PoolRoom

Corr Pulls Ahead of the Pack

Karen Corr is on a roll. Last month at the Florida Classic, she knocked off Allison Fisher in the final, and this month, at the Midwest Classic, she defeated the other Fisher, Kelly, in a final that tested the bladder control of many an audience member. With three titles so far in the 2006 season, Corr has left both Fishers, who have a title apiece, in the dust for the Player of the Year race.

Nine of the tour’s top players competed in the International Pool Tour’s North American Open just days before the Midwest Classic commenced at the Par-a-dice Hotel and Casino in Peoria, Ill. Sarah Ellerby went the farthest in the 8-ball event, and had to fly overnight from Vegas to make it in time for her first match in the Midwest.

While an exhausted Ellerby was knocked out early, the rest of the IPT members didn’t seem affected by the transition from 8-ball to 9-ball. After three rounds, eight players remained undefeated: Corr, Monica Webb, Kim White, Kelly Fisher, Allison Fisher, Jeanette Lee, Xiao-Ting Pan, and Belinda Calhoun.

The remaining players battled it out in the one-loss side to reach the top 16. The bottom eight were Sarah Rousey, Val Finnie, Julie Kelly, Ga-Young Kim, Ewa Laurance, Megan Minerich, Gerda Hofstatter and Pam Treadway.

In the single-elimination matches to determine the semifinalists, Allison Fisher was knocked out by Chinese up-and-comer Xiao-Ting Pan. She, along with Webb, Corr, and Kelly Fisher advanced.

Both semifinal matches were decided by crucial plays at 4-4. Kelly Fisher outplayed Pan in the semifinal, 7-4, after the tiny 24-year-old fouled on a jump shot. Fisher said that revenge was sweet, as Pan had knocked her out in San Diego. Corr also won 7-4, pulling ahead against Webb after an untimely scratch.

In the final between Fisher and Corr, the game of 9-ball had never so resembled ping-pong. The former snooker players battled back and forth, going 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, and 5-5 after Corr jarred an easy 9 ball. With a race-to-2 determing a difference in payouts of $5,000, Corr ran out to reach the hill. Fisher broke in the case game, and executed a safety. Corr mulled over the shot, and ended up scratching. Fisher sank the 2 and played safe on the 3, which Corr pocketed with a surprising two-rail bank shot, which proved to be the winning shot. She ran out the rest of the rack for the $13,000, and her third title of the season.

Check out www.wpba.com for the full bracket and photo highlights.

“Little-Kim” Tour Hits the Road

No, we’re not talking about the risque rapper who was recently released from prison, but Women’s Professional Billiard Association stars Melissa Little and Ga Young Kim, who are teaming up to perform pool exhibitions in three states.

Kim, a two-time world champion and U.S. Open champion, and Little, a two-time Colorado State champ with 18 top 10 finishes on the WPBA, are offering free admission to the events. The pros will play each other in a pool match, have a Q & A session with the audience, and then proceeded with an autograph session.

The tour will kick off from 7-9 p.m. on Monday, July 31 at Big Dog Billiards in Des Moines, Iowa. For more information on this event, contact Randy at (515)262-6523.

The duo will then head to Gibbys Sports Bar in Grand Island, Nebraska, where they will perform on Tuesday, Aug. 1 from 7-9 p.m. For more information on this event, contact Tom at (308) 382-9744.

Their final stop will take place from 7-10 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2 at Little’s sponsor site, The Wynkoop Brewing Company in Denver, Colorado. For more information, call The Wynkoop at (303) 297-2700.

For VIP seating please call the poolrooms listed. For more information on the players you may visit the Women’s Professional Billiards Association at http://www.wpba.com/ or Melissa Little at http://www.melissalittle.com/

WPBA Florida Classic Starts Tomorrow

The Women’s Professional Billiard Association’s fourth stop on the Classic Tour, the Cuetec Cues Florida Open, begins tomorrow, June 29, at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla.

Last year No. 2-ranked Karen Corr defeated No. 1-ranked Allison Fisher, as well as Monica Webb and Ga-Young Kim to win her first title in 2005. Check out http://www.wpba.com/, which will have regular result updates, to see if she can defend her title.

Ouschan Upsets Fisher; Souquet Gives Archer Second Second-place Finish

Jasmin Ouschan, who has become known as the “Ice Princess” for her arctic facial expression during competition, couldn’t help but crack the no-nonsense mask, revealing a stunning smile after ousting the undefeated defending champion Allison Fisher, 7-5, in the 2006 Enjoypool.com 9-ball Championship final, held May 20 at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev.

Ouschan joined German Ralf Souquet in the winner’s circle after Souquet gave Johnny Archer his second second-place finish at the event, 7-5, after a 7-0 whitewashing by Thorsten Hohmann last year. Both victors worked hard for the $20,000 payout, battling back from the one-loss side, where they had to overcome some stringent competition.

Just 20 years old, Ouschan is an Austrian native who came onto the U.S. women’s pool scene four years ago. Ouschan made waves early on in the tournament, knocking two-time World Champion Ga-Young Kim to the losers’ side in the first round. She had a mettle-testing road to the finals after Melissa Herndon knocked her down to the one-loss side in the third round. She beat the likes of Dawn Hopkins, 9-8, Karen Corr, 9-7, Kelly Fisher, 9-3, Pam Treadway, 9-3, fellow Austrian Gerda Hofstatter, 9-3, and Shin-Mei Lui, 9-2, to meet Helena Thornfeldt in the semifinal, who she defeated, 7-6.

In the final Ouschan faced the favorite Allison Fisher, who remained unscathed through the winners’ side. Fisher was flawless early in the match, jumping out to a 3-0 lead. Ouschan then came back and won 3 games of her own to tie the match at 3-3. The match was tied again at 4-4, but Ouschan won two in a row to get to the hill at 6-4. From there, they split racks on their breaks and Ouschan won, 7-5.

After making it to the fifth round by beating the revered Efren Reyes, 11-8, Souquet was knocked to the one-loss side by Archer, 11-8, where he had to face Reyes again. He came out on top once again to redeem himself against Archer in the final, 7-5.

Both Archer and Fisher took home $10,000 for their efforts.

Up-And-Comers Make Their Mark in Las Vegas

Day two of the Enjoypool.com 9-Ball Championship was full of excitement at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev.

In what many fans are calling the best match they’ve ever witnessed, Efren “The Magician” Reyes would not succumb to a 10-1 deficit to Allen Hopkins, who was playing near flawless pool. In the case match, Hopkins jarred the 8-ball, allowing Reyes back to the table. This would prove a fatal mistake, as Reyes strung together a 10-game comeback to win the match 11-10.

Also on the men’s side, Taipei’s Po Cheng Kuo knocked crowd favorite Tony Robles to the one-loss side, 11-8. Kuo will next face Johnny Archer who scored an 11-0 win over John Schmidt on Monday.

The women’s side had its share of excitement as well, as Arizona’s Angel Paglia upset Karen Corr, ranked second in the Women’s Professional Billiard Association, with a 9-7 win.

Another non-WPBA player, Jasmin Ouschan, scored a hill-hill win over former World Champion Ga-Young Kim. Ouschan went on to score a 9-2 win over Alice Rim later on Monday. Chinese up-and-comer Xiao-Ting Pan continued to make waves with her impressive play, scoring a 9-6 win over Jeanette Lee.

Kim Breezes Through Enerva Asian 9-Ball Championship

Reigning back-to-back world champion Ga Young Kim of South Korea has another title to add to her growing resumé, with a win at the Enerva Asian 9-Ball Tour Championship, held April 26-28 at Robinson’s Gallera in Mandaluyong City, Philippines.

Kim defeated Shu-Pin Kao of Chinese-Taipei, 11-4, in the finals to clinch the the top purse of $10,000. Kao received the runner-up prize of $5,000. Losing semifinalists Yuan Chun Lin and Jui-Fang Fan of Chinese-Taipei got $2,500 each.

Suffering at the hands of the undefeated Kim in the winners’ bracket were Chieh-Yu Chou of Chinese, Taipei, 9-7, Sakiko Namiki of Japan, 9-5, Jennifer Chen of Chinese-Taipei, 9-3, and Kao, 9-5, respectively.

Kao was able to get back in contention after topping the losers’ bracket with Fan. Kao beat lone Filipina quarter finalist survivor Irish Ranola, 9-6, while Fan inched out Chen, 9-7.

In the single-elimination matches between the top four players, Kao yanked the carpet out from under tied-for-top finisher Lin, 9-8, while Kim battered Fan, 9-5.

In the final, Kim posted three consecutive racks to take a 3-0 lead in the opener. Kao was never able to overcome Kim’s lead, despite some momentum gained after connecting a difficult 2-9 combo for a 4-9 count. Kim regained control, taking the last two racks for a final score of 11-4.

Fisher Wins 46th WPBA title

Allison Fisher, “The Duchess of Doom,” fended off some hungry foes and battled some personal demons, but managed to pull off her 46th Women’s Professional Billiard Association tournament win at the Great Lakes Classic stop of the WPBA’s 2006 season, March 8-12 in Michigan City, Ind.

Fisher suffered defeat in her very first match of the tournament, by Chinese up-and-comer Xiaoting Pan. Pan, age 24, speaks little English, but surely knows how to use the technique of the same name. With a fluid stroke and precise ball placement, she defeated her childhood idol, 9-7.

“She didn’t think that she could beat Allison Fisher so early, she didn’t expect it at all. It was a boost of confidence,” Pan communicated through her interpreter.

Fisher dropped down to the losers’ bracket where she had a near-fatal match against Wendy Jans. A 22-year-old Belgian that plays far beyond her years, Jans’ solid play found her leading Fisher, 7-5. Jans’ felt the pressure in the final games, however, dogging a 9-ball, followed by a scratch on a crucial play. Fisher closed out the match, 9-7.

“I just couldn’t finish it today. I had my chances, so actually I should’ve won, but I didn’t,” Jans said .

That win put Fisher in the final eight of the distinguished one-loss side, among Ewa Laurance, Vivian Villareal, Monica Webb, Jeanette Lee, Laura Smith, Kim White, and Alice Rim. Following a new format for 2006, the final eight submitted to a blind draw of the winners’ bracket players for single-elimination games. The winners’ side represented a melting pot of players including Pan, Karen Corr, Gerda Hofstatter, Ga Young Kim, Kelly Fisher, Helena Thornfeldt, Jennifer Barretta and Belinda Calhoun.

White, of Houston, has been struggling to recapture her top 16 ranking after an injury in 2004. The confidence boost of being recently elected WPBA president for 2006-07 was apparent in her play as she defeated veteran Calhoun, 9-5, and then squashed the steady advance of Alice Rim, 9-1, to land her in the semifinal, her first televised match and best finish to date.

Villareal was uncharacteristically quiet, but her play was unpenetrable as she whipped Kelly Fisher, 9-3, to meet Korean Ga Young Kim in the semifinal. Kim, who had just defeated Webb, fell victim to the “Texas Tornado,” 9-6.

Pan put away Smith, 9-4, but despite her earlier brilliance, could not make a run against Lee, who eliminated her, 9-2.

Meanwhile, Fisher drew the formidable Corr, who was coming off a big win at the first WPBA tour stop two weeks prior. The format dictated that one of the top two players would not make it to the semifinal. That unfortunate player was Corr, whose defensive play couldn’t slow down Fisher. Her sniper-like jump shot at hill-hill might have been the tournament-winning shot.

The semifinal matched Lee vs. Villareal, Fisher vs. White. Villareal’s patient defensive play against Lee eventually afforded her a win in the lengthy battle. White came out strong against Fisher, 2-0, but made a few untimely errors that allowed Fisher to heat up an run away with the 7-4 win.

In the final, Fisher looked fatigued against Villareal and made several uncharacteristic errors, but the former snooker player’s safety play took the wind out of the “Texas Tornado.” “I might as well just play with my jump cue,” said Villareal of her frequent escape attempts.

Fisher made it to the hill, 6-1, and despite Villareal’s best efforts, coming back 6-4, “The Duchess” eventually administered her doom, sinking the final 9 ball.

The semifinals and final game of the Great Lakes Classic will be aired on ESPN in April. Check back with HeadString News for specific air dates and times.

Ga-Young Kim Takes Second World Championship in Taipei

The world has a new women’s 9-ball champion in Ga-Young Kim of Korea. It’s a title she’s had before, in 2004, and one that she stole away from former 2002 champion Shin-Mei Liu, in the final match of the 2006 Women’s World 9-Ball Championship that took place in Taipei, Taiwan. The four-day tournament culminated March 5.

Kim was the favorite against American Jeannie Seaver in the quarter final. Seaver’s break was plagued by scratches and Kim was victorious, 7-5.

Her next match was a defensive battle against Japan’s Akimi Kajitani. With Kim on the hill, 8-6, Kajitani’s scrupulous safety placement escaped her and she left the opening Kim needed to run the remaining balls for a spot in the final, where she would meet Lui.

In the all-Asian final, points didn’t come easily and the defensive play that ruled the day continued. Kim eventually made it to the hill, 10-8, on an awe-inspiring pocket-speed shot. Within one game of the championship, Kim left Liu an opening, which she took and ran with, until she faced a poor lie on the 9. Liu went with a thin cut-shot, and the 9 ball rattled between the jaws, coming to rest just shy of the pocket. Kim easily knocked it in for the world title.

This year, the tournament yielded 64 participants from all over the world, competing for the high distinction. A few headliners were not in attendance, including Allison Fisher and Jeanette Lee.

Robert Huang, organizer of the Amway Cup was quoted in the Tapei Times as saying, “Jeanette Lee’s appearance fee rose to US$10,000 per day this year. We weren’t prepared to pay that type of money for her to play.”

Ga Young Kim Snaps Off Nationals

Rising Korean superstar Ga Young Kim won the WPBA National 9-Ball Championship, Nov. 9-13 in Lincoln City, Ore. This is Kim’s second WPBA title. “I am so happy and I want to say a lot of things and I don’t know how!,” gushed the giddy champ, for whom English is her third language.

Kim bested Vivian Villarreal in a hill-hill final match, 7-6, and collected $16,000. Kim came through the one-loss side after losing to Villarreal the first time around. Kim beat Monica Webb, 7-4, to advance to the final.

White Upsets Corr in WPBA Nationals Round Three

In round three on the winners’ side of the Women’s Professional Billards Tour’s Cuetec Cues National 9-Ball Championship, newly elected WPBA President Kim White, ranked No. 41, upset No. 2 Karen Corr, 9-6.

The year-end event, being held at the Chinook Winds Casino in Lincoln City, Ore., Nov. 9-13, is down to eight women on the no-loss side going into round four Saturday morning. Sixteen players remain in the one-loss bracket.

At 11am today, the one-loss survivors will duke it out. Melissa Little plays Julie Kelly, Tracie Hine faces Jennifer Barretta, Jennifer Chen faces Megan Minerich and Sarah Rousey plays Karen Corr, among other matches. At 2:30 this afternoon, the winners’ brack will be reduced to four players. Those matchups are Allison Fisher against Tiffany Nelson, Kelly Fisher against Monica Webb, Ga Young Kim against Gerda Hofstatter and Vivian Villarreal against the rampaging White.