Archive Page

Josh Farris Racks Up Stop #5 of The Mezz LA 9 Ball Series

A strong field of amateur players made it out to Gladi8or Pizza & Billiards on May 1st for some competitive 9 ball on 9 foot tables, with Josh Farris (684) capturing the hot seat against Francis Lanag (607) 7-1. Francis made his way back to the final after defeating Stop #4 champion Jon Balan (658) on the losers’ side 5-3; he then won the first set in the double elimination final 6-3 against Josh, but was unable to overcome the second set, which went to Josh 5-2. This is Francis’ highest finish so far in the series but we expect many more high finishes from him!
The losers’ side had great advances by two of the newest players in the series Henry Gonzalez (547) and Cody Gragg (615), tournament director Rudy Torres (599), Al Garcia (591), and Rhino Lay.
Several new players have joined the series, including Abet Ng, Butch Barba, Linda Dugger, Jesse Palomares and John Venadas. The series continues to grow as players fight for critical points that will get them into the Season Finale in December, where the top 32 players will get to battle it out for free for all the cash!
A big congrats as well to Jeffrey Jamerson who won the Break&Run Raffle for FREE entry to Stop #6, and Ray Cruz who won the Holy Case Raffle!
Lastly, we would like to thank all our sponsors for their support of this series which promises to build up to a great Finale in December: Mezz Cues, ZAN Tips, Turtle Rack, Holly Cases, Salotto App, Jam Up Apparel, fast&loose designs, and the BCA Pool League.
If you missed it don’t worry – we have a full year left of tournaments every first Sunday of the month! Find out more at www.LABCAPL.com

Go to discussion...

Jon Balan Takes Down Stop #4 Of The Mezz LA 9 Ball Series

A strong field of amateur players made it out to Gladi8or Pizza & Billiards on April 3rd for some competitive 9 ball on 9 foot tables, with Jon Balan (644) winning the single even race final 6-1 against David Butler (649), one of Bakersfield’s newest members in the series. David had a very strong showing, defeating Gerardo Bathan, Al Garcia, Daniel Alvarez, Rakesh Bunga, and finally Balan before reaching the hot seat.

The losers’ side had great advances by Stop #3 Champion Chris Wedekind, Jeffrey Jamerson, Al Garcia, Tony Garcia and Chris Santana, with Jon ultimately making it through after defeating Chris Wedekind to reach the final.

Several new players have joined the series, including Balan, Lindsay Bunn, Andrew Vazquez, and Bob Jocz. The series continues to grow as players fight for critical points that will get them into the Season Finale in December, where the top 32 players will get to battle it out for free for all the cash!

A big congrats as well to Rakesh Bunga who won the Break&Run Raffle for FREE entry to Stop #5!

Lastly, we would like to thank all our sponsors for their support of this series which promises to build up to a great Finale in December: Mezz Cues, ZAN Tips, Turtle Rack, Holly Cases, Salotto App, Jam Up Apparel, fast&loose designs, and the BCA Pool League.

If you missed it don’t worry – we have a full year left of tournaments every first Sunday of the month! Find out more at www.LABCAPL.com

Go to discussion...

Wedekind Wins Mezz LA Series Stop

Stop #3 of the Mezz LA 9 Ball Series is in the books! Chris Wedekind (631) comes back from a 2nd round defeat to WPBA Pro Melissa Helland (672) to win 5 straight matches and the $500! His victories on the losers’ side included TD Rudy Torres (603), Terrence Lee (575), Charles Pinkett (569), Clay Murray (552) and Jason Wetherald (630).
The winner’s side featured great wins by David Butler (650), Al Garcia (773), and Jason Wetherald. Melissa Herndon won the hot seat in a close hill-hill victory over Al.
A big congrats to David Butler who won the Break&Run Raffle for FREE entry to Stop #4 and Clay Murray who won the Holly Case raffle! Thanks to all who participated in these raffles!
Lastly, we would like to thank all our sponsors for their support of this series which promises to build up to a great Finale in December: Mezz Cues, ZAN Tips, Turtle Rack, Holly Cases, Salotto App, Jam Up Apparel, fast&loose designs, and the BCA Pool League.
If you missed it don’t worry – we have a full year left of tournaments every first Sunday of the month! Find out more at www.LABCAPL.com.

Go to discussion...

Biado Finally Reaches Pool’s Mountaintop

Carlo Biado (Photo courtesy of Bo Bader)

The Philippines' Carlo Biado wins his first World 9-ball championship with a 13-5 win over fellow Filipino Roland Garcia.

 

For the last 12 years the Philippines’ Carlo Biado did everything he needed to do to put himself on the road to being a champion. He dedicated endless hours in practice, money games, tournaments, and worldwide travel all in the hopes of one day reaching the top of the sport. And he also endured plenty of massive disappointments and near misses in big time events, including in more than a few world championships.

 
Those hard knocks and long days and nights finally paid off on Thursday afternoon in Doha, and in the biggest way possible, as Biado captured his very first WPA World 9-ball title, after a relatively easy 13-5 victory over fellow Filipino Roland Garcia in the final.
 
One could easily see the sense of relief and triumph on Biado’s face as the last nine ball fell and he realized he had finally accomplished his long cherished goal. Only two years ago, Biado came within a whisker of winning the World 10-ball crown in the Philippines, only to lose right at the wire to Taiwan’s Ko Pin Yi.
 
The humble and smooth shooting Filipino kept at it, however, and dedicated himself even more. He finally got his US travel visa and honed his skills in the States. Earlier this year he achieved his biggest triumph to date when he won a gold medal at the World Games in Poland.
 
It was clear all week in Doha that that win in Poland this summer had infused the Filipino with the type of confidence that would soon take him all the way to the pool mountaintop. With a dead-eyed, smooth stroke, cool demeanor and fast pace, the 34 year old Biado has all the tools and time to take this win to even further heights of greatness in the coming years.
 
For Garcia, his appearance in the final was a welcome revelation to pool fans who may never have heard of the hot shooting 36 year old. He grew up in the same Philippine town as the legend Efren Ryes, and learned much of the game from the Hall of Famer. Those who knew Garcia knew he always possessed surreal skills, and he was a favorite on the Philippine money game scene for years. In 2006 he played in the World Pool Championship in Manila but was way in over his head and fell out in the group stages. He had never produced much on the tournament circuit until he began traveling more in the last three years and he started to get some results. He has spent the last two years living and working in Thailand as a house pro.
 
This was Garcia’s first ever trip to the World 9-ball Championship since the event came to Doha in 2010 and what a week it was for the Filipino. Up until the final Garcia produced one master class after the next, including beat downs of Niels Feijen, Ko and young gun Klenti Kaci. There’s no doubt the pool world will be hearing more from this exceptionally talented Filipino.
 
That two Filipinos ended up in the final of the World 9-ball Championship may have been a happy coincidence for Pinoy fans around the world, but it was certainly far from a guarantee when play began at 10am local time on Thursday. That’s because the two opponents of Biado and Garcia were also playing lights out throughout the week here.
 
Biado’s opponent, Wu Kun Lin, has, over the last six months, established himself as the new man to beat among a plethora of incredible Taiwanese talent. The 22 year old from Taipei had recently grabbed semi-finals spots at the China Open and the World Pool Series and looked primed for a possible finals spot today. But several racks into their match today were enough to show who was boss. Biado’s experience was telling and he grabbed an early lead, pounced on several of Wu’s errors, and played brilliant 9-ball to win going away, 11-6. 
 
On the TV table at the same time, Garcia came into his match with the Albanian Kaci a slight underdog and justifiably so. Kaci’s clinical style has proven impenetrable lately and in just a few months the 18 year old has rocketed to an unlikely spot at the higher echelons of the pro ranks. But the Filipino didn’t let a few early mistakes get him down and once he found his rhythm, he produced a breathtaking performance that was as good as one could ever want to see. Garcia blew away Kaci in the blink of an eye, streaking to an 11-6 win and a spot in his very first world championship final.
 
With two Filipinos going for the title, the intensity and drama that is usually associated with a World 9-ball final seemed to be missing even before the race to 13, alternate break match began. The great Filipino players always travel together, and all of them are friends. And while each dearly wanted to be crowned world champion, the match seemed to proceed at a more casual pace than otherwise would have been.
 
Biado quickly established his control of the proceedings and never looked back. After taking the first two racks, Biado pounced on three straight glaring mistakes from Garcia to quickly move up 5-0. Slick shooting by Biado and another mistake by Garcia brought the score to 7-0. Garcia notched his first rack to make it 7-1, but a poor safety by Garcia led to another Biado frame and an 8-1 lead.
 
Garcia seemed to mount a comeback and won two straight to make it 8-3. But a break and run by Biado and an inadvertent scratch on the break by Garcia put the score at 10-3. Biado then moved it to 11-3 before Garcia countered with two of his own. At this point, however, the result was just a formality and indeed Biado quickly closed the deal. He wrapped up the proceedings with a fine break and run to claim his very first World 9-ball title.
 
Afterwards, as he posed for photos and celebrated with the many overseas Filipinos who live and work in Qatar, the new World Champion couldn’t help but think back on what had brought him to this very moment.
 
“I’m very very happy right now,” and overjoyed Biado said.  “It’s been a long time. I worked very hard, had many disappointments. And now finally I won the world title.
 
“In the semis I had a bit of pressure against Wu but I got lucky in one of the racks when I missed the bank shot on the four ball but it went in the other pocket. So I got lucky.
 
“There was less pressure in the final because even if I don’t win, at least a Filipino will get the title. I was very comfortable that’s why I played well. Also the balls were always in an easy position after the break.
 
“When I won the world games there was a lot of pressure, more than here because there were so many people watching. After I won in Poland against Jayson Shaw I just felt so good and so much more confident when I entered other events. That was a really big help to my confidence and I know it definitely helped me this week and today.”
 
For Garcia, the loss after being on the cusp of an unlikely world crown didn’t seem to sting too much. He was just happy that a Filipino had taken the title. And he was sure to use the experience to achieve success in future events.
 
“It’s still a wonderful feeling to be a part of this prestigious event,” Garcia said. “And the fact that my friend and fellow countryman Carlo wins means I’m also a winner. I’m very proud of Carlo. He deserved it more than I do.
 
“I had mixed emotion going into the final playing another Filipino. It’s not easy. And the pressure didn’t seem like it was there like in other matches. Of course I was trying to be the world champion but I started out with a few mistakes and he took advantage and that was it.  Anyway, I’m really happy. This is my first time that I joined this event and I made it this far. Hopefully next year I can use this experience to have more success in future tournaments.”
 
For now, though, it was Biado’s time to take a bow. When he was reminded that he now joined Filipino greats Reyes, Francisco Bustamante, Alex Pagulayan and Ronnie Alcano as World 9-ball Champion, all he could do was think back on all the difficult toil that had brought him into such illustrious company.
 
“I’m so proud to be one of them. This is the best thing that could ever happen to me. I have worked very hard for many years and now my dream has come true.”
 
The 2017 World 9-ball Championship was hosted by The Qatar Billiard and Snooker Federation(QBSF), and is sanctioned by the The World Pool Billiard Association, the governing body of the sport of pool.
 
The players  competed on Wiraka DYNASTY  Tables with Simonis 860 Cloth, Electric Blue Color and using Aramith Tournament  Pro cup TV Pool Balls featuring the new Duramith Technology.
 
Fans can interact with us through the WPA’s official Facebook Page for the event at this link;https://www.facebook.com/worldpoolbilliardassociation/
 
The WPA is also on Twitter; @poolwpa
 
Visit the official website of the WPA at www.wpapool.com
 
 
 
Results
 
Final
Carlo Biado(PHI) 13 – 5 Roland Garcia(PHI)
 
Semi Finals
Carlo Biado(PHI) 11 – 6 Wu Kun Lin(TPE)  
Roland Garcia(PHI) 11 – 6 Klenti Kaci(ALB)
 
Prize Fund Payouts
Winner US$ 40,000
Runner Up US$ 20,000
3rd & 4th Place US$ 8,000 each
5th to 8th Place US$ 5,000 each
9th to 16th Place US$ 3,000 each
17th to 32nd Place US$ 2,000 each
33rd to 64th Place US$ 1,000 each
65th to 96th Place US$ 500 each
Total US$ 200,000
 

Sambajon Wins Mezz West State Tour Stop

Stop #6 on the Mezz West State Tour headed south to the San Diego area of La Mesa, CA to On Cue Billiards. 96 players from all over California, Nevada, Arizona, and several international players were all in attendance for a chance to grasp their hands on piece of the $6800 prize fund.
 
Leading the top half of the bracket was Phoenix, Arizona native Tim Daniel. Tim had strong wins over Art Garcia, Kevin May, Ramin Bakhtiari, Victor Ignacio, and Chris Fangre all the way to the hot seat match. While on the lower half, Santos Sambajon Jr. slowly but surely snuck his way through players Mike Meeker, Al Garcia, Fach Garcia, Ernesto Dominguez, Tang Hoa, and Amir Shoshan setting up the hot seat match between Daniels and Sambajon. This match would prove to be a lobsided one as Santos' experience and shotmaking took the hot seat with a resounding 9-2 scoreline.
 
After an early defeat, Hungarian native Vilmos Foldes stormed through the losers bracket with 6 wins on the losers side. Tim Daniels finally stopped the former Junior World Champion in his tracks to settle for third place setting up a rematch in the true double elimination finals between Daniel and Sambajon. 
 
The packed house at On Cue was treated to a nail biting finals as Daniels managed to control the first set with uncharacteristic errors on behalf of the diminutive Filipino by a 9-4 score. Santos and Daniels battled toe to toe in the final and concluding second set with Daniels having a very routine out with only 3 balls left on the table. Upon pocketing the 7, Daniels left himself a slightly awkward angle which would prove costly as Daniels failed to manage the carom on the 9 correctly by scratching, only leaving the gift of shooting the 9 ball with ball in hand for Santos. The devastated Daniels consoled himself with runner up prize money of $1000 while Santos took home the title and $1500 first prize.
 
A very special thanks to all of our sponsors; Mezz Cues, West State Billiard Supply, ZAN tips, Turtle Rack, POVPool, NYCGrind, AZBilliards, Kurzweil's Country Meats, Marty Carey Jump Cue, Virtual Pool 4, and Fast & Loose Designs.