First matches played at Dynamic Billard Castelbrando Open
Cison di Valmarino, Italy: In a tough first round match, Mario He (AUT) defeated Stephan Cohen (FRA) with 9:5. As expected, the two contestant both began their performance quite impressive. Cohen could not pocket a ball on his first break shot and He ran out two racks on him. Cohen ran rack number 3 and the score was 2:1 for He with no mistakes played yet. In the fourth rack, He was forced to commit a foul and Cohen used his chance to tie the match at 2:2. Then Cohen’s misery started. He could not capitalize from his break shot anymore and played a few poor safety shots which led to a 6:2 lead for He. It looked like the odds had turned in favor of He. But Cohen did his best to stay in the match. He won two racks to turn the score to 6:4 for He. In rack 11, Cohen broke and got no ball pocketed. He ran the rack but dogged a relatively easy 9-ball. Luckily enough for him he left a tough shot for Cohen who missed as well.
Being given a second life in the rack, He pocketed the 9-ball to take a 7:4 lead over his opponent. Cohen took the next rack. After that, luck became a factor in the match. In the 13th rack, He attempted to pocket the 1-ball but missed. However, he left an absolutely impossible shot for Cohen. Cohen obviously struggled with the situation. He tried all he could but the balls just did not roll in his favor. To the contrary, he even left an easy 2-9 combination shot for He to get on the hill with 8:5. He was on a roll now. He broke the 14th rack, being on the hill. He ended up having pocketed a ball but with no shot on the 1-ball. He executed a jump-shot, pocketed it and got position for the next object ball. While clearing the table, he almost scratched after pocketing the 5-ball. Things just seemed to go his way. In the end, He won with 9:5 over Cohen which was a bit too high.
Other notable results form the first round include Senharip Azar (SWE) surprisingly defeating Dominic Jentsch (GER) with 9:7. BCA Hall of Famer Ralf Souquet (GER) added another safe victory to his record book, smashing Pierfrancesco Garzia (ITA) with 9:1. Evangelos Vettas (GRE) won his first round match over Artem Koshovyi (UKR) with 9:4.
All 12 tables will be streamed LIVE throughout the event. Join in on www.kozoom.com/en/pool-billiard/ and become a premium member in order to enjoy all features of the site.
The event will be hosted by the European Governing Body for Pool, the European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF) and organized by International Billiard Promotion (IBP). For further information and reference please go to the federation website http://www.eurotouronline.eu or contact our press office.
What a bad day for Jentsch. He just seemed to be unable to find his game. He missed many shots and seemed to be completely off the role today. His opponent in the second loser’s round obviously knew that and capitalized from it. Melkonyan played rock solid and performed very focussed. He had the better break shot and got a quick 7:4 advantage over Jentsch. In the 12th rack, Melkonyan also managed to turn the rack to his favor and went on the hill with 8:4. He then took a time out. When he came back it was actually Jentsch who seemed to have recovered a bit. His shots were better and more accurate and he took the rack to make the gap one point less, turning the score to 8:5. The 14th rack marked the end of Jentsch in this tournament. Melkonyan created some unnecessary tension for himself by ending up very close to the 9-ball. But he managed to pocket the 9-ball and stay alive in the tournament. While Jentsch is now on his way home, Melkonyan booked his seat in the next loser’s round where he will play Maksim Dudanets (RUS).
Jentsch’s fate is shared by his fellow countryman Nicolas Ottermann. Ottermann received a 9:3 defeat from Spain’s Francisco Diaz-Pizarro.
The tournament will continue tomorrow morning at 09:00 local time with more interesting matches to come up.
All 12 tables will be streamed LIVE throughout the event. Join in on www.kozoom.com/en/pool-billiard/ and become a premium member in order to enjoy all features of the site.
In the past week, the EPBF has launched its brand-new website. You can check all information around European pool at www.epbf.com Enjoy!
The event will be hosted by the European Governing Body for Pool, the European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF) and organized by International Billiard Promotion (IBP). For further information and reference please go to the federation website http://www.eurotouronline.eu or contact our press office.
THERE WAS double joy for the two English teams at the 888.com World Cup of Pool as first England A routed Indonesia 7-0 to reach the second round, and then the B team smashed Germany by a similar score line to reach the quarter-finals.
Both teams looked in outstanding shape and with them both being in different halves of the draw the possibilities of an all-England final on Sunday night are not out of the question.
England A, comprised of former World Champions Darren Appleton and Karl Boyes, looked very much the part as they completed the first round matches with a thumping 7-0 win over Indonesia at the York Hall to set up a second round game against Italy.
Looking focused throughout, England never let the Indonesian pairing of Ricky Yang and Irsal Nasution off the hook as they put on the best performance of the tournament to date.
Appleton was certainly pleased with how it went; “We are best friends and we have been for a long time, so we feel really comfortable together. We always play really well together. “We had the advantage of watching all the other matches so we got to see how the table played and we really enjoyed it.
“The next match is really big. Italy played really well today. We know Fabio and Bruno well and we have played them many times but I think we have the slight edge and we are playing at home. That’s the important one, if we can get through that and to the quarter-finals it is up to race to nine and we are more comfortable with that,” he added.
The opening match of the second round was a close fought affair as the defending champions Finland – Petri Makkonen and Mika Immonen – took on Korea who have giant-killing form in this competition.
The Korean pair of Ham Won Sik and Ryu Sueng Woo played well but the Finns got the better of the first half as they opened up a 4-2 lead. The Asians though dug in and made the most of some Finnish errors to win four in a row and move to the hill at 6-4.
In an entertaining affair, the Finns then went on a run and the match was eventually tied up at hill-hill with Makkonen breaking. He thundered one down and two balls dropped with the 1 ball available in the top left pocket.
Immonen messed up a bit on the positional shot but his partner made an excellent cut on the 2 ball and from there they ran out to be the first team to reach the quarter-finals.
“When we were 6-4 down I was just feeling ‘give us another shot and we can try and control the table’,” said a delighted Immonen.
“It was very nerve wracking and they punished us for minor mistakes and played very well and put us under real pressure.
“The next race is more of a cushion (Race to 9) and it gives you more chance of a comeback. Still, it’s a short race so we need to start strong and put pressure on the opponents and if we do then we can go all the way from here,” he added.
Outstanding potting and safety play were the order of the day as they moved in to a 3-0 lead. A Peach snooker on the fourth forced Souquet to miss and they increased the lead with ball in hand.
They ran out the next for 5-0 and did exactly the same in the next to reach the hill. There was another terrific break and run to seal a great night for the English.
Melling was thrilled by the win, “They were contrasting performances (first and second round). The A team put a clinic on and we had to come up with something special. In the first round we played 60 percent and got through that match, but not many people are going to beat you if you play like that.”
Peach added, “The difference was in the first match we maybe had a few nerves and wanted to try and get the first win under our belt. We have settled into the tournament now and we knew we would have to play well tonight because Germany are a class act and have won this event twice before. We had to come out with our best performance today.
“We are all top players and when the sides were picked me and Chris knew we would gel and Darren and Karl knew they would gel. We just got called ‘B’ but we are not a reserve side, call us Z team if you like, it doesn’t matter to us, we do our talking on the table.”
The 2013 888.com World Cup of Pool runs from Tuesday September 17 to Sunday, September 22 at the famous York Hall in Bethnal Green, East London. The field features 32 teams from 31 countries in a single elimination format. The total prize fund is US$250,000 with $60,000 going to the eventual champions.
Play continues tomorrow afternoon with three more second round match:
The 2013 World Cup of Pool runs from 17 – 22 September and takes place at the York Hall, London. For those wanting to watch the action in person, all tickets are available from www.seetickets.com (Search ‘World Cup of Pool’)
Defending champions Finland – Mika Immonen and Petri Makkonen – are through to the second round of the 888.com World Cup of Pool following a comfortable 7-2 win over Austria as the six-day tournament got underway at the York Hall in East London.
They won five racks in a row from 2-1 down to seal victory, after Austria, represented by Jasmine and Albin Ouschan, looked set to go 3-1 ahead. Jasmine, though, miscued pocketing the brown 7 and lost position. Trying to catch up left her with a tough cut on the 9 ball which she left in the jaws of the corner pocket.
After that the tide turned as the confident Finnish duo sprinted for the line.
“It’s always tough in the first match. We were a bit jittery and they had a chance for 3-1 but it was a tough one for Jasmine on the 9 and she jarred it. We got in control, didn’t look back and closed door,” said Mika Immonen.
“We’re happy to get over the first hurdle. It was nerve-wracking but we’re just trying to stay positive for next match.” He added.
The 2013 888.com World Cup of Pool runs from Tuesday September 17 to Sunday, September 22 at the famous York Hall in Bethnal Green, East London. The field features 32 teams from 31 countries in a single elimination format. The total prize fund is US$250,000 with $60,000 going to the eventual champions.
Korea (Ham Won Sik and Ryu Seung Woo), a semi-finalist in Manila in 2011, progressed to the round of 16 with a win over European qualifiers Estonia made up of Erki Erm and Dennis Grabe. It was an error-strewn match that never looked like catching fire and there were countless ball in hand opportunities in the first half of the game, as neither side really took advantage of them.
The Koreans though surged ahead in the closing stages to take the match and can look forward to a round two match against Finland.
The final match of the session saw Germany put paid to Maltese hopes with a 7-4 win. The German pair of veteran Ralf Souquet and debutant Dominic Jentsch were fancied from the off but soon found themselves 4-1 down to Tony Drago and Alex Borg.
As with most turnarounds, it hinged on a single incident when Tony Drago, thinking that the Germans had made no contact with the object ball, picked the cue ball up and positioned it.
However, there was no such foul committed, and the ball in hand went to the Germans who converted the rack. From there, they didn’t miss as they took the next five for the victory.
Commented Souquet, “The score was 4-1 to them and we were hoping for mistake as we just couldn’t get going. They had some nice easy outs so we had to hope for something but didn’t expect that!
“We’re going to relax and try and stay focused as our next match won’t be any easier. We will work on our game, mainly on our breaks but when it comes to shooting we are ready,” he added.
Play continues this evening with three more first round matches:
The 2013 World Cup of Pool runs from 17 – 22 September and takes place at the York Hall, London. For those wanting to watch the action in person, all tickets are available from www.seetickets.com (Search ‘World Cup of Pool’)
THREE POOL POWERHOUSES MAKE UP NEARLY HALF THE FIELD AS THE WORLD 9-BALL CHAMPIONSHIP MOVES INTO THE FINAL 64
(Doha, Qatar)–There’s something about Judgement Day in the World 9-ball Championship that brings out the wild drama, and the crazy pressure that is unique to professional pool at the highest levels.
It makes a high stakes money game seem like child’s play. This is, after all, the world championship. And this is the moment where, with the field about to be cut in half, with all matches do or die, a player gets his chance to reach the final 64 single elimination stage. From there, in just three days with six more wins, he might just make history and win a world title.
Sure, for most players this incredible dream will remain just that. But pool is a sport where the slimmest roll of the ball, even just a millimeter, can mean the difference between staying a nobody or being crowned king. As long as you’re still standing, there’s always that chance at history, and with that carrot dangling out there, that means nerves rattling, arms and wills weakening, and unbearable pressure taking its toll.
As the Philippines Marlon Manalo said today after winning his match and advancing to the final 64; “Was I nervous? Sure I was nervous. You could win a world championship, right?”
Indeed with careers on the line, Day 4 of the 2013 World Pool Championship proved to be a Judgement Day in all its glory. 32 players made it through to join 32 others from Monday to make up the big dance, where it now becomes a single elimination knockout, race to 11, all the way to Friday’s race to 13 Final. For the 32 players who didn’t make it, the walk to the exits and into the all-encompassing heat of Doha was surely long and lonely.
On a macro level, the final 64 is dominated by pool’s powerhouse countries. As usual, the Philippines makes up a good portion of the field, just about one-fifth, as an amazing 13 Filipinos qualified for the knockout rounds. The British, including defending champion Darren Appleton, put in their finest performance perhaps ever, as all seven of their entries qualified for the final 64. Taiwan will be making its customary run at the crown, as seven players from Chinese-Taipei made it. Next up are Germany and the Netherlands, each bringing four players to the main ball.
Even when a match was fairly one sided today, nobody could escape the pressure. Manalo, whose been spending the last three year involved in local politics in his home area of Metro Manila, got a taste of what he’d been missing today. Even though he had little trouble with Poland’s Sniegocki Mateusz in a 9-4 win, Manalo still found himself dealing with nerves.
“Yes I felt the pressure,” Manalo said. “This is my first tournament in three years and I’m not 100% confident. Being an elected official is a very busy job and I only had a chance to practice a few times coming back. My confidence is not yet back to 100%. But I do have a big heart. As long as you have the heart you can win here.”
The Philippines' Efren ReyesAnother man who was feeling massive pressure was Manalo’s legendary countryman, Efren Reyes. Reyes seemed to have an easy time out there with Korea’s Jeong Young H, winning 9-4. But the man known as “the magician” can’t ever get away from the expectations of his fellow Filipinos, who always expect him to win. Reyes can’t escape from the expectations even in Doha, as there are tens of thousands of Filipinos living and working here.
“They always think I will win and if I don’t win it’s no good to them,” a smiling Reyes said. “Too much pressure out there. Maybe if I can win a few matches I’m gonna play good without pressure but now, too much.”
If players who waltz are feeling the heat, what more guys like Mark Gray? The Brit went up against 2011 World 9-ball Champion Yukio Akagariyama of Japan today in a rematch of their 11-10 thriller in the semi-finals the same year Yukio won the crown.
Gray was hungry for a bit of revenge. Plus he craved personal and professional redemption. The 40 year old from Petersborough, Cambridgeshire became a dad earlier this year and hasn’t played in any world events recently. In addition his last few years of pool have been filled with a string of disappointments.
The two top tier players engaged in a toe to toe battle that went to a nerve jangling one rack decider. Yukio broke dry and left Gray a wide open table. Gray, who by now was visibly feeling the heat, had only the 9-ball left to win but his position wasn’t perfect and he missed the shot. Luckily, all Yukio could see was a full table bank. The Japanese went for it and missed, leaving Gray a hanger, and a coveted spot in the round of 64.
“That’s the first bit of luck I’ve had in five years,” a relieved and delighted Gray said afterward. “I didn’t feel confident out there. I needed a result and to beat the 2011 world champion to qualify feels really really good.”
In a match that could have been a terrific final, Germany’s Thorsten Hohmann, the 2003 World 9-ball Champion, took on the Philippines Hall of Famer Francisco Bustamante, the 2010 World 9-ball Champion. The match was every bit the cracker the two names suggested it would be, with a palpable intensity throughout. The two were tied half way through but Hohmann took advantage of several good rolls and close the deal to win, 9-6.
Germany's Hohmann took down a rejected Bustamante of the Philippines“It was intense out there,” Hohmann said. “At 5-5 I got a couple of good rolls and at the end I didn’t miss.”
Hohmann couldn’t help but get a bit emotional about the match as he recalled his younger days in Germany when Bustamante, who was based there for many years, was considered pool royalty.
“I grew up playing against him,” Hohmann said. “He was like a pool god then. I’ve beaten him in many important matches. He has a lot of respect for me and that only makes me play better when I play against him. That gives me confidence. And I have a lot of respect for him.”
England’s Chris Melling put in another fine performance today with a 9-3 win over Taiwan’s Kuo Po Cheng, winning 9-3. In a tense test of wills, Carlo Biado came back from 7-5 down to beat Canada’s Jason Klatt, 9-7. Vietnam’s Nguyen Anh Tuan put in perhaps the best performance of the day, blanking one of China’s best players Liu Haitao, 9-0. It wasn’t a good day for the Chinese, as China’s number one player and last year’s runner up, Li Hewen, surprisingly crashed out, falling to the Philippines Raymond Faroun, 9-7.
The Philippines Lee Vann Corteza had to overcome some early nerves and pulled away from a tight early match to beat Kuwait’s very tough Salah Al Rimawi, 9-4.
Switerland's Dmitri Jungo advancedTwo late matches came right down to the last ball. Tied at 8 with Japanese veteran Satoshi Kawabata, Greece’s Nick Ekonmopoulos looked like he could barely hold the cue. But he buckled down for the final clear and a spot in the final 64.
American veteran Corey Duel surely should have had no problem with Singapore’s young Aloysius Yapp. But the unbearable pressure got the best of both players, so much so that it appeared to cloud their vision in the final one rack decider. Yapp was looking for the quickest route out and went for a homerun with a 1-9 combo only to predictably miss. Duel took the rack and the spot in the final 64.
The country of Lebanon had its first ever success to celebrate as Mohd Ali Berjawi defeated Qatar’s Mhana Al Obaidly to become the first ever Lebanese pool player to advance this deep into a world 9-ball championship. Berjawi surely has no chance of winning the world 9-ball championship. But the expression on his face after what for him and his country was an amazing accomplishment, spoke volumes about how pool, and this world championship, can be so exciting and so much fun. When asked if he thought he could win the tournament Berjawi smiled.
“I have hope,” he said. “All the players have hope. That’s why we’re all here.”
Play in the Final 64 begins Wednesday at 11am local time(GMT +3) with all matches single elimination race to 11, alternate break. The finals, which will take place on September 13th, will be a race to 13.
The winner of the 2013 World 9-ball Championship receives $36,000. The runner up will pocket $18,000. The total prize fund is $250,000.
*The World Pool-Billiard Association(WPA) will be on hand in Doha throughout the week bringing you all the drama from the 2013 World 9-ball Championship. WPA Press Officer Ted Lerner will be reporting from the Al Arabi Sports Club with daily articles containing insight, interviews and analysis, as well as photos. Ted will also be manning the WPA Facebook page and Twitter feed and responding to fans queries and comments. Fans can also follow all matches via the WPA live scoring platform.
Enrique Rojas BECOMES THE FIRST EVER PLAYER FROM CHILE TO ADVANCE TO A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP KNOCKOUT STAGE, JOINS 31 OTHERS IN DOHA'S FINAL 64
(Doha, Qatar)–Relief and pure joy were two emotions on wide display on Day 3 of the 2013 World 9-ball Championship, as 32 players booked their spots into Wednesday’s Final 64, the single elimination knockout phase that signals the real start of pool’s most prestigious event.
Relief came from those top players who just wanted to notch their second win and put the madness that can be the group stages behind them. Pure joy came from the other players, those that know that winning this tournament is a massive long shot, and just getting through to the big dance is a career defining moment in itself.
The 128 player field that began here on Saturday was already considered by many to be the strongest ever gathered for this event. As the wannabes wither and the main stage starts to take shape, the remaining field promises to offer a brilliant collection of cue artists from all corners of the globe. It’s the kind of shot in the arm the sport of pool needs.
Today’s play inside the Al Arabi Sports Club in Doha was given over to only winners’ side matches. Winners advanced to the Final 64, while losers were sent over to the losers side of their group brackets, where they will play for one more chance tomorrow on Judgement Day.
Middle Eastern pool once again shined brightly in the form of Omar Al Shaheen. Any lingering doubts about the authenticity of Al Shaheen’s pool genius, which he’s proudly displayed over the last year, were surely put to rest today as the 21 year old Kuwaiti laid waste to the Philippines Marlon Manalo, 9-1.
Manalo’s making a bit of a comeback after a three year hiatus, but anyone who knows this sport still considers the Filipino a true monster out on the floor. That didn’t seem to bother Al Shaheen as he looked like he was having a stroll along the blue waters of the Gulf.
“I broke the balls good and always had a shot after the break,” said Al Shaheen. “He break the balls bad and can never see a ball.”
Kuwait's Omar Al Shaheen Can Al Shaheen go all the way? The university student who studies sports psychology is a long shot for sure, but his odds are definitely improving quickly. He reached the last 16 here last year and fought bravely in going out to eventual runner-up Li Hewen of China. In May of this year, Al Shaheen reached the semi-finals of the China Open in Shanghai, one of pool’s major events. He seems to be the man of the moment, and he’ll have the chance to prove it beginning Wednesday.
Defending champion Darren Appleton wore a smile of relief today after beating Korea’s Jeong Young H, 9-5. Like other favorites here, Appleton revealed that the two stage format had been playing tricks on his mind. You know you should win, but you could very easily find yourself sliding down a vortex of negativity if you’re not paying attention.
“I was worried because if I lose I have to play Efren(Reyes),” Appleton said. “With all the Filipinos here that’s like playing in front of his hometown crowd. But if you come here to win this tournament you can’t think about who you’re going to play. I made a few silly mind mistakes, like taking it easy when I was up 6-2. But I had 70% break and run outs. I played pretty well and I’m happy. I just wanted to get through to the final 64.”
China's Wu Jia QingTwo of Taiwain’s heavyweights, Chang Jun Lin and Ko Pin Yi, came through with nothing to worry about. Chang crushed Spain’s Marc Claramunt 9- 1, while Ko had an easy time with Qatar’s top player, Waleed Majed, 9-4. Another Taiwan player who always seems to play under the radar but who can do some serious damage is Cheng Yu Lung, who held off Great Britain’s Chris Melling, 9-5.
The Philippines came out with a mixed bag today with four players advancing and five being swept over to the losers side. World number 2 Dennis Orcullo breezed past Poland’s Tomasz Kaplan, 9-4, to qualify. Antonio Gabica quietly remains one of the stronger Filipinos in the massive contingent of greats the country produces. Gabica has lived in Qatar for four years now working as an assistant coach for the Qatar national team. Gabica even wears the colors of Qatar while playing. But his game and heart are true Filipino, something Germany’s young Dominic Jentsch discovered today. Gabica won 9-7 to advance.
2010 World 9-ball Champion Francisco Bustamante wasn’t so fortunate as he stumbled to Portugal’s surprising Manueal Gama, 9-6. Jeffrey De Luna fell to a strong Mika Immonen by the same score.
Completely unheralded Filipino Marlon Caneda was the surprise of the day with a 9-0 trouncing of tough Greek player Nick Ekonmopoulos. The 30 year old Caneda has a hard luck story that makes it difficult not to root for him. He has spent the last four years working as a house pro at the Run Out pool club in the remote Saudi Arabian town of Sakaka Aljouf. Caneda earns a mere $700 a month which he uses to support his child, mother and sickly grandmother back in the Philippines.
The lonely hard scrabble existence has its upsides for Caneda, though. He practices up to 12 hours each and every day.
World number three Lee Vann Corteza found himself in a back and forth dog fight with Albania’s Nick Malaj. The 26 year old Malaj, who currently lives in Athens, is no longer the upstart he was last year when he burst onto the scene here in Doha. Fighting toe to toe with Corteza, Malaj came back from 8-7 down to shock the Filipino and advance, 9-8.
“That’s the third time I played him and the first time I beat him,” a drained but excited Malaj said afterward. “If I lose to the same guy three times, that’s no good. And Filipinos are good players so I feel like a massive weight has been taken off my shoulders.”
China’s Wang Can will be seeing action on Wednesday as well. Wang made waves in the US earlier with a semi-final finish at the Ultimate 10-ball event. He continued his fine run today easily beating the Philippines Ramil Gallego today, 9-1.
One player everyone has their eyes squarely glued on is former World 9-ball and World 8-ball champion Wu Jia Qing(formerly known as Wu Chia Ching.) Wu, who only last November returned from spending two years in the Taiwan military scrubbing toilets and floors and never touching his cue stick, continued what looks to be a very serious comeback to the top echelons of the sport, after he reached the semi-finals of the China Open in May. Today, Wu, who now lives in and plays for China, looked impenetrable as he defeated a very strong Karl Boyes of Great Britain, 9-4, to qualify.
One of the best feel-good stories of the tournament so far continued again today as Chile’s Enrique Rojas did something none of his countrymen have ever done: he qualified for the knockout stage of the world championship. The 35 year old Rojas played in this event in 2005, 2006 and 2007 but never advanced past the group stage. Two days ago he upended heavily favoured Li Hewen of China 9-6. Today Rojas beat Aloysius Yapp of Singapore by the same score to finally enter the round of 64 on Wednesday.
32 more matches are on tap Tuesday with the appropriately titled Judgement Day. Nerves and drama are sure to be cascading throughout the Al Arabi Sports Club as every match is win-or-go home and careers could be hanging in the balance.
Play begins at 12pm local time(GMT +3) with all matches race to 9, alternate break. The single elimination round of 64 begins Wednesday with all matches race to 11, alternate break. The finals, which will take place on September 13th, will be a race to 13, alternate break.
The winner of the 2013 World 9-ball Championship receives $36,000. The runner up will pocket $18,000. The total prize fund is $250,000.
*The World Pool-Billiard Association(WPA) will be on hand in Doha throughout the week bringing you all the drama from the 2013 World 9-ball Championship. WPA Press Officer Ted Lerner will be reporting from the Al Arabi Sports Club with daily articles containing insight, interviews and analysis, as well as photos. Ted will also be manning the WPA Facebook page and Twitter feed and responding to fans queries and comments. Fans can also follow all matches via the WPA live scoring platform.
*The 2013World 9-ball will be held in Doha, Qatar from September 2-13,2013 and is sanctioned by the World Pool & Billiard Association(WPA), the world governing body of the sport of pocket billiards. 128 players from across the globe will compete for the biggest prize in Men’s Pool. The 2013 World 9-ball Championship is a WPA ranking event.
Ralf Souquet will break yet another record this December when he dons the blue European shirt to do battle in the 20th annual PartyPoker.net Mosconi Cup at the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
It will be the German’s 16th time as a member of Team EUROPE and cements his existing record for the leading number of appearances by a European player in pool’s No.1 event.
And when the tournament gets underway on Monday 2nd December, Souquet will be looking to improve upon two other Mosconi records he currently holds – all-time number of wins (45), and more matches played by any European player (75).
“The Mosconi Cup is by far the best event out there in the world of billiards and there are hardly any words to explain how big and important this tournament is,” said a delighted Souquet.
“I don't know my team mates yet but no matter who will join our team, captain JohA. Ruijsink will make us work hard and fight for our lives to keep the Cup in Europe, and win this prestigious event for the 4th time in a row.”
In total, Souquet has been on the winning side five times in his 15 Mosconi Cup outings and it will be his fifth visit to Las Vegas to represent his continent.
“Playing in the Mirage in Las Vegas will be special as well because that's the place where I won the Challenge of Champions back in 1996. It won't be an easy task though because the American team will fight their hearts out as well, especially on home soil.
“Having played already 15 times for team Europe, it brings back a lot of memories. Some are better than others but when I sealed the deal for our team in Las Vegas in 2007, it was definitely one of the best moments.
“I was only scared for a moment when team mate Tony Drago stormed into the arena and wrestled me to the floor to celebrate the victory!” he added.
Souquet will be in action at his old stomping ground of the York Hall in London from 17-22 September when along with Dominic Jentsch, he competes for Germany in the World Cup of Pool. The scotch doubles format will prove ideal as they attempt to regain the trophy they last won in 2011.
The PartyPoker.net Mosconi Cup takes place at the Mirage Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas from Monday 2nd to Thursday 5th December and features two five-man teams representing the USA and Europe.
The Europeans are the defending champions, having won 11-9 in London last December, their fifth win in six years.
*This is the third of 11 announcements naming the two 2013 PartyPoker.net Mosconi Cup teams.
The 2013 Mosconi Cup is delighted to work with our valued suppliers –Diamond – Official Table; Iwan Simonis: Official Cloth; Aramith: Official Balls and Predator: Official Cue.
WITH THE eighth running of the annual World Cup of Pool now a month away, the full line-up of players competing in the $250,000 event can be revealed. 32 pairs of players representing 31 countries will be coming to London from the 17th – 22nd September as the fabled pool and boxing venue of the York Hall plays host to one of the biggest events on the pool calendar.
15 of the world’s top 20 ranked players will be in attendance in what arguably is the event’s strongest line up yet. Among favourites for the title will be two-time World Cup winners China – represented by Li Hewen and Liu Haitao – and the highly dangerous Filipino pairing ofDennis Orcollo and Lee Vann Corteza.
Other notable duos from the Far East include the Chinese Taipei representatives, Ko Pin-yi and Chang Jung-lin, and Japan’s Naoyuki Oi and Lo Li-wen.
Mosconi Cup legend Johnny Archer will be partnered by Shane Van Boeing as the USA look to repeat the feat of Shane and Rodney Morris in Rotterdam in 2008 by winning the trophy for the second time.
Finally, can the Finnish pair of Mika Immonen and Petri Makkonenstage a repeat of their brilliant run to the title in Manila last year?
Matchroom Sport chairman Barry Hearn said, “Looking at the teams for this year’s event, I reckon that at least half of them are in with a shout if the balls roll their way.
“However, you’d have to look at the track record of China, the sheer class of the Filipinos, the pedigree of the United States and of course the two high-quality English teams.
“As we’ve seen in the past though, there are always unfancied sides that emerge from the pack and make serious challenges for the title. Either way, the World Cup of Pool will be a feast for cue sports fans and with the York Hall playing host, this one should be the best yet!”
The 2013 World Cup of Pool Masters is delighted to work with our valued suppliers – Official Cloth: Iwan Simonis; Official Balls: Super Aramith; Official Cue: Predator.
St. Johann, Austria: In a quick match that lasted 55 minutes only, Nikos Ekonomopoulos (GRE) creamed Chris Melling (GBR) with 9:2.
All was good and even after four rack. At a score of 2:2, Melling seemed to lose his game and Ekonomopoulos showed no mercy with the Brit. Having played not so well in his first three matches, Ekonomopoulos knew he had to improve or leave the event. Obviously, he went for the first option. He dominated the match and played rock solid and fast. Melling never found his game and the result was 9:2 in favor or Ekonomopoulos in the end.
Other notable results include Tomasz Kaplan (POL) winning by a hair's breadth with 9:8 over Stephan Cohen (FRA). Even though Cohen was the first one on the hill with 8:7, he was not able to win the match and continue the march to the trophy tomorrow. Alexander Kazakis (GRE) stopped young talented Ivo Aarts (NED) with 9:6 and eliminated him from the event at this stage. Juan Carlos Exposito (ESP) provided the tournament with a huge surprise, ousting last year's tour winner and Player of the Year 2012 Nick Van Den Berg (NED) with 9:6.
Juan Carlos Exposito (ESP) v Nick van den Berg (NED) 9:6
Tomorrow at 09:00 CET, the Women's Euro-Tour will begin with the first round matches. The Men's Dynamic Billard Austria Open will continue at 10:00 CET. You can follow all the action LIVE at www.kozoom.com/en/pool-billiard/
The event is hosted by the European Governing Body for Pool, the European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF) and organized by International Billiard Promotion (IBP). For further information and reference please go to the federation website www.eurotouronline.eu or contact our press office.
St. Johann, Austria: In a pretty one-sided match, last year's Austrian Open Champion Nikos Ekonomopoulos (GRE) beat Austrian senior player Johann Wallner with 9:3.
The match definitely did not have the expected quality. Probably Wallner was too nervous and Ekonomopoulos was not focussed enough. However, both opponents missed several shots and played second-class safety shots. That kept the match open for quite some time. After eight racks, Ekonomopoulos was expectedly leading 6:2. Everything happened as expected with Ekonomopoulos not finding his break shot so far. Then, suddenly many mistakes occurred during the match. In the 7th and 11th rack alone, Ekonomopoulos missed five shots – an amount that he normally does not miss in an entire tournament. Probably he was really out of focus by then. Sadly enough though, Wallner could not capitalize from it. Instead of punishing the defending Champion's poor performance, Wallner always came up with one more mistake. Either he ran out of position or he failed to pocket the next shot. He always allowed Ekonomopoulos back into the table. Unlike Wallner, the Greek shooter took his chances and finished the match with 9:3 after 75 minutes. In the next winner's round,Ekonomopoulos will face a player from the middle east – either Al-Hosani (UAE) or Bouhaimed (KUW). He definitely needs to improve his performance in order to stay on the winner's side.
Other notable results include Dominic Jentsch (GER) saving his first victory with 9:8 over Sami Ahola (FIN). Dutch junior player Marco Teutscher delivered an upset by sending Nr. 3 ranked player Dimitri Jungo (SUI) to the loser's side with 9:8.
The event is hosted by the European Governing Body for Pool, the European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF) and organized by International Billiard Promotion (IBP). For further information and reference please go to the federation website www.eurotouronline.eu or contact our press office.
