Champions from around the world will go head-to-head in a three-day extravaganza of professional billiards. The INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS, INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS and WORLD CUP OF TRICK SHOTS will be held October 27 – 29 at Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, CT.
The three events are widely considered the toughest tournaments to win in professional billiards. Once each year international champions are brought together in sudden-death shootouts with pressure-cooker formats and the highest prize money in special events. The winners claim one of the most coveted titles in pool – Champion of Champions!
On October 27 the INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS includes top stars in the sport. Jian-Bo Fu, from China, returns to defend his crown as 2008 Champion of Champions. Mika Immonen, 2008 U.S. Open Champion, will represent Finland. Darren Appleton, 2008 World 10-Ball Champion, will represent England. Niels Feijen, 2008 Euro Tour Champion and 2007 Champion of Champions, will represent the Netherlands.
On October 28 the INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS presents the top Women players in the world. Allison Fisher, 2009 Hall of Fame and Five Time Champion of Champions. Kelly Fisher, 2008 Player of the Year and 2008 U.S. Open Classic Tour Champion. Monica Webb, 2008 WPBA Nationals Champion and 2009 San Diego Classic Champion. Xiaoting Pan, 2008 Generation Pool Classic Champion and 2007 WPA World 9-Ball Champion.
On October 29 the WORLD CUP OF TRICK SHOTS will present Team USA vs. Team Europe, with eight international stars contending for the Gold Medal. Andy Segal, 2009 Trick Shot Magic Champion, will captain Team USA. Stefano Pelinga, 2009 Euro Trick Shot Champion, will captain Team Europe. Team USA also includes champions Tom Rossman, Bruce Barthelette and Mike Massey. Team Europe includes champions Luke Szywala, Nick Nikolaidis and Ralph Eckert.
The three events are each regarded as the supreme test of skill in billiards. The players are so evenly matched that any one player could beat the others on a given day. The INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS and the INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS are 9-Ball, with a format of two sets and a 1-game sudden death tie-breaker in the event of tied sets. The format for WORLD CUP OF TRICK SHOTS requires Team members to execute a challenge shot of their choice, and their opponents must duplicate the shot or lose a point. The sudden death tie-breaker to decide a match requires an incredible eight rail bank shot onto the face of a $100 bill. All in all, the three events are the wildest shootout of the year.
Mohegan Sun, the host site, will make all three events ADMISSION FREE to pool fans. On Tuesday, October 27, the three matches for the INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS will begin at 3PM. On Wednesday, October 28, the three matches for the INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS will begin at 3PM. On Thursday, October 29, the three matches for the WORLD CUP OF TRICK SHOTS will begin at 3PM. The events will be held in the Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun and those attending must be 21 years of age or older.
The trophies and the checks will be presented by Mohegan Sun and Fusion Billiards Tables. The tournaments are also sponsored by Aramith Tournament Balls, Simonis Cloth, Mueller Recreational Products, Executive Billiards Delta-13 Racks, Silver Cup Chalk and AcCue Shot Training Device.
The 2009 events will be produced by Billiards International, Ltd. Those attending should arrive early for each tournament session. Make plans today to attend INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS, INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS and WORLD CUP OF TRICK SHOTS. For information call Mohegan Sun toll free at 1-888-226-7711 or log on to www.mohegansun.com
