Press Release

For distribution July 12, 2010

BCAPL Restructures Criteria for National Championships

CueSports International (CSI) announced last month the expansion of the BCA Pool League national singles player rating criteria to include an Advanced Division.  A natural extension of that update is an additional restructuring of the teams and scotch doubles criteria.  After much consideration and consultation with BCA Pool League Operators CSI has made the following changes effective with the 35^th BCAPL National 8-Ball Championships May 13-21, 2011 at the Riviera Hotel & Casino.

Mixed Open Teams (5 person teams / 10 players max on roster)

1 - No Masters or Grand Masters.

2 - One (1) Advanced Player is allowed on a Mixed Open Team.

3 - Teams must have at least three (3) original players from their local league team.

4 - Three original players must play in each round.

5 - All players must come from the same league.

Mixed Advanced Teams (4 person teams / 8 players max on roster)

1 - No Grand Masters.

2 - Only one (1) Master on the roster.

3 - Remainder of roster made up of Open and Advanced Players.

4 - Teams must have at least two (2) original players from their local league team.

5 - Two (2) original players must play in each round.

6 - Additional players may come from any BCAPL sanctioned league in the same state as the team origin.

Mixed Master Teams (3 person teams / 6 players max on roster)

1 - Only one (1) Grand Master on the roster.

2 - All players on the roster may be from any BCAPL sanctioned league.

Women’s Open Teams (4 person teams)

1 - No Masters or Grand Masters.

2 - One (1) Advanced Player is allowed on a Women’s Open Team.

3 - There is no original player requirement for Women’s Open Teams.

4 - All players must come from the same league.

Women’s Advanced / Master Teams (4 person teams)

1 - Only one (1) Master or Grand Master on the roster.

2 - Remainder of roster made up of Open and Advanced Players.

3 - The Master or Grand Master may come from any BCAPL sanctioned league in the same state as the team origin.

4 - All Advanced and Open Players on the roster must be from the same league.

5 - There is no original player requirement for the Women’s Advanced Teams.

Open Scotch Doubles (One Male and One Female)

1 - Both members of an Open Scotch Doubles Team must come from the same BCAPL sanctioned league

2 - Both players must be Open Players

Master Scotch Doubles (One Male and One Female)

1 - Only one (1) Grand Master on a Master Scotch Doubles Team

2 - Grand Master must be a league qualified player

3 - Two league players must come from the same state

4 - A Player Member may play with a league qualified Open, Advanced or Master player from the same state (Player Members may not play with a Grand Master)

Mixed Trophy Teams (5 person teams)

1 - No Advanced, Master or Grand Master players are allowed on Trophy Teams

2 - Teams must have at least three (3) original players from their local league team

3 - Three original players must play in each round

4 -All players must come from the same league

5 -Trophy Team players cannot have cashed in any division in any previous BCAPL National 8-Ball Championships

6 - Teams that placed in the top eight (8) of the Mixed Trophy Team division are not allowed to return to the Trophy division

7 - A team may return if they have two (2) or fewer members from a previous top eight (8) finishing team

Women’s Trophy Teams (4 person teams)

1 - No Advanced, Master or Grand Master players are allowed on Trophy Teams

2 - There is no original player requirement for Women’s Trophy Teams

3 - All players must come from the same league

4 - Trophy Team players can not have cashed in any division in any previous BCAPL National 8-Ball Championships

5 - Teams that placed in the top three (3) of the Women’s Trophy Team division are not allowed to return to the Trophy division.

6 - A team may return if they have two (2) or fewer members from a previous top three (3) finishing team.

To view the Advanced, Master and Grand Master player list please visit: http://playbca.com/Leagues/AdvancedandMasterList.aspx

All requests for review to be removed from the  Advanced, Master, or Grand Master lists must be in writing.  Telephone requests will not be accepted. Either email or mail your requests to:

Bill Stock

Director of Referees

Rules Administrator

CueSports International

2041 Pabco Road

Henderson, NV 89011

bill@playcsipool.com

For more information about CSI call (702) 719-7665 or email info@playcsipool.com

CueSports International is dedicated to creating more choices for all players. CSI is the parent company of the BCA Pool League, the National Championship Series (NCS), and the USA Pool League. CSI also produces independent events such as the U.S. Bar Table Championships, the Jay Swanson Memorial and the U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship. Visit www.playcsipool.com, www.playbca.com and www.playusapool.com for more information about CSI and its divisions.

On the morning of July 1, the Women's Professional Billiard Association distributed a press release announced the resignation of John Rousseau, president of the WPBA.

The abbreviated release mentioned only that Rousseau had resigned and thanked him for his services, while making no mention of a possible successor.

Rousseau originally joined the WPBA Board in October 2009 and was elected president early this year. An Arizona businessman with decades of experience in the credit-card collections industry, Rousseau took control of the women's tour during perhaps the most trying in the 17-year history of the Classic Tour. Routinely holding upward of eight, nine and 10 events a year, the Classic Tour had only two tour stops scheduled for 2010.

Also, just as Rousseau was elected president, a number of WPBA officials resigned, including board members Melissa Herndon, Paul Brienza and Tim DiMacchia and WPBA administrator Anne Craig. Then, when play began at this year's debut event, March's San Diego Classic, a contentious players meeting only heightened tensions within the WPBA. Players and board members reported an openly hostile environment, which eventually led to a private, players-only meeting. Rousseau remained WPBA president — until the WPBA's press release this week.

Peach will face a tough road to a second consecutive World 9-Ball title. (Photo by Lawrence Lustig-Matchroom Sport) It took awhile, but Daryl Peach finally got the chance to defend his World Pool Championship title. But things didn't exactly go to plan for the Englishman.

The 2010 World 9-Ball Championship — the first WPA-sanctioned world title event in the discipline since 2007 — kicked off on Tuesday in Doha, Qatar. The 128-player field has started group play, which features 16 flights of eight players drawn into double-elimination brackets. The top four from each group will advance to a single-elimination bracket of 64.

For Peach, he will have to advance the hard way after dropping his first set against Israel Rota of the Philippines, 9-8. Peach will have to win his next two matches to advance to the knockout phase.

The defending champ, though, wasn't the only big name to move to the left after a day of play. Ralf Souquet and Darren Appleton both dropped their first matches. Souquet, ranked No. 4 in the world, drew Dennis Orcollo in an absolute monster of a first round draw, with the German champion falling, 9-6. Appleton, meanwhile, never challenged Canadian journeyman Jason Klatt in a lopsided 9-2 match.

The Americans largely avoided the upset bug, with Shane Van Boening, Rodney Morris, Johnny Archer and Charlie Williams advancing. Oscar Dominguez, though, drew Swede Marcus Chamat in the first round and lost a heartbreaking 9-8 set.

The World 9-Ball Championship will run through Monday, July 5, with sporadic information available at www.qbsf.info — the website of the Qatar Billiards & Snooker Federation, the event's host and organizer.

Reyes and Bustamante won the World Cup for a second time in 2009. (Photo by Matchroom Sport) When Francisco Bustamante and Efren Reyes begin their bid to repeat as World Cup of Pool champions, they will probably have more than a little crowd support. For the second year, the two-player team event will once again take place in Manila, following last year’s first go-around in the Philippines.

Set for September 7-12, the event will feature 32 teams shooting for a $250,000 prize fund. Leading the way will be defending champions Reyes and Bustamante, whose heroics last year lifted the nation as they beat Germany, 11-9, in a riveting final featuring two of the top nations in pool.

That was the second time in the tournament’s four-year run that the Filipino veterans have lifted the coveted trophy. Plus, with the host nation having the honor of fielding two teams in the event, they will be joined by recent World Pool Masters Champion Dennis Orcollo and Roberto Gomez (aka Superman) as a rather imposing Philippines B Team.

Other stars of the pool world scheduled to take part include world champions Ralf Souquet and Oliver Ortmann of Germany, Daryl Peach and Karl Boyes of England, American Johnny Archer and Finland’s Mika Immonen.

Other top draws appearing in Manila are Sweden's Marcus Chamat, Niels Feijen of Holland, Malta’s Tony Drago and a host of big names that will be announced in the coming weeks.

The entire event will be broadcast by Solar Sports live across the Philippines with the live feed of the tournament available internationally. In addition Matchroom Sport will be producing 31 one-hour highlight package of the event.

“We are delighted to be returning to the Philippines after having enjoyed last year one of the greatest pool tournaments we have ever promoted," said Barry Hearn, chairman of Matchroom Sport.

“The World Cup of Pool is fast becoming the biggest pool tournament in the world and we are delighted to see its continued growth in Asia and around the world.”


The list of nation, divided by continent, is:

Europe (15): Austria, Croatia, England, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Malta, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden and two qualifiers;

Asia (14): China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines 1, Philippines 2, Qatar, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam;

North America (2): U.S. and Canada

Australia (1)

Last year's World Pool Masters champ Appleton has a history of success in Las Vegas. Fresh off last weekend's 64-player World Pool Masters, the world's top professionals are back at it, matching up in the first-ever U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship.

Held alongside the BCA Pool League's National Championship, the U.S. Open 10-Ball event, organized by CueSports International, attracted a 128-player field, which has now been reduced to roughly a third of its original size.

On the winners side, 16 players remain, including Darren Appleton, who survived a tough test against Shane Van Boening on Thursday, 9-5. In other big-time matchups, Charlie Williams outlasted Thorsten Hohmann by the same count.

But perhaps the blockbuster matchup of the early rounds happened over on the one-loss side of the chart. Both Efren Reyes and Johnny Archer were upset in the second round, leading to an elimination set between the two Hall of Famers. Again by a 9-5 scoreline, Archer advanced at the expense of the Filipino legend.

More information, including updated brackets and a live Internet stream, on the U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship is available at playcsipool.com.

Orcollo caught a groove in the final, winning the final seven racks. (Photo by JP Parmentier-Matchroom Sport) Dennis Orcollo is no stranger to success under the bright lights of Las Vegas. Now the Filipino money-game king can add another title to his growing collection. Champion of last year's Predator International 10-Ball Championship, Orcollo conquered a 9-ball event this time around, winning the 2010 World Pool Masters.

In a rather one-sided final against upstart Toru Kuribayashi of Japan, Orcollo turned a 3-1 deficit into a 8-3 victory, further solidifying his spot among the top two or three players in the world.

"I'm very happy and you can see the tears in my eyes," he said. "This tournament is really hard to win but I made it and I'm really proud to have won this. It's my biggest win."

Orcollo survived a scare in the double-elimination stage of the competition After easing past American Shaun Wilkie, he dropped a hill-hill set to Marcus Chamat. With a spot in the last 32 at stake, Orcollo ousted Jasmine Ouschan to reach the knockout round.

In the round of 32, he then avenged his defeat to Chamat with a 9-7 win before beating Raj Hundal 8-1 in the last 16. John Morra was his quarterfinal victim, before beating compatriot Roberto Gomez in the semifinal.

Kuribayashi, meanwhile, got off to the rough start, losing to Charlie Williams in his opening match, but he made his way through to the last 32 stages with wins over Ahmad Taufiq and Tony Drago. He then beat Taiwan’s Kuo Po Cheng before whitewashing Daryl Peach in the last 16.

Kuribayashi took revenge over Charlie Williams in the quarterfinal, before disposing of Oliver Ortmann in the last four.

In the race-to-8 final, Orcollo looked set to take the first but mishandled the 6 ball, which cost him the rack. Kuribayashi then broke and ran the second to grab a 2-0 lead.

Orcollo had ball in hand in the third and converted to get on the scoreboard before he made an error in the next as he scratched playing a safety, and Kuribayashi made him pay to lead 3-1.

Kuribayashi looked in good shape in the next but lack of pace on the cue ball meant his run broke down. They exchanged safeties on the 4 before an attempted bank from Kuribayashi failed, and Orcollo ran the rack to get to 2-3.

There was ball in hand opportunity in the next for Orcollo, as Kuribayashi scratched making a jump shot and the Filipino converted his chance to level things at 3-3.

Orcollo began to find his groove in the ninth game as he ran out his second consecutive rack to put some space between himself and Kuribayashi, 6-3. Orcollo then cleared another rack to get on the hill.

In fitting style, Orcollo ran out what was the final rack to win, 8-3, and claim the title of 2010 PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters champion.

"I was worried when I missed the 6 ball (in the first rack) and it was unexpected but sometimes that can happen.

"In a money game it might not matter if you play badly at the beginning you can still recover but in a tournament if you start badly you may lose."

Archer (right) advanced though the one-loss side. (Photo by Matchroom Sport) With the field at the World Pool Masters cut in half to 32, plenty of heavy hitters still remain as play switches to single elimination. But the rather mundane, such as Ralf Souquet and Johnny Archer surviving group play, is balanced by the quite surprising.

The first two days of the Matchroom Sport-produced event, where players were divided into eight groups of eight, produced a number of upsets that left a few heavy favorites on the sidelines as the sprint to Sunday's final kicks off Friday afternoon.

Shane Van Boening dropped two of three sets; Efren Reyes lost two straight after winning his first; and two-time world champion Ronnie Alcano went two-and-out. It seems as though for every world-beater who pushed through to the round of 32, there's an Evgeni Novosad of the Ukraine or a Do Hong Quan of Vietnam.

But with a supremely talented field, the round of 32 still has a number of notable match-ups. Topping the list is an especially tough quartet on the bottom of the bracket. Reigning champ Darren Appleton will face Germany's Oliver Ortmann, with the winner advancing to face the survivor of the Niels Feijen-Thorsten Hohmann match.

The Filipinos had an especially tough go of it in group play, with only Dennis Orcollo and Roberto Gomez left in the field. American hopes, meanwhile, will ride on six players, with John Schmidt, Charlie Williams, Dennis Hatch, and Rodney Morris joining Archer.

Van Boening was on the wrong side of a hill-hill match on Wednesday. This year's World Pool Masters is a bit different than the 16-player single-elimination tournament of years past. And for a few of the favorites in the newly expanded field of 64, that's a good thing.

On Wednesday afternoon, several top-seeded players were upset in the first round of double-elimination play. But those who were defeated will have another chance, as this year's format has players in eight groups of eight, with play switching to single-elimination once 32 players remain.

Shane Van Boening, who has been playing flawlessly in recent events, dropped his first match against the Ukraine's Evgeni Novosad, 9-8. But Van Boening has company as a betting favorite on the one-loss side.

Just as expected, Francisco Bustamante and Ronnie Alcano are set to meet in the second round. What's surprising is that they're meeting on the left side after both were defeated.

Conversely, Thorsten Hohmann won his first two matches to be the first player through to the knockout round of 32. The steely German edged Radislaw Babica, 9-8, before topping Efren Reyes, 9-6, to advance.

The Matchroom Sport event will continue through this weekend, with a champion being crowned on Sunday.

Team CSI-American Grand Master members Corey Deuel and Earl Strickland will be performing exhibitions and clinics in Sacramento and Redding, California May 24-27 immediately following their participation in the World Pool Masters (May 12-16) and the U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship (May 17-22) at the Riviera Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

The first stop for Deuel and Strickland will be the Showboat Lounge in Redding, Tuesday May 25th. The Team CSI duo will perform an exhibition at 7:30 pm. Spectators will win prizes and have chances to match up against either Deuel or Strickland in mini challenge matches and also the chance to play with one of the pros in a scotch doubles match. Strickland will also perform trick shots and only in the way Strickland can, tell tales of his life on the road.

The two-day Team CSI event at Showboat will conclude on a more serious note Wednesday May 26th where Deuel and Strickland will hold a 4 hour clinic from 11am to 3pm. Registration is limited to 12 students. The 12 students are divided into 2 groups of 6 and each group will spend 2 hours with each of the Team CSI Pros. The fee for this great opportunity to learn from two of the best is only $200 per person.

Thursday May 27th Duel and Strickland will travel to Hard Times Billiards in Sacramento where they will again hold another 4 hour pool clinic from 11am to 3pm. For more information or to register for a clinic contact Team CSI Manager Mark Cantrill at 480-612-7732.

For more information about Team CSI please visit www.playcsipool.com

Living by their company motto, creating more choices for all players, CueSports International (CSI) the parent company of the BCA Pool League, in partnership with Bad Boys Billiard Productions and Dr. Pool Promotions, Inc. (www.drpool.net) announces the BCAPL Southwest Regional Championships.

The five day event is scheduled September 1-5, 2010 at the beautiful Radisson Fort McDowell Resort and Casino in Scottsdale, Arizona. The $6,000 added tournament will be open to all BCA Pool League Members who joined or renewed after June 1, 2009 and non-league players with up to date Player Member status. The tournament will feature Singles 9-Ball, Singles 8-Ball and Team events in different divisions. Bad Boys Billiard Productions (www.badboysbp.com) will provide the equipment, including 7’ Diamond Smart Tables, and tournament direction. All division brackets will be available on-line via the new state-of-the-art CueSports Tournament System (CTS) at www.ctsondemand.com.

The Radisson Fort McDowell Resort is a "AAA Four Diamond" award winner and won the 2008 "Hotel of the Year Award" by Radisson Hotels. Amenities include a championship golf course, on site spa and health club, large outdoor heated pool and 25,000 square foot conference center. Participants of the event who stay at the Radisson will receive a 20% discount on spa services and golf. It is conveniently located 24 miles from the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.

Details and entry forms will be available both online at www.playbca.com by May 15th and at the 34th BCAPL National 8-Ball Championships at the Riviera Hotel & Casino, May 14-22.

The BCAPL is continuously adding state and regional events to their upcoming events calendar. For the most up to date calendar of events, check the Upcoming Events section under the Events tab at the BCAPL web site, www.playbca.com. For questions please contact CSI at (702) 719-7665 or email info@playbca.com.

Boyes took the title by clearing an open table in the case game. (Photo by Jerry Forsyth) Just three years ago, Karl Boyes was an out-of-nowhere semifinalist at the World Pool Championships, won by countryman Daryl Peach, himself a 150-to-1 shot at the beginning of the event. Since then, Boyes and his fellow British cueists have removed all doubts about their abilities to shine on the international stage.

First, Darren Appleton won the World 10-Ball Championship in 2008. Then, earlier this year, the U.K. won the World Team Championships.

Add to that the World 8-Ball Championship. On Saturday in Fujairah, U.A.E, Boyes survived a furious comeback from Dutch star Niels Feijen to take the title in a thrilling hill-hill final, 13-12.

Jumping out to an early 9-3 advantage, Boyes appeared to be on cruise control in the single-set final. But Feijen clawed his way back into the match, breaking and running numerous racks to climb within two racks, 11-9. With Boyes on the hill, Feijen cleared two more racks to knot the match at 12 games apiece.

With the break in the final rack, Feijen could not coax a ball into a pocket. From there, Boyes kept his nerves in check as he cleared for the world title.

Feijen (right) sent Appleton out in third place with a strong 10-6 win. (Photo by Jerry Forsyth) It looked easy, anyway.

At the semifinal round of the WPA World 8-Ball Championship, held in Fujairah, U.A.E., Niels Feijen and Karl Boyes appeared to have little difficulty moving into tomorrow's final. But in the final rounds of an international event, nothing can be so simple.

Boyes was absolutely unstoppable in his match against Russia's Ruslan Chinakhov. The Brit spun his way through rack after rack, sprinting to an emphatic 10-2 win. A member of Great Britain's victorious team at January's World Team Championship, Boyes now sits one set from his first major international singles title.

Feijen, meanwhile, jumped out to an early lead against Britain's Darren Appleton. Up 5-1, the Netherlander continued to inch toward the finish line, holding leads of 7-3 and 9-4. Following a dry break from Feijen, Appleton cleared the table and then broke and ran to get within three games. But Feijen finished off the set in the next game after an Appleton miss.

The final — an extended race to 13 — is set for 5 p.m. local time (10 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time).

Appleton is in search of an 8-ball title to go along with his World 10-Ball crown. As it worked out at the WPA World 8-Ball Championship, the quarterfinal matches were split along continental lines. Four Europeans, four Filipinos, four spots in the semifinals.

And in a bit of a surprise, the quarterfinal round was completely dominated by the Europeans, with Niels Feijen, Darren Appleton, Karl Boyes and Ruslan Chinakhov advancing to the semifinals, which will be held later this evening in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.

Of the remaining four players, Feijen and Appleton carry the most international experience into the final stages of the event, with both players previously winning world championships in singles events. Feijen won the 2008 World Straight Pool crown; Appleton took the 2008 World 10-Ball title.

Boyes, however, has proven to be a factor in international competition. He was a part of the victorious Great British squad at this year's WPA World Team Championship and has posted top 10 finishes at the U.S. Open and Predator 10-Ball Championship. Chinakhov is also no stranger to big-time tournaments. He took fifth at last year's World 10-Ball event and is a regular threat on the talent-rich EuroTour.

Feijen (right) eliminated Souquet in a Thursday evening slugfest. The quarterfinal round is set at the WPA World 8-Ball Championship. With 32 players alive when play began on Thursday, just eight remain in pursuit of the first world championship of the year.

Plenty is still to be determined, but one this is for sure: There will not be a repeat champion. Ralf Souquet, winner of the last 8-ball title in 2008, suffered a heartbreaking loss in the round of 16 to familiar foe Niels Feijen. The two Europeans fought one another for more than three hours, with Feijen establishing a late 8-5 lead. Souquet, though, responded by winning four consecutive racks to climb on the hill, 9-8. The Netherlander responded, first clearing a dry break from Souquet and then running out from his break in the decisive case game.

But with three-fourths of the field eliminated in one day, Souquet found company on the sidelines. Mika Immonen, the reigning World 10-Ball champ, was sent packing Russia's Ruslan Chinakhov, 10-7. Filipino favorite Lee Vann Corteza eliminated Dennis Orcollo, 10-9, before himself being bounced out by countryman Jeffrey De Luna, 10-2.

The quarterfinal matches will get started on Friday, with the four match-ups as follows:
- Jeffrey De Luna vs. Ruslan Chinakhov
- Vicenancio Tanio vs. Karl Boyes
- Niels Feijen vs. Andreas Roshkowski
- Darren Appleton vs. Joven Alba

Van Boening (right) will face Sweden's Chamat in the round of 32. (Photo by Lawrence Lustig) The good news is that every American at the WPA World 8-Ball Championship survived the double-elimination rounds and advanced to the knockout round of 32. The catch? Shane Van Boening is the only U.S. representative in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.

Van Boening easily advanced through the group stage, where eight groups of eight players were placed into a double-elimination bracket, with four from each group surviving. The American hopeful easily moved on, trouncing Masaki Tanaki, 8-3, and Taiwan's Ko Pin-Yi, 8-4.

Ralf Souquet, who won the last WPA world title in 8-ball in 2008, also had no trouble pushing through to the single-elimination round. The German topped Kang Lee, 8-3, and Ruben Bautista, 8-1.

Not surprisingly, the Filipinos have a host of players still in the hunt for the world title. But thanks to a bit of an unlucky draw, the Pinoys will be advancing in spite of themselves for the first two rounds. Lee Vann Corteza faces Dennis Orcollo, with the winner facing the victor of the Ricky Yang-Jeffrey DeLuna match. On the other side of the bracket, Antonio Gabica will face Marlon Manalo, with the winner advancing to play the survivor of the Joven Alba-Oliver Medinilla set.

The knockout rounds will continue through Saturday, when the final is scheduled for 5 p.m. local time.

Flora Mosconi passed away on March 25 at the age of 87. (Photo courtesy the Mosconi family) The following is from R.A. Dyer's pool blog (untoldstoriesbilliardshistory.blogspot.com) on the passing of Flora Mosconi:

Flora Mosconi, the widow of Willie Mosconi and a woman credited with bringing love, warmth and stability to the pool legend's family during his long years on the road, has passed away after a long illness. She was 87.

Ms. Mosconi, formerly Flora Marchini, met Willie in 1952 and they were married a year later. They lived out most of their years at a home in Haddonfield, N.J., not far from where Ms. Mosconi passed away March 25 in hospice care.

Her husband, who was among the finest pool players in U.S. history, spent long months away from home as he participated in tournaments and promotional activities. Flora accompanied him on many of these trips, but also ran the household in his absence.

She became a mother for Mosconi's two children from a previous marriage, William, Jr. and Candace. The Mosconis also had a child of their own, Gloria, who died of breast cancer about a decade ago.

Flora was introduced to Mosconi by a co-worker, who happened to be Mosconi's cousin. Quoted in “The Hustler & The Champ,” a Mosconi biography, Flora Mosconi recalled that she was just 19 years old when she first set eyes on the world champion. "Well, you know, I worked at the telephone company with his cousin, and she asked me one day to go out on a double date,” she said. “You know, I never heard of Willie Mosconi, never heard of billiards — and she wants me to go out with Willie Mosconi. She says, ‘He’s divorced and has two kids,’ and I said, ‘No, thanks! I don’t want a man with kids.’”

But after the first date, the future Ms. Mosconi was smitten. “I knew right away, I mean — I knew. And when I got home, my brother was asleep, and I woke him up, and I said, ‘Guess what? I’m going to marry Willie Mosconi!’”

Quoted in the same biography, William Mosconi Jr. recalled the warmth that his new stepmother brought to their home. Prior to her arrival on the scene, William and Candace had been shuttled between various homes during their father's long absences. But Flora Mosconi brought the family together, said William Jr.

“[My father] was gone a lot for more than ten years — even when I went through high school — and [Flora] raised us up through high school,” said William Jr. “[My father] wasn’t here. For six years he wasn’t home at all, except during the summer because they didn’t have air conditioning, and so he didn’t play pool then. ... [But Flora] made a home for him. ... At the end of his life he said she made all our lives as good as they could be. She created a home, which we never would have had."

William Mosconi Jr. said that his stepmother, a life-long smoker, had become increasingly frail in recent months, especially after a fall around Thanksgiving. She is survived by the two stepchildren, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Willie Mosconi, winner of 15 world championships and holder of the official high run in straight pool, died in 1993.

(R.A. Dyer is the author of “The Hustler & The Champ” and “Hustler Days.” You can find his pool history blog at untoldstoriesbilliardshistory.blogspot.com.)

Behrman cited overwhelming support for the inclusion of women in making his decision. The times are a changin' — and U.S. Open founder and promoter Barry Behrman has changed his often controversial stance against allowing women into the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship.

The decision, which Behrman announced in an open letter to fans dated March 3, appears to be a win-win for the involved parties. The women professionals, who have seen the number of WPBA Classic Tour events trimmed to a meager two on the '10 schedule, get another opportunity to play in a big-time event.

Behrman, meanwhile, may get a number of entries in the U.S. Open he otherwise wouldn't see. Attracting fields of 233 and 236 in 2007 and '08, Behrman felt the economic squeeze last year, with the player list dipping to 212.

In his open letter to fans, Behrman wrote: "After discussing this decision with my dear friends ... and my daughter Shannon as well as many others, we all believe that this is the best decision for everyone involved. ... Upon reading the many posts featured on AZBilliards, I found that 85 percent of the fans would like to see woman participate in the U.S. Open and if you know me, I aim to please."

The 2010 U.S. Open is scheduled for October 17-23 at the Chespeake (Va.) Conference Center.

By: Charles Eames

Valley Forge, PA - While the expo may be over Charlie Williams’s 14.1 winning streak seemingly cannot be stopped. From a late night entry into the challenge Charlie Williams knocked Germany's Thorsten Hohman out of the running with incredible play surpassing over one hundred players to earn his spot in the final eight. With wins over Corey Deuel the first round, Mike Davis in the semi-finals and then a huge win over straight pool juggernaut John Schmidt to take the finals. The challenge in its first year was a great success thanks to our incredible sponsors Diamond Billiard Products, Bob Jewett, Pete Tonkin Custom Cues, Milliken Super Pro Cloth , Sterling Fury Gaming and the member of the AZBilliards 14.1 Forums. We also had the honor of being live streamed on the InsidePool Stream thanks to JR Calvert bringing 14.1 Straight Pool back into the limelight. Special editorial thanks also goes out to the amazing people at NYCGrind.com. This year’s event could not have been what it was however without the incredible support of all of the spectators who watched the event throughout the four days of action. When asked, Charlie Williams said that it added to his personal experience in the event having that many players and spectators watching.

The format was a simple one, take ball in hand and set up a break shot of your choosing. Shoot until you miss or foul and your score is counted. Do this five times and at the end of those five tries your five scores are tabulated to make one final score. The top eight players with the best scores would go to a single elimination tournament on Sunday to compete for the title. All matches in the tournament stage were races to 100 including the finals. The final score between Charlie Williams and John Schmidt was 100-32.

The top eight qualifying players with their preliminary scores to make the final tournament were :

1. John Schmidt – Final Score – 271
2. Bobby Chamberlain – Final Score – 209
3. Mike Davis – Final Score – 201
4. Charlie Williams – Final Score – 181
5. Dave Daya – Final Score – 178
6. Bob – Final Score – 157
7. Corey Deuel – Final Score – 151
8. Steve Lipsky – Final Score – 132

Immonen was on the 2002 Team Europe that won the last Cup held at York Hall. THERE’S NO place like home — especially when home is an arena jammed full of pool fans screaming for you to bring home the 2010 Mosconi Cup.

According to a March 8 press release from event promoter Matchroom Sport, this year’s Mosconi Cup — scheduled for Dec. 9-12 — will be held on familiar turf at London’s York Hall, which hosted the transatlantic tilt for six years from 1997-2002.

The return to York Hall, which has undergone a multimillion-dollar renovation since it last hosted the contest eight years ago, should be welcome news to the European squad, fresh off an upset loss to the underdog Americans at the 2009 Mosconi Cup.

“I love the fact that we are going back to the York Hall,” said world No. 1 Mika Immonen, who has made 13 appearances for Team Europe. “What could be a more perfect setting for the Mosconi?”

Matchroom chairman and Mosconi Cup promoter, Barry Hearn hopes to recreate the raucous atmosphere that made the East London boxing venue such a magnetic setting.

“The York Hall has a special place in the history of the Mosconi Cup and it’s fair to say that, at times, it was the game’s most intimidating arena,” he said.

Lee announced the news as she headed to the WPBA's first event in San Diego. (Photo by Carla Bonner) For Jeanette Lee and George Breedlove, at least when it comes to family, the more the merrier!

Pool’s highest profile couple has announced that Lee is expecting the family’s sixth child in the fall. The next member of the family will be the first to be delivered by natural-birth. The news comes just months after Lee and Breedlove welcomed their first biological child, Chloe Angelee Breedlove, born to a surrogate in October.

“George and I are so excited to welcome another child to our growing family,” Lee said. “This is really a wonderful surprise for us. Nothing gives me greater joy than being a mom.”

Lee and Breedlove are also parents of an adopted child, Cheyenne; a foster child, John Kang; and two daughters from Breedlove’s previous marriage, Morgan and Olivia.

"I am so glad that they have been blessed with the opportunity to give birth naturally," said Tom George, Lee's manager and marketing agent. "It is something Jeanette has always hoped for.”

While expecting mother is nothing but excited by the prospect of carrying a child to term, Lee has had a history of back problems, including a number of painful surgeries due to complications from scoliosis. She will continue to compete in professional events until mid-July, when she will remain at home through November.

Currently, the WPBA Classic Tour has just two dates on the 2010 schedule, one being this weekend’s San Diego Classic. So Lee will only miss one event — the U.S. Open in early August — if everything continues as planned.

Cha came back from early deficits in her final three matches. (Photo by JP Parmentier) Ever since Yu Ram Cha made an impressive run to the semifinal round at the 2008 WPBA U.S. Open, just her third event on the women’s pro tour, the 22-year-old Korean has been among the most active players in the world. Mixing regional tours with international tournaments (both men’s and women’s), Cha continued to develop as a dedicated student of the game.

After her first major event of 2010, it appears the education of Yu Ram Cha may have entered a masters program. At the Amway Women’s World 9-Ball Open, Cha ran undefeated through a strong field of 48, including a host of the WPBA’s best, to win her first international title.

With the field drawn into eight groups of six players, Cha advanced as only one of two undefeated players into the single-elimination round. (China’s Yu Han also survived unscathed.) Getting a bye into the round of 16, Cha coasted past China’s Xue Chen, who earned entry into the field through a pre-event qualifier.

In the semifinal, Cha faced former world No. 1 Vivian Villarreal. From the start, “The Texas Tornado” blew past Cha, grabbing a 7-3 lead in the race to 9. But Cha responded by taking the next five games to get on the hill, 8-7. Villarreal knotted the set at eight apiece, but Cha took the case game to polish off an extraordinary comeback.

In the semifinal, Cha again raised her degree of difficulty by falling behind early, this time by a count of 5-1 to Taiwan’s Chang Shu-Han, who earned her spot on the Classic Tour by winning the WPBA Regional Tour Championship the previous week. But Cha responded by taking eight of nine to close out the set, 9-6.

In the other semifinal, Ga Young Kim trounced Chen Si Meng, 9-2, to advance to her third Amway Cup final (finishing second in both 2005 and 2008). But Kim couldn’t break her second-place streak. In an extended race to 11, Cha rallied from a 3-1 deficit by taking the next six racks. She got on the hill, 10-4, and polished off the title, 11-5.

Cha took home $20,000 for the most significant title of her young career, while Kim pocketed $10,000 for second.

Kim (right) defeated world No. 1 Karen Corr, 7-5, in the round of 16. Heading into the final day at the Amway Women's World 9-Ball Open, eight women are still alive in the hunt for the year's first major international title.

Unlike 2009, where the top international events were dominated by players who strictly stay in Asia, the Women's Professional Billiard Association is well represented at the event in Taipei, Taiwan. Five of the eight players are top-ranked WPBA stars. Vivian Villarreal, Ga Young Kim, Allison Fisher, Kelly Fisher and Yu Ram Cha are all alive heading into the final day of competition.

The quarters, semis and final will all be held on Sunday. The first round of matches will begin at 10:30 a.m. local time, with the final scheduled for 7:50 p.m.

The four quarterfinals will be:
Chen Si-Ming vs. Yu Han
Chan Shu-Han vs. Kelly Fisher
Ga Young Kim vs. Allison Fisher
Vivian Villarreal vs. Yu Ram Cha

Fisher advanced to the final bracket without much difficulty. The Amway Women's World 9-Ball Open, the first major event for the women in 2010, has finished its group stages. The tournament, held in Taipei, Taiwan, began with 48 women drawn into six groups of eight players, but only the top 32 will advance to Saturday, when the format will switch single-elimination play.

Not surprisingly, Allison Fisher leads the way, posting a 4-1 record to advance without difficulty. She suffered her only loss to Taiwan's Tsai Pei Chen, winner of last year's China Open. Reigning champion Chou Cheih-Yu also advanced with a 4-1 record, though she had to brave two hill-hill matches and another 7-5 win over Julie Kelly.

Stars like Ga Young Kim, Jasmin Ouschan, Xiaoting Pan and Kelly Fisher will also be in the field of 32 when knockout play begins on Saturday.

by Sunny Griffin

The 14^th Annual Jay Swanson Memorial 9-Ball Tournament (“Swanee”) was held February 13-14 at Hollywood Billiards in Hollywood, California. A 2 day grinder and an institution of an event on the west coast, this year again saw a full 192 field with a dozen players on the wait list. The Swanee celebrates the life of “Gentle Giant” Jay Swanson who was much loved as a person yet equally feared on the table.  “When Swanee was regularly playing in Southern California events, the favorites were usually him, Ernesto (Dominguez) and Keith (McCready)” said Co-Tournament Director and pool commentator Jay Helfert.

Dozens of players were waiting outside in the early morning Los Angeles sun waiting for the 8 am opening of Hollywood Billiards. Originally the event started in 1996 at College Billiards in San Diego. College was owned by Mark Griffin, now CEO of CueSports International (CSI), and was one of Jay Swanson’s local hangouts.

The $4000 added event drew young and old, men and women, pros and amateurs. The field was narrowed down from 192 to 48 players by Sunday morning. The first round on Sunday kicked off with winner’s bracket players Jose Parica, Dave Hemmah, Louis Ulrich, well known father and son Ernesto and Oscar Dominguez and 14 year old phenom Brendan Crockett who is a member of Team CSI – Next Generation and recently represented the U.S. at the Junior World Championships in Nicaragua after only 2 years of playing. Recent One Pocket Hall of Fame recipient Jose Parica captured the hot seat.

When the dust settled, it was Sal Butera who faced Parica in the one race to 13 final. Despite the midnight hour both Parica and Butera brought their ‘A’ games with barely a miss by either man. By 2 am Monday morning the match was hill-hill with a room full of weary but enraptured spectators.

In the final game Parica again was plagued by the dry break demon leaving Butera a wide open table. With only 4 balls remaining the crowd started whispering “it’s over” but then the unthinkable happened - the 6 ball rattled inside the pocket and spit out onto middle of the foot rail. Parica stepped up and made the tough cut shot except the cue ball nudged the 7 to the head rail leaving Parica the option of playing safe or going for the bank. He opted for the safe hooking Butera behind the 9. While Butera had solid contact, he left Parica the 7 out taking home the win.

Results:

Place	Name	Prize	Place	Name	Prize
1	Jose Parica	$3,000.00	33	Ramin Bakhtiari	$100.00
2	Sal Butera	$1,500.00	33	Mitchell Sargent	$100.00
3	Wayne Pullen	$1,000.00	33	Robert Howell	$100.00
4	Marcus Rodriguez	$750.00	33	Scott White	$100.00
5	Marshall Jung	$535.00	33	Josh Gomes	$100.00
5	Greg Harada	$535.00	33	Russ Martin	$100.00
7	Bernardo Chavez	$400.00	33	Bruce Choyce	$100.00
7	Oscar Dominguez	$400.00	33	Duane Grimes	$100.00
9	Butch Barba	$300.00	33	Mark Griffin	$100.00
9	Dane Elmstedt	$300.00	33	Chris Adams	$100.00
9	Nick Spano	$300.00	33	Erwin Macapagal	$100.00
9	Brian Parks	$300.00	33	Omar Vachhani	$100.00
13	Abel Lim	$200.00	33	Mark Estes	$100.00
13	Louie Ulrich	$200.00	33	Skip Miller	$100.00
13	Corey Harper	$200.00	33	Gary Jones	$100.00
13	Rudy Jerez	$200.00	33	Johnny Kang	$100.00
17	George Ramirez	$175.00	49	Akira Omori	$75.00
17	Ernesto Dominguez	$175.00	49	Zeus Morrison	$75.00
17	Ken Johnson	$175.00	49	Ken Gouso	$75.00
17	Jay Beatty	$175.00	49	Will Hathcock	$75.00
17	Dave Hemmah	$175.00	49	Jerry Decker	$75.00
17	John Pasquarella	$175.00	49	Eric Pender	$75.00
17	Max Eberle	$175.00	49	Chris Tate	$75.00
17	Brendon Crocket	$175.00	49	Dave Kirby	$75.00
25	Julio Berger	$150.00	49	Amir Shoshan	$75.00
25	Jaden Brock	$150.00	49	Tony Sardo	$75.00
25	Fach Garcia	$150.00	49	Bill Pence	$75.00
25	Gerardo Jamito	$150.00	49	Mark Arnold	$75.00
25	Frank Howe	$150.00	49	Jeff Tolbert	$75.00
25	Curtis Johnson	$150.00	49	Dennis O'Brien	$75.00
25	Ray Tedrick	$150.00	49	Randy Kukla	$75.00
25	Jonny Warren	$150.00	49	Shane Erickson	$75.00

CueSports International is dedicated to creating more choices for all players. CSI is the parent company of the BCA Pool League, the National Championship Series (NCS), and the USA Pool League. CSI also produces independent events such as the U.S. Bar Table Championships, the Jay Swanson Memorial and the U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship. Visit www.playcsipool.com, www.playbca.com and www.playusapool.com for more information about CSI and its divisions.

Trudeau (right) was sentenced to 30 days in jail for asking fans to e-mail a federal judge. (Photo by Jerry Forsyth) Kevin Trudeau appears to be headed to jail, after a federal judge sentenced the infomercial king to 30 days for contempt of court.

U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman called Trudeau — founder of the International Pool Tour — into last week to answer why he asked fans to contact the judge directly. Gettleman is the judge presiding over a case brought against Trudeau by the Federal Trade Commission. Gettleman had previously ruled Trudeau in contempt in that case and ordered him to pay a fine of $37 million.

On Wednesday afternoon, in the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago, Gettleman ordered that Trudeau to 30 days in jail and forfeit a $50,000 bond he posted last week.

Trudeau may face criminal charges after asking fans to e-mail a federal judge. (Photo by Jerry Forsyth) According to a report on the Web site of the Chicago Tribune, infomercial star and best-selling author Kevin Trudeau has been ordered to appear in federal court in Chicago.

U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman has demanded Trudeau appear to answer why he asked thousands of customers to e-mail the court in support of Trudeau. The e-mails clogged Gettleman's account, which could represent an investigation into whether the action represented a threat to the judge.

According to the Tribune, Gettleman said he was sure Trudeau was attempting to "harass the court and interfere with my processes."

But for the founder of the International Pool Tour, legal problems are nothing new. He has frequently run afoul of the Federal Trade Commission. Most recently, in August 2008, Trudeau was found guilty of contempt, relating to an order from the FTC that Trudeau not appear in infomercials in which he had an interest. Trudeau was also slapped with a $5 million fine. Gettleman was the judge in that case.

Heroic in the final match, Archer couldn't get the U.S. through the shootout. In the first round of the single-elimination bracket at the WPA World Team Championships, the Americans faced a surprisingly furious challenge from the unheralded squad from Greece. And in the sudden death shootout, the U.S. team finally gave out.

Each match, a combination of singles and doubles play in 8-ball, 9-ball and 10-ball, consists of six sets, with a sudden death shootout deciding the match if teams split the sets evenly.

Through the two rounds of scotch doubles 8-ball and singles 9-ball, the Greek team held a commanding 3-1 lead. But the Americans had Shane Van Boening and Johnny Archer lined up for the two sets of 10-ball. While Van Boening won his match with relative ease, Archer faced Evangelos Vettas in a thrilling race to 7. The American Hall of Famer overcame an early deficit to get on the hill, 6-5, only to see Vettas force a decisive case game. But Archer, with a miraculous cut on the 2 ball, cleared the rack to force the shootout.

The unique shootout format calls for each player to approach the same shot (the 8 ball one diamond off the foot rail and the cue ball two diamonds off head rail), with the race to 6, win by two. Greece and the U.S. traded shots back and forth, without one team able to get a two-shot advantage. But finally, the Greek squad took the match, finishing off the upset of the Americans, 13-11.

With quarterfinal matches underway, Poland is keeping close to the Philippines; Great Britain trails the strong Chinese team; Russia holds a small lead over Germany; and the Greeks have already moved into the final four with a thrashing of the surprising Swiss team.

Archer is fresh of wins at the Mosconi Cup and Turning Stone Classic. The World Team Championship, which kicked off with squads from 42 nations, has filled the single-elimination 16-team bracket that will lead to a champion being crowned on Sunday.

The Americans, one of the favorites after a stunning performance at the Mosconi Cup, will begin play in the knockout phase against the team from Greece. Led by Johnny Archer, the U.S. boasts four-fifths of the team that upset the Europeans at the '09 Mosconi Cup, with Shane Van Boening, Corey Deuel and Oscar Dominguez finalizing the Americans' roster.

While other heavy-hitters are spread throughout the bracket, the U.S. will avoid other top teams like the Philippines, Germany and Great Britain until the semifinal round at the earliest. Should the Americans defeat Greece, they will face either Switzerland or Japan in the quarterfinals.

The World Team Championship — a WPA-sanctioned event that has created its share of rumors surrounding the advertised $400,000 prize fund — is an event that pits teams against one another in a variety of disciplines. Each match consists of two scotch-doubles matches in 8-ball (races to 6), two singles matches in 9-ball (races to 8), and two singles matches in 10-ball (races to 7).

Check www.wpapoolonline.com for updates brackets and live scores.

Far and away the leader in prize money, Reyes also collected a number of major titles. (Photo by JP Parmentier) Efren “The Magician” Reyes, who amassed nearly $1.7 million in prize money, and Allison Fisher, who won 27 Women’s Professional Billiard Association Classic Tour titles, were named Player of the Decade by the United States Billiard Media Association, the USBMA announced today.

Reyes, the 55-year-old Filipino sensation, won more than 20 major men’s professional pool titles during the decade, starting with
his $30,000 Camel Pro 8-Ball Championship win in 2000. Of his 22 major victories, the versatile Reyes won four one-pocket crowns, four 8-ball titles and 14 9-ball titles. He also won the Derby City All-Around title three times.

But it was during the short-lived International Pool Tour that Reyes scored his biggest wins. In three multi-million dollar events, Reyes won two titles (2005 IPT King of the Hill and 2006 IPT North American Open) and pocketed $765,000.

Fisher, meanwhile, continued her dominance over women’s pool for a second straight decade. After winning 26 Classic Tour titles during the ’90s, the former snooker champion added 27 more from 2000-2010.

In addition to her WPBA Classic Tour titles, Fisher, 41, earned the gold medal at the 2009 World Games, was the 2000 BCA U.S. Open 14.1 champion and won the Tournament of Champions five times. She earned $637,000 over the 10-year span.

Additionally, both Reyes and Fisher were elected into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame during the decade, with Reyes being inducted in 2003 and Fisher in 2009.

In Player of the Decade voting, Reyes out-pointed Johnny Archer, Mika Immonen and Ralf Souquet. Fisher was named woman player of the decade on all but two ballots, with Karen Corr and Jasmin Ouschan each receiving one vote.

ELIZABETH, Ind. -- Entering the ninth round of play in the Derby City Classic 9-ball division, John Brumback needed a little help to hold onto his lead in total points in the all-around competition. Unfortunately for Brumback, who won last year's $20,000 award by a half point, he was rooting against two of the toughest players in the world - Efren Reyes and Alex Pagulayan.

While Pagulayan obliged, losing a 7-4 match to Shannon Murphy, Reyes did not. The Filipino legend edged Jamie Baraks, icing his bid for the Master of the Table with a 7-4 victory.

Brumback currently has 153.7 points, with Reyes sitting at 116. But because points per event may depend on the number of people who tie for a certain spot, players cannot receive points until they are eliminated. Reyes will be assured of a finish no worse than tied-for-third, which will give him at least 63.3 points, enough to secure the all-around title.

For Reyes, the top prize is his fifth in 12 years at the annual nine-day festival in the Louisville, Ky. area, after taking the Master of the Table in 1999, 2004, 2005 and 2007. This year, the Magician's success wasn't constricted to the main divisions, either. In the Fatboy 10-Ball Challenge, a 16-player single-elimination event held after hours, Reyes beat Johnny Archer and Brandon Shuff to take the $6,500 top prize.

The final rounds of the 9-ball division are currently underway. Check www.dcctickets.com for current matches and past results.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The three main divisions of the 2010 Derby City Classic attracted 999 players. On Saturday afternoon, only 11 remain. The 9-ball competition, the last remaining event in the nine days of Derby City's chaos, is currently chugging toward a finish this evening.

Of the 11 players, only Shannon Murphy holds his buy-back option, which means at least four players will be eliminated in the next round of play. The field is headlined by a number of big names, including Alex Pagulayan, Efren Reyes and Rodney Morris.

As the 9-ball division winds down, the chase for the $20,000 Master of the Table award, given to the all-around champion in the three disciplines, has been narrowed to three.

Last year's champ John Brumback currently leads the race, thanks in large part to his second consecutive win in the 9-ball banks event. But Brumback was eliminated this morning, while other contenders are still capable of amassing more points. Only two players are capable of catching the Kentuckian, but those to names are big ones. Reyes, three-time all-around champ, can take the title with a deep run into the 9-ball division. Also, Pagualayan, who finished fourth in banks and ninth in one-pocket, can win, but he'll need some help to do so. Trailing Reyes in points after completion of the first two divisions, Pagulayan will need Reyes to lose early and advance deep into play on Saturday.

For more information, go to www.dcctickets.com for updated scores and current matches.

ELIZABETH, Ind. -- It's been a long year since Scott Frost lost the final of 2009 Derby City Classic one-pocket division. Just a year ago, the Phoenix native lost a shootout to John Schmidt, who ended the race-to-3 match in just 35 minutes.

This year, though, Frost was in a very different final, facing Texan Sylver Ochoa. The two locked up in a three-hour battle that saw all five games turn into defensive struggles, with most of the action taking place up-table. But, in the end, Frost would win the final game to take the title that had eluded him for years.

"I've been dreaming of this for 11 years," Frost said, with the 2010 version of the Derby City Classic being the 12th year.

Winner of the 2003 Legends of One Pocket and 2005 U.S. Open One-Pocket Championships, Frost finally took what is among the most prestigious titles in one-hole.

While last year's All-Around Champion John Brumback took the banks title for a second consecutive year, the 9-ball division will feature a new winner, with Shane Van Boening, last year's titlist, playing in the concurrent World Team Championship in Germany.

The 9-ball event will continue play throughout the weekend, with the final tentatively scheduled for 9 p.m. on Saturday night.

One of the longest-running professional pool tournaments, the World Pool Masters will undergo quite a facelift in 2010. The Matchroom Sport-produced event, which has been a 16-player invitational tournament since its debut in 1994, will quadruple in size, with the field expanding to 64 players.

With the enlarged field, 32 players will be invited while the other half will be determined by a world-wide set of qualifiers. The event — scheduled for May 12-16 at the Riviera Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas — will run alongside the BCA Pool Leagues National 8-Ball Championships, the amateur event that attracts thousands of players to Sin City.

According to Matchroom’s Barry Hearn, the changes are designed to enhance the World Pool Masters to something with much more global significance.

“It is my every intention to build the World Pool Masters up into an even comparable to the World [Pool] Championship when Matchroom Sport produced it from 1999-2007,” Hearnd said.

While the Masters event was a mainstay on the tournament calendar for nearly two decades, the limited field kept it from developing into a tournament comparable to world championship events. Doubling the field and increasing the prize fund (to $100,000 in 2010 from $66,000 in 2009) will raise the profile of the event in its 17th year.

The BCAPL National Championships has hosted a pair of professional tournaments in recent years, with the World Pool Masters and Predator International 10-Ball Championship running on successive weekends. This year, however, the Predator event has been replaced by the U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship, set for weekend after the World Pool Masters. Promoted by CueSports International, the promotions firm headed by BCAPL honcho Mark Griffin, the U.S. Open 10-Ball event — unrelated to Barry Behrman’s U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship — will be making it’s debut May 17-22.

Just east of Barcelona, on the Spanish Mediterranean, Lloret de Mar isn't exactly the first spot on the map you'd associate with severe winter storms. But this weekend, with the Predator World Tour making only its second stop in its debut season, Lloret has been hammered by high winds and unseasonably cold temperatures.

On Thursday evening, winds caused substantial damage to the tournament venue, making play impossible on Friday. Tournament organizers, though, have responded to the unexpected. The Lloret del Mar tournament will be played at the Hotel Gran Guitart Monterrey (the host hotel) until 16 players remain. Those 16 players will then finish the tournament at the Predator Tour's next stop, expected to take place this summer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

To ensure all 16 players will be in attendance at the tour's third stop, promoters have said they will cover those players' travel expenses, including airfare and hotel, for the Rio event.

Thursday night's storm was just the latest in a number of weather-related inconveniences caused by the winter storm that is pounding much of Europe. Earlier in the week, a cadre of British players — including Darren Appleton, Karl Boyes and Daryl Peach — were unable to leave the U.K. due to widespread flight cancellations.

Visit www.predator10ball.com for more information and further updates on the Predator World Tour.

Peach (right) won the last WPA 9-ball title in November 2007. (Photo by Lawrence Lustig) When it came to world championship events sanctioned by the World Pool-Billiard Association, 2009 wasn't exactly a stellar year. The World 8-Ball Championship was canceled and placed on hold indefinitely; the World 14.1 Championship went without WPA sanctioning; and the World 9-Ball Championship continued to be without a date and location since 2007.

But there may be a glimmer of hope for 2010. The WPA announced on Dec. 28 that the World 9-Ball Championship will be held in the new year. The WPA-sanctioned event is set to take place in Doha, Qatar, from June 28-July 5.

The first WPA-sanctioned 9-ball world championship since November 2007, the 2010 event will be the third big-money event held in the capital of Qatar. The previous two events — dubbed the Qatar Open — attracted world-class fields and boasted six-figure purses, but were not considered world championship events.

Hatch won two of three in doubles play and a pair of singles matches to earn MVP honors. It was an unusual spot for Team USA. Dominant for the first 12 years of the Mosconi Cup, the American squad found itself a 2-to-1 underdog at the start of the 2009 Mosconi Cup in Las Vegas.

Understandable, actually, considering Team Europe's world championship lineup — a fivesome of former or current world titleholders headed by Mika Immonen and Ralf Souquet, ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the world, respectively, and followed by Niels Feijen, Darren Appleton and Thorsten Hohmann.

The U.S., meanwhile, came into the event with first-time players Oscar Dominguez and fans' choice nominee Dennis Hatch, along with Corey Deuel, Shane Van Boening and Cup mainstay Johnny Archer.

So when Van Boening fired in the final 9 ball to top Souquet, 6-2, and give Team USA an unlikely 11-7 victory, the American quintet piled into the television arena like first-time winners, sharing bear hugs and tears after recapturing a Cup they last won outright in 2005.

"This is the best team and most gratifying win I've experienced," said Archer, who played on his fair share of Cup winners.

"There was no negativity at all this year," Archer said, in reference to the absence of Earl Strickland from the U.S. squad for the first time in 13 years. "We were so focused as a team. It was a joy."

That joy seemed inevitable when Team USA entered the final day with a commanding 9-5 lead. Team Europe stole some momentum in the opening match when Souquet bested Van Boening, 6-3. Team USA responded in the most emphatic way, with Hatch, the team's emotional leader, playing his best match in a 6-0 drubbing of Niels Feijen. Hatch stormed around the table like a boxer stalking a wounded opponent, lifting the crowd and his teammates to the hill.

Hohmann kept Team Europe on life support with a surprisingly easy 6-1 win over Archer, but Van Boening played a brilliant match (aided by some shabby safety play by Souquet) to nail down the victory.

"Nothing compares to this feeling," said a teary-eyed Hatch, named the event's MVP. "To win for and with your teammates is the best experience of my life."

Staring down the finest collection of players assembled by Team Europe in the 15-year history of the Mosconi Cup, underdog Team USA enters the final day of the 2009 team 9-ball event needing just two wins to recapture the coveted Mosconi Cup trophy in Las Vegas.
Holding a comfortable lead since the first day of action at the MGM Grand, Team USA won two critical matches on Saturday to enter the final day with a 9-5 lead in the race to 11 tournament. Team Europe, featuring a quintet of former and current world champions, captured the days first two matches to cut the US lead to 7-4. Dutchman Neils Feijen and Germany's Thorsten Hohman routed Corey Deuel and fans' choice selection Dennis Hatch, 6-1, and US Open finalists Mika Immonen and Ralf Souquet topped Shane Van Boening and first-timer Oscar Dominguez, 6-4, to shift momentum in the Euros' favor.
Hatch, Team USA's emotional leader this year, stemmed the tide with a 6-4 win over Feijen. Johnny Archer then turned in his finest match of the tournament, playing perfect pool and coaxing shaky teammate Deuel to a hard-fought, 6-5, win over Darren Appleton and Hohmann.
Only Immonen's 6-4 win over Dominguez prevented the Americans from reaching the hill heading into Sunday's conclusion.

Van Boening (right) throttled Immonen in the first singles match-up of this year's Mosconi Cup. (Photo by Lawrence Lustig) One day into the 2009 Mosconi Cup, the Americans look nothing like the underdogs that the odds-makers pegged them for. Five matches in, Team USA owns a 4-1 lead, barely missing out on a chance to blank the reigning champions from Europe.

After taking the first four matches — a team competition, two doubles sets and a one-on-one match — the two captains — Alex Lely for Europe and Nick Varner for the U.S. — could choose the competitor from the opposing team. Lely selected Oscar Dominguez, the 24-year-old Mosconi Cup rookie, and Varner countered with Ralf Souquet. The German jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the race-to-6 match, before the young Californian knotted the set at 3-3. Souquet was the first on the hill, 5-3, but again Dominguez fought back to force a case game.

He then dropped a ball on his break, but erred on the 4 ball. From there, Souquet cleared the table to take Europe's only point of the day.

The opening set of this year's transatlantic competition, running through Sunday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, matched the two squads in a full-team race to 6. The Americans started slow, as Europe jumped out to a 3-1 lead. From there, though, Team USA caught fire, collecting five of the next six to take the Cup's first point.

Next up, Johnny Archer and Dennis Hatch, in his Mosconi Cup debut, escaped a fierce rally from Niels Feijen and Darren Appleton. Up 5-3, the Americans watched as the Europeans took the next two racks. But Team USA got out from the break in the case game to take a 2-0 lead.

"This win takes a lot of pressure off of us and puts a lot of pressure on the Europeans," Hatch said. "We're the underdogs and have nothing to lose."

In the first one-on-one set, America's Shane Van Boening faced the unquestioned hottest player on the planet, U.S. Open and World 10-Ball Champion Mika Immonen. The pair flawlessly carved up the first four racks, each taking two. But Van Boening proved to be the sharper player. The 2007 Player of the Year punished Immonen for an errant shot and illegal break and took the set, 6-3.

The pair of Corey Deuel and Dominguez then handled Thorsten Hohmann and Souquet, 6-2, to grab a 3-0 lead over a stunned Team Europe. Souquet's point may be a rallying point for the Europeans, but the day could not have gone much better for the Americans, who can hardly be considered underdogs after Day 1.

Immonen (right) pulled away from Vann Corteza in the back half of the race-to-11 final. Following his victory at October's U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship, Mika Immonen took a moment to reflect upon his place in history. With back-to-back wins in Chesapeake, Va., Immonen thought he had done enough to finally join the likes of European greats Ralf Souquet and Oliver Ortmann. But he hesitated, half joking that he would need another world championship to join them.

That didn't take long.

At the World 10-Ball Championship — held Nov. 23-30 at the World Trade Center in Manila, Philippines — Immonen overcame an early loss in the group stage to advance to the single-elimination round of 64. From there, the Finn superstar worked his way past a line-up of world-class players before he edged Vann Corteza, 11-6, in the final.

After that early upset, a 9-6 loss to Japan's Hayato Hijikata, Immonen found himself close to elimination a number of times. He then edged Ibrahim Bin Amir to advance to the final 64. From there, Immonen never had an easy victory. He beat Niels Feijen, 9-6; Marlon Manalo, 9-6; Nick van den Berg, 9-7; Ruslan Chinahov, 9-6; and Antonio Lining, 9-7. That put Immonen in the final against hometown hero Vann Corteza.

The two last met in the fourth-place match at this year's U.S. Open, where Immonen won six straight racks for a come-from-behind 11-8 victory. In Manila, though, Immonen saved the heroics. After falling behind, 2-0, he grabbed a small 7-5 lead at the halfway point. At that point, Immonen pulled away from Vann Corteza, clearing the final two racks from the break for an 11-6 championship-clinching victory.

The World 10-Ball crown is Immonen's fourth win at a big-money, big-field event this year. (He's also won the Galveston World Classic 10-Ball and Qatar Open titles in addition to his win at the U.S. Open.)

Liu strung together five racks during a tremendous eight-game winning streak. (Photo by Michael Neumann) Just 16 years old, Liu Shasha of China was by no means the favorite when she entered the semifinal round at the Kappa Women's World 9-Ball Championship this past weekend. Facing WPBA star Xiaoting Pan, Liu managed to escape her match with China's biggest cue-wielding star with a 9-8 victory.

But things hardly got easier at that point. In the final, Liu faced Karen Corr, who had edged Fu Xiofang by the same 9-8 score in the other semifinal. Corr looked to be in full control of the match, grabbing a 5-1 lead while the teenager struggled to find a sense of comfort at the table.

But when Liu took a rack to close the gap to 5-2, she turned from a lost-in-the-moment teenager to a soon-to-be-world champion. Liu then broke and ran the next five racks to grab a 7-5 lead. After winning a safety battle in the next rack to climb on the hill, Liu buried four balls on her break. She cleared the final five balls for her first world championship.

Ouschan advanced without much difficulty. (Photo by Anne Craig) So far, the Women's World 9-Ball Championship is progressing as expected, with the world's best avoiding early upsets in the 64-player field.

Held at Shenyang Jianzhu University in Shenyang, China, the world championship event is in the middle of group play, which has eight groups of eight, with four women from each flight advancing to single-elimination.

Jasmin Ouschan, a week removed from winning the WPBA Tour Championship (her third Classic Tour title of the year), rolled through her first two opponents — Lyndall Hulley, 7-3, and Nicole Keeney, 7-2 — for a spot in the round of 32. Joining the Austrian star, Xiaoting Pan, who played runner-up to Ouschan at two of the WPBA finals, also made it through group play unscathed.

Half the field will be eliminated by Friday, when the knock-out phase will begin. Live internet streaming of the event can be found at www.my147.com, and the brackets are at www.wpa-pool.com.

Morris has appeared in every Mosconi Cup since 2003, a streak that looks to stay in tact. (Photo by Lawrence Lustig) With a demonstrative table manner and almost ever-present smile, Rodney Morris has always been a popular player among fans. And it looks like that is going to pay off.

A week into the "Mosconi Cup Idol" competition, a two-week long online election to select the American's fifth team member for next month's competition, Morris holds a commanding lead in popular support. According the Matchroom's official Web site (www.matchroompool.com), Morris' lead is near double digits. The breakdown for the eight contestants (in total percentage of votes cast) is as follows:

Rodney Morris 27.71
Charlie Williams 19.23
Dennis Hatch 13.25
Charlie Bryant 12.28
John Schmidt 10.63
Stevie Moore 9.17
Shawn Putnam 4.03
Kim Davenport 3.70

From the early numbers, it appears experience pays off. Morris has made a total of six appearances in the team competition, while Charlie Williams has totaled five appearances. The two were on the 2005 squad that stands as the last American team to win the Cup outright.

Voting will continue through next weekend, with the winner being announced Monday, Nov. 16.

Varner will look to recapture the magic that led the Americans to a thrilling comeback in 2003. Nick Varner will get his shot at redemption at the Mosconi Cup. The captain of last year's 11-5 drubbing at the hands of a stacked European team, the 61-year-old Hall of Famer will captain the American team as it looks to win the Cup outright for the first time since 2005.

Varner will be in search of his fifth Mosconi Cup, including events as a player and captain. While the Europeans will be the heavy favorites at this year's battle — set for Dec. 10-13 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas — Varner is looking to make the most of the home-field advantage.

"I am very excited to be once again representing the USA in the Mosconi Cup this year,” said Varner. "What a great team we have, and I am proud to be a part of it once again.

“After last year, we are more determined than ever to keep the Cup here, and when we are done with them Team Europe they will have one long trip home, empty handed."

Varner will lead a relatively young American squad. Veterans Johnny Archer and Corey Deuel have played in a combined 18 events, but Shane Van Boening has only made two appareances. Plus, BCA points leader Oscar Dominguez will be making his debut at this year's event.

The remaining American player will be announced on Monday, Nov. 16, at the conclusion of the "Mosconi Cup Idol" vote which is currently taking place at www.matchroompool.com, the official site of Matchroom Sport.

With four of its five spots filled, the American squad for this year's Mosconi Cup will be open to public opinion. Matchroom Sport, the producers and promoters of the transatlantic team competition, have kicked off an online vote dubbed, "Mosconi Cup Idol."

Eight Americans — Charlie Bryant, Kim Davenport, Dennis Hatch, Stevie Moore, Rodney Morris, Shawn Putnam, John Schmidt and Charlie Williams — will be a part of the election at www.matchroompool.com, which will run through Sunday, Nov. 15.

Team USA will enter this year's competition on a two-year skid for the first time in the 16-year history of the Mosconi Cup. Johnny Archer, eight-time winner of the event, will undoubtedly be the leader of the American team, while Corey Deuel (six appearances) and Shane Van Boening (two appearances) have some experience with the unique environment. Oscar Dominguez, who gained entry by finishing with the most BCA ranking points of any American, will be making his first appearance.

Immonen was a near-guaranteed choice after last week's win at the U.S. Open. In the wake of this year's U.S. Open, as the players returned to their homes across the world after eight days of action in Chesapeake, Va., the rosters for this year's Mosconi Cup have started to fill out.

First, Team Europe, winners of two consecutive Cups, filled its final two slots. U.S. Open champ Mika Immonen and China Open winner Thorsten Hohmann will join Ralf Souquet, Niels Feijen and Darren Appleton to form what just might be the most impressive team in the Mosconi Cup's 16-year history.

The European squad is packed with players who have collected an impressive list of titles in the last 18 months. On top of his back-to-back U.S. Open titles, Immonen has won the Galveston World Classic in 10-ball, finished runner-up at the World 14.1 Championship, and just this week won the International Challenge of Champions. Add this to Appleton being the reigning World 10-Ball king and Souquet's World 8-Ball crown in 2008, and the Americans are facing a tough test at this year's competition — set for the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Dec. 10-13.

As for the Americans, who look to win the Cup outright for the first time since 2005, they will be led by Johnny Archer, eight-time winner of the transatlantic tilt. During Archer's BCA Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the U.S. Open, Matchroom Sport chairman Barry Hearn announced that the 40-year-old would be the first player named to Team USA.

Two other players appeared to have gained entry into the contest via the BCA rankings. Oscar Dominguez and Corey Deuel are the top-ranked Americans on the points list. While no official word has come from Matchroom Sport, the two look set to represent the U.S.

While Deuel has made five appearances on Team USA, Dominguez will be representing his country for the first time. The 24-year-old Californian has had a number of top finishes this year, including a win at August's Turning Stone Classic.

Matchroom Sport is set to announce a wild-card selection as the fourth member of Team USA. At that point, the final spot on the roster will be filled by an online poll at www.matchroomsport.com .

Mills (right) will be riding a wave of confidence after a strong performance at last week's U.S. Open. Three weeks removed from a strong run to third place at the U.S. Open, Donny Mills will be back at the table, this time facing the man who won the title in Chesapeake in 2007.

In a race-to-100 match organized and promoted by The Action Report, Mills will take on Shane Van Boening at the Crooked Cue in Clearwater, Fla., Mills' hometown. The game will be 9-ball, break from the box with the winner racking. While Mills showed he could keep up with the world's best in the U.S. Open's loser-racks format, he is considered even tougher in rack-your-own.

Van Boening, meanwhile, has one of the world's best 9-ball breaks, which could be a crucial tool to keep Mills in his seat.

The match kicks off on Sunday, Nov. 7, at 6 p.m. (EST) and will continue until one player has reached 50 wins. Play will resume at 6 p.m. the next night, continuing until one player reaches 100 total wins and takes the winner-take-all purse of $10,000.

The match will be available to watch live on a pay-per-view basis at www.theactionreport.com . This event will feature four-camera coverage with live on-screen scoring and commentary. The price to view online will be $25 for the entire match or $20 for the final day only.

Immonen (right) outlasted Souquet to capture his second U.S. Open crown. CHESAPEAKE, Va. -- Move over, Nick Varner, you've got company.

For only the second time in the 34-year history of the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships, a player has won back-to-back titles. Mika Immonen topped Ralf Souquet in the final, 13-10, to cap off an astonishing run through the left side after an early loss. In total, Immonen won 15 matches, more than any other previous champion.

While last year's victory went toward exorcising the demons left by a 11-0 whitewash in the 2001 final at the hands of Corey Deuel, the 2009 title represented validation to the Finn superstar.

"I don't know if I can compare it to last year, reall," Immonen said moments after sinking the final 9 ball. "It was definitely harder, I know that. And I think that might make it more special for me."

During his marathon march through the one-loss side, Immonen had plenty of brushes with elimination. He trailed Keith Bennett, 8-2, in the race-to-11 format, only to come back and win. He faced a 8-5 deficit to Lee Vann Corteza, only to collect the next six racks for an 11-8 victory. Even in the left-side final, Immonen was in his seat in the case game as Donnie Mills broke open the deciding rack. When Mills sent the cue ball off the side rail and into the side pocket, Immonen made the most of his opportunity and cleared the table to advance to the final.

Opposite Ralf Souquet, himself an earlier winner of the U.S. Open back in 2002, Immonen gave the German a number of chances early in the match. He missed two nearly straight-in shots in the first few racks, and Souquet jumped out to a 7-4 lead.

From there, though, Immonen pulled himself together to make one final comeback. He quickly erased the three-game deficit and pulled ahead 10-7. Souquet made a brief comeback of his own, knotting the match at 10 games apiece. But that would be it for the Kaiser. Immonen won a safety battle to get a one-game lead and got on the hill when Souquet scratched in the next game. Immonen then broke and pocketed a 1-9 combination for the title.

The back-to-back winner fell to the ground with the title-clincher, only a few feet from Varner, who was the first (and only, until this year) player to win consecutive titles, which he did with a pair of victories in 1989 and 1990.

Signing autographs in the middle of the arena, Immonen struggled to put his feat into perspective.

"This is not real," he said. "This is completely not real."

Immonen is one match short of winning his second straight U.S. Open. CHESAPEAKE, Va. -- Mika Immonen's bid to be the first repeat champion at the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships is still alive.

But just barely.

In a riveting left-side final, Immonen outlasted a heroic effort from Donnie Mills. Facing a 10-8 deficit against arguably the best player in the world, Mills, a part-time pro from Clearwater, Fla., took the next two racks to force a decisive case game. But on his break, which carried him through the winners bracket, Mills scratched in the side pocket.

Immonen took ball in hand, ran to a 6-9 combo and buried it in the corner pocket. The heartbreaking loss, on the heels of an 11-10 loss to Ralf Souquet in the hot-seat match, was an unceremonious end to what was the Cinderella story of this year's U.S. Open.

Moments after the loss, Mills was at a loss for words, left only to ponder what could have been.

"I just can't believe I went out like that," he said of his case-game loss to Immonen. "I didn't scratch on my break the entire tournament."

Immonen, meanwhile, has plans to make the most of his impressive left-side run. After losing in the second round to Chris Bartram, the "Iceman" ran through at least 13 opponents, ending with his win over Mills.

Immonen is one win from becoming only the second player ever to win back-to-back U.S. Open titles, after Nick Varner pulled off the double in 1989-1990.

Souquet is also eying his second title - his first coming in 2002 with a win over Alex Pagulayan. The single-set race-to-13 final is set to get rolling at 7:15 p.m. (EST) inside the Chesapeake Conference Center.

Souquet ranout from the break in the case game of the hot-seat match. (Photo by Lawrence Lustig) CHESAPEAKE, Va. -- In the winners-side final that saw two huge swings in momentum, Ralf Souquet edged a determined Donnie Mills to earn a spot in this evening's U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship match.

From the start, Mills looked to be at ease under the bright lights of the Accu-Stats TV table. The 31-year-old Floridian took three of the first four games to build an early 3-1 lead. From there, though, he seemed to tighten up, playing a number of loose safeties that opened the door for Souquet. The German collected eight of nine racks to grab a 9-4 lead in the race to 11.

That's when Mills caught fire, routinely pocketing balls on his breaks and clearing tables. He took the next six games to get on the hill, 10-9, but a dry break -- leaving the 9 in the jaws of the pocket -- was all that Souquet would need. He cleared that rack, then ran out from his break in the case game to advance to his first U.S. Open final since he won in 2002.

Mills will face reigning champion Mika Immonen at 4 p.m. in the left-side final. Immonen has put together an inspired run through the left side that saw him win six matches on Friday. But this afternoon, the Finn looked to have his hands full with Lee Vann Corteza. The Filipino raced out to a 8-5 lead, only to see Immonen win the next six racks for a 11-8 win.

The race-to-13 final is set for 7 p.m. (EST) in the Chesapeake (Va.) Conference Center.

Souquet is in good form searching of his second U.S. Open title. (Photo by Lawrence Lustig) CHESAPEAKE, Va. -- Donnie Mills came to this year's U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships with two goals in mind: advance far enough to make an appearance on the Accu-Stats TV table and, in the next logical step, win the title.

With an unbeaten run through the first six days of play, he has achieved the first goal. On Saturday afternoon, Mills will take on Ralf Souquet for the hot-seat.

A top player on the Florida-based Seminole Pro Tour, Mills will have his hands full with Souquet, who has been as dominant as expected. He breezed past the surprising Chris Bartram then powered through Filipino Lee Vann Corteza. Mills, meanwhile, has topped big names like WPA No. 1 Darren Appleton, Karl Boyes and Rodney Morris on his way to the winners-bracket final.

The two unbeaten players will be joined by a pair of world beaters on the one-loss side. Mika Immonen had possibly the most impressive run on Friday, both because of his precise play and sheer workload. The reigning champion strung together six wins throughout the day (not including his match from Thursday night that stretched into the early morning hours). Immonen played the role of eliminator, ousting a quartet of Americans -- Chris Bartram, Stevie Moore, Charlie Williams and Morris -- at the tail end of Friday.

He will face Corteza, who rebounded from a loss to Souquet to edge Kim Davenport in the last match of night, which ended just before 3 a.m. Davenport was the crowd favorite as he made a run of his own on Friday. He won a pair of hill-hill matches, the first of which came against friend and business partner Johnny Archer.

Just 24 hours after Kim introduced Archer at the Scorpion's BCA Hall of Fame induction ceremony, the two would meet on the TV table. Up 10-8 in a race to 11, Archer hung a 7 ball in the corner pocket. Davenport cleaned up that rack and ran the next to tie the match at 10. Davenport dropped the 9 on the break, completing a dramatic comeback, while eliminating his friend.

"I don't think it mattered who beat [Archer]," Davenport said. "I know it must have been hard for him. I won and it was still hard for me."

Van Boening looks strong on his way through the one-loss side. (Photo by Lawrence Lustig-Matchroom Sport) CHESAPEAKE, Va. -- The first "official" round of play on Friday at the 2009 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships began with 24 players. (Thursday night stretched well into the early morning hours, wrapping up around 5 a.m.)

Those 24 players, from a starting total of 216, will be trimmed down to just four by the end of Friday night. While some world-beaters like Ralf Souquet and Rodney Morris keep rolling through the winners side, the one-loss side has a ton of talent eliminating one another throughout the day.

The 3 p.m. round of matches features four matches on the winners side:
- Souquet vs. Chris Bartram
- Karl Boyes vs. Donnie Mills
- Morris vs. Kim Davenport
- Lee Van Corteza vs. Imran Majid

Bartram and Mills may be the most surprising names still left unbeaten. Bartram, long regarded as one of the most active action players in the country, has collected an impressive list of victims, including a second-round win over reigning champion Mika Immonen.

Recent winner of the Texas Open, Bartram is in the early stages of the transition from road player to tournament titan. While enjoying plenty of success in the Chesapeake Conference Center, he is still learning how to jump out of the gate quick in a short race-to-11 format.

"I was a really slow starter for a long time," he said. "But I've been able to start fast. You don't have time to start slow in a tournament."

No stranger to tournament play, Kim Davenport has strung together four straight wins to earn a spot opposite Rodney Morris on the TV table. Davenport, who just last night introduced friend and business partner Johnny Archer into the BCA Hall of Fame banquet, is facing former champ Rodney Morris.

A number of former champions are making runs on the left side, including Archer and 2007 champ Shane Van Boening. Van Boening looks set to advance with a strong 7-0 start against young gun Mike Dechaine, while Archer faces Jose Parica.

Play will run through the evening -- and most likely into early Saturday morning -- until just four players remain. The final is set for tomorrow at 7 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time).

Immonen (right) couldn't overcome an early deficit against Chris Bartram. With 212 of the world's best players jumbled up in the U.S. Open bracket, nothing comes easy. And as Mika Immonen found out in his second-round match, things can be especially difficult with a bulls-eye on your back.

Immonen, the 2008 champion, will have some work to do after his repeat campaign hit an obstacle in Chris Bartram. A veteran action man, Bartram made some noise in September by winning the Texas Open. But few could argue he was anything but a hefty underdog against Immonen.

But Bartram came out firing, taking four of the first five racks against the 2008 Player of the Year. Immonen kept close and knotted the match at 8-8, but Bartram was too much. He took three of the next four for a shocking 11-9 victory.

While second-round play continues at the Chesapeake (Va.) Conference Center, upsets are popping up in the bracket. Former champs John Schmidt and Gabe Owen were both sent left, while European studs Thorsten Hohmann and Niels Feijen joined them on the one-loss side.

American favorites Johnny Archer and Shane Van Boening remain unbeaten, along with Corey Deuel, Rodney Morris and Charlie Williams.

The Filipino contingent, even without headliners Efren Reyes and Francisco Bustamante, will be major players as the bracket dwindles. Lee Vann Corteza, Warren Kiamco, Marlon Manalo and Roberto Gomez remain unbeated, but last year's runner-up Ronnie Alcano was upset by Japan's Tomoo Takano.

Ouschan survived a pair of hill-hill matches en route to the win. It wasn't as easy as she would have liked, but Jasmin Ouschan wrapped up her weekend at the Pacific Coast Classic with the title.

Ouschan narrowly survived a pair of hill-hill matches earlier in the event, before stringing together a trio of close calls in the TV rounds. The Austrian edged Sarah Rousey, 9-8, to advance to the single-elimination round of 16, where she escaped an early exit with another 9-8 victory, this time over Kim Shaw.

Once in the shortened races for TV, Ouschan edged Line Kjorsvik and Allison Fisher by identical 7-4 counts. She then faced Xiaoting Pan in the final. Pan had her only close call of the tournament against Gerda Hofstatter in the quarterfinal round, pulling out a win in the case rack, 7-6.

In the final, the two traded games early on, both players unable to establish control of the table. With the match tied at five games apiece, Ouschan and Pan traded misses on the 8 ball, before Ouschan won a safety battle to climb on the hill. With Pan missing an attempt on the 4 ball in the next rack, Ouschan buried a 4-9 combination to win the Pacific Coast Classic.

With a win at the Great Lakes Classic, Ouschan has won multiple titles on the WPBA for the first time in her career. Also, she jumped up from No. 9 on the year-end points list to No. 4.

The WPBA will wrap up the 2009 Classic Tour at the Tour Championship, set for Nov. 11-15 at the Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Calif.

Kim will begin play on Thursday with a 14-match winning streak. (Photo by Anne Craig-WPBA) Just three weeks removed from her second consecutive win on the Classic Tour, Ga Young Kim sits atop the brackets for this weekend's Pacific Coast Classic. Ranked No. 1 in the year-end points rankings, the Korean star has been unbeatable in recent months.

She first snapped off the WPBA U.S. Open in August, then ran her winning streak to 14 matches with an undefeated run at last month's Colorado Classic. Kim will open play at the Chinook Winds Casino on Thursday afternoon against Tamara Rademakers.

Kelly Fisher, runner-up to Kim at the Colorado event and winner of last year's Pacific Coast Classic, will begin play against Maureen Seto. While Fisher is ranked fourth overall, she has been perhaps the most consistent player on the Classic Tour over the past two seasons. The 2008 Player of the Year, Fisher has advanced to a pair of final tables this year — and a total of six in the last nine events.

Free live streaming of featured matches will be available online. The Pooldawg.com Webcast can be viewed at www.wpba.com.

photos courtesy Jerry Tarantola

Cohen made history as France's first World Pool Champion

Parsippany, New Jersey-  There's a new sheriff in straight pool town, Stephan Cohen. In an event where names like Ortmann, Hohmann, Immonen dominated headlines all week, relatively unknown Stephan Cohen of France surprised everyone, including himself. Cohen's win capped off the 6 days of the Predator 69th World 14.1 Championship presented by Ozone Billiards. The Dragon Promotions revived event is in its 4th consecutive year alive with help of industry giants such as 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 start play on August 24, 2009 and end August 29. The greatest straight pool players from around the world will arrive on USA's east coast again to New Jersey, and attend this prestigious event to play for the coveted title of World Straight Pool Champion.

Ortmann looked the man to beat all week with his record four 100 + ball runs. But Mika Immonen had been Germany's Achilles heel. Immonen knocked out pre-event favorite Thorsten Hohmann and then in a dramatic match full of reversal of leads, he upsetted Oliver Ortmann. Mika took an early 60 ball lead against Ortmann, the first time Ortmann had trailed in any of his matches the previous 5 days. Ortmann came back though to take the lead. Mika then came back and re-took the lead, but relinquisehed the table again and it looked all over as Ortmann needed a 70 ball run to win, a mere formality it seemed compared to his other matches. At 181, Ortmann missed a combination a few inches from the hole, and Mika knew it would be his last chance. HE ran 55 and out to keep Ortmann at 3rd place and away from a second world title in 14.1.

"When Oliver was on his last inning, I knew if I ever got another chance that would be it. I decided to not try to be too cute, just play,"Immonen said after his match win.


Immonen kept the heat on Ortmann in the semi-finals

In a lackluster and long 4 hour battle with USA's Johnny Archer, Cohen defeated Archer 200-104 .  This was Archer's highest finish at the World 14.1, and he was USA's highest finisher this year. So far since 1990, a USA player has not made it to the finals.


Archer finished a career high 3rd at the World Straight Pool

The final match would be a first, Finland vs France. To date, neither country had ever won a World 14.1 billiards title, and no Frenchman or woman, had ever claimed a world title in pool. The match started with the heavy favorite Immonen with a 97 ball run. He eventually held Cohen to a devastating 145-15, all in a matter of less than an hour. But you can't keep a good Frenchman down.


Cohen went undefeated throughout the entire event, and pocketed 1300 balls

Cohen clawed his way back with a couple small but helpful runs, and Immonen made two more errors. Eventually both players were very close, with Immonen leading 160-145. Immonen had another turn at the table and it seemed he would close out the match still as expected, but at 181 he left himself no good shot. A jacked up cutshot on the 4ball, or a kick shot on the 12ball. He opted for the kickshot but only managed to hit the ball and not threaten the pocket. Cohen came back and ran out. Cohen left himself a very tough backwards cut shot on the 4ball as the breakshot, but hit it beautifully. THis started his final run and he closed the match out 200-181 with a jubilant shout and fist in the air!


Immonen knocked out the German favorites, but fell short in the finals

"I really thought I was going to finally win one of these Dragon Promotions 14.1 events. It's hard to get so close again," said a dejected Immonen. Immonen, to his credit, made it to his 6th consecutive finals match in just 7 weeks. He won 4 out of the 7 finals matches.

An emotional Cohen squeaked out a few tears and went to Danny Diliberto,expert Accu-Stats commentator and former billiards champion, and embraced him.

"I owe this World title and everything I know of straight pool to this man. He gave me all his knowledge, and I wouldn't have won without him," said Cohen in his victory speech to the fans.

"Cohen came to me after his semi-finals win, and told me he had a problem. He booked his flight to leave tonight before the finals!",explained Charlie Williams, the co-producer of the event. "He laughed and told me he never thought he'd make it this far."

The awards ceremony re-introduced the final 4 players, and Oliver Ortmann gave an embrace and genuine congratulations to Cohen on his well deserved win. Cohen's name will be inscribed on the World Straight Pool Championship trophy alongside Niels Feijen, Oliver Ortmann, Thorsten Hohmann, and legends Mosconi, Mizerak, Greenleaf, Crane and many more.


Stephan's Cohen name will be inscribed as the 69th Champion of the World 14.1 Tournament

Mosconi High Run Award paid $500 bonus to Oliver Ortmann who's 150 and out stood as the top run. Hohmann's world record of 174 still stands.  The high run prizes were sponsored by Jay Helfert of Los Angeles CA, and Louis Pannullo of Queens, NY. Mattana and Siegel are added an additional $1000 to any player that broke the world record of 174.

The 2009 Predator World Straight Pool Championship is proudly sponsored by Predator Cues, Comet Billiards, Brunswick Billiards, Simonis Cloth, Ozone Billiards, Laser Rack, Master Chalk and patron sponsors Stu Mattana and Harold Siegel of Excelsior Graphics. For more information on player registration, sponsorship, or if you would like to submit a comment, please email worldstraightpoolchampionships@gmail.com or contact Dragon Promotions at 1-407-782-4978.

photo courtesy Jerry Tarantola

Oliver Ortmann ran another impressive 124 against Herring

Parsippany, New Jersey - It took the likes of a player such as Mika Immonen to take out former World 14.1 Champ Thorsten Hohmann. Immonen controlled the match till the end, despite a late rally from the German. Oliver Ortmann easily dispatched USA's Earl Herring and Scotland's Jonni Fulcher to advance to the semi-finals of the Predator 69th World 14.1 Championship presented by Ozone Billiards. The Dragon Promotions revived event is in its 4th consecutive year alive with help of industry giants such as 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 start play on August 24, 2009 and end August 29. The greatest straight pool players from around the world will arrive on USA's east coast again to New Jersey, and attend this prestigious event to play for the coveted title of World Straight Pool Champion.

Ortmann continues his reign of terror in NJ, again with another 100 ball run, today 124. This is his fourth consecutive 100+ ball run for the event. But he will face his toughest challenge yet, the formidable Mika Immonen. Immonen, a former European 14.1 Champ, has been on a hot streak including a recent 2nd place at The Mezz Classic 14.1 which included a win over Hohmann in Orlando a few weeks ago. This win may have given him additional psychological edge as he handed Hohmann a second consecutive defeat by his hands, eliminating this year's hope of Hohmann regaining the coveted World 14.1 crown.

Immonen had faltered last year in the final 16, but this year had earlier predicted he would try much harder and bear down in the later stages. He seems to be holding true to his word. Many fans were hoping for a Oliver versus Thorsten showdown, but Mika seems to be the better man in 14.1 as of late. If Immonen wins, this would mark his second World title since his iconic win in Cardiff at the World 9-Ball back in 2001.

"This is an  important title for me. To be the World Straight Pool Champion will prove to the world I am not a one trick pony",said Immonen.



Immonen believes he is due for another World title

On the other side of the charts, Charlie Williams continued his run with a 200-40 crushing of Jim Gottier. After Johnny Archer dispatched Corey Deuel for the second time, Archer and Williams faced each other for the right to represent the USA in the semi-finals. Williams struck first blood with a 57 ball run off Archer's break, but later Archer cameback and eventually came with a 109 ball run to reach 191-80. Williams made a short rally to 126, but missed the breakball and gave Archer the chance for the win.



Archer is the 3rd American to reach the semi-finals in the four years of the revived event

Tony Robles also lost a tough 200-149 match against France's Stefan Cohen. Robles finished 5th, his best ever finish at the World 14.1 and first ever top 16 appearance. Cohen and Archer will face off tomorrow in the other semi-finals. If Archer wins, he will be the first American to ever reach the finals of the World 14.1 since its revival four years ago. The winner will get Ortmann or Immonen, neither being a very appetizing prospect.

On the lighter side, The Pro Am World 14.1 event featured sponsors Harold Siegel, Stu Mattana, Bill Haley, Cindy Lee, and VIP guest Joel Schapiro alongwith pros Max Eberle, Earl Herring, Jonni Fulcher, Tony Robles, and Zaid Thweib. Cindy Lee/Max Eberle defeated Schapior/Herring 25-2 in their 14.1 scotch doubles race and then won 25-24 against Haley/Thweib. But Mattana/Fulcher were unstoppable and easily won 25-5 in the finals.

Fans can watch live online at www.accu-stats.com

Per day tickets can be bought at the door during the event.

The Mosconi High Run Award will pay $500 to the players with overall high run of the event plus $100 to the highest run each day.

The high run prizes are sponsored by Jay Helfert of Los Angeles CA, and Louis Pannullo of Queens, NY. Mattana and Siegel are adding additional $1000 to any player that breaks the world record of 174.

2009 Predator World Straight Pool Championship is proudly sponsored by Predator Cues, Comet Billiards, Brunswick Billiards, Simonis Cloth, Ozone Billiards, Laser Rack, Master Chalk and patron sponsors Stu Mattana and Harold Siegel of Excelsior Graphics. For more information on player registration, sponsorship, or if you would like to submit a comment, please email worldstraightpoolchampionships@gmail.com or contact Dragon Promotions at 1-407-782-4978.

Ozone Billiards has been providing pool players with top quality billiard products for more than eight years. Its commitment to customer service has helped Ozone Billiards grow to be one of the largest retailers of billiard supplies in the United States. For more information about Ozone Billiards and its product lines, visit www.ozonebilliards.com

Predator Group, an international billiards industry leader, is focused on bringing constant innovation and game-improving equipment to billiards players worldwide. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, USA, Predator Group’s core brands include Predator Cues – high-end (professional level) cues with revolutionary technology to enhance performance, Poison Billiards – recreational cues with cutting-edge designs and Predator engineering for best-in-class playability, and Uni-Loc® – precision billiards equipment manufacturer. For more information regarding Predator Group’s products, visit www.predatorgroup.com.

Parsippany, New Jersey- Germany's Ralf Eckert ran a perfect 100 ball run in his race to 100 round robin match against USA's Dan Louie. Even better was Pat Fleming had picked the match for Accu-Stats streaming, and it turned out to be a wise choice. Eckert's fellow Germans also had another good day staying undefeated on Day 2  of the Predator 69th World 14.1 Championship presented by Ozone Billiards. The Dragon Promotions revived event is in its 4th consecutive year alive with help of industry giants such as 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 start play on August 24, 2009 and end August 29. The greatest straight pool players from around the world will arrive on USA's east coast again to New Jersey, and attend this prestigious event to play for the coveted title of World Straight Pool Champion.

Women's champ Yu Ram Cha won a close 100-87 match against legendary Grady Mathews. Though 3x younger than the Professor and vastly outnumbered in 14.1 knowledge, Cha's shotmaking kept it close and she pulled out the win. Cha later led 75-50 against NYC's Danny Barouty before Barouty out safetied her and clawed back a 100-75 win. Gerda Hofstatter lost a disappointing 100-43 to Shaun Wilkie, but bounced back with a win over Bill Dunsmore. Cha must win at least 1 out of the 2 remaining matches to qualify and faces group top seed Allen Hopkins and NYC's strong Jim Gottier. Hofstatter is also in the same spot but will have her hands full with Group leader Charlie Williams and top men's pro Tony Robles.

Corey Deuel leads Group 6 without any player barely passing 50 points against him and holding 2 opponents to less than a rack of points. Group 8 saw Charlie Williams make a small upset over more seasoned 14.1 player Tony Robles 100-56 to stay undefeated and the leader. Johnny Archer stays undefeated and leads Group 4 while Mika Immonen also stays the leader in Group 3 so far untested. France's Stefan Cohen stays brilliant with his 3 wins including 100-62 over throwback African American champ Earl Herring. Group 7 looks like will be a showdown between NJ/NY legends Allen Hopkins and Danny Barouty for the top seed in Group 7. The top seeds through the round robin will get a bye the first round of the next stage of race to 150 double elimination.

The German doomsday squad of Oliver Ortmann, Thorsten Hohmann, and Ralf Eckert are all undefeated and look very unlikely to lose their #1 spots in their groups.

Fans can watch live online at www.accu-stats.com 

Per day tickets can be bought at the door during the event.

The Mosconi High Run Award will pay $500 to the players with overall high run of the event plus $100 to the highest run each day.

The high run prizes are sponsored by Jay Helfert of Los Angeles CA, and Louis Pannullo of Queens, NY.

August 28 at 5pm, the night before the finals, Comet Billiards will host a special sponsor / pro team match tournament for the patron sponsors of the event. Billiard aficionado Stu Mattana of NYC and long time billiard supporter Harold Siegel of NYC are two of this year's generous patrons of the Predator World 14.1 Championship. Their contributions are helping keeping the event going. Dragon Promotions encourages others to come on board to join as a sponsor and can be reached at worldstraightpoolchampionships@gmail.com or call 1-407-782-4978

2009 Predator World Straight Pool Championship is proudly sponsored by Predator Cues, Comet Billiards, Brunswick Billiards, Simonis Cloth, Ozone Billiards, Laser Rack, Master Chalk and patron sponsors Stu Mattana and Harold Siegel of Excelsior Graphics. For more information on player registration, sponsorship, or if you would like to submit a comment, please email worldstraightpoolchampionships@gmail.com

Ozone Billiards has been providing pool players with top quality billiard products for more than eight years. Its commitment to customer service has helped Ozone Billiards grow to be one of the largest retailers of billiard supplies in the United States. For more information about Ozone Billiards and its product lines, visit www.ozonebilliards.com

Predator Group, an international billiards industry leader, is focused on bringing constant innovation and game-improving equipment to billiards players worldwide. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, USA, Predator Group’s core brands include Predator Cues – high-end (professional level) cues with revolutionary technology to enhance performance, Poison Billiards – recreational cues with cutting-edge designs and Predator engineering for best-in-class playability, and Uni-Loc® – precision billiards equipment manufacturer. For more information regarding Predator Group’s products, visit www.predatorgroup.com.

Four spots on board of directors for the Women's Professional Billiard Association must be filled for 2010. To that end, the WPBA will be accepting nominations for the seats through Sunday, Aug. 30. Of the four spots, two seats are for one-year terms and two are for three-year terms.

The WPBA is looking for individuals with "a passion for pool" while having expertise in sales, marketing or any field that would be helpful for the organization. Nominations, including a full resume and a one-page position statement, can be submitted by e-mail to the WPBA office at anne@wpba.com.

Position statements should include how you can make a difference, what ideas you may have and how your experience would impact the WPBA via the Board of Directors.

The players of the 69th World Straight Pool Tournament- photo courtesy Tom Flowers

Parsippany, New Jersey- Day 1 is in the books of the 69th World 14.1 Championship. Of course the favorites, the Europeans, made it through relatively easy, such as Hohmann's 92 and out against Jonathan Smith,Ortmann's dominating play over Steve Lipsky, and France's Stefan Cohen's 91 and out against Earl Herring. But the USA is looking good and so are the ladies,as they made their niches, too. The Predator World Straight Pool Championship is presented by Ozone Billiards. The Dragon Promotions revived event is in its 4th consecutive year alive with help of industry giants such as 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 start play on August 24, 2009 and end August 29. The greatest straight pool players from around the world will arrive on USA's east coast again to New Jersey, and attend this prestigious event to play for the coveted title of World Straight Pool Champion.

The two lone ladies Yu Ram Cha of Korea and Gerda Hofstatter of Austria won both their matches handily. Cha defeated Chicago Qualifier winner Jeff Mohl 100-62 while Hofstatter defeated NYC Qualifier winner Jude Rosenstock 100-38. Both women played last year's World 14.1 but failed to pass the round robin. This year could be different.

Johnny Archer escaped underdog Ed Deska after trailing 82-50, but came back and ran the set out after a great jacked up cross side bank. Forum fan favorite Max Eberle returns to the World Tournament after 2 years absence with his dominating 100-28 win over California's Dan Wallace. Notable absence from John Schmidt who broke his arm a few weeks before the event. Schmidt would've been USA's top hope to win the crown, but players such as Archer, Eberle, Robles, Hopkins, Barouty are more than capable.

In an entertaining match on Accu-Stats, legendary Grady Mathews took on Danny Barouty, local NY legend. In a long winded match full of safeties, three fouled, and scratches, Barouty came on top at the very end 100-73.

"I just read the comments from the European contingent. Don’t be surprised if the winner doesn’t celebrate in a beer hall over a tall stein. There are going to be a few surprises coming out of the Big Apple. A victory drink at Greys Papaya on 72nd is a definite possibility. The owner of Amsterdam Billiards should start getting the joint ready for the celebration following the return of the title to the greatest city in the world. Not Berlin or Helsinki but New York. (Apologies to Madrid, Paris, Seoul and Tel Aviv. It ain’t happenin’).  I guarantee victory or my name isn’t Steve Lipsky." said the always entertaining Danny Barouty of NY.

Fans can watch live online at www.accu-stats.com

Per day tickets can be bought at the door during the event.

The Mosconi High Run Award will pay $500 to the players with overall high run of the event plus $100 to the highest run each day.

The high run prizes are sponsored by Jay Helfert of Los Angeles CA, and Louis Pannullo of Queens, NY.

Day 1 PM Session - Monday
2	G #	5:00pm		G #	6:30 PM		G #	8:00 PM		G #	9:30 PM
3	1	J. Smith	T.Hohmann	1	A. Waldo	Z. Thweib	1	A. Masucci	P. Burrows	2	M. Snodgrass	Z. Zvi
4	2	B. Maropulos	Z. Zvi	3	R.Eckert	C. Eames	2	S. Lipsky	O.Ortmann	3	C. Eames	D.Louie
5	5	B. Jewett	S. Moore	4	R. Michalec	J. Fulcher	3	D.Louie	R. Madenjian	4	E. Deska	J. Archer
6	7	J. Mohl	Y. Cha	5	E. Herring	S. Cohen	4	D. Wallace	M. Eberle	5	D. Walsh	J. Sossei
7	8	J. Rosenstock	G. Hofstatter	7	J. Gottier	A. Hopkins	6	B. Chamberlain	C. Deuel	6	L. Pannullo	M.Vidal
8				8	B. Dunsmore	T. Robles	8	S. Wilkie	C. Williams	7	G. Mathews	D. Barouty
9	Day 2 AM Sessions - Tuesday
10	G #	10:00 AM		G #	11:30 AM		G #	1:00 PM		G #	2:30 PM
11	1	Z. Thweib	A. Masucci				1	T.Hohmann	A. Waldo	1	P. Burrows	J. Smith
12	3	M. Immonen	M. Frank	2	C. Viera	B. Maropulos	2	O.Ortmann	M. Snodgrass	3	R. Madenjian	C. Eames
13	5	S. Cohen	B. Jewett	3	M. Frank	C. Eames	3	M. Frank	R.Eckert	4	M. Eberle	J. Fulcher
14	7	J. Gottier	J. Mohl	4	J. Archer	R. Michalec	5	S. Moore	D. Walsh	5	J. Sossei	E. Herring
15	8	T. Robles	J. Rosenstock	7	D. Barouty	J. Gottier	6	M. Davis	M.Vidal	6	J. Tarantola	C. Deuel
16				8	G. Hofstatter	S. Wilkie	8	J. Rosenstock	S. Wilkie	7	Y. Cha	G. Mathews
17	Day 2 PM Sessions - Tuesday
18	G #	5:00pm		G #	6:30 PM		G #	8:00 PM		G #	9:30 PM
19	2	Z. Zvi	C. Viera	1	P. Burrows	Z. Thweib	1	A. Masucci	T.Hohmann	1	J. Smith	A. Waldo
20	4	J. Fulcher	D. Wallace	2	B. Maropulos	S. Lipsky	2	C. Viera	O.Ortmann	3	R. Madenjian	M. Frank
21	5	D. Walsh	S. Cohen	3	C. Eames	M. Immonen	3	D.Louie	R.Eckert	5	E. Herring	B. Jewett
22	6	M.Vidal	J. Tarantola	4	M. Eberle	E. Deska	4	D. Wallace	J. Archer	6	M. Davis	B. Chamberlain
23	7	A. Hopkins	J. Mohl	5	J. Sossei	S. Moore	6	C. Deuel	L. Pannullo	7	D. Barouty	Y. Cha
24	8	C. Williams	B. Dunsmore	6	L. Pannullo	M. Davis	7	G. Mathews	A. Hopkins	8	T. Robles	C. Williams
25				8	B. Dunsmore	G. Hofstatter
26	Day 3 AM Sessions - Wednesday
27	G #	10:00 AM		G #	11:30 AM		G #	1:00 PM		G #	2:30 PM
28	1	J. Smith	A. Masucci	1	Z. Thweib	J. Smith	1	A. Waldo	P. Burrows	1	Z. Thweib	T.Hohmann
29	2	S. Lipsky	M. Snodgrass	3	R.Eckert	M. Immonen	2	Z. Zvi	O.Ortmann	2	M. Snodgrass	B. Maropulos
30	4	E. Deska	R. Michalec	4	R. Michalec	M. Eberle	3	M. Frank	D.Louie	5	E. Herring	D. Walsh
31	5	S. Moore	S. Cohen	5	B. Jewett	J. Sossei	4	J. Fulcher	J. Archer	6	M.Vidal	C. Deuel
32	7	J. Gottier	G. Mathews	6	B. Chamberlain	J. Tarantola	5	S. Moore	E. Herring	7	Y. Cha	A. Hopkins
33				7	J. Mohl	D. Barouty	8	J. Rosenstock	B. Dunsmore	8	S. Wilkie	B. Dunsmore
34	Day 3 PM Sessions - Wednesday
35	G #	5:00pm		G #	6:30 PM		G #	8:00 PM		G #	9:30 PM
36	1	A. Waldo	A. Masucci				1	T.Hohmann	P. Burrows	2	M. Snodgrass	C. Viera
37	2	S. Lipsky	C. Viera	3	M. Immonen	D.Louie	2	O.Ortmann	B. Maropulos	3	R. Madenjian	M. Immonen
38	4	E. Deska	D. Wallace	4	J. Archer	M. Eberle	3	R.Eckert	R. Madenjian	4	R. Michalec	D. Wallace
39	5	S. Cohen	J. Sossei	6	M.Vidal	B. Chamberlain	4	J. Fulcher	E. Deska	5	B. Jewett	D. Walsh
40	6	B. Chamberlain	L. Pannullo	7	A. Hopkins	D. Barouty	6	C. Deuel	M. Davis	6	L. Pannullo	J. Tarantola
41	7	Y. Cha	J. Gottier	8	S. Wilkie	T. Robles	7	J. Mohl	G. Mathews	8	G. Hofstatter	T. Robles
42	8	C. Williams	G. Hofstatter	6	J. Tarantola	M. Davis	8	C. Williams	J. Rosenstock	2	Z. Zvi	S. Lipsky

August 28 at 5pm, the night before the finals, Comet Billiards will host a special sponsor / pro team match tournament for the patron sponsors of the event. Billiard aficionado Stu Mattana of NYC and long time billiard supporter Harold Siegel of NYC are two of this year's generous patrons of the Predator World 14.1 Championship. Their contributions are helping keeping the event going. Dragon Promotions encourages others to come on board to join as a sponsor and can be reached at worldstraightpoolchampionships@gmail.com or call 1-407-782-4978

The 2009 Predator World Straight Pool Championship is proudly sponsored by Predator Cues, Comet Billiards, Brunswick Billiards, Simonis Cloth, Ozone Billiards, Laser Rack, Master Chalk and patron sponsors Stu Mattana and Harold Siegel of Excelsior Graphics. For more information on player registration, sponsorship, or if you would like to submit a comment, please email worldstraightpoolchampionships@gmail.com or contact Dragon Promotions at 1-407-782-4978.

Ozone Billiards has been providing pool players with top quality billiard products for more than eight years. Its commitment to customer service has helped Ozone Billiards grow to be one of the largest retailers of billiard supplies in the United States. For more information about Ozone Billiards and its product lines, visit www.ozonebilliards.com

Predator Group, an international billiards industry leader, is focused on bringing constant innovation and game-improving equipment to billiards players worldwide. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, USA, Predator Group’s core brands include Predator Cues – high-end (professional level) cues with revolutionary technology to enhance performance, Poison Billiards – recreational cues with cutting-edge designs and Predator engineering for best-in-class playability, and Uni-Loc® – precision billiards equipment manufacturer. For more information regarding Predator Group’s products, visit www.predatorgroup.com.

Dominguez braved a tough field, with wins over a number of top Americans in the late rounds. With America's best players assembled in Verona, N.Y., for the second $25,000-added Turning Stone Classic of 2009, Oscar Dominguez was a plausible dark horse to make a run deep into the bracket. With a third-place finish at March's Pro Players Championship in Valley Forge, Pa., Dominguez is on a shortlist of players who might just join the elite in the U.S.

So, it was not all that surprising when the 24-year-old shot his way through a 128-player field to win the $8,000 first-place prize, his first major professional victory.

Dominguez, son of long-time professional Ernesto Dominguez, definitely earned the victory, stringing together victories over Shawn Putnam, 9-6; Corey Deuel, 9-7; and Shane Van Boening, 9-5, to earn a spot in the hot-seat match against an unlikely opponent.

Zion Zvi just recently relocated to New York from his native Israel. In the months since his arrival, he has proved a top player on the Predator 9-Ball Tour, winning his first event and finishing in the top five in two others.

At the Turning Stone Casino, Zvi kept rolling through the winners side with a number of tough victories. He edged Mike Davis, 9-8, before edging Mhet Vergara, 9-7. His next test came against Robb Saez, and Zvi escaped with yet another hill-hill win to meet Dominguez in the hot-seat match.

Zvi couldn't keep the magic, losing the set, 9-2, to the Californian. But with a 9-4 victory over Deuel in the left-side final, Zvi earned another shot at Dominguez.

In the single-set race-to-13, Dominguez was playing perfectly from the get-go. He won the first four games, never allowing Zvi an opportunity to get back in the match. With a poise beyond his years, Dominguez cruised to a 13-5 win to collect his first big-time professional title.

Archer and Fisher will be honored during October's U.S. Open. Advance tickets are now on sale online for the 2009 Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame Banquet, the United States Billiard Media Association (USBMA) announced today.

The dinner banquet, at which pool greats Johnny Archer and Allison Fisher will be formally inducted into the BCA Hall of Fame, will take place Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Marriott Chesapeake Hotel, Chesapeake, Va., in conjunction with the 2009 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships.

The banquet, honoring Archer and Fisher as the 54th and 55th inductees into the sport?s hallowed shrine, will also be attended by previous inductees and will feature testimonials celebrating the pair?s illustrious careers. Cocktails (cash bar) will be served from 5:00 p.m. ? 6:00 p.m., with dinner and the formal induction ceremony running from 6:00 p.m. ? 7:45 p.m.

?I?m very excited about having the BCA Hall of Fame Banquet at the U.S. Open,? said U.S. Open founder and promoter Barry Behrman. ?This promises to be one of the best banquets ever.

?I?m suspending play during the banquet to give Johnny and Allison the respect they deserve,? Berhman continued. ?Matches will resume at 8:00 pm that evening.?

Advance tickets are $55 per person (or $500 for a table of 10) at www.usbma.com/HallofFame2009. Advance ticket sales will end Oct. 18. Tickets purchased at the U.S. Open will be $60 per person. Seating is limited.

The 2009 BCA Hall of Fame Banquet is being produced by the USBMA, in cooperation with the Billiard Congress of America and the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships.

Parsippany, New Jersey- Europe's iron grip on straight pool this millennium doesn't seem easy to shake even this year with 2007 World 14.1 Champion Oliver Ortmann, 2006 World 14.1 Champion Thorsten Hohmann, and World #1 Mika Immonen all aiming for the crown. The Dragon Promotions revived event is in its 4th consecutive year alive with help of industry giants such as 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 start play on August 24, 2009 and end August 29. The greatest straight pool players from around the world will arrive on USA's east coast again to New Jersey, and attend this prestigious event to play for the coveted title of World Straight Pool Champion. 

photo by Wei Chao www.cuetable.com

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.

 

The World #1, Mika Immonen

photo by Wei Chao www.cuetable.com

Finland's one shining star has been more than enough the past five years. Mika "Ice Man" Immonen has been Finland's lone soldier, but has been more than the world can handle recently with a string of wins and finals finishes. The 2008 Pool & Billiard Magazine, Billiards Digest, and Inside Pool Player of the Year has maintained his #1 status into 2009. Immonen is well versed in straight pool with a European Straight Pool Championship under his belt as well as Bronze at the 2006 World 14.1 and 5th and 9th place finishes. Immonen also was runner-up in back to back Mezz Classic 14.1 events. But the World Championship title in 14.1  has eluded him. What does winning the event mean to  The Ice Man?

"Of course it would be nice to seal the deal and win the World 14.1 title. I did win the European title in 1998 beating no other than Ralf Souquet in the finals there. I feel like I have been close like a few years ago at 3rd but lost semi versus Thomas Engert. I just have to keep doing what I have been doing the whole year and I thin I have a chance. I know the game. I just need to be mentally steady. In 14.1 it doesn't take much and you either steal the set or feel it slipping away. Last year I played steady until the single-knockout. This year I want to prove that I can maintain. Additionally  it would be nice to be recognized as an all-a-round great player" said Immonen. He will be coming in as the #3 seed.

" Seems like we have a great field coming up in this year's World Championship, so it should be fun. The winner is definitely  deserving of the title. "

 

photo by Wei Chao www.cuetable.com

The #1 seed of the event is no doubt Germany's Thorsten Hohmann. Hohmann's  name has been almost synonymous with straight pool these past few years. "The Hitman" has won the European 14.1 Championship, the 2008 Lucasi Classic 14.1, annihilated the field of 14.1 champions in last years Accu-Stats 14.1 Invitational, and of course became the first non-American to win the World 14.1 title in history. Hohmann also holds the world record for biggest run of 176 during a World Championship.

So how does one handle the pressure of being the #1 favorite?

"There are so many players out there that can run 150 balls and out. Nobody can claim to be the best.  I wouldn't say that I am THE favorite to win the title, but I have always performed very well at the World Straight Pool Championship and also Comet Billiards,  and I am expecting 100% effort from myself also this time. I am looking forward to play some Straight Pool and whoever wants to beat me will have to play their very best," said Hohmann.

Strong words from a strong player.

"Oliver has so much desire and determination in straight pool. He's made history many times for Europe internationally. The man is an icon. Mika is #1, and has been the man to beat the past year and a half, and I know he wants to win the World 14.1 and show he's not just a killer in 9-ball/10-ball. And when he has a goal, he always eventually meets it," commented USA top pro Charlie WIlliams who is also the co-producer of the event. "And Thorsten, well.....he IS Straight Pool."

There will be one last qualifier and opportunity to play in this historic event. The final qualifier will be August 22 at Comet Billiards, which is the same venue as the main event The World 14.1 Championship. Players are to be signed up by 11am.

The main event August 24-29 format will be 48 players round robin race to 100 the first 3 days. Half the field will be cut and the final 24 will play a double elimination board race to 150, with the #1 seed in each group from round robin getting a bye first round. 16 players will make it out of the double elimination board and advance to the final stage single elimination race to 200 points.

This year marks the 69th World Tournament for 14.1, and stars such as Thorsten Hohmann, Oliver Ortmann, Johnny Archer, Tony Robles, and Mika Immonen are just a few of the powerful list of world beaters who will come to play in the greatest straight pool tournament in the world. 

August 28 at 5pm, the night before the finals, Comet Billiards will host a special sponsor / pro team match tournament for the patron sponsors of the event. Billiard aficionado Stu Mattana of NYC and long time billiard supporter Harold Siegel of NYC are two of this year's generous patrons of the Predator World 14.1 Championship. Their contributions are helping keeping the event going. Dragon Promotions encourages others to come on board to join as a sponsor and can be reached at worldstraightpoolchampionships@gmail.com or call 1-407-782-4978

CueSports International, August 11, 2009

Entering its 17th year, The U.S Bar Table Championships is expanding. The popular and long standing $24,500 added event is including two new divisions starting with the February 22-28, 2010 tournament.

Produced by CueSports International (CSI) and hosted by the Terrible’s Sands Regency Hotel & Casino in Reno, Nevada the always competitive tournament has traditionally featured three divisions: open 8-Ball, open 9-Ball and open 10-Ball. A special cash “All Around” bonus is awarded every year to the top three men and women shooters who enter all three open events.

However, starting in 2010 CSI is expanding the tournament to include women exclusive 8-Ball and 9-Ball divisions. The new Women’s 8-Ball Division will be $1000 added with races to 4 on both the winner and one loss side of the bracket. The new Women’s 9-Ball Division will also be $1000 added with races to 7. The Open 9-Ball and Open 10-Ball Divisions will have $6000 added and the Open 8-Ball Division will have $7000 added. The Open All-Around bonus will have a total of $3500 added.

Further information and the 2010 registration form for the U.S Bar Table Championships will be available soon on the CSI website, www.playcsipool.com.

CueSports International (CSI) is the parent company of the BCA Pool League, the USA Pool League and the National Championship Series (NCS). CSI also produces the U.S Bar Table Championships, the Jay Swanson Memorial and, coming in 2010, the U.S Open 10-Ball Championship. For more information about CSI or any of its divisions and events please call (702) 719-7665 or email holly@playcsipool.com

CueSports International, August 11, 2009

Due to low pre-registration, CSI regrettably announces the Shootout at the Sands, which was scheduled August 14-23, 2009, has been cancelled. These dates were the only dates available at the Sands in 2009. Both CSI and the management at the Sands are working together to reschedule the event for next year. The tournament featured several divisions, including an open doubles, men’s 8-Ball, men’s 10-Ball, women’s 8-Ball and women’s 10-Ball. The event did not have sufficient early entries to justify the generous $15,000 added by the host hotel, Terrible’s Sands Regency Hotel and Casino, Reno, NV. All those who pre-registered have been contacted and their entry money refunded.

It was not an easy decision to make as the Terrible’s Sands Hotel and Casino is a tremendous supporter of pool and has added hundreds of thousands of dollars to tournaments over the past 25 years including the U.S Bar Table Championships and the Reno Open. However, continuing its support of pool, the Terrible’s Sands Regency in Reno will once again be hosting the 2010 U.S Bar Table Championships February 22-28. The well regarded event will be entering its 17th year.

CueSports International (CSI) is the parent company of the BCA Pool League, the USA Pool League and the National Championship Series (NCS). CSI also produces the U.S Bar Table Championships, the Jay Swanson Memorial and, coming in 2010, the U.S Open 10-Ball Championship. For more information about CSI or any of its divisions and events please call (702) 719-7665 or email holly@playcsipool.com

For the past two decades, Billiards Digest has been celebrating the hottest and most imaginative new poolrooms in our annual Architecture and Design Awards issue. This year, we want to make sure we hear from the best and brightest of new and renovated rooms, so if you have opened a new room in the last year or know of a great new billiard parlor, please read below and drop us a line.

From the quirky beer bar to the million dollar high-class joint, poolrooms come in all shapes and sizes. BD's Design Awards recognize the design, construction and modernization of billiard facilities ? both public and private ? in the United States and around the world.

Rooms completed after July 1, 2008 are eligible to enter one of four categories:
- Best New Billiard Room, Commercial
- Best New Billiard Room, Home
- Best Renovated Billiard Room, Commercial
- Best Renovated Billiard Room,Home

The top new commercial rooms, along with the all-around A&D winners will be featured in the November issue of Billiards Digest.

Entry forms can be downloaded at this link:
www.billiardsdigest.com/designawards/

Please direct any questions to nickl@billiardsdigest.com or (312) 341-1110.

The deadline for entries is August 31, 2009.

Parsippany, New Jersey- Qualifier winners from Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York City will be heading to Parsippany, New Jersey for the 69th Annual Predator World 14.1 Championship presented by Ozone Billiards. Bob Chamberlain, Michael Frank, Jeffrey Mohl, Richard Michalec, Jonathan Smith, and Jude Rosenstock will go up against the world's best 14.1ers! The Dragon Promotions revived event is in its 4th consecutive year alive with help of industry giants such as 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 start play on August 24, 2009 and end August 29. The greatest straight pool players from around the world will arrive on USA's east coast again to New Jersey, and attend this prestigious event to play for the coveted title of World Straight Pool Champion. 

The first qualifier was held at Drexeline Billiards near Philadelphia and owned by 14.1 veteran Bob Maidhof. Bob Chamberlain of Virginia went undefeated for his spot while Israel's Zion Zvi went through the loser's side for his spot.  But due to the fact he was already invited and thus ineligible for the spot, Zvi had to give the spot to runner-up in 3rd Maryland's Dr.Michael Frank . But in a gracious move, Frank had decided to sponsor Zvi himself into the main event and paid his entry! Very classy.

The next event in Chicago's Red Shoe Billiards owned by John Lavin,  saw St.Louis's Lou Figueroa go undefeated to win the qualifier, but never intended to win. Because of a date conflict, Lou graciously passed over his spot and the top two recipients Jeff Mohl and Rick Michalec will be going to the 14.1 World Tournament.

And finally New York City, home to the most straight pool players in the world, held its event at Amsterdam Billiard Club owned by Greg Hunt. Veteran player Jonathan Smith, who had played in all previous World 14.1 Championship since its revival, went undefeated for his spot. Jude Rosenstock won the other spot from the loser's side and will be playing in his first World 14.1 Championship.

There will be one last qualifier and opportunity to play in this historic event. The final qualifier will be August 22 at Comet Billiards, which is the same venue as the main event The World 14.1 Championship. Players are to be signed up by 11am.

The main event August 24-29 format will be 48 players round robin race to 100 the first 3 days. Half the field will be cut and the final 24 will play a double elimination board race to 150, with the #1 seed in each group from round robin getting a bye first round. 16 players will make it out of the double elimination board and advance to the final stage single elimination race to 200 points.

This year marks the 69th World Tournament for 14.1, and stars such as Thorsten Hohmann, Oliver Ortmann, Johnny Archer, Tony Robles, and Mika Immonen are just a few of the powerful list of world beaters who will come to play in the greatest straight pool tournament in the world. 

1. Thorsten Hohmann     Fulda, GER
2. Oliver Ortmann     GER
3. Max Eberle     Las Vegas NV USA
4. Gabe Owen     Tulsa,OK USA
5. Ed Deska      Baltimore MD USA
6. Bobby Hunter      Chicago, IL USA
7. Robert Madenjian  Connecticut , USA
8. Allen Hopkins      NJ  USA
9. Dan Heidrich  Rochester, NY  USA
10. Yu Ram Cha   Incheon, KOR
11. Mika Immonen     Helsinki,FIN
12. Danny Harriman    Springfield, MS  USA
13. Grady Mathews    Columbia, SC  USA
14. Danny Barouty    Queens ,NY  USA
15. Vegar Christiansen     Oslo,NOR
16. Dave Grossman     Jacksonville, FL  USA
17. Jonni Fulcher    SCO
18. Radoslaw Babica    Warsaw, POL
19. Konstantin Stepanov    Moscow,RUS
20. Corey Deuel     Tampa, FL  USA
21. Johnny Archer     Atlanta, GA   USA
22. Shane Van Boening    Sioux Falls, SD  USA
23. Mike Davis      Washington DC, USA
24. Charlie Williams      Orlando FL  USA
25. Zaid Thweib   JOR
26. Tony Robles   Queens, NY  USA
27. Dan Wallace   San Diego, CA USA
28. Stefan Cohen    Paris,FRA
29. Gerda Hofstatter     AUT
30. John Schmidt    FL USA
31. Earl Herring   USA
32. Stevie Moore     SC USA
33. Carlos Viera      USA
34. Ralf Eckert    GER
35. Mark Vidal    SPN
36. Jeff Mohl  Chicago, Illinois USA
37. Rick Michalec Chicago, Illinois  USA
38. Zion Zvi     ISR  
39. Michael Frank   Maryland, USA
40. NJ qualifier
41. NJ qualifier
42. Jude Rosenstock  New York City  USA
43. Jonathan Smith  New York City  USA
44. Steve Lipsky   NY, USA
45. Dan Louie   Seattle, WA  USA
46. Mark Snodgrass USA
47. DP Wild Card
48. DP WIld Card 

August 28, the night before the finals, Comet Billiards will host a special sponsor / pro team match tournament for the patron sponsors of the event. Billiard aficionado Stu Mattana of NYC and long time billiard supporter Harold Siegel of NYC are two of this year's generous patrons of the Predator World 14.1 Championship. Their contributions are helping keeping the event going. Dragon Promotions encourages others to come on board to join as a sponsor and can be reached at worldstraightpoolchampionships@gmail.com or call 1-407-782-4978

Appleton will be contemplating a second straight 10-ball title in November. (Photo by Mike Howerton) The show will go on ? the show being the World 10-Ball Championship. Raya Sports and the World Pool-Billiard Association announced that the world championship in 10-ball will take place on Nov. 25-30 in Manila, Philippines.

While the 8-ball and 9-ball 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. Still, the

?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.

For further information on the World 10-Ball Championship, visit the Raya Web site at www.rayasports.com.

With her major victory this weekend, Kim is now the No. 1-ranked player on tour. Entering play at the 2009 WPBA U.S. Open, Ga Young Kim was tied for the No. 1 spot on the yearly points rankings. In the first two events of 2009, she finished runner-up at the San Diego Classic and tied for fifth at the Great Lakes Classic.

With an undefeated run to her second career U.S. Open title, Kim has a fairly firm grasp on the top spot.

At the Riverwind Casino in Norman, Okla., Kim escaped an early hill-hill with Jennifer Barretta and rolled into the single-elimination round of 16. She then edged Jasmin Ouschan, 9-6, and Helena Thornfeldt, 7-3, to earn a spot in the semifinals.

Facing Gerda Hofstatter, Kim pulled away late in the match, winning 7-4. In the other semifinal, Karen Corr, who won the WPBA's first-ever Satellite Tour event just three weeks ago, faced familiar foe Allison Fisher. Corr managed to pull away from Fisher, advancing to her first final of the year with a 7-3 victory.

In the final, Kim jumped out to an early two-game lead, holding a 3-1 advantage. The two split the next four racks, before Corr collected two straight to tie the match at five games apiece. In the 11th game, Corr miscued on the 5, gifting the rack to Kim.

With Kim on the hill, Corr broke dry, leading to a safety exchange. After a missed jump shot on the 2 by Corr, Kim cleaned up the remaining balls for her first victory since early 2007.

Fisher dominated her first two opponents, leaving her one win from the Round of 16. The Classic Tour has rolled into Norman, Okla., for the WPBA U.S. Open, the first major championship for the women's tour.

After one day of play, Kelly Fisher tops the list of 16 players still unbeaten. Last year's U.S. Open champ, Fisher will face Allison Fisher on Friday, with the winner advancing into the single-elimination bracket.

While recent WPBA events have seemed to be spotted with upsets, the U.S. Open has progressed almost entirely according to plan. The biggest name on the left side of the bracket is Jasmin Ouschan, who topped Kelly Fisher to cap her unbeaten run through June's Great Lakes Classic.

Ouschan eked past 2007 Regional Tour Champion Susan Mello, 9-8, in the first round. Her luck ended in the next match, though, as she lost to Kim Shaw, 9-3.

Friday's winners-side action will feature a number of heavily anticipated match-ups. Besides the battle of the Fishers, matches include Jeanette Lee vs. Yu Ram Cha, Xiaoting Pan vs. Helena Thornfeldt and Vivian Villarreal vs. Iris Ranola.

More information can be found at www.wpba.com, including an updated bracket as play continues through the weekend.

At the 2009 Billiard Education Foundation Junior Nationals, 15-year-old Landon Shuffett totally dominated the 19-and-under boys division on the way to the championship. Not that this should come to a surprise to anyone.

With this year's title in the elder of the two boys' divisions, Shuffett has won a total of three straight junior national championships ? two in the 14-and-under and now one in the 19-and-under group.

With the absence of reigning champion Austin Murphy, himself all of 16 years old, Shuffett proved to be the dominant player in the division. On his way to the hot-seat match, he let just one opponent past three games in the race-to-9 format. Facing Jesse Engel for a spot in the final, Shuffett escaped his toughest test of the event, 9-6.

Engel then topped Nick Tafoya for a second chance at Shuffett, this time in a single race to 11. Again, Shuffett proved to be too much, holding a lead throughout the match en route to an 11-6 championship victory.

In the 19-and-under girls division, Liz Lovely was equally dominating in her run to the hot-seat, stringing together three victories by a combined score of 21-2. Lovely, who has frequented the WPBA in recent years, then faced last year's runner-up Chelsea Hardwick in the hot-seat match. The two traded racks until both were on the hill with six games apiece. Lovely, though, took the last rack for her spot in the final.

In the left-side final, Hardwick was on the wrong end of another hill-hill final, this time to Jauslinn Arnold. But Arnold couldn't keep up with Lovely in the final, as the Ohio native cruised to a 9-3 victory.

The 14-and-under boys division, Brendan Crockett topped Buster Loving, 7-1; Bryce Lepak, 7-3; and Billy Thorpe, 9-5, for his first national title.

Briana Miller, meanwhile, took her third straight title in the 14-and-under girls division, by beating Taylor Reynolds twice, 7-5 and 7-1.

Corr (pictured) gave Hofstatter little chance in the final, winning 11-1. The first event of the WPBA Satellite Tour, a new venture for the women's circuit that will increase the number of mid-level tournaments available to the Classic Tour members, ended with a very familiar player in the winner's circle.

Karen Corr trounced Gerda Hofstatter in the final, winning the first nine racks en route to an 11-1 victory. Corr, who had lost the hot-seat match to Hofstatter earlier in the day, earned $3,000 at the $10,000-added event.

The Satellite Tour's first event attracted 64 players to Borderline Billiards, the room owned by tour vet Janet Atwell. While some top-ranked players were not in attendance ? including Xiaoting Pan, Jeanette Lee and Ga Young Kim ? plenty of heavy hitters filled the bracket, like Allison and Kelly Fisher, Corr and Monica Webb.

Marching through the field, Corr faced her first test against Webb, with just four players remaining in the winners bracket. Corr eked past the third-ranked Webb, 9-8, then lost the hot-seat match to Hofstatter, 9-7.

After another victory over Webb, 7-3, Corr hit her stride in the final. She cleared rack after rack in the single-set match. Hofstatter ran out the 10th rack to get on the board, but Corr took the next two for the impressive 11-1 victory.

For more information and full brackets, visit www.wpba.com.


WPBA Satellite Tour
July 10-12
Borderline Billiards ? Bristol, Tenn.
1. Karen Corr $3,000
2. Gerda Hofstatter $2,050
3. Monica Webb $1,500
4. Julie Kelly $1,250
5. (tie)Kim Shaw, Ewa Laurance $1,000
7. (tie) Allison Fisher, Iris Ranola $800
9. (tie) Kelly Fisher, Val Finnie, Line Kjorsvik, Briana Miller $600

Immonen dominated Gabica, 11-3, before edging Ko, 11-9. Considering how Mika Immonen closed out 2008 ? stringing together U.S. Open and All Japan titles with an MVP performance during a dominating European victory at the Mosconi Cup ? you could say his win at the big-money Qatar International Open was overdue. After all, it had been a whole six months since his last major title.

But the truth is that the Finn has continued to play great pool, just not at the all-universe clip he found at the close of last year.

While winning a number of East Coast regional events, Immonen finished third at the Matchroom Sport World Pool Masters, while winning the Blackpool Open (back in Finland) just a month prior.

At the Qatar Open ? held June 30-July 6 at the Qatari Billiard & Snooker Federation complex in Doha ? Immonen went undefeated through the group stage and 32-player single-elimination bracket. On the final day of the event, Immonen rolled past Filipino star Antonio Gabica, 11-3, in the semifinal. Waiting for him in the final was regining junior world champion Ko Pin Yi of Taiwan.

The 20-year-old kept close with the 2008 Player of the Year, but Immonen proved too much. With a 13-9 victory, Immonen took home the $40,000 first prize.

During its general membership meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, on June 24, 2009, the Billiard Congress of America (BCA) announced the results of the 2009-2010 Board of Directors elections, which are as follows:

Category 1 (Manufacturer/Distributor)

• Tom Gregory (Toltec Lighting), three-year term
• Eric Weber (CueStix International), three-year term
• Fred Cohen (D&R Industries/Championship LLC), three-year term
• Skip Nemecek (Tweeten Fibre Co.), three-year term
• Michael Serra (MBS Group, Inc.), two-year term
• Thomas Rodgers (Robertson Billiard Supplies), one-year term

• Danny Kuykendall (Danny K?s Billiards), three-year term

Ouschan bounced back at the Great Lakes Classic after a disappointing start to the 2009 season. 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.

Ouschan (shown) dominated De La Garza, 9-3, on Thursday morning. (Photo by JP Parmentier) Through eight matches, the players at the WPBA Great Lakes Classic seem to have been inspired by the name of the venue ? the Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City, Ind.

All the top names advanced with little difficulty, led by Jasmin Ouschan. The 23-year-old Austrian cruised past Cristina De La Garza during the first round of matches on Thursday to win, 9-3. Rookie of the Year in 2008, Iris Ranola also advanced without a problem, dispatching Lisa Davids, 9-4.

The first two rounds on the winners side are scheduled to run through this evening, with updated brackets available at www.wpba.com. Also, live streaming of one match per time slot will be available at the official site of the Classic Tour.

Hohmann (right) was untouchable in the final, dominating Feijen, 11-5. With the men's field of 64 was cut in half at the China Open, Thorsten Hohmann seemed to be saving up a little bit extra through the first rounds of single elimination.

On his way to the semifinals, Hohmann escaped a pair of hill-hill matches (against Norway's Vegar Kristiansen and Japan's Toru Kuribayashi) and another 11-9 squeaker versus Fu Jian-Bo. But once he got to the final four, Hohmann played brilliantly, topping Taiwan's Lu Hui-chan in a one-sided final, 11-5, to face Niels Feijen in the final.

Unlike Hohmann, Feijen faced only one challenge — an 11-9 battle against England's Karl Boyes — on his way to the final. Other than Boyes, Feijen did not allow one opponent past five games, holding the likes of Shane Van Boening and Japan's Yukio Akakariyama to a few games while he sprinted to 11.

But the final was a reversal for Feijen, as Hohmann dominated from the start. The former world champion from Germany extended his lead, closing out the $40,000 title by an 11-5 count.

On the women's side, Taiwan's Tsai Pei-Chen survived a thrilling match against Karen Corr for the $25,000 title. Corr, who finished second at the Amway Cup just a few weeks ago, missed another major world title by one game. On her way to the final, Corr dominated Ga Young Kim, 9-5, and Kelly Fisher, 9-5. Tsai, meanwhile, edged Jasmin Ouschan, 9-6, and Fu Xiao-Fang, 9-8, on her way to the match-up with Corr.

Definitely considered an underdog, Tsai showed nerves of steel against Corr, cleaning up the case game for a second consecutive hill-hill victory.

Following a thrilling quarterfinal victory over Jeanette Lee at the Women's World 10-Ball Championships, Rubilen Amit caught fire to top Akimi Kajitani, 9-6, and Shin-Mei Liu, 10-4, for the first-ever women's title in the discipline of 10-ball.

That victory against Lee, where Amit trailed 8-6 in the race-to-9 quartfinal, appeared to be the turning point for the newly crowned Filipina champion. She was in prime form in the semifinal and final rounds, buoyed by support from the hometown crowd at the SM Mall in metro Manila.

The 48-player field was loaded with some of the best players in the world, including Kelly Fisher, Allison Fisher and Jasmin Ouschan. Amit collected $20,000 for the win, while Liu pocketed $9,000 for second.

Kelly Fisher (pictured) defeated Gerda Hofstatter, 9-7, in a big-time first-round match-up. Both divisions at the $225,000 China Open are underway in Shanghai. One-round of play is completed in both the 64-player men's and 32-player women's brackets.

In the women's brackets, which have eight players divided into four groups, a rash of upsets placed many of the world's top players within one loss of elimination. Both Jeanette Lee and Allison Fisher, who were in the same group, were unexpectedly sent to the one-loss side. Fisher dropped a hill-hill match against Han Fang, while Lee was handily beaten by Chang Shu Han.

In a match-up of WPBA stars, Kelly Fisher edged Gerda Hofstatter, 9-7, to advance, while Jasmin Ouschan, Ga Young Kim and Xiaoting Pan also managed to survive the first round.

In the men's event, which will pay out a hefty $150,000, many of the top seeds advanced without difficulty. Germans Ralf Souquet and Thorsten Hohmann moved into the second round, and Americans Shane Van Boening and Charlie Williams also advanced.

Philippine Open titlist Ricky Yang of Indonesia continued his recent success, edging countryman Rudy Susanto, 9-4. Jeffrey De Luna, who finished second to Yang in Manila, also won easily, beating Mateusz Sniegocki, 11-7.

Archer is a four-time world 9-ball champion, while Fisher has 53 WPBA titles. Well that didn’t take long!

Johnny Archer and Allison Fisher, the consensus male and female Player of the Decade for the ’90s, were decisively voted into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.

According to the United States Billiard Media Association, which has controlled Hall of Fame voting for the BCA over the past three years, both Archer and Fisher were named on more than 70 percent of the ballots. Archer was named on 31 of the 38 completed ballots (82%), while Fisher was named on 28 ballots (75%). Under USBMA guidelines, the top vote-getter automatically gains election into the Hall. A second player gains induction only if he or she is named on more than 70 percent of the ballots.

Archer, 40, was the dominant American pool player from the early 1990s until Shane Van Boening burst onto the scene in 2007. Archer won four world 9-ball championships, winning the World Pool-Billiard Association 9-Ball Championship in 1992 and ’97. Archer also won the Professional Billiard Tour World 9-Ball Championship in 1993 and ’95. The Georgia native was named Billiards Digest Player of the Year six times, the most of any male player since the magazine created the award in 1980. In addition to his 25 pro tour titles, Archer has won more than 40 regional events and has represented Team USA in the Mosconi Cup 12 times.

“It’s such an honor, it really is,” said Archer. “It makes me feel that what I’ve done in the game over all these years mattered. All that work, and travel, and practice and sweat. It mattered.”

Archer was especially excited to know that despite the BCA’s decision to suspend funding of a Hall of Fame banquet, a formal ceremony will be staged by the USBMA during the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship in Chesapeake, Va., October 22.

“I’m just thrilled to death that my father will get a chance to see me inducted,” Archer said. “It’s going to be such a great feeling being able to share that night with my family.”

Fisher, 41, continues to stake her claim as the greatest woman pool player of all time. A native of Sussex, England, Fisher joined the Women’s Professional Billiard Association Classic Tour in 1995, following a 12-year snooker career that saw her win 11 world titles. In just over 13 years in the U.S., Fisher was won 53 of the 115 Classic Tour events she’s entered, including 20 in a four-year stretch from 1996-1999. Additionally, Fisher has won three WPA world 9-ball championships, five Tournament of Champions titles and numerous foreign and special event titles. She was named Billiards Digest Player of the Year 11 times in a 12-year span (1996-2007).

“I’m a little surprised,” said Fisher, who learned of her election while competing in the World 10-Ball Championship in the Philippines. “I was afraid voters would think I was still too young to be elected.

“But it’s a great honor. I’ve had a great career here, and it’s nice to be recognized. I had a great snooker career as well, but was never really recognized for it. The Hall of Fame is something that validates your career forever. It’s really wonderful.”

The dominating resumes of both Archer and Fisher left other eligible candidates, including German star Ralf Souquet, who was also eligible for the first time in 2009, lagging far behind. (Candidates in the Greatest Player category must have turned 40 years old prior to January 1 of the year of their induction.) Souquet was one of four foreign players eligible because of their significant achievements in U.S.-based events. (Joining Souquet on the ballot were fellow German star Oliver Ortmann and Filipino stars Jose Parica and Francisco Bustamante.) Woman stars Belinda Bearden Calhoun, Vivian Villarreal and Mary Kenniston were also eligible, as was Kim Davenport, Steve Cook and Jimmy Mataya. Parica garnered the most support, being named on 25% of the ballots. Countryman Bustamante was cited on 18% of the ballots.

Archer and Fisher will be recognized by the BCA at the annual International Billiard and Home Recreation Expo in Las Vegas in June, before being formally inducted into the BCA Hall of Fame during ceremonies Oct. 22 at the Marriott Chesapeake Hotel, Chesapeake, Va.

Corr amassed a 25-5 record in her five round-robin matches. Corr amassed a 25-5 record in her five round-robin matches.

After three days of round-robin action in the Women's World 10-Ball Championship, the field has been halved, leaving just 24 players to contend for the first-ever women's world title in the discipline.

Karen Corr locked up the top seed overall, dominating her four opponents by a combined score of 25-5. Corr, along with the other top seven finishers from the group stage, will receive a bye in the first round of single-elimination play, which will kick off on Friday.

Other undefeated players after the group stage include WPBA stars Kelly and Allison Fisher and Japan's Miyuki Fuke.

Three rounds will be played on Friday, leaving just four women on Saturday to compete for the world title. While the top seeds are certainly more than capable of capturing the crown, plenty of lower seeds look poised to make things difficult.

Austrian sensation Jasmin Ouschan is locked in at the 12 seed. She will face Angeline Ticoalu of Indonesia for a spot in the final 16. Also, Yu Ram Cha of Korea is just one win away from a big-time match-up with Kelly Fisher.

Allison Fisher will be heavily favored to advance from group play. The first-ever Women's World 10-Ball Championship is about to kick off, with 48 of the world's best players gathered in the Philippines. At the SM Mall North Edsa in Manila, the round-robin stage of the first women's world event in the discipline of 10-ball is set to get underway.

The 48-player field has been divided into eight groups of six players. After a full round robin, the top three players from each group will advance to single-elimination play. With 24 players left, the top finisher from each group will get a bye into the round of 16.

With players from five continents represented, the WPA-sanctioned Women's World 10-Ball Championship is among the most talented fields in recent memory. Also, millions across Asia will be able to view the action, thanks to television coverage by both ESPN Star and ABS-CBN.

The first-ever National Championships Series 9-ball and 10-ball events are headed to Las Vegas. CueSports International, the promotions group led by BCA Pool League owner Mark Griffin, announced this week that the two national tournaments will be held alongside one another at the Golden Nugget.

The 9-ball championship will run from Sept. 3-5, with the 10-ball event going from Sept. 5-7. The NCS National Championship Series is in its first year of operation. The concept includes a series of qualifiers held across the country. The winners of these satellite events then have entry into the national tournament, where the payouts are $32,000 with a full field of 64 players.

In February, Brandon Shuff won the first NCS event, which was the National 8-Ball Championship. Shuff was originally scheduled to win all-expenses-paid entry into the World 8-Ball Championship. But, when the WPA event was postponed indefinitely, Shuff was awarded the cash equivalent.

Still, one of the main objectives of the NCS is to boost American participation in world championship events, whenever possible. Currently the world 9-ball and 8-ball tournaments are on hold, while some question whether or not this year's world 10-ball event — scheduled for October in Manila — is feasible.

For more information about the National Championship Series, the Golden Nugget and a list of all NCS qualifiers, visit the CSI Web site at www.playcsipool.com, or contact Holly Ryan at (702) 719-7665 or at holly@playcsipool.com.

Van Boening will face Rudi Susanto of Indonesia on Friday. While the No. 1 seed in the 64-player 2009 Philippine Open was upset, many other of the seeded players have advanced without incident.

Ralf Souquet, fresh of a EuroTour win and runner-up finish at the Predator International 10-Ball Championship, easily moved passed Austrian sensation Jasmine Ouschan, 9-1, in the first round. But the steely German was upset in his next match, where he faced Mario Tolentino. The unheralded Filipino topped Souquet, 9-6, in one of the more shocking results from the first two rounds of play.

American Shane Van Boening, the fifth seed, faced little opposition in his first two matched. The 2007 Player of the Year dominated Korea's Jeong Young Hwa, 9-2, on Thursday. He will next face Indonesian cueist Rudi Susanto.

Gabe Owen, meanwhile, escaped a close call in the opening round. He topped Toh Lian Han of Singapore, 9-8, then coasted past Brit Jonni Fulcher, 9-3. Owen will face 2008 Player of the Year Kelly Fisher in third-round action on Friday.

Cha will be aiming at a top finish in the Women's World 10-Ball Championship. (Photo by Anne Craig-WPBA) Over the next two weeks, the Philippine Open and Women's World 10-Ball Championship will distribute $160,000 in prizes. The two major tournaments — both held in Manila, Philippines — are attracting top-flight talent from around the globe.

First up, the Philippine Open will kick off on Wednesday, May 27, with 64 players drawn into a double-elimination bracket. While some top Filipino players like Dennis Orcollo, Francisco Bustamante and Alex Pagulayan are not in the field, the host country has a group of rising stars, including Jerico Benares, Demosthenes Pulpul and Jeffrey De Luna. Mika Immonen, Ralf Souquet and recent World Pool Masters champion Darren Appleton top the list of European favorites.

The 10-ball event will run through Sunday, with the format switching to single elimination once four players remain. More information can be found at www.rayasports.com .

Next up, it's the women's turn. From June 2-6, the Women's World 10-Ball Championship will gather 48 of the best female cueists in the world for a shot at the $75,000 prize fund. The WPA-sponsored event, produced by Dragon Promotions, will also feature 40 hours of TV coverage by ESPN Star, a leading sports station in Asia. ESPN Star will air a combination of 20 hours of live coverage as well as 20 hours of taped matches.

With the coverage from Filipino network ABS-CBN, the Women's World 10-Ball Championship will air in 40 countries across Asia.

Among the early favorites, Iris Ranola will be the host country's top contender. In the last year, the 2008 WPBA Rookie of the Year has become more and more comfortable with the international spotlight. Ranola will join WPBA stars like Kelly Fisher, Allison Fisher and Monica Webb. Yu Ram Cha, who recently upset Shane Van Boening at the Predator International 10-Ball Championship, will also be a player to watch.

The five-day tournament will wrap up on June 6, with the champion earning $20,000. For more information, visit www.dragonpromotions.com.

Orcollo (pictured) took the Predator 10-Ball Championship by keeping Souquet in his chair. LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- The final of the Predator International 10-Ball Championship matched the WPA's top-ranked player in Ralf Souquet against arguably the most feared money player in the world in Dennis Orcollo of the Philippines.

And in this match up of two of the world's best, Orcollo came out on top. The diminutive Filipino stormed to a convincing 8-3 win for the $20,000 first prize.

But entering the match, Orcollo was hardly considered a favorite. Souquet turned in an absolutely sublime performance in his semifinal match against Alex Pagualayan. The German broke and ran five of his seven racks; the other two wins following dry breaks from Pagulayan. Despite Souquet being known as a deliberate player, he was in total rhythm with the 30-second shot clock being implemented in the final two rounds. He rolled through difficult racks with measured confidence and perfect execution.

Orcollo, meanwhile, struggled a bit in his semifinal match against countryman Warren Kiamco. Both players had difficulty gauging the speed of the main TV table. But Orcollo took advantage of Kiamco's difficulties on the break, winning four racks when his opponent broke.

While Souquet sprinted through racks in the semifinal, he could not get out of the starting blocks in the final. Orcollo collected the first three racks in the race to 8. With a three game lead, Orcollo gave Souquet two chances to climb back into the match, but the form that carried him in the semifinal had abandoned him in the title match.

Orcollo extended his lead to 5-2, climbed on the hill, 7-3, and broke and ran for the title-clincher.

Orcollo pulled away from Williams late in their Friday night match for a 11-6 victory. LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- With five Filipinos among the 32 players that advanced to single-elimination play at the Predator International 10-Ball Championship, nobody would have been surprised if one advanced to the semifinals. With the contingent from across the Pacific playing fantastic pool, maybe even two would push through to the final four. But three?

That's exactly what happened on Friday night inside the Riviera Hotel & Casino, as Dennis Orcollo, Alex Pagulayan and Warren Kiamco nearly turned the International 10-Ball event into a decidedly national affair.

Breaking up the Filipino monopoly, Ralf Souquet turned in a dominant performance against Johnny Archer on the featured TV table. The steely German, after some early breaking woes, found the key to pocketing balls on the break. From that point on, Souquet ran away from Archer, eventually closing out the match, 11-3.

Pagulayan, meanwhile, locked up with young Englishman Karl Boyes in a tightly contested match. The two split the first 18 racks, before Pagulayan was able to take the final two racks for an 11-9 victory.

Orcollo, who lost to Shane Van Boening in the final of this event in 2007, has been consistently brilliant in single-elimination. He has strung together a trio of 11-6 wins over reigning champion Tony Drago, Rodolfo Luat and Charlie Williams.

The semifinal matches will kick off on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. MST. Orcollo and Kiamco will square off, while the stoic Souquet takes on the more animated Pagulayan.

Souquet (pictured) dominated Stevie Moore, 11-3, on Friday afternoon. LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Friday is moving day at the Predator International 10-Ball Championship. The day opened with 32 players drawn into a single-elimination bracket; it will end with just four.

The casualties from Friday's first round of play include defending champion Tony Drago, who lost to Dennis Orcollo of the Philippines. The lighting-quick Drago, who played at a sublime level late in last year's event, couldn't keep up with the dimunitive Filipino and he was eliminated by a count of 11-6.

As a reward, Orcollo will have the tough task of dealing with countryman Rodolfo Luat in the round of 16, which is scheduled for 6 p.m. MST. Germany will also have two stars battling for a spot in Friday evening's quarterfinals. Oliver Ortmann topped Mika Immonen, 11-7, on the TV table, while Souquet easily dispatched American Stevie Moore, 11-3.

While seven Americans remain in contention, at least one will exit in the next round. Johnny Archer will square off with Shawn Putnam. Both men advanced with relative ease, as Putnam cruised past Allison Fisher, 11-5, and Archer dropped Manuel Gama, 11-4.

Visit www.predator10ball.com for more information and live scoring updates.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Just two years ago, Shane Van Boening snapped off the Predator International 10-Ball Championship, his first major title en route to a masterful season that ended with the young American winning Player of the Year honors.

This year, however, Van Boening will not be making a late run inside the Riviera Hotel & Casino. In one of the more stunning upsets in the 112-player event, Korea's Yu Ram Cha sent Van Boening out of the tournament in 33rd place, thanks to a thrilling 10-8 win on Thursday evening. Cha, who won the WPBA's Most Improved Player award in 2008, eked into single-elimination play with a pair of dramatic wins - topping Jeanette Lee, 10-9, before besting Van Boening.

With just 32 players remaining, the tournament will be single elimination for the next five rounds, with a champion to be crowned on Saturday afternoon.

Friday morning, the first set of matches in the round of 32 got underway. On the main TV table, Oliver Ortmann and Mika Immonen headline eight high-profile matches. Other notable matches include Corey Deuel facing Daryl Peach, Jasmin Ouschan versus Englishman Karl Boyes, and Charlie Williams squaring off with Roberto Gomez of the Philippines.

Visit www.predator10ball.com for real-time scoring and a live Internet broadcast of the Ortmann-Immonen match.