Archive Page

Fisher goes undefeated for the second time in a month, winning WPBA Ho-Chunk Classic

Ga Young Kim and Allison Fisher (Photo courtesy of the WPBA)

Fresh off her August 16-19 victory at the NAPT Summer 10-Ball Classic, Allison Fisher proved once again that age is just a number, and a fairly insignificant one at that. On the long weekend of September 13-16, Fisher joined what turned out to be 63 WPBA entrants in a multi-stage/bracket format at the Ho-Chunk Casino in Wisconsin Dells, WI and went undefeated through that field to capture her second title in a month. Fisher had to get by Korea’s Ga-Young Kim twice to claim that title.
 
The multi-stage format of this event created preliminary, 32-entrant rounds of play for 64 invited and seeded players, based on current WPBA standings going into the event. The lower-ranked invitees faced off against each other on Thursday, Sept. 13, in a standard 32-player bracket. Sixteen players, eight on each side of the bracket, emerged and advanced to play against a group of 16 players already selected to compete on Friday. When that Friday bracket came down to a final 16, those 16 advanced to compete against the WPBA’s top 16 players on Saturday (chosen from among the invitees who were able to attend). It was in this third, Saturday bracket that Fisher began her quest for the title.
 
On Thursday in races to 7, Kaylin Wikoff, Caroline Pao, Tonya Wiser, Naomi Williams, Kristie Bacon, Cathy Metzinger, Jia Li, and Jenna Bishoff won two matches each to advance to Friday’s bracket. In her second match, Jia Li downed LoreeJon Hasson 7-5 to get into that winners’ side final eight. Metzinger was among the final eight as the result (in part) of a forfeit by Jeannette Lee in her opening round of play. Lee came back through two rounds of loss-side play to become one of the 16 that advanced to Friday. Hasson won her only match on the loss side of the Thursday bracket and advanced, as well, along with Maria Juana, Lisa Cossette, Susan Wilbur, Sonya Chbeeb, Bonnie Arnold and Stephanie Mitchell.
 
On Friday in races to 8, Pao, Metzinger, and Arnold made it through their second day, winning two matches each to become one of the winners’ side final eight advancing to Saturday. Joining the event for the first time and winning their first two were Maureen Seto, Siming Chen, We Tzu Chien, April Larson and Kia Sidbury. Sidbury was originally scheduled to start on Thursday but a no-show for the tournament led to the 63-entrant field and an opening on Friday, into which she slipped. On the loss side of Friday’s bracket, Juana, Bishoff, Williams, Li, and Jeannette Lee advanced to their third day of competition. Lee had been defeated by April Larson, double hill, in Friday’s opening round and won two to join everybody on Saturday. Also winning two on the loss side and advancing to Saturday were Janet Atwell (defeated by Pao, double hill, in Friday’s opening round), Sara Miller and Robin Parker.
 
On Saturday in races to 8, Fisher said ‘hello’ to everybody and opened with an 8-1 victory over Juana, before running into Jeannette Lee (first of a series of classic women matchups during the day). Lee had defeated Kim Newsome 8-5 to start her day. Fisher defeated Lee 8-4 and then picked up the Texas Tornado, Vivian Villareal, who’d defeated Jennifer Barretta 8-2 in the previous round. An 8-2 win over Villareal sent Fisher to a winners’ side semifinal against Siming Chen, who’d defeated Line Kjorsivik 8-4 and Caroline Pao 8-3 to reach her. Melissa Little and Ga Young Kim squared off in the other winners’ side semifinal.
 
Fisher defeated Chen 8-2 and arrived at the hot seat match with an aggregate score of 32-9 (78%). Kim sent Little to the loss side 8-2, as well, and she came to the hot seat with an aggregate score of 32-14 (69%). Allison claimed the hot seat 8-3 over Kim and waited on her return from the semifinals.
 
On the loss side, Chen picked up Barretta, who was in the midst of a four-match, loss-side winning streak that had included victories over Jeannette Lee (8-5), Jia Li (8-4) and Brittany Bryant 8-5. Little drew The Grinder, teenager April Larson, who’d been defeated by Jia Li on the winners’ side of the final bracket, and was in the midst of a six-match winning streak that would take her as far as the semifinals. Larson had most recently eliminated Vivian Villareal and Caroline Pao, both 8-3.
 
Larson advanced to the quarterfinals with an 8-5 win over Little, and was joined by Chen, who’d defeated Barretta 8-2. Larson took the quarterfinal match over Siming Chen 8-5.
 
Larson’s remarkable run ended in the semifinals, when Kim defeated her 8-5. Kim’s second shot against Fisher, waiting for her in the hot seat, was a tightly contested, double hill battle. Fisher closed it out to claim the WPBA’s 2018 Ho-Chunk Classic.

Aranas, Fisher And Marks Victorious In Vegas

James Aranas, Kelly Fisher and Justin Marks (Photo courtesy Poolaction.tv)

Players from all over the globe arrived at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV for the First Annual Asian Culture Day pool tournament with a whopping $43,500 added to the prize fund. Billed as the opening event of the Efren Reyes Retirement Tour, it drew a star-studded field.
 
Tournament promoter Kenny Hsi pulled out all the stops and called in all his favors to put together this fabulous event in the relatively short time frame of ten weeks. With the advice and assistance of longtime WPBA touring pro and Tornado Open promoter, Vivian Villarreal, in addition to a countless number of volunteers, Kenny pulled together all the various sponsors and pieces for one of the most flawless inaugural events I’ve ever seen in my over forty years of involvement in the sport. Tournament sponsors included the Orleans Hotel and Casino, Caesars Entertainment, FaDa Vlogs YouTube, Aruze Gaming, Kovacs Pool Promotions and PoolActionTV.com.
 
Nevada is the only state in the country that has an officially designated day recognizing and celebrating the enormous Asian population in this state. Celebrations began with a Launch Party at the top of the Rio in the world famous Voodoo Lounge. This was continued the following evening in downtown Las Vegas at the Fremont Street Experience with a New Years Eve-style countdown to midnight. The Fremont Street Experience is also known all over the world for its overhead canopy and light show. Another major part of this celebration was in recognition of one of our own, BCA and One Pocket Hall of Famer Efren Reyes. He was chosen to be the first recipient of the Asian Culture Day Lifetime Achievement Award. The governor of Nevada, Brian Sandoval, presented Efren with a beautiful etched art piece commemorating this award in a special ceremony. Congratulations, my friend!!!
 
Due to the fact that the announced dates for this tournament were inflexible and fairly “last minute,” the fields in the three divisions were relatively small as compared to the fields of other events that are set far in advance. In addition to the short time frame, 64 of the world’s greatest male players were in Shanghai, China this week competing in the annual World Cup of Pool. I’m sure they’ll be here next year!
 
Although the fields were smaller than usual for an event of this caliber, the level of talent was exceptional. I have never been to a tournament where nearly every single match was “televison table” quality. I also have never been to a pro event where there were no evening matches! I was told this was because of other happenings during the Asian Culture Day’s week long celebration. If you’re interested in seeing what else was going on, visit asiancultureday.com!
 
Being that this event was part of the celebration for Asian Culture Day, the field was a magnet for and included some of the greatest players from Asian countries such as China, South Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines who were eager to participate to try to claim the titles for their countries. Stars from Europe, Canada and the United States rounded out the field.
 
There were three divisions in this event – pro men’s, pro women’s and amateur. The men’s division had 37 players, the women’s 23 and the amateurs 50. The amateurs played on seven foot tables while the pros played on nine footers. The format in the pro divisions was double elimination ten ball, call shot, alternate break with magic rack and races to nine.
 
Play began at noon on Wednesday and everywhere you looked, there were matches that you might see normally in a finals clash! Women’s world number one player, Chen Siming, drew Allison Fisher in the second round. With Allison leading the match and on the hill, 8-4, Siming charged back to tie it up but to Allison’s relief, she managed to take the win. After the match, Allison told me that this was the first time she had ever beaten the young 24 year old star!
 
A sampling of Wednesday’s action included wins by Vivian Villarreal over Jasmin Ouschan, Ga-Young Kim over Brittany Bryant and Karen Corr over Line Kjorsvik and then junior champ, Taylor Hansen. In two of the men’s division matches, Max Eberle prevailed over Donny Mills and James Aranas defeated Tony Chohan.
 
A sampling of Thursday’s action saw Ouschan over Erin McManus, Efren defeat Billy Thorpe, Aranas beat Ho Jun Lee and Ga-Young took down Vivian.
 
By Friday, many players had been eliminated. Steamrolling through the field, Efren beat Justin Bergman but was defeated in the next match by Chris Melling while Rita Chou defeated LoreeJon Hasson. Rita was then defeated by Siming who was methodically dispatching her opponents after losing to Allison in the second round.
 
Melling claimed his seat in a very exciting and well played hot seat match and sent Roberto Gomez west. There Roberto faced the young James Aranas. Still playing at a top level, Roberto led James 8-5 and then, with two balls left on the table, he underhit position leaving himself an extreme but makeable cut shot down the rail. Roberto missed the ball. James went on to win that game followed by the next three and survived being tossed out of the tournament. It had to be devastating for Roberto as he had been playing topnotch pool the entire event and then to be knocked out by a 1-2 punch.
 
After watching it happen, a thought popped into my head. As many players look back on their tournament titles, sometimes something occurs that seems to preordain the victory. I can look back at most of my titles and recognize a turning point which gave me the chance to win. I said to a friend that James might go on from here to win the whole thing instead of watching from the rail…
 
I also have to mention that I haven’t seen Efren as determined and focused in a very long time. I believe he really wanted to win this event and go out with a bang! Alas, it was not in the cards, as Efren finished a very respectable 5th-6th in a killer field.
 
But, I digress, so…back to the matches. On the ladies side, the two undefeated players, Kelly Fisher and Ga-Young, duked it out in the hot seat match. Kelly prevailed to claim her seat in the finals.
 
Saturday noon kicked off with the men’s hot seat match. The match featured Dennis Orcollo and Melling. After a spanking by Melling, Dennis headed to the other side to play the survivor of the one loss side. Chris would be in the finals.
 
On a side note, Erin McManus had told me earlier in the day that her good friend, Chris Melling, had been in Vegas celebrating a pal’s 40th birthday and had known nothing about this tournament and she had urged him to play as he could win!
 
Meanwhile, on the ladies side, Siming had fought her way through the one loss side after her defeat by Allison. After a long tough match the night before with Chou and leaving her in fourth place, Chen had made it to the semifinal match against Ga-Young.
 
The match began with a rocky start by Chen and exemplary play by Ga-Young, Siming was trailing 4-1. An unexpected miss by Kim allowed Chen some air and by mid-match, it was neck and neck. With momentum on her side, Chen closed out the match and marched into the finals. A very disappointed Ga-Young Kim finished in third place.
 
After surviving his match against Roberto, his day was not over. James had to defeat another young player who has having a great event – Vilmos Foldes. Vilmos has been honing his game playing on the Mezz West State Tour racking up victories and high finishes. It was another close hard fought match but James prevailed. Vilmos finished fourth – a great finish in a very tough field.
 
James now had to face Dennis Orcollo in the semifinals. The match was close but James Took it down 9-7 and advanced to the finals.
 
The ladies final match was first. Since this was true double elimination, Siming would have to defeat Kelly twice to win the event. At the start, the match was all Chen. Her powerful break combined with her flawless play rocketed her to an early lead. Kelly had struggled with her break most of the tournament and it was no different in the finals. She clawed her way back to 4-3.
 
To go ahead in the match 5-3, Siming missed a fairly routine 10 ball. The crowd gasped and Kelly leaped out of her chair to tie the match at four. Although still struggling with her break, she fought hard, taking the lead and managing to win most of the next few games with her great safety play and pocketing ability and reached the hill first. Siming, however, wasn’t going down without a fight. She clawed her way back and joined Kelly on the hill. Each player got to the table in the case game but it was Kelly Fisher who took the crown! Congratulations to Kelly for a well played victory!
 
There were no easy matches in this tournament. I’m sure Siming was very disappointed as, from what I’ve been told, she’s won just about everything in the past year or so! Great tournament, Siming!
 
The men’s final was highly anticipated as well. A young James Aranas, seeking his first international title, would have to defeat the very accomplished Chris Melling – twice! The race had been extended to 11 for the final matches.
 
Aranas won the first set 11-7 and the second one 11-6 to overcome the previously undefeated Melling. Both sets followed a very similar path. Starting each set with extremely close lags, each player won one and James jumped out to an early lead. Things didn’t go so well for Chris as, uncharacteristically but like Kelly, he struggled with his break. However, he still managed to knot the score after a few games. Even though both players displayed excellent shotmaking ability, James exploited his exceptional break by consistently running out or playing formidable safeties. Even when Melling broke and pocketed a ball or two, he couldn’t take advantage of it because he just didn’t have a good starting shot. Once after pocketing FIVE balls on the break, Chris was wedged between the ten and the rail with no shot! Consequently, most of the games in which Chris broke turned into safety battles with Chris on the kicking end. That, combined with a series of unlucky rolls opened the door for Aranas to dominate both matches. The only thing that kept Chris in the match was his world class and fearless kicking ability. As we all know, the balls knows who’s winning!!!
 
By winning this tournament, James has taken a giant leap to joining the ranks of the great Filipino superstars like Parica, Reyes, Bustamante and Orcollo. He displayed extraordinary poise and composure as he dismantled rack after rack and player after player with his exceptional play. Congratulations!!
 
During the week, I had a chance to spend some time with Chris Melling. A World English 8 Ball champ, Chris is mainly known in this country for his impressive come-from-behind victory in the finals of the Derby City Classic 9 Ball Championships over John Morra and his Mosconi Cup appearances. I know he has to be hugely disappointed. As an incredibly accomplished player in all facets of the game, I truly believe that this man will be back in the winner’s circle in the very near future. Keep your eye on him! Good tournament, Chris!
 
The amateur event was won by Justin Marks over Ray Skenandore. Randy Kukla was third and Ben Sutherland finished fourth. Congratulations to Justin for a great event! Good job, Ray!
 
I thoroughly enjoyed my opportunity to provide commentary for this event. Working alongside the always informative and accomplished player Jeremy Jones and special guest Allison Fisher was a real treat. The only thing better than watching the matches at home on the PATV stream is to have a front row seat from the booth! It was also a pleasure for me to interview old friends Allison Fisher and Kelly Fisher in post-game interviews.
 
Thanks again to tournament promoter Kenny Hsi for producing a fabulous event. Tournament Director Tim Kovacs of Kovacs Pool Promotions and ably assisted by his wife, Darcy, did a fantastic job of keeping the event running smoothly.
 
PoolActionTV.com would also like to thank our sponsors and fans for another fantastic event! Our sponsors include Steve Lomax Custom Cues, Kamui, John Barton of JB Cases, GoPlayPool.com, Mike Durbin Custom Cues, Aramith, James Hanshew Custom Cues, Simonis and Club Billiards of Wichita, KS. Thanks for all your support!
 
Our next event is the Fourth Annual Buffalo’s Pro Classic and Professional One Pocket in Jefferson, LA. The world famous Buffalo’s Billiards is adding $2000 to the Nine Ball and $10,000 to the One Pocket! Dates are May 24-27th. Hope to see you there!!!

Chinese Pool World Championship Fields Down to Eight

Mick Hill

Day two of the 2017 Yaqi Group Cup Chinese Pool World Championship is complete, and the field in each division has now been cut down to just eight players. 
 
The men’s division is sure to have a new winner, as last year’s Champion, Shi Hanqing, was eliminated in the round of 32 by Myanmar’s Phone Myint Kyaw in a lopsided 11-3 match. Last year’s runner up, Mick Hill, will have his hands full with Jayson Shaw in the round of eight on Wednesday. 
 
In the ladies division, defending champion Siming Chen will face China’s Wang Ye in the round of eight. Other notable ladies still in contention include Ga-Young Kim, Sha Sha Liu and Kelly Fisher
 
AzBilliards is live streaming from the event at http://azbilliards.com/chinastream.html?channel_id=9896587163685199960&app_id=1251971334, and fans can follow along with online brackets for each division at…
 
 
Men's Single Elim Brackets – http://www.chinese-pool.com/Mob/R2_men_mob.html
 
Ladies Single Elim Brackets – http://www.chinese-pool.com/Mob/R2_women_mob.html

Chinese Pool World Championship Day One Complete

Darren Appleton

Day one of the 2017 Yaqi Group Cup Chinese Pool World Championship is complete, and half of the players advancing into the single elimination stages are now known. 
 
Last year’s third place finisher, Darren Appleton, has qualified for the final stage, but it wasn’t easy. Appleton was taken to the hill by Iran’s Mohammad Pordeliri, and then taken to the hill again by AzBilliards 2016 Player of the Year Jayson Shaw. Shaw was running out the final rack and scratched in the side to gift an open table (and a trip to the single elimination stage) to Appleton. Shaw will face England’s Jack Whelan on day two to determine who goes to the final stage and who goes home. 
 
American Corey Deuel turned in two match wins on day one to earn his place in the single elimination final stage. He and Appleton will be joined by such notables as Wu Jia Qing, Pin Yi Ko, Lee Van Corteza.
 
Players who need one more win on day two to advance include Alex Pagulayan, Michael Hill, Carlo Biado, Ching-Shun Yang, Brandon Shuff and Antonio Lining
 
The ladies division sees a veritable who’s who of ladies pool on the one loss side, fighting for a spot in stage two. Karen Corr will face AzB Ladies Player of the Year Han Yu, Filipino sensation Chezka Centeno will take on Chihiro Kawahara, Kelly Fisher will face Rubelin Amit and Ga-Young Kim will play Claudia Djajalie on day two. Bai Ge, Sha Sha Liu, Siming Chen and Yuan-Chun Lin have already qualified to join eight Chinese women in stage two. 
 
After the first matches of the day finish here in Yu Shan China, the remaining players will be redrawn into a single elimination bracket that will be used to determine the eventual World Champion. 
 
AzBilliards is live streaming from the event at http://azbilliards.com/chinastream.html?channel_id=9896587163685199960&app_id=1251971334, and fans can follow along with online brackets for each division at…
 
International Men – http://news.top147.com/2017/03/00029054.shtml
Chinese Men – http://news.top147.com/2017/03/00029053.shtml
International Women – http://news.top147.com/2017/03/00029056.shtml
Chinese Women – http://news.top147.com/2017/03/00029055.shtml
 

Si Ming Chen wins 2017 Amway Cup

Si Ming Chen (Photo courtesy of LTSports)

Si Ming Chen is the 2017 Amway eSpring International Women’s 9-Ball Champion.
 
Chen emerged from group play with an untarnished 4-0 record, earning her a first round bye in the single elimination stage of the event. While sixteen ladies were battling it out for their tournament life, Chen joined Jasmine Ouschan, Allison Fisher, Karen Corr, Xiao Ting Pan, Han Yu, Ga-Young Kim and Kelly Fisher as one of the eight players with first round byes. 
 
The next round of play saw Chen face “The Hurricane” Ho-Yun Chen. Si Ming controlled this match early and raced to a 6-1 lead before Ho-Yun was able to mount a comeback. Ho-Yun got things back to 6-3, before Si Ming closed out the match at 7-3. 
 
The round of eight saw Chen taking on Kelly Fisher in a rematch of last year’s China Billiard World Championship final match. Just like the event in China last year, Chen came out on top of this match 9-6. 
 
Chen’s next match, against Ga-Young Kim, was even closer with Chen scoring the 9-7 win to book her place in the finals. 
 
Chen’s opponent in the finals, Xiao Ting Pan, had an equally tough road to the final match. Pan was also undefeated in group play, and scored wins over Chieh Yu Chau, Karen Corr and Sha Sha Liu on her way to the finals. 
 
The final match was a close one, but Chen emerged with the 11-8 win and first place. The $34,000 first prize launches Chen to the top of the AzB Woman’s Money list, but the upcoming "Yaqi Group Cup” Chinese Pool World Championship’s $59,000 first prize could drastically change the make up of that money list. 

Amway Cup Day 1 – Han Yu, ShaSha going strong

Chieh-Yu Chau (Photo courtesy of Samuel Lai)

The Amway eSpring International Women 9-Ball Championship 2017 started its official matches of stage 2 at 10:00 this morning (Mar 2 local time) back at the good old Taipei Gymnasium again this year, with the first 6 matches featuring players from 8 different countries and regions.
 
      FURY, the official cues of the tournament, immediately felt the excitement as two of their sponsored players, former world #1 Sandy Liu (ShaSha) of China and South-East Asian gold medalist Angelina Ticoalu of Indonesia, also being a semi-finalist in 2015 after taking down Sandy two years ago, faced each other again this year in one of the opening matches in Group B.
 
     Angelina managed to snatch the first point on the scoreboard but her opponent soon settled down and took over to lead the match all the way.  In the end, Sandy was the better one in the FURY derby and took her “revenge” with the final score standing at 7-4.  Later on during the day, Angelina recovered her lost ground by beating the Japanese Triple-Crown winner Joana Wu (Zhi-Ting) of Chinese Taipei, as well as the all-time multiple world champion “Duchess of Doom” Allison Fisher, who is also a 5-times winner of the Amway Cup, in a hill-hill thriller on TV table.  Sandy then extended her lead overnight in the group by beating Joana Wu 7-4 in the evening session.
 
      The 2013 Amway Cup winner as well as multiple world champions Kelly Fisher of England, came back from behind to beat LIM Yun-Mi of South Korea 7-5.  Kelly, also sponsored by FURY, is coming back in good form after her surgery and is looking to stay strong against her other opponents in Group H.  These shall include Longasy Tips sponsored WEI Tzu-Chien as well as her Taiwanese comrade HO Hsin-Ju who came through from the qualifiers.
 
      In the other groups, even though Kristina Tkach of Russia had a bad opening after scratching on her first 8-ball and eventually losing the match to the 2004 Amway Cup champion LIU Sin-Mei of Chinese Taipei, she was able to re-strengthen her position in Group A with two hill-hill wins over qualifier WU Hsiao-Wen (Chinese Taipei) and the 2016 Amway Cup winner Chezka Centeno of the Philippines respectively.  Earlier on, the defending champion had a relatively comfortable win over European Jasmine Ouschan of Austria.
 
      Multiple world champions Karen Corr of Northern Ireland had wins over Japanese #1 Chihiro Kawahara and qualifier FAN Yu-Hsuan (Chinese Taipei) to lead in Group C.  Karen will be facing the 2015 Videoland Year-End Champion CHEN He-Yun, who had lost to her Taiwanese comrade Fan in another match.  Claudia Von Rohr of Switzerland made her debut in the Amway Cup this year, but lost both of her matches against Chen and Fan.
 
      Three times Amway Cup Champion Rita CHOU (Chieh-Yu) made both of her wins on TV table by taking down Oliwia Czuprynska of Poland and Molrudee Kasemchaiyanan of New Zealand.  The great PAN XiaoTing of China, who won the Amway Cup exactly ten years back, missed her action last year but now returning to the scene brighter than ever, beat Molrudee and qualifier MU Shu-Fong of Chinese Taipei to equal Rita in Group D overnight.
 
     Han Yu of China, the recently selected AZB player of the Year, current world #1 as well as a semi-finalist last year, marked the first absolute win of the day by whitewashing the Taiwanese qualifier HSIEH Yu-Wen on TV table, then moved on to beat Pia Plaeser of Germany in Group E.  Two times world champion Rubilen Amit copied Han and gave a lesson to the young South Korean rising star Woo-Jin LEE, being the only non-Taiwanese that came through from stage one.  Lee lost in an hill-hill encounter with Hsieh but was able to win over Pia that saved a last hope for her against Han in the afternoon session tomorrow.
 
      Ga-Young Kim, the two times Amway Cup winner from South Korea, stands out in Group F by beating Jennifer McCulla of Australia and qualifier Bean Hung (Meng-Hsia), who is coincidentally working in Australia.  The 17-years old Taiwanese Amber Chen (Chia-Hua), being the youngest player on board, enjoys her first direct-entry to stage 2 this year, had 1 win and 1 lost on the day, and will be facing Kim on TV table tomorrow.
 
     LIN Yuan-Chun of Chinese Taipei, also a two times Amway Cup winner, won her first match 7-4 in Group G against Kristina Grim of Germany.  Kristina, who almost broke down to tears after having a good lead but still lost to Kelly Fisher on TV table last year, celebrated her victory over a deciding rack on TV this year against qualifier KUO Szu-Ting of Chinese Taipei.  She will be playing again on TV tomorrow at 4pm against the almighty CHEN SiMing of China.
 
     Action continues tomorrow at the Taipei Gymnasium (#10, Section 4, Nanjing East Road, Songshan District, near Taipei Arena) to decide the last 24 players in the knockout stage.
 
     All Results (Group Stage) : click here
 

2017 CBSA “YAQI Group Cup” Chinese Pool World Championships Slated for March

The People’s Government of Yushan County of China and The Beijing Xingpai Sports Development Co., Ltd. are very proud to present the 2017 CBSA “YAQI Group Cup” Chinese Pool World Championships, taking place March 13th – 16th at The First High School Stadium of Yushan County in Shangrao Yushan China.
 
The sixty-four player Men’s division will be made up of…
 
Top 15 International players from the qualification events
Top 15 Chinese players  from the qualification events
Top 8 ranked Chinese players from 2016 CBSA Chinese Pool Events
Top 4 players from the Chinese Pool International Qualifier held after the 2016 US Open 9-Ball Championship
Top 8 ranked WPA players
4 players recommended by the Chinese National Team
2016 Chinese World Pool World Champion
2015 Chinese World Pool World Champion
 
The thirty-two player Women’s division will be made up of…
 
Top 7 International players from the qualification events
Top 7 Chinese players  from the qualification events
Top 4 ranked Chinese players from 2016 CBSA Chinese Pool Events
Top 8 ranked WPA players
4 players recommended by the Chinese National Team
2016 Chinese World Pool World Champion
2015 Chinese World Pool World Champion
 
Before the Main Event, six days of qualification events will take place, offering entry to Chinese and International players. The Chinese player's qualifications will take place March 6th – 8th, with the International player qualifications, will take place March 9th – 11th. Entry into the qualification events will be $100, and entry into the final event will be $400 for all qualifying players. The organizing committee will cover the accommodations for all players including hotel and food expenses during the competition.
 
The qualification events will be best of 13 games for the Men’s division, and best of 9 games for the Women’s division. 
 
The main event will be played in two phases. Phase one will see four divisions (32 International Men, 32 Chinese Men, 16 International Women and 16 Chinese Women) compete in double elimination brackets. Those matches will be best of 17 games for the Men and best of 13 games for the Women. 
 
Phase two of the main event will see 32 Men and 16 Women playing in single-elimination brackets. Men will play best of 21 games in the first two rounds, best of 25 games in the quarter and semi-finals, and best of 41 games (spread over two sessions) in the finals. Women will play best of 17 games in the first round, best of 21 games in the quarter and semi-finals, and best of 33 games (spread over two sessions) in the finals. 
 
The total prize money for the YAQI Group Cup Chinese Pool World Championships will be $442,350 with $89,555 being awarded to the Men’s Champion and $59,700 being awarded to the Women’s Champion.
 
The Official Equipment for the YAQI Group Cup Chinese Pool World Championships is provided by STAR Billiards Tables, Cyclop Tournament TV Balls, Tianjin Junyao Sports Cultural Communication Co. Ltd (Lights) and Andy Billiards Cloth. The scoring system and Video Service Provider is Beijing Crand Science and Technology Co., Ltd.
 
The YAQI Group Cup Chinese Pool World Championships is hosted by The World Pool-Billiard Association, The Multi-ball Games Administrative Center of General Administration of Sports of China, The Chinese Billiards & Snooker Association, The Sports Bureau of Jiangxi Province of China and The People’s Government of Shangrao City of China. The event is supported by The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association and The International Billiards and Snooker Federation. 
 
Notable players already confirmed for this prestigious event include Darren AppletonGa-Young KimMark WilliamsNeil RobertsonJohn HigginsSiming ChenSha Sha Liu and Han Yu.

Challenge of Champions Back in Gear

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WHO: Billiards International presents ESPN BILLIARDS:

WHERE: LIVE from the Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, New Jersey

 

WHEN: September 20, 2pm EST:      The WPBA HALL OF FAME CHALLENGE CUPSeptember 20, 3pm EST: THE MEN’S INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONSSeptember 21, 3pm EST:      THE WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONSSeptember 22, 2:30pm EST:   TRICK SHOT MAGIC

 

CONTACT: David Thomson, Medium Pool, 310-450-8525; Mediumpool@gmail.com

 

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (August, 2016) – Pocket Billiard Champions, from around the world, go head-to-head in a three-day extravaganza of action packed professional pool.

            The HALL OF FAME CHALLENGE CUP, MEN’S INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS, WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS, and TRICK SHOT MAGIC will be held September 20, 21, and 22 at the Official Host Site Trump Taj Mahal, Xanadu Theater, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, close to the cities of Philadelphia, Wilmington, Newark, New York City, Baltimore and Washington, DC.

            The matches will be taped for ESPN/ESPN2 with a live audience for television broadcast that represents the highest viewed billiard programming on US network television.

            The events are widely considered the toughest tournaments to win in professional billiards.  Once each year, international champions are battling in short, sudden-death shootouts with pressure-cooker formats and the largest prize money in pool's special events.  And, the winners claim one of the most coveted titles in pool – Champion of Champions!          FREE ADMISSION to the events in the Taj Majal Xanadu Theater on a first come, first seated basis and open to all ages.

            On September 20 at 2pm, Trump Taj Mahal will host the WPBA sanctioned HALL OF FAME CHALLENGE which will highlight 2 accomplished women champions and Hall of Fame members contending for the title “Hall of Fame Challenge Cup Champion.”

 

Ewa Laurance (USA) is the holder of multiple World and US Open 9-ball titles, and has also won the Swedish, European and US National Championships in her 20 year plus, remarkable career.  A former #1 ranked player in the world, Ewa has received Player of the Year honors, been named WPBA Sportsperson of the Year and, in 2004, was inducted into the prestigious Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame.

Vivian Villarreal (USA) is one of the most exciting players to watch and is nicknamed the “Texas Tornado.”  She has been consistently ranked as one of the world’s top women’s billiard players for the past 20 years and held the #1 world ranking five times. She has won a total of 19 WPBA Classic Tour titles and is the ESPN World Open Champion.

 

On September 20 at 3pm, Trump Taj Mahal will host the INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS presenting the top male players in the world:

 

Alex Pagulayan (Canada): 2016 Canadian Open Champion: 2016 Derby City Classic All Around Champion; 2016 Derby City Classic One Pocket Champion; 2015 3rd Annual Big Tyme Classic 9-ball Bar Table champion; 2015 3rd Annual Big Tyme Classic one pocket champion; 2015 Professional One Pocket Buffalo's Billiards 2000 Champion; 2015 DCC All-Around Champion; 2015 Derby City One Pocket champion;

 

Shane Van Boening (USA): 2016 US Open 8-Ball and 10-Ball Champion, 2015 World Masters Champion, 2015 US Bar Table Championship (9-Ball Division), 2015 Diamond “BIG Foot” 10-Ball Champion, 2012, 2013, and 2014 U.S. Open 9-Ball Champion, 2014 World Masters Champion, 2014 Derby City Classic 9-Ball Champion, 2012 and 2013 US Open 9-Ball Champion;

 

Kevin Cheng (Taiwan):  2015 US Open 9-Ball Champion;

 

Jayson Shaw (Scotland):  2016 Derby City Classic “BIG Foot” 10-Ball Challenge Champion; 2016 Bergan Open 9-Ball Champion; 2016 Pool & Billiard Hall of Fame 9-Ball Open Champion; 2016 Predator Pro-Am Tour Stop 5 Open/Pro Division Champion; 2016 Predator Pro-Am Tour Stop 12 Open/Pro Division Champion; 3 time, Back-to-Back Turning Stone Classic Champion.

 

            On September 21, at 3pm, Trump Taj Mahal presents the WPBA sanctioned TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS which will highlight the 4 most accomplished women champions contending for the title Champion of Champions:

            Kelly Fisher (Ireland): Two-time winner of the Tournament of Champions, 2nd in the 2016 China Women’s Billiard World Champion, 2013 Amway Cup Champion, and 2012 WPA Women’s World 9-Ball Champion;

            Allison Fisher (Great Britain): Over 80 professional titles including 2016 WPBA Masters Champion, 2013 Ultimate 10-Ball Championship Women’s Runner-Up, and 2011 and 2012 US Open 9-Ball Champion.

            Jasmin Ouschan (Austria): 2015 WPBA Masters Champion, 2013 European Straight Pool and 9-Ball Champion and 2012 European 10-Ball Champion;

            Ga-Young Kim (South Korea): 2016 WPBA Rivers US Open Champion, 2015 Tornado Open 9-Ball Champion, 2015 Tournament of Champions.

            On September 22 at 2pm, the Trump Taj Mahal welcomes the return of the highest rated pool tournament ever shown on ESPN, TRICK SHOT MAGIC.  Four of the most talented trick shot competitors in the world will compete for a sudden-death prize in television’s most exciting format:

            Andy Segal (USA): #1 ranked in the world, 7 times ESPN Champion, 4 times World champion, 6 times Masters Champion and 2 times US Open Champion;

            Gabi ”Mr. Perfect” Visiou (Romania): 2016 ACSISA US Open Trick Shot Championship runner up, 2015 WPA World Artistic Pool Champion and 4 times ESPN World Cup of Trick Shots Champion;

            Jamey Gray (USA): WPA World Artistic Pool champion, currently rated # 2 in the world

            Will DeYonkers (USA): 2016 ESPN Qualifier Champion, 2015 Masters Champion, 2015 UTS Runner Up and Current World Follow Champion.

 

The latter three events are each regarded as the supreme test of skill and imagination in billiards. The players are so evenly matched that any one player could beat the others on any given day.

            The HALL OF FAME CHALLENGE, INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS and the TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS are 9-Ball with a format of two sets and, in the event of one set each, a one game, sudden-death tie-breaker.

            TRICK SHOT MAGIC presents the greatest individual trick shots selected by each player which, then, must be completed by their opponent.  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 4 events offer the wildest shootout of the year.

            COME MINGLE WITH THE PROS: And, as if that weren't enough, for a few hours each evening, the pros will be practicing in the Xanadu Theater and be available for autographs to audience members and pool fans alike. You might also get tips on improving your game.

            Trump Taj Majal, the Official Host Site, is a 24-hour gaming and entertainment destination on Atlantic City’s world famous boardwalk.  When you decide to name your casino resort after one of the original Seven Wonders of the World, you are setting the architectural bar fairly high.  The landmark Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City lives up to its legendary name.  Unprecedented in craftsmanship, size and opulence, the awe-inspiring architectural masterpiece is a sight to behold.  Check into your palace away from home and enjoy luxurious accommodations, spectacular concerts and shows, thrilling gaming action, tempting gourmet and casual restaurants and a night life that never sleeps.  At the Trump Taj Mahal, the excitement goes on, and on, and on.  Located at 1000 Boardwalk at Virginia Avenue, the Taj Mahal offers 2010 rooms and suites plus more than 25 places to shop, eat, party and have fun.  Taj Mahal will make all three events in the Xanadu Theater ADMISSION FREE to pool fans of all ages.  Parking is available for a fee.

            The trophies and winner checks will be presented by the Trump Taj Mahal. The tournaments are also sponsored by Aramith Tournament Balls, Simonis Cloth, Diamond Billiards, Executive Billiards Delta-13 Racks and Pool Dawg.

            The 2016 events are produced by Billiards International.  For best seats, please arrive early for each tournament session.

            Hotel rooms are available to make an enjoyable getaway at the spectacular at the Trump Taj Majal. Hotel reservations can be made online or by calling 609-449-1000.  Make your plans today to attend the HALL OF FAME CHALLENGE CUP, INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS, the TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS and, TRICK SHOT MAGIC, September 20, 21 and 22 at the Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City’s premier gaming destination.

 

###

Billiards International Presents ESPN Billiards

Shane Van Boening (Photo courtesy of Dave Thomson – Mediumpool.com)

Pocket Billiard Champions, from around the world, go head-to-head in a three-day extravaganza of action packed professional pool.
 
The HALL OF FAME CHALLENGE CUP, MEN’S INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS, WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS, and TRICK SHOT MAGIC will be held September 20, 21, and 22 at the Official Host Site Trump Taj Mahal, Xanadu Theater, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, close to the cities of Philadelphia, Wilmington, Newark, New York City, Baltimore and Washington, DC.
 
The matches will be taped for ESPN/ESPN2 with a live audience for television broadcast that represents the highest viewed billiard programming on US network television. 
 
The events are widely considered the toughest tournaments to win in professional billiards.  Once each year, international champions are battling in short, sudden-death shootouts with pressure-cooker formats and the largest prize money in pool's special events.  And, the winners claim one of the most coveted titles in pool – Champion of Champions! FREE ADMISSION to the events in the Taj Majal Xanadu Theater on a first come, first seated basis and open to all ages.
 
On September 20 at 2pm, Trump Taj Mahal will host the WPBA sanctioned HALL OF FAME CHALLENGE which will highlight 2 accomplished women champions and Hall of Fame members contending for the title “Hall of Fame Challenge Cup Champion.”
 
Ewa Laurance (USA) is the holder of multiple World and US Open 9-ball titles, and has also won the Swedish, European and US National Championships in her 20 year plus, remarkable career.  A former #1 ranked player in the world, Ewa has received Player of the Year honors, been named WPBA Sportsperson of the Year and, in 2004, was inducted into the prestigious Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame.
 
Vivian Villarreal (USA) is one of the most exciting players to watch and is nicknamed the “Texas Tornado.”  She has been consistently ranked as one of the world’s top women’s billiard players for the past 20 years and held the #1 world ranking five times. She has won a total of 19 WPBA Classic Tour titles and is the ESPN World Open Champion.
 
On September 20 at 3pm, Trump Taj Mahal will host the INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS presenting the top male players in the world:
 
Alex Pagulayan (Canada): 2016 Canadian Open Champion: 2016 Derby City Classic All Around Champion; 2016 Derby City Classic One Pocket Champion; 2015 3rd Annual Big Tyme Classic 9-ball Bar Table champion; 2015 3rd Annual Big Tyme Classic one pocket champion; 2015 Professional One Pocket Buffalo's Billiards 2000 Champion; 2015 DCC All-Around Champion; 2015 Derby City One Pocket champion;
 
Shane Van Boening (USA): 2016 US Open 8-Ball and 10-Ball Champion, 2015 World Masters Champion, 2015 US Bar Table Championship (9-Ball Division), 2015 Diamond “BIG Foot” 10-Ball Champion, 2012, 2013, and 2014 U.S. Open 9-Ball Champion, 2014 World Masters Champion, 2014 Derby City Classic 9-Ball Champion, 2012 and 2013 US Open 9-Ball Champion;
 
Yu-Hsuan Cheng (Taiwan):  2015 US Open 9-Ball Champion;
 
Jayson Shaw (Scotland):  2016 Derby City Classic “BIG Foot” 10-Ball Challenge Champion; 2016 Bergan Open 9-Ball Champion; 2016 Pool & Billiard Hall of Fame 9-Ball Open Champion; 2016 Predator Pro-Am Tour Stop 5 Open/Pro Division Champion; 2016 Predator Pro-Am Tour Stop 12 Open/Pro Division Champion; 3 time, Back-to-Back Turning Stone Classic Champion.
 
On September 21, at 3pm, Trump Taj Mahal presents the WPBA sanctioned TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS which will highlight the 4 most accomplished women champions contending for the title Champion of Champions:
 
Kelly Fisher (Ireland): Two-time winner of the Tournament of Champions, 2nd in the 2016 China Women’s Billiard World Champion, 2013 Amway Cup Champion, and 2012 WPA Women’s World 9-Ball Champion;
 
Allison Fisher (Great Britain): Over 80 professional titles including 2016 WPBA Masters Champion, 2013 Ultimate 10-Ball Championship Women’s Runner-Up, and 2011 and 2012 US Open 9-Ball Champion.
 
Jasmin Ouschan (Austria): 2015 WPBA Masters Champion, 2013 European Straight Pool and 9-Ball Champion and 2012 European 10-Ball Champion;
 
Ga-Young Kim (South Korea): 2016 WPBA Rivers US Open Champion, 2015 Tornado Open 9-Ball Champion, 2015 Tournament of Champions.
 
On September 22 at 2pm, the Trump Taj Mahal welcomes the return of the highest rated pool tournament ever shown on ESPN, TRICK SHOT MAGIC.  Four of the most talented trick shot competitors in the world will compete for a sudden-death prize in television’s most exciting format:
 
Andy Segal (USA): #1 ranked in the world, 7 times ESPN Champion, 4 times World champion, 6 times Masters Champion and 2 times US Open Champion;
 
Gabi ”Mr. Perfect” Visiou (Romania): 2016 ACSISA US Open Trick Shot Championship runner up, 2015 WPA World Artistic Pool Champion and 4 times ESPN World Cup of Trick Shots Champion;
 
Florian Kohler (France): Current ESPN Trick shot Magic Champion, 2 times world cup of Tricks shots winner, Guinness Book Record holder for most important number of balls jumped in a minute (68 balls),  Most viewed pool Trick shots artist on the internet: half a billion views combined, and 2 times and youngest Artistic Cup winner;
 
Will DeYonkers (USA): 2016 ESPN Qualifier Champion, 2015 Masters Champion, 2015 UTS Runner Up and Current World Follow Champion.
 
The latter three events are each regarded as the supreme test of skill and imagination in billiards. The players are so evenly matched that any one player could beat the others on any given day.
The HALL OF FAME CHALLENGE, INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS and the TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS are 9-Ball with a format of two sets and, in the event of one set each, a one game, sudden-death tie-breaker.
 
TRICK SHOT MAGIC presents the greatest individual trick shots selected by each player which, then, must be completed by their opponent.  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 4 events offer the wildest shootout of the year.
 
COME MINGLE WITH THE PROS: And, as if that weren't enough, for a few hours each evening, the pros will be practicing in the Xanadu Theater and be available for autographs to audience members and pool fans alike. You might also get tips on improving your game. 
 
Trump Taj Majal, the Official Host Site, is a 24-hour gaming and entertainment destination on Atlantic City’s world famous boardwalk.  When you decide to name your casino resort after one of the original Seven Wonders of the World, you are setting the architectural bar fairly high.  The landmark Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City lives up to its legendary name.  Unprecedented in craftsmanship, size and opulence, the awe-inspiring architectural masterpiece is a sight to behold.  Check into your palace away from home and enjoy luxurious accommodations, spectacular concerts and shows, thrilling gaming action, tempting gourmet and casual restaurants and a night life that never sleeps.  At the Trump Taj Mahal, the excitement goes on, and on, and on.  Located at 1000 Boardwalk at Virginia Avenue, the Taj Mahal offers 2010 rooms and suites plus more than 25 places to shop, eat, party and have fun.  Taj Mahal will make all three events in the Xanadu Theater ADMISSION FREE to pool fans of all ages.  Parking is available for a fee.
 
The trophies and winner checks will be presented by the Trump Taj Mahal. The tournaments are also sponsored by Aramith Tournament Balls, Simonis Cloth, Diamond Billiards, Executive Billiards Delta-13 Racks and Pool Dawg.
 
The 2016 events are produced by Billiards International.  For best seats, please arrive early for each tournament session.
 
Hotel rooms are available to make an enjoyable getaway at the spectacular at the Trump Taj Majal. Hotel reservations can be made online or by calling 609-449-1000.  Make your plans today to attend the HALL OF FAME CHALLENGE CUP, INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS, the TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS and, TRICK SHOT MAGIC, September 20, 21 and 22 at the Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City’s premier gaming destination.
 

Sanlig China Billiard World Championship Final Stages Underway

Daryl Peach

One day of play is complete in the final stage of the Sanlig China Billiard World Championship, taking place in Yu Shan China, and the field has been cut in half in both the men’s and women’s divisions. 
 
Thursday play saw players separated into four divisions (Chinese Men, International Men, Chinese Women and International Women), and the goal of the day being to win two matches in order to advance to the single elimination brackets that will be contested on the final three days. 
 
With the Chinese players in their own brackets, the theme of the day was Snooker Stars vs English 8-Ball Stars, and in this event it was 8-Ball experience that won the day more times than not. 
 
#3 ranked Snooker Star Neil Robertson had a chance to qualify for the single elimination stage after dropping his first match to Yu Lung Chang 9-8. Robertson followed that up with a 9-6 win over #12 ranked Snooker Star Jun Hui Ding, but failed to show up for his final match against Scotsman Scott Gillespie, allowing Gillespie to advance. 
 
Other players that made it through to the single elimination stages with one loss were Daryl Peach, former World Snooker Champion Mark Williams, 2016 Player of the year Pin Yi Ko, Lee Van Cortezza and John Morra (who survived a tough match with John Higgins to end his day). 
 
International players who took a more direct (undefeated) route to the final stage included reigning champion Darren Appleton (with dominating wins over Judd Trump and Thorsten Hohmann), Reigning English 8-Ball World Champion Mick Hill and former World 8-Ball Champion Wu-Jia Qing. 
 
The ladies division saw WPA #1 ranked Ga-Young Kim advance undefeated with wins over Iris Ranola and Wei Tzu-Chien. Joining Kim with undefeated paths to the single elimination stages were Shin Mei Liu, Si-Ting Guo and Russian Anastsiia Nechaeva. 
 
WPBA star Kelly Fisher made her way to the single elimination stages with one loss, after recovering from a second round loss to Guo. Fisher eliminated Belgium’s Kamila Khodjaeva in her final match of the night. 
 
The players are now playing in single elimination brackets until a winner is crowned on Sunday. Follow all of the action with our online brackets and streaming coverage at http://www.azbilliards.com/tours_and_events/314-china-billiard-world-championships/7141-sanlig-china-billiard-world-championship-2016/live/