entries. They are led by Jeffrey de Luna (No. 7 in the world rankings), Demosthenes Pulpul (No. 8), former world no. 1 Dennis Orcullo, former double world champion Warren Kiamco, and noted international campaigners Lee Van Corteza and Marlon Manalo.

News just in from the ACS, Lucasi Hybrid is now tyhe new sponsor for the 2009 and 2010 All American Tour . This being the fifth annual amateur tour will feature up to fifty venues in all areas of the U.S. Championship Billiard Fabric and if that wasnt good enough Nick Varner Signature Cases have returned and will continue donating product to each room site to offset the added money in each event’s prize money purse; and the 09-10 Tour welcomes Pool Cue Guru as an accessory sponsor. All of the Entries at each competition go into two $1,000 Lucasi Hybrid Cue lotteries to be run in conjunctionwith the Tour year with the help and assistance of Ozone Billiards.

The Vice President of Lucasi Jamie Bond stated “The All American Tour is a marvelous opportunity to show support for our sport. We have been making cues for over 20 years and it is our passion. The overwhelming success of our technology line has made this sponsorship and many more possible.” The cues range in retail price from $289-$1,200 and can be viewed online at www.lucasihybrid.com.

David Alcaide has taken the Predator 10ball final back to Spain after an impressive run at the event. To make  the title he had to beat n one other than Niels Feijen to do it. During the final it was all square at 2 frames each then Alcaide went into overdrive  and took the next four frames. Niels Feijen won the seventh but after that Alcaide blasted through the next three to take the title.

French pairing of Vincent Facquet and  Stephan Cohen trashed the Canadian pair of Jason Klatt and  Tyler Edey 8-1, to progress to the next round of 16 at the World Cup of Pool 2009   in Quezon City.

The french pair took a 6-0 advantage that saw Facquet take the first strike in the fourth as the nine slipped in the side pocket.

Tyler Edey potted 9-ball for the Canadian pair to avoid the humiliation of a complete shutout in the seventh , unfortunately it was too little too late to help his team after the French took the remaining two.

“We had a bit of luck but we also played well and had some good shots. When you’re down 6-1, as Canada were, it is very difficult and the pressure can get to you, that’s what happened when they missed the 9-ball but that’s the way it goes,” said Facquet.

Other news the Chinese pair  lead by by Li-He Wen and Fu-Jian Bo, also secured their places in the last 16 by outperforming  the Korean pair of Yun Mi Lim and Ga Young Kim , the first-ever all-female side, 8-5, in the second match of the evening in yesterday’s play.

Parsippany, New Jersey- Europe’s domination on straight pool this millennium doesn’t seem to be faltering if top palyers such  2007 World 14.1 Champion Oliver Ortmann, 2006 World 14.1 Champion Thorsten Hohmann, and World #1 Mika Immonen all aiming for the top spot. The Dragon Promotions has resurrected the event and it is now in its 4th consecutive year with the assistance of industry giants like Predator, Ozone Billiards, Brunswick Billiards, Simonis Cloth, Master Chalk, Aramith Balls, Accu-Stats and the Laser Rack.  Comet Billiards will host this year’s event which will commence on August 24, 2009 and end on August 29. The greatest straight pool players from around the world will arrive on USA’s east coast New Jersey, and attend this prestigious tournament to play for the coveted title of World Straight Pool Champion.

If there is one country that can be said is the dominant force in 14.1, that distinction would goto Germany. The last US Open 14.1 Champion was held by Oliver Ortmann, and then in the 2006 revival of the World 14.1, Germans Thorsten Hohmann and Thomas Engert both dominated for Gold and Silver. In 2007, again Germany’s Oliver Ortmann won the Gold.

“It would be great to win the 14.1 title twice after the US Open straight pool title twice.Straight pool is my desire and to win a world championship title in my favourite game. This means more to me than to win a title in other disciplines.Straight pool compared to 9 or 10 ball is more a game of “let the cue go”. The strategy is obvious and the goal is to get in stroke to follow your own way to the breakball. 9 or 10 ball is always a game of different strategies and luck is necessary as well. The better player not always is the winner”, explained Ortmann on the different nuances of 14.1 compared to the more popular rotation games. Ortmann, known as “The Machine” will be coming into this year’s World 14.1 Championship as the #2 seed.

World 10-Ball pool Championship will take place on Nov. 25-30 in Manila, Philippines, it was announced today by Raya Sports and the World Pool-Billiard Association.

While the 8-ball pool and 9-ball pool world-title events are on hold indefinitely, the 10-ball championship will have a prize fund of $250,000, a reduction of $150,000 from the 2008 purse.

“Although the prize fund is smaller on account of the global recession, we expect this year’s championship to be bigger and more competitive in every other way,” said J.P. Fenix, executive director of Raya Sports. “10-Ball has taken off all over the world, and top players from every region will be eager to contest the top prize and trophy.”

The qualifying tournaments, which will be a series of 10 different events, will be held on Nov. 19-23 at Quezon City’s Star Billiards Center, which has hosted world-championship qualifiers three years in a row.

The main event will again be televised across Asia, with ESPN Star Sports broadcasting it live to some 33 countries, and ABS-CBN’s Studio 23 handling the free TV Philippine broadcast.

Darren Appleton, who won his first world title at the inaugural World 10-Ball Championship last year, will be the man to beat as he looks to defend his crown.

Ga-Young Kim has defeated Karen Corr 7-5 in the finals of the 2009 WPBA US Open.

Kim survived a hill-hill scare against Jennifer Barretta in the second round of this event and never looked back. A win over Kim Shaw moved Kim into the single elimination redraw and a 9-6 win over Jasmin Ouschan earned Kim a spot in the extended TV rounds.

Kim’s first TV match was against Helena Thornfeldt, and although Kim raced to an early 3-1 lead, Thornfeldt came back to tie the match at 3-3 before Kim regained control and won 7-4.

Next up for Kim was Gerda Hofstatter and again, Kim raced out to a 3-1 lead and was forced to watch her opponent come back to tie the match at 3-3. From there, Kim took control of the match and won four of the next five games for a 7-4 win and her second spot in the finals of a Classic Tour event this year.

Kim’s opponent in the finals, Karen Corr, was also on an undefeated run in this event with notable wins over Tracie Hines, Vivian Villarreal and Allison Fisher.

In the finals, Kim raced out to a 4-1 lead and watched as Corr tied the match at 5-5. A miscue by Corr in game eleven led to Kim on the hill at 6-5 and a poor safety in game twelve was the end of the match as Kim ran out for the 7-5 win and her first WPBA title in 2 years.

With the win, Kim will also move into the #1 position on the WPBA points list, while Corr will move into the second position.

Although Tony “The Sniper” Crosby took down just about everyone in his path during the season finale of the$2,000-added J. Pechauer Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour, one man eluded him not once, but twice: international player Marco Tschudi. Rocky McElroy, owner of Capone’s Billiards in Spring Hill, FL, hosted Tschudi, Crosby, and the 33 other players who were vying for the win August 1-2.

Crosby and Tschudi first met each other in the winners’ side final four, and Tschudi moved on 9-7 to the hot seat match to meet Jerry Calderon, who was coming off his own 9-7 win over Steve Moore. With yet another 9-7 win, Tschudi emerged the winner of the A-side.

Over on the B-side, Corey Deuel, who’d just won over Mike Davis, met up with Rodney Morris, who’d gotten past James Roberts. Deuel moved on 9-7 to welcome Moore over from the winners’ side. Moore’s stay was brief, though, as Deuel notched up another 9-7 win to land in the quarterfinals against Crosby, who’d just put Donnie Mills in fifth with a score of 9-5. Although Deuel reached the hill against Crosby, “The Prince of Pool” didn’t get crowned this time around, instead getting gunned down 9-8.

Next up for Crosby was Calderon, whom he held to six games to earn the rematch with Tschudi. In the finals, a single race to 11, it was Tschudi who started off strong, getting up 7-3 only to have Crosby bounce back to tie it at 7. The two then traded off, with Tschudi leading 8-7 and 9-8, but Crosby managed to notch an extra game to reach the hill first, 10-9. Tschudi, though, returned the two-game favor with his own, clinching the win 11-10.

(from Insidepool)

APA $600,000 National Team Championships
To be held August 21-29, 2009 Las Vegas, NV.

The culmination of weekly APA League play is the APA National Team Championships, held annually at the Riviera Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. This event consists of three individual National Team Championships:

Open 8-Ball – This event is open to any combination of men and women, with a 1st Place prize of $25,000.

Ladies 8-Ball – This event is open to ladies only and offers a 1st Place prize of $10,000.

Open 9-Ball – This event is open to any combination of men and women, with a 1st Place prize of $15,000.

Competition is played on 3 ½ x 7 – ft. tables, using a modified single elimination format that allows every team the opportunity to play at least twice before being eliminated. All nationally qualified teams receive $350 when they register at the event.

During the National Team Championships, the APA hosts MiniMania events, preregistered 8-Ball Doubles, 9-Ball Doubles, and Masters Championships, as well as the Wheelchair Challenge. MiniMania and preregistered events combined pay out more than $200,000 annually.

Qualifying for National Team Championships

Beginning at the Local Level, teams compete weekly with other area teams comprising a division (6-16 teams). There are three sessions of play every year, Summer, Fall and Spring. When each session has been completed, a playoff is held to determine which team will advance to the Local Team Championship, which is held after the conclusion of the Spring Session. Teams that win at the Local Team Championship qualify to compete in the National Team Championship at the Riviera Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Using The Equalizer® handicap system allows players with different playing abilities to compete on an equal basis. Everyone can play, anyone can win!!! Click here to get more information about the exciting National Team competition.

(from poolplayers.com)

The Southern Ute Indian Tribe in conjunction with Sky Ute Casino Resort are pleased to announce that the Casino/Resort will be hosting the Women’s Professional Billiards Association’s Colorado Classic September 16 – 20, 2009 that will be filmed to air October 18th, 2009 on ESPN. The competitive field will be made of 45 WPBA Exempt Professionals for 2009 with the remaining spots going to qualifiers and invited players.

Inside the Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City, Ind., Jasmin Ouschan survived a hellish draw to win the WPBA’s Great Lakes Classic. She went unbeaten in her six matches, which included victories over Line Kjorsvik, Ga Young Kim, Karen Corr (twice) and Kelly Fisher.

But her biggest challenge came from perhaps the most unlikely source: Pam Cimarelli. A part-time player on the Classic Tour, Cimarelli has shown flashes of real promise, including a run to fifth-place at last year’s WPBA U.S. Open. Still, she was certainly an underdog when she drew Jasmin Ouschan in the single-elimination round of 16.

On the hill with an 8-6 lead, Cimarelli lost a safety battle to allow Ouschan within one game. Getting ball in hand after Ouschan scratched, Cimarelli pocketed the 1 and played position for a 3-9 carom. The potential match-winner didn’t go, and Ouschan ran out to force a case game. After Cimarelli hooked herself on the 7, Ouschan cleared the final three balls for the victory.

From there, Ouschan throttled Ga Young Kim, 9-3, before defeating Corr for the second time in the event, 7-3. The final, where she faced 2008 No. 1 Kelly Fisher, was equally one-sided, with Ouschan dominating the match from the start. Jumping out to a 3-0 lead, Ouschan coasted to a 7-2 win, clinching her third title on the WPBA Classic Tour.

(from Billiard Digest)