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.
Facing sudden elimination on Day 1, Great Britain's Kelly Fisher shows Austria's Jasmin Ouschan the door and survives to play another day at the Women's World 9-ball Championship
Kelly Fisher has been around professional pool long enough to know that sometimes in this sport, as in life, you have to go through hell to get to heaven.
Hell in this case for the 2012 World 9-ball Champion was losing her first round match on day 1 today at the Women’s World 9-ball Championship against hall of famer and pool’s most recognized personality, Jeanette Lee, 7-4. The Brit, who three months ago had open heart surgery to repair a congenital defect, had trouble with the lightning quick speed of the table. The match was even halfway, but Fisher gave away too many shots and the Black Widow waltzed. In the double elimination group stages, Fisher knew her back was suddenly against the wall.
“Now it’s cutthroat time,” she said while waiting for her next match which could see her go an embarrassing two-and-out. “There’s no second chances.”
If having to tangle with the likes of Lee wasn't enough, Fisher then had to step into the ring in a do or die match with none other than Austria’s Jasmin Ouschan, who had just lost a cliff hanger to Japan’s Chichiro Kawahara, 7-6. If you’re getting the idea that this is the proverbial “Group of Death,” you’re absolutely correct. All four of these players are capable of taking the world title.
With one of pool’s stars on the verge of taking a rapid road out of town, Fisher and Ouschan put on a splendid show. Ouschan stood in front of clear table down 6-5 but incredibly missed an easy 3-ball to hand Fisher the match, 7-5.
“Absolutely I’m relieved,” said the clearly delighted Brit afterward. “ I’m not out of the woods yet but I’m really happy to have won that match. I would’ve really really hated to go two and out, especially in my first world event back. It was a flip of the coin between me and Jasmin. I certainly got the rolls on the break, as I was on a shot every time and she wasn’t. It was very close. Every time I missed she punished me. Every time she missed, I punished her. It was a great match because so much was riding on it, so I expected a scrappy match.”
With a chance to move through to the final 32 single elimination knockout on Thursday, Fisher knew she had, for the moment , pulled the narrow escape. She was hoping the scare today would lead to something positive as, more often than not in pool, champions have had to go through death defying cliff hangers along the way before they move on to win.
Said Fisher: “When champions have won an event, it’s often through a tough route, something funky has happened. Fingers crossed that that is my destiny. But I have to take it just one match at a time. “
Day 1 at the 2014 WPA Women’s World 9-ball Championship opened up just after lunch at the Guilin Gym in this beautiful city with all 64 players seeing action. The field is as good as this event has ever seen in its 23 editions as all 25 of the WPA’s top 25 women are here. Combine this with the short races, and unpredictable table conditions and it was clear that anything could happen.
Defending champion Han Yu survived a scare from fellow Chinese player Chen Xue, barely winning, 7-6. The rest of China’s stars all won today, including 2007 World Champion and superstar Pan Xiaoting, 2009 World Champion Liu Shasha, 2010 Champion Fu Xiao Fang, and the player everyone is expecting will soon win, Chen Siming.
Taiwan brought its usual high powered contingent across the Strait and, based on today’s results, you can almost guarantee at least one Taiwanese player will appear in Saturday’s semi-finals. Chou Chieh Yu, Tsai Pei Chen and Tan Ho Yun all won their first rounds matches. The biggest surprise for Taiwan was the quick exit of last year’s runner up Lin Yuan-Chun, who lost two straight.
Hall of Famers Karen Corr and Allison Fisher won easily, as did the Philippines Rubilen Amit. The Philippines Iris Ranola was sent home after losing two straight. But the Philippines still has two players left with the addition of 15 year old Chezka Centeno. Centeno came to Guilin with her mom and dad and entered one of the qualifiers, which she won. She lost her first match today, but rebounded with a solid 7-4 over Poland’s Katarzyna Wesolowska, to get one more chance on Thursday.
Korea’s Yu Ram Cha, who is treated like a movie star in China and is followed by camera toting fans everywhere she goes, got taken to school by Corr but easily won her losers side match to survive. Fellow Korean Ga Young Kim, one of the favorites to take the title here this week, also won.
In all, 12 players have already been handed their pink slips. By the end of Thursday’s play, the field will be down to the final 32, who will then play single elimination knockout, race to 9, alternate break. The semi-finals and final will be played Saturday.
With so many great women players from all over the globe doing battle on the cloth pitch, there is bound to be plenty of heartbreak, tension and near misses to come. Nobody ever waltzes to the winners circle in pool. In fact, a trip to hell is par for the course in this sport. After her first round win over Fisher today, Jeanette Lee called it perfectly, noting that pressure and tension is something all players, including the eventual champion, have to take to heart.
“There’s a lot of first round jitters,” Lee said. “It’s the same for everyone I know. You always hope to have an easy match your first round. But I never want to win a tournament without having to play all the best. I don’t want to win a tournament because I got a good draw. I want to have to battle beast after beast. I want to play them all, maybe just not in the first round, maybe in the second round. Once you know that your back is against the wall, this is the way it is, you better learn to like it.”
*The 2014 Women’s World 9-ball will be held in Guilin, China from October 13-18, and is sanctioned by the World Pool & Billiard Association(WPA), the world governing body of pool. 64 women players from across the globe will compete for the biggest prize in Women’s Pool.
The WPA will be on hand in Guilin throughout the week bringing you all the drama from the 2014 Women’s World 9-ball Championship. WPA Press Officer Ted Lerner will be reporting with daily articles containing insight 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 China Open begins on Thursday, June 5, and we have received the draw for the first round. Players that play one another in the first round are grouped together.
Ladies from around the world traveled to Manila for just the chance to make it to the main event
Manila, Philippines- 28 women from around the world stretching from China, Indonesia, South Korea, and even the United States too the long journey to Manila for a crack at the greatest title in women's billiards. Only 5 of these ladies would move onto the elite 48 world championship field. Of these 5, China, Philippines, and Taiwan would win the berths. Dragon Promotions is pleased to announce the fifth installment of the greatest women's tournament in the world, the 2013 Yalin Women's World 10-Ball Championship! This year's edition will take place October 28th – November 4th,2013 to luxurious Resorts World Manila, an upscale hotel and casino adding onto the dynamic atmosphere of the coveted championship. Final Stage 1 Qualifiers were held at Star Billiards Manila on October 28-29th An elite 48 world class lady pros, the best of the best from 20 countries, will attend the event to decide who is the World Champion. This year's event is again title sponsored by Yalin Tables, one of the premier billiard table manufacturers of the world. Matches will air live daily from 11pm – 8am EST on www.insidepool.tv .
The first qualifier came to a nailbiter to the very last game with China's 17 year old Gao Meng winning 7-6 for her first time qualifying for the Yalin World 10-Ball in her third year now.
Next Filipina Iris Ranola escaped in a thriller against 13 year old Chinese phenom Wei Zhu Chien when Wei missed the final 10-Ball for Iris to win 7-6.
In Qualifier 3, Taiwan's Lai Hui Shan won in less dramatic fashion 7-3 over Japan's Masami Nouchi.
In the final Qualifier, Cheska Centeno won a final thriller for the final spot into the Worlds with a 5-4 escape from Japan's Nouchi, who once again had to taste bitter defeat of coming so close.
Filipina Gillian Go, 16 years old, was the beneficiary of the wild card spot to the highest finishing Filipina in the qualifiers when Centeno won the final spot.
The young ladies were exhausted from the 3 days of arduous competition that lasted from 10am until 1am daily and repeated the following day.
The women qualifying champions will now join the international field vying for the World Title. The reigning World Champion Ga Young Kim of South Korea will be defending her title against all comers. The comers will be hailing from countries such as Russia, Iran, China, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Korea,
Belgium, Australia, Taiwan, France, Philippines, Singapore, Poland, the United States and many more.
"These young ladies worked so hard to qualify. There were a lot of tears shed by those who came close to qualifying and hugs and celebration by the very few who made it. And we haven't even gotten to the main drama of the Worlds yet! It's going to be an emotional ride for another week", said Charlie Williams of Dragon Promotions, Executive Producer of the Yalin World Championship.
The Yalin World Championships will be live streamed on www.insidepool.tv and sponsored by www.JBET.com , Official Table YALIN, Official Cue OB Cues, Official Balls by Aramith, Official Cloth Championship, Official Chalk Master by Tweeten Fibre, Official Magazine Pool & Billiard Magazine, Star Paper Corporation, www.SabongKing.com, and www.BaseGameph.com .
The Women's World Championship is produced by Dragon Promotions and filmed by ABS-CBN Sports airing on BALLS, Studio 23, and a dozen other networks in countries worldwide. With massive media and global networks covering the Yalin Women's World 10-Ball Championship, it will continue as still the biggest and most watched women's billiard event in the world.
Amit enjoys the company of UK’s Kelly Fisher and South American Champion Mirjana Grujicic
In a duel between Philippines and China, home country darling Rubilen Amit delivered for the Manila fans. Amit was pitted against former World Champion Bi Zhu Qing and won a close decider. Dragon Promotions brings the greatest women's tournament in the world once more to the Philippines with the 2013 Yalin Women's World 10-Ball Championship! This year's edition will take place October 28th – November 4th,2013 to luxurious Resorts World Manila, an upscale hotel and casino adding onto the dynamic atmosphere of the coveted championship. An elite 48 world class lady pros, the best of the best from 20 countries, will attend the event to decide who is the World Champion. Matches will air live daily from 11pm – 8am EST on www.insidepool.tv and broadcasted worldwide by ABS-CBN Sports and affiliates.
Amit took an early 2-0 lead in the main event match. But Bi came back to make a match out of it which was expected. The former Chinese snooker professional was an even match for Amit on paper. Amit, a Gold and Bronze Medalist at the Worlds, finished her off though at a 6-4 win. This was the round robin stage so there will still be 4 more matches left to play for both champions.
"After all of these years of being in the news daily in the Philippines during the World 10-Ball Championships, I still am not used to all the pressure and publicity", admitted Amit.
Amit is joined in the World Championships with her compatriots Iris Ranola, 14 year old sensation Cheska Centeno, and 16 year olf Gillian Go. The latter 3 won qualifiers the days leading upto the Worlds. Amit was directly invited to represent Philippines as the #1 player in the nation.
The YALIN Women's World Championship is a recognized World Title event by the WPA World Pool Association.
The Yalin World Championships will be live streamed on www.insidepool.tv and sponsored by www.JBET.com , Official Table YALIN www.Yalin.cn , Official Cue is OB Cues, Official Balls by Aramith, Official Cloth Championship, Official Chalk Master by Tweeten Fibre, Official Magazine Pool & Billiard Magazine, Star Paper Corporation, and www.BaseGameph.com .
The Women's World Championship is produced by Dragon Promotions and filmed by ABS-CBN Sports airing on BALLS, Studio 23, and a dozen other networks in countries worldwide. With massive media and global networks covering the Yalin Women's World 10-Ball Championship, it will continue as still the biggest and most watched women's billiard event in the world.
Ga Young Kim (photo courtesy of Tai Chengzhe/top147.com)
A SHOOTOUT'S IN THE OFFING AS THE WOMEN'S WORLD 9-BALL CHAMPIONSHIP GETS DOWN TO THE FINAL 16
(Shenyang, China)–After a day of ups and downs as only 9-ball pool can offer up, the 2013 Women’s World 9-ball Championship has been whittled down to 16 players. And a quick glance at the line-up ready to do battle over the next two days tells you clearly that this is going to be one fun ride to the biggest prize in women’s pool.
Fascinating facts about this year’s final 16 include; the appearance of four out of the last five world 9-ball champions, two BCA Hall of Famers, a four time winner of this event, a four time runner up, the current World 10-ball champion, and seven out of the top ten women players in the world. There are also a few young upstarts, tested veterans, and a few prodigies who are certainly due to win the biggest event in women’s pool. And, to ensure good storylines for the fans around the world, a total of six countries are represented.
The fact that the final 16 is so stacked with talent means that Day 2 inside the Richgate Shopping Center provided few massive upsets. But there was still plenty of edge of your seat drama to be had.
Easily the biggest story of the day belonged to Great Britain’s Allison Fisher. The “Duchess of Doom” began Saturday’s play fighting for survival on the losers side of her group in a marquee match against 2010 World 9-ball Champion Fu Xiaofang that could easily have been a big time final.
In a short race to 7, Fisher was up 4-2. Fu, last year’s runner up to Kelly Fisher, tied it at 5-5, then moved to within one of qualifying at 6-5. Fisher, a four time winner of the Women’s World 9-ball, then tied it at 6. In the final rack, Fisher had two balls remaining when she missed the 8-ball in the corner. But before she could head to her seat and begin the postmortems, the 8 ball careened off the rail and into the side pocket. Even better, the cue ball landed with shape on the 9. Fisher advanced to the final 32 knockout round, while Fu looked like she’d been struck by lightning.
Later in the knockout round of 32, Fisher found herself up 8-3 against Taiwan’s Chan Ya Ting in a race to 9. Chan stormed back to tie it at 8 and had the final break shot. But Fisher prevailed yet again, to move into Sunday’s Final 16.
“I’m proud of myself for keeping it together,” a delighted Fisher said afterwards. “Everything went my way at first. I had control of the match. But then she didn’t miss a ball and I got a bit tentative. You have to be committed in this game. It’s always a battle with yourself. I do feel like I have an angel looking over me today.”
Even without the vaunted Fu in the field, the lineup of Team China appears to be very formidable. 20 year old Chen Siming, who many feel is the most naturally gifted pool player in a veritable Chinese sea of talent, looked very good on the TV table today, as she taught a lesson to 13 year old—yes you read that right– Chinese player Jiang Teng, 9-4. Teng is one of these amazing talents that seem to pop up regularly in China and is definitely one to keep an eye on in the coming years. She wields a beautiful stroke and dazzles with her shot making ability and cue ball control.
Chen, on the other hand, was only recently where Jiang is now; a child prodigy with awe inspiring talent. Chen, however, has put in her time, suffered stinging defeats and won several big events. She hasn’t yet won a world title but nobody would be surprised if this is her year.
China’s Liu Shasha is another heavy favourite here. The 20 year old Liu won the China Open in May and that win propelled her belief in her game to sky high levels.
“I think maybe I got a bit lucky to win the China Open,” Liu said through an interpreter after defeating fellow Chinse Bai Ge, 9-7. “But after I became the China Open champion, I’d say my confidence is really high right now.” Liu acknowledged that playing in front of tens of millions of her countrymen and women provides serious pressure, but it also helps motivate her to play better.
“I want to win the championship so we can keep the title in China,” she said. “Yes there’s a lot of pressure on Chinese players, but there’s also a lot of motivation playing in front of your own people. Actually there’s more pressure on me because when you win a tournament, people expect you to win all the time.”
Liu will face the 2011 World 9-ball Champion, fellow Chinese, Bi Zhuqing in the final 16. At about 4’10” and decidedly boyish looking, Bi is the polar antithesis of the striking Liu in terms of marketability in China. But Bi can flat out play the game and this match should be a cracker.
Defending champion Kelly Fisher of Great Britain finally caught a gear today, looking solid in beating Russia’s Anna Mazhirina, 9-4. Hall of Famer Karen Corr of Ireland continued her fine run in her comeback to pool, defeating the Philippines’ Iris Ranola, 9-6. Corr, who has been runner-up in the world championship four times, says she will retire if she doesn’t win this week. She’s clearly living on the edge as she goes up against Chen Siming in the round of 16.
Korea’s Ga Young Kim also seems to be in a grove, as she proved with a solid 9-3 win over China’s Gao Meng. Should Kim go all the way, it would prove a massive hit with the Chinese fans. The dashing and fashionable Kim, who speaks fluent Mandarin, is adored by Chinese fans, who besiege her for photos and autographs everywhere she goes.
Taiwan brings four solid players into the final 16, including 2008 World 9-ball champion Lin Yuan Chun. As one of the world’s great pool playing countries, Taiwan always can be counted on to offer up new talent and this year is no exception.
Wei Tzu Chein is part of the new generation of pool talent coming out of the island nation. The 23 year old from Taipei studies business management at university and plays pool every chance she gets. She won a local qualifier in Taipei to gain a spot in the World Championship. She came out of the losers bracket today and met up with Taiwan’s number one woman player Chou Chieh-Yu, who just returned from Columbia with a gold medal in the World Games. The bright lights certainly didn’t faze Wei, however, as she played superb in a 9-7 win to advance.
Pool is very much a mind sport and Wei explained she is using her brain to keep herself together.
“I have no stress,” Wei said afterwards. “In Taiwan she(Chou) is more famous than me. So if I win it’s ok. If I lose, it’s ok. This is my best result in a world championship so it’s all new to me. I’m just enjoying it.
“Before the match I got a piece of paper and wrote down all the bad thoughts that I have, and also all the good thoughts. I took the paper with the bad things and ripped them up and threw it in the garbage. The good list I kept with me in my bag. I even looked at it when I went to the bathroom during a break.”
The round of 16 begins at 10am Sunday(GMT +8). The quarterfinals commence at 1pm local time and will be played separately on the TV table. The semi-finals and finals will be played Monday.
The winner of the 2103 WPA Women’s World 9-ball Championship will receive $40,000 while the runner up will receive $20,000. The total prize fund is $150,000.
*The World Pool-Billiard Association(WPA) will be on hand in Shenyang throughout the week bringing you all the drama from the 2013 Women’s World 9-ball Championship. WPA Press Officer Ted Lerner will be reporting from the Richgate Shopping Center with daily articles containing insight 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.
Please visit the WPA Facebook page for the 2013 Women’s World 9-ball Championship here; http://www.facebook.com/pages/2013-WPA-Womens-World-9-ball-Championship/360470447416060?ref=hl
Follow the WPA on Twitter: @poolwpa
Visit the official website of the WPA at www.wpapool.com
*The 2013 Women’s World 9-ball will be held in Shenyang, China from August 6-12, and is sanctioned by the World Pool & Billiard Association(WPA). 64 women players from across the globe will compete for the biggest prize in Women’s Pool. The 2013 Women’s World 9-ball Championship is a WPA ranking event.
Fu Xiofang, Liu Shasha, Pan Xiaoting, Allison Fisher, Ga Young Kim
As the 2013 Women's World 9-Ball Championship Begins in Shenyang, China, the organizers give the ladies a send-off fit for Queens.
(Shenyang, China)–Anyone who has ever been to any kind of event in China knows the importance that the Chinese place on ceremony. Everyone, especially the organizers, and other local dignitaries who didn’t even have anything to do with putting the event together, are all given their moment to shine, usually with long winded speeches that nobody listens to. Guests are made to feel that they are about to get the keys to the Forbidden City in Beijing. Often times food is involved, lots of it, as well as copious amounts of alcoholic drink. Teenage girls in elaborate get-ups dance to some loud and catchy song. Throngs of rabid photographers swarm the event recording it all.
And so it was at the opening ceremony of the 2013 WPA Women’s World 9-ball Championship on Thursday night inside the ultra-hip Richgate Shopping Center complex here in Shenyang.
For some reason, the organizers didn’t throw out the succulent spread of Chinese delicacies. But as usual, they spared no effort in providing plenty of pomp and pageantry.
As teams of youngsters scurried about preparing the arena for the event, orchestral music filled the atrium, as dozens of photographers and hundreds of fans and onlookers waited for the event to begin. At one end of the mall, towering over a Star pool table, a giant LED screen flashed information about the event’s title sponsor, a giant construction company named the Guoao Group.
The festivities began with some sort of press conference. I say “some sort of” because in China, the press doesn’t really ask proper questions. Any questions are usually giant “softballs” designed to let the person answering enumerate all the positives of the event and the people involved. Nothing controversial will ever be brought up.
After several minutes the chairs were pushed aside and the entertainment commenced. The theme for this year’s Women’s World 9-ball Championship is “All Stars” and “Shine 9-ball,” and the two phrases are plastered on every poster throughout the mall. Suddenly an all-girl band appeared on the floor. They carried instruments like the violin, guitar, flute, keyboard, all wrapped in brightly colored blue LED lights. They wore knee-high leather boots, wide-frilly skirts, and had microphones attached to their cheeks.
The loud catchy music commenced and they girls went into action, dancing to the music, pretending to play their instruments. Right from the start it was obvious they were just miming as several of the instruments were clearly broken. Still, the effect was pretty cool.
When the polite applause died down, it was time to bring on the main event of the evening. The introduction of the players. In one of the more bizarre juxtapositions one could find anywhere on the planet, the theme of the classic American western movie, The Magnificent Seven, filled the hall as the lady emcee brought out the players. And what an entrance it was.
There’s an escalator that descends straight into the atrium and the organizers had each of the players descend down the escalator as they were being introduced. First up was defending champion Kelly Fisher of Great Britain. As she slowly descended, a phalanx of photographers clicked away furiously down at the bottom. Kelly, clearly awed and delighted at the attention, waived and smiled. She then walked through the gauntlet of pool paparazzi, and posed next to the pool table, as camera flashes filled the air. Next she walked over to a wall that had been set up with a giant tournament poster. She signed a styrofoam star, then stuck the star onto one of the blank stars of the poster.(All Stars..get it?). She then turned and posed for another wall of photographers. Finally she took her seat in the audience.
The big stars each got their own introduction and it was fashion and glamor straight down the line. China’s Fu Xiaofang stunned in an all black dress. Her close friend Liu Shasha elicited a few ooh and ahhs with a sporty new hairstyle and a colourful outfit. Many of the European players were dressed in their finest, this their one and only opportunity to shine like nowhere on else on earth.
Some of the biggest responses were given to Korea’s Ga Young Kim. With her dramatic looks and sense of flair, Kim is a total natural at this sort of thing. She just oozed glamor in her white strapless dress which the Chinese clearly went gaga over as she milked the cameras for every last ounce of publicity.
Another popular player was Korea’s Yu Ram Cha. Yu Ram clearly has the look that Chinese fans adore; Petite, demur, regal and cute all wrapped up into one. One could say she has the look of a, well, China doll. The pool paparazzi simply went bonkers when she descended that escalator.
The biggest applause of the evening was reserved for the legend, Pan Xiaoting. Pan fits the bill for the Chinese public in every sense of the word. Pretty, demure, polite and a great player to boot. She was the original pioneer in Chinese pool. Pan, known nationwide here as "the Queen of 9-ball," was the first Chinese player to win a world 9-ball Championship(2007). She also spent a fair amount of time playing in the US.
The introduction phase when on for thirty minutes. I must point out that for the Chinese players, this type of kick off to a tournament is clearly par for the course. Pool in this country is considered a proper sport, backed by the government with real money and training no different than the gruelling training that gymnasts and swimmers go through. And why not? Pool is after all, under the Olympic umbrella.
But for the foreign players in the event, being greeted in this grand fashion was obviously a wide-eyed experience that they won’t soon forget. Outside of China, and perhaps the Philippines, pool is a sport often looked down upon by the powers that be and society at large. Pool players are generally not even allowed into pool halls until they are 18 years old.
These foreign players will never, ever be greeted by adoring fans and rabid photographers. No matter that much of the adoration had nothing to do with their ability to play the sport at the top level. That this was more akin to a fashion show, and a pageant didn’t matter one darn bit.
“That was really nice,” said Austria’s Jasmin Ouschan of the introduction. “We don’t get treated like that anywhere else except here in China.”
*The 2013 WPA Women’s World 9-ball Championship gets underway August 9 at the Richgate Shopping Center in historical Shenyang, China. The players will be divided into 8 groups of 8 players. They will play a double elimination format in the group stage, race to seven, alternate break. The top four players from each group will progress to the final 32, where the format will become single elimination knockout, race to 9, alternate break. The final, to be played on Monday August 12, will be a race to 11.
The winner of the 2103 WPA Women’s World 9-ball Championship will receive $40,000 while the runner up will receive $20,000. The total prize fund is $150,000.
The World Pool-Billiard Association(WPA) will be on hand in Shenyang throughout the week bringing you all the drama from the 2013 Women’s World 9-ball Championship. WPA Press Officer Ted Lerner will be reporting from the Richgate Shopping Center with daily articles containing insight 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 2013 Women’s World 9-ball will be held in Shenyang, China from August 6-12, and is sanctioned by the World Pool & Billiard Association(WPA). 64 women players from across the globe will compete for the biggest prize in Women’s Pool. The 2013 Women’s World 9-ball Championship is a WPA ranking event.
Photo courtesy of Tai Chengze/top147.com
Group A
Kelly Fisher(GBR)
Wendy Cook Berylin(NZL)
Wei Tzu Chein(TPE)
Angeline Magdalena Ticaalu(INA)
Wang Xiaotong(CHN)
Amanda Rahayu(INA)
Chichiro Kawahara(JPN)
Group B
Lai Hui Shan(TPE)
Mirjana Grujici(VEN)
Nouchi Masam( Caroline Roos(SWE) Iris Ranola(PHL)
Meenal Thakur(IND)
Wu Zhi Ting(TPE)
Chou Chieh-Yu(TPE)
Group C
Kim Ga Young(KOR)
Li Jia(CHN) Lyndall Hulley(AUS)
Park Eunji(KOR)
Chang Chiung-Wen(TPE) Chen Xue(CHN)
Bi Zhuqing(CHN)
Lin Yuan-Chun(TPE)
Group E
Chen Siming(CHN) Ana Gradisnik(SLO)
Jung Bo Ra(KOR)
Sone Kyoko(JPN)
Rebecca Tsang(HKG) Wu Jing(CHN) Jennifer Vietz(GER)
Cha Yu Ram(KOR)
Group F
Rubelin Amit(PHL) Gao Meng(CHN) Martine Christiansen(NOR)
Pan Xiaoting(CHN)
Huang Yi Ting(TPE)
Taylor Meyer(AUS)
Natalia Seroshtan(RUS)
Tsai Pei Chen(TPE)
Hall of Famer Karen Corr Continues Her Comeback With Two Wins on Day 1
(Shenyang, China)–To say that Karen Corr is a big name in the sport of women’s professional pool would be quite the massive understatement. In a career spanning 13 years in the US, the native of Northern Ireland has won just about everything there is to win in pool, including 15 Classic Tour titles, four BCA Open titles, three WPBA National Championships and three Tournament of Champions titles. In 2012 Corr was rewarded for her accomplishments with the greatest accolade of them all; she was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America(BCA) Hall of Fame.
Corr, however, arrived in Shenyang, China this week for the 2013 Women’s World 9-ball Championship practically unnoticed. In 2011 she stepped away from the game to care for her dying mother, who passed away in July of last year. Late last year, however, Corr decided to come back to pool. And clearly she’s got plenty of the legendary fight left in her.
In her first match of the tournament on Day 1 here in Shenyang, Corr found herself up against the formidable Jasmine Ouschan of Austria. Down 6-3 in a race to 7, Corr pounced on several horrid mistakes by Ouschan, and ended up taking a miraculous win, 7-6.
Later, in a winner’s side match for a slot in the final 32 knockout stage, Corr looked rock solid and handily defeated Germany’s Ina Kaplan, 7-4.
Afterward, Corr explained how this tournament just might be her last go around in pool.
“I need a good result or that’s it,” the 42 year old said. “I’m going to retire from pool.”
Corr said she traveled to Shenyang on her own dime. With the tight economy back home combined with her time away from the game, she has found it near impossible to find any backing whatsoever. The lack of playing opportunities hasn’t helped either.
“I think I’m going to have to find a real job.”
A good result, according to Corr, means nothing short of winning the World Championship this week. While her lengthy sabbatical would seem to mean her chances of taking the trophy are quite slim, Corr has had more than a little success in this event in the past. Four times she’s finished runner up in the World 9-ball Championship, the last in 2009, when she lost 9-5 to 16 year old Liu Shasha, after leading 5-1.
And then, of course, there’s that old saying, something about playing loose when nobody, even yourself, expects you to do anything.
“I have no expectations,” Corr said, “which I guess is a good thing.”
One who did come into this event with plenty of expectations was Corr’s first opponent today, Ouschan, who shockingly went two and out and will be flying back to Austria tomorrow. Ouschan’s quick exit, and how it happened, was easily the biggest story of the day inside the warm and humid Richgate Shopping Center.
After blowing her match against Corr, Ouschan came up against China’s formidable Bai Ge on the losers side. Ouschan played catch-up throughout the match and at 6-4 down it looked to be curtains as she scratched on the break. But then Bai incredibly blew a massively easy 9-ball to hand the Austrian a lifeline. At 6-5, Bai again choked on a run out and the score was tied at 6 all. After Bai scratched in the final rack, Ouschan was running the colors when she inexplicably bobble a fairly straight in 7 ball in the jaws and lost the match.
Most of pool’s other big names rolled through to the final 32 today. Defending champion Kelly Fisher didn’t look her championship best, but it was good enough to win two straight and start fresh in the knockout stage Saturday. She said the conditions were difficult to get used to.
“I’m playing good but I’m also making silly mistakes,” Fisher said. “I’m getting used to the conditions. It’s very hot out there. I have to get more control of the cue. I stepped it up here and there. I’m not thinking of repeating. I can’t get a better result than last year. I just take each match as it comes.”
World number 2 Liu Shasha of China won two straight to qualify, as did fellow Chinese and world number 3 Chen Siming. World number 4 and 2010 World 9-ball Champion, and last year’s runner up, Fu Xiaofang lost her first match to fellow Chinese Zhou Doudou. Fu bounced back with a solid 7-2 win over the USA’s Jennifer Baretta.
Fu will play on Friday for a spot in the final 32 against Hall of Famer, and four time winner of this event, Allison Fisher. Fisher lost her second match of the day against Singapore’s Charlene Chai, 7- 3.
China’s superstar and “Queen of 9-ball,” Pan Xiaoting, kept the home fans delighted as she won two straight matches on the TV table to reach the round of 32.
Another notable who qualified with two straight wins was Taiwans’s Chieh-Yu Chou. Chieh, who just won gold at the World Games in Columbia, was a semi-finalist here last year and is the currently number one player in Taiwan and world number 8. Her game looks unflappable and fans can expect to see her go far again this year.
Another popular player looking solid is Korea’s Ga Young Kim. Kim, who won two straight today to qualify, recently won the ladies division at the Ultimate 10-ball tournament in the US. After routing fellow Korean Park Eunji 7-0, Kim said she is better prepared to win this year. Last year during this same event she was in the middle of training for her appearance on Korea’s Dancing With the Stars. She actually flew in her dance partner to Shenyang to train four hours of dancing between matches. Without such distractions this year, and a recent win under her belt, Kim has to be one of the strong favorites to lift the trophy on Monday.
“I’d love to have another title,” she said.
Play continues on Saturday with the last rounds on the losers side of the brackets. The round of 32 single elimination knockout will also be played tomorrow leaving 16 players left at the end of play Saturday. Four players will be left afterSunday. The semi-finals and finals will be played on Monday.
The winner of the 2103 WPA Women’s World 9-ball Championship will receive $40,000 while the runner up will receive $20,000. The total prize fund is $150,000.
*The World Pool-Billiard Association(WPA) will be on hand in Shenyang throughout the week bringing you all the drama from the 2013 Women’s World 9-ball Championship. WPA Press Officer Ted Lerner will be reporting from the Richgate Shopping Center with daily articles containing insight 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 2013 Women’s World 9-ball will be held in Shenyang, China from August 6-12, and is sanctioned by the World Pool & Billiard Association(WPA). 64 women players from across the globe will compete for the biggest prize in Women’s Pool. The 2013 Women’s World 9-ball Championship is a WPA ranking event.
RESULTS FROM DAY 1
Group A
Kelly Fisher(GBR) 7 -0 Wendy Cook Berylin(NZL)
Wei Tzu Chein(TPE) 7 – 3 Hou Shu Wah(CHN)
Wang Xiaotong(CHN) 7 – 5 Angeline Magdalena Ticaalu(INA)
Chichiro Kawahara(JPN) 7- 1 Amanda Rahayu(INA)
Group C
Kim Ga Young(KOR) 7 – 6 Li Jia(CHN)
Park Eunji(KOR) 7 – 5 Lyndall Hulley(AUS) Chen Xue(CHN) 7 – 6 Chang Chiung-Wen(TPE)
Lin Yuan-Chun(TPE) 7 – 4 Bi Zhuqing(CHN)
Group D
Allison Fisher(GBR) 7 – 4 Choi Sullip
Charlene Chai(SIN) 7 – 2 Susanna Booyens(RSA)
Chan Ya Ting(TPE) 7 – 3 Jennifer Barretta(USA)
Zhou Doudou(CHN) 7 – 5 Fu Xiaofang(CHN)
Group E
Chen Siming(CHN) 7 – 1 Ana Gradisnik(SLO)
Sone Kyoko(JPN) 7 – 5 Jung Bo Ra(KOR) Wu Jing(CHN) 7 – 2 Rebecca Tsang(HKG) Jennifer Vietz(GER) 7 – 5 Cha Yu Ram(KOR)
Group F Gao Meng(CHN) 7 – 5 Rubelin Amit(PHL)
Pan Xiaoting(CHN) 7 – 0 Martine Christiansen(NOR)
Huang Yi Ting(TPE) 7 – 4 Taylor Meyer(AUS)
Tsai Pei Chen(TPE ) 7 – 2 Natalia Seroshtan(RUS)
Group G
Tan Ho-Yun(TPE) 7 – 4 Akimi Kajatani(JPN)
He Hsin Ju(CHN) 7 – 4 Brittany Bryant(CAN)
Ina Kaplan(GER) 7 – 5 Bai Ge(CHN)
Karen Corr(IRL) 7 – 6 Jasmin Ouschan(AUT)
Group H Han Yu(CHN) 7 – 2 Cheung Pui Man(HKG)
Anna Mazhirina(RUS) 7 – 6 Jiang Teng(CHN) Ine Helvik(NOR) 7 – 6 Severine Titaux(FRA)
Liu Shasha(CHN) 7 – 1 Lin Hsiao Chi(TPE)
Day 1, Losers Bracket
Loser is out, winner gets 1 more chance to qualify on Saturday
Group A
Hou Shu Wah(CHN) 7 – 0 Wendy Cook Berylin(NZL)
Angeline Magdalena Ticaalu(INA) 7 – 5 Amanda Rahayu(INA)
Group B
Caroline Roos(SWE) 7 – 4 Mirjana Grujici(VEN)
Wu Zhi Ting(TPE)7 – 4 Meenal Thakur(IND)
Group C
Li Jia(CHN) 7 – 3 Lyndall Hulley(AUS
Bi Zhuqing(CHN) 7 – 4 Chang Chiung-Wen(TPE
Group D
Fu Xiaofang(CHN) 7 – 2 Jennifer Barretta(USA)
Choi Sullip( ) 7 – 1 Susanna Booyens(RSA)
Group E
Cha Yu Ram(KOR) 7 – 0 Rebecca Tsang(HKG)
Jung Bo Ra(KOR) 7 – 5 Ana Gradisnik(SLO)
Group F
Rubelin Amit(PHL)7 – 3 Martine Christiansen(NOR)
Natalia Seroshtan(RUS) 7 – 3 Taylor Meyer(AUS)
Group G
Bai Ge(CHN) 7 – 6 Jasmin Ouschan(AUT)
Akimi Kajatani(JPN) 7 – 6 Brittany Bryant(CAN)
Group H
Cheung Pui Man(HKG) 7 – 0 Jiang Teng(CHN)
Lin Hsiao Chi(TPE) 7 – 0 Severine Titaux(FRA)
Winners Bracket, 2nd round
Winner goes thru to final 32, Loser goes to losers side of the bracket for one more chance to qualify on Saturday
Group A
Kelly Fisher(GBR) 7 – 4 Wei Tzu Chein(TPE)
Chichiro Kawahara(JPN) 7 – 5 Wang Xiaotong(CHN)
Group B
Chou Chieh-Yu(TPE) 7 – 5 Iris Ranola(PHL)
Nouchi Masami(JPN) 7 – 2 Lai Hui Shan(TPE)
Group C
Kim Ga Young(KOR) 7 – 0 Park Eunji(KOR)
Lin Yuan-Chun(TPE) 7 – 2 Chen Xue(CHN)
Group D
Charlene Chai(SIN) 7 – 3 Allison Fisher(GBR)
Chan Ya Ting(TPE) 7 – 5 Zhou Doudou(CHN)
Group E
Chen Siming(CHN) 7 – 1 Sone Kyoko(JPN)
Wu Jing(CHN) 7 – 1 Jennifer Vietz(GER)
Group F
Pan Xiaoting(CHN) 7 – 5 Gao Meng(CHN)
Tsai Pei Chen(TPE ) 7 – 2 Huang Yi Ting(TPE)
Group G
He Hsin Ju(CHN) 7 – 5 Tan Ho-Yun(TPE)
Karen Corr(IRL) 7 – 4 Ina Kaplan(GER)
Group H
Han Yu(CHN) 7 -4 Anna Mazhirina(RUS)
Liu Shasha(CHN) 7 -3 Ine Helvik(NOR)
Filipino Lee Vann Corteza scored back-to-back wins in the 2013 China 9-Ball Open in Shanghai, China.
His latest victory was against Naoyuki Oi of Japan, 9-3, in Group G. The Davao City native Corteza, also beat Marcus Chamat of Sweden, 9-5 in the first round. His next opponent will be Cheng Chieh Liu of Chinese-Taipei, who brought down compatriots Ying Chieh Chen, 9-6, and Fu Che-wei, 9-7, respectively.
Also with two wins were Kenny Kwok of Singapore and Thorsten Hohmann of Germany in Group A; Chang Jung-lin and Lu Hui Chan of Chinese-Taipei in Group B; Liu Wei and Wang Can of China in Group C; Yukio Akagariyama of Japan and Fu Jian Bo of China in Group D; Nick Ekonomopoulous of Greece and Dang Jin Hu of China in Group E and Jason Klatt of Canada and Yang Ching-shun of Chinese-Taipei in Group F.
In other Filipino results, Alex Pagulayan beat Carlo Biado, 9-7, but fell to Dang Jin Hu, 9-4, in the next round in Group E. Dennis Orcollo yielded to Andreas Gerwen of Luxembourg, 9-8, but bounced back in contention after edging Nick Van Den Berg of the Netherlands, 9-7, in Group G.
Biado will meet Ko Pin-Yi of Chinese-Taipei, who lost to Nick Ekonomopoulous, 9-3. Ko, earlier beat Mike Dechaine of the USA, 9-2. Pagulayan, meantime goes up against Hui Kai Lun of Chinese-taipei while Orcollo will play Wang Ming of China.
Iris Ranola subdued Jiang Teng, 7-2, in the first match but succumbed to Chen Siming and Charlene Chai Huey, in similar 7-4, loses in Group H. Rubilen Amit lost her first match to Wu Zhi Ting, 7-5, and prevailed in her second match to Wei-Tzu-Chien, 7-2, in Group A.
(Shenyang, China)–Korea’s Ga Young Kim and Great Britain’s Kelly Fisher are two giant names in today’s world of women’s professional pool. And today, as the 2012 Women’s World 9-ball Championship entered the knockout stages, the two put on a show that will surely enhance their reputations many fold for years to come.
Kim is a two time former world 9-ball champion and US Open champion who lights up arenas wherever she plays. Besides her prodigious talents on the table, Kim is about as good an ambassador as the sport will ever find. In addition to her native tongue, she speaks fluent Chinese and English. And her looks, charm and fashion sense are impeccable.
With her rugged looks and style, world number 2 Fisher can appear at first to be almost the antithesis of Kim. But the affable Brit is just as deadly on the pitch, and just as nice off of it.
So when the two met up today in the round of 32 inside the ultra hip Richgate Shopping Center here in Shenyang, the match had the feel of a finals showdown. For some reason the organizers decided not to put this match on the TV table, and instead stuck the pair in the very back of the 2nd floor trade hall where all the outside table matches have been played. Perhaps it was just as well because the barebones setting gave the match the feel of a back alley brawl, which is what it turned out to be.
The few dozen fans squeezed into the small space who watched the pair slug it out will not soon forget what they saw. Both players, who know each other’s games well, played their usual manner of fast and aggressive pool. And they combined that fan-friendly style by playing just about as perfect as one could play over the course of 17 racks.
Up early, Kim, fiery and intense, continually repulsed every effort by Fisher to grab the lead. Along the way, Kim continually pushed her lead up then always saw it shrink back again. The pair executed one amazing shot after the next, as if the contest was a great heavyweight fight of years past, where every bomb was answered with another bomb back. Stellar banks, pots off kicks, lock down safeties, great escapes, you name it; this was championship 9-ball at its best.
Eventually Kim found herself on the hill, up 8-6. But Fisher would have the last laugh, as she pounced on Kim’s one missed shot in the match, in the last rack, and took a 9-8 win, to move into the final 16.
“That was one of the best matches I’ve ever played,“ an obviously ecstatic and relieved Fisher said afterward. “The standard was so high. I had to play that good to beat her because when she’s on fire, she’ll kill me. She has in the past.”
Fisher has to like her chances as the world championship heads into the last two days, but with the quality of the field remaining, she knows the deal.
“Just give 100% and hope that the luck is on my side,” she said. “I can win here. But this is 9-ball and anything can happen. I just have to take it one match at a time.”
Fisher will now face the lone American entry in this year’s championship, Monica Webb, on Wednesday. Webb came off the losers side in the group stages today and took down China’s Bai Ge in the round of 32, 9-4 in a fairly sloppy match.
The remaining two days are shaping up to be a fascinating slugfest of epic proportions as the race to the world title intensifies. Unlike last year where the Chinese had already taken over by the final 16, this year the remaining field is much more varied; six Chinese, four Taiwanese, two Brits, 2 Japanese, 1 Korean and 1 American.
China had 33 players in the field of 64 but the six remaining are all capable of taking the title. 18 year old Chen Siming looks like she is going to be very difficult to stop. First out on the TV table today, world number 1 Chen demolished former world champion Shin Mei Lui of Tawain, 9-3. 2010 World 9-ball Champion Fu Xiao Fang, and 2009 World 9-ball Champion Liu Shasha also looked ready for glory as they easily won their matches.
One of the surprises of the day came when Japan’s Sone Kyoko shocked the home town fans by defeating defending champion Bi Zhu Qing of China 9-7 on the TV table. Kyoko will join compatriot Chichiro Kawahara in the round of 16 after Kawahara easily beat the Philippines’ Rubilen Amit, 9-2.
Hall of Famer and four time world 9-ball champion Allison Fisher made it a bummer of a day for the Philippines, as she knocked out Iris Ranola, 9-6.
The contingent from Taiwan is looking very strong so far, especially 2008 World 9-ball champion Lin Yuan Chun and two time and current Amway champion Chou Chieh Yu, who both advanced today.
Two dark horses fans should look out for are Korea’s Park Eunji and China’s Yu Han. Yu made it to last year’s semi-final where she barely lost to Chen Siming. Yu is quietly playing strong pool and can beat anyone in the field. Park is surely a bit of a longer shot but this stylish young lady seems to have a knack for finding the finish line.
The round of 16 begins Wednesday in Shenyang at 10am local time(GMT +8). The field will be down to four after tomorrow’s play. The semi-finals and finals will take place on Thursday June 21. The winner will receive $40,000 while the runner up gets a check worth $20,000. The total prize fund is $160,000.
The WPA will be providing full coverage of all the action from the 2012 Women’s World 9-ball Championship in Shenyang on our website,www.wpapool.com. There you can get all the latest updates with live scoring of all matches, articles offering insights and analysis, updated brackets and photos. Fans around the world can also follow the tournament via the WPA Twitter feed, @poolwpa.
Round of 16 Matches Wednesday June, 20, 2012 Race to 9, Alternate Break
Chen Siming(CHN) vs. Chichiro Kawahara(JPN) Lin Yuan Chun(TPE) vs.Fu Xiao Fang(CHN) Yu Han(CHN) vs. Li Jia(CHN) Tsai Pei Chen(TPE) vs. Shou Chieh Yu(TPE) Sone Kyoko(JPN) vs. Park Eunji(KOR) Kelly Fisher(GBR) vs. Monica Webb(USA) Allison Fisher(GBR) vs. Tan Ho Yun(TPE) Chen Xue(CHN) vs. Lui Shasha(CHN)
Day 2 Results, Tuesday, June 19, 2012 Round of 32 Knockout Stage. Race to 9, Alternate Break
Chou Chieh Yu(TPE) 9 – 7 Lin Hsiao Chi(TPE) Li Jia(CHN) 9 – 4 Han Fang(CHN) Lin Yuan Chun(TPE) 9 – 4 Line Kjorsvik(NOR) Chen Siming(CHN) 9 – 3 Liu Shin Mei(TPE) Yu Han(CHN) 9 – 4 Ren Qiuyue(CHN) Fu Xiao Fang(CHN) 9 – 4 Wei Tzu Chien(TPE) Chichiro Kawahara(JPN) 9 – 2 Rubelin Amit(PHI) Tsai Pei Chen(TPE) 9 – 5 Lai Hui Shan(TPE) Kelly Fisher(GBR) 9 – 8 Ga Young Kim(KOR) Monica Webb(USA) 9 – 4 Bai Ge(CHN) Sone Kyoko(JPN) 9 – 7 Bi Zhu Qing(CHN) Park Eunji(KOR) 9 – 5 Angeline Ticoalu(INA) Lui Shasha(CHN) 9 – 4 Wu Jina(CHN) Allison Fisher(GBR) 9 – 6 Iris Ranola(PHI) Tan Ho Yun(TPE) 9 – 5 Caroline Roos(SWE) Chen Xue(CHN) 9 – 5 Marika Poikkijoki(FIN)
1st Session. Losers Bracket. Winner is through to final 32, loser is out
Group A Wei Tzu Chien(TPE) 7 – 0 Jing Siya(CHN) Li Jia(CHN) 7 – 2 Liu Yichen(CHN)
Group B Ren Qiuyue(CHN) 7 – 5 Masami Nouchi(JPN) Kim Ga Young(KOR) 7 – 2 Chan Ya Ting(TPE)
Group C Iris Ranola(PHI) 7 – 6 Charlene Zhai Zeet Huey(SIN) Angeline Ticoalu(INA) 7 – 2 Keiko Yukawa(JPN)
Group D Kyoko Sone(JPN) 7 – 4 Sylvia Lopez(ESP) Marika Poikkijoki(FIN) 7 – 6 Jung Bo Ra(KOR)
Group E Caroline Roos(SWE) 7 – 2 Junko Tsuchiya(JPN) Monica Webb(USA) 7 – 5 Wu Zhiting(TPE)
Group F Line Kjorsvik(NOR) 7 – 6 Zhou, Doudou(CHN) Lin Hsiao Chi(TPE) 7 – 5 Kaori Ebe(JPN)
Group G Tsai Pei Chen(TPE) 7- 1 Gao Meng(CHN) Liu Sha Sha(CHN) 7 – 3 Akimi Kajatani(JPN)
Group H Liu Shin Mei(TPE) 7 – 5 Zheng Xiaochun(CHN) Kawahara, Chichiro(JPN) 7 – 4 Liu Liying(CHN)
