Park Hungry For World Title. Photo by Emille Soriano
Manila, Philippines– The final day of the group stages are completed, and two great Koreans have been eliminated, while two great Korean players move on. Yu Ram Cha and Yun Mi Lim will join the ranks of strong players pushed to the wayside while Ga Young Kim and Erica Park advance. Meanwhile, Japan’s fantastic four of Miyuki Fuke, Chihiro Kawahara, Keiko Yukawa, and veteran Akimi Kajitani are rising the hopes of Japan. The 2011 Yalin World 10-Ball Championship which will take place November 2-6 at Robinson’s Galleria Robinson’s Galleria. An elite world class pros only field of 48 international superstars of the world’s greatest women’s players will attend the event to become the World Champion of 10-Ball. This year’s event is again title sponsored by Yalin Tables, one of the premier billiard table manufacturers of the world.
One of the top pre-tournament favorites, Ga Young Kim breezed through her group with relatively easy wins. Including over roomate and fellow Korean Yun MI Lim. Kim took one loss to Taiwan’s strong Pei Chen Tsai in a bad 6-1 match. But was never threatened to not qualify. On the otherhand, Eunji Erica Park lost two tough hill hill 6-5 matches against USA’s Jennifer Barretta and UK’s Kelly Fisher. This forced her to have to win against China’s Xiue Chen in a do or die. Park took a 3-0 lead, but saw Chen come back to level at 3-3. Park forced the issue and took over the match to win 6-5, after Chen missed an easy 10-ball under the pressure. Chen was forced to wait for the outcome of Fisher vs Barretta to see if she would qualify. An unenviable position to be.
“The World 10-Ball Championship is the one tournament I really want to win badly”, said Kim in a past interview.
But the strong reputed Koreans took losses in Yu Ram Cha and Yun Mi Lim. Both players have had high top 4 and top 8 finishes in World Championship events along with big title wins. Cha had a miserable event as she lost 4 out of 5 matches. Lim had a chance at the end, but needed to not only win against Japan’s Fuke, but hold her to 3 games only. Lim won the match 6-5, but was not enough to make it through even with her 3 win and 2 loss record.
Japan had great results, bringing four players into the final stage of the World Championship. Japan #1 Kawahara was not surprise, though she was in danger with only a 3 win and 2 loss record. Miyuki Fuke, a former Japan champion, played solid with her 3 wins and 2 loss as well. Legendary Asian Kajitani played great despite having to qualify and earn her way through the Stage 1 phase. Kajitani won 4 out of her 5 matches, with only one loss to UK’s Allison Fisher.
The surprise player is Yukawa who has no real accomplishments to date, but played well enough to defeat Yu Ram Cha 6-3, and a bewildering 6-2 rout of World #1 Siming Chen of China.
Unfortunately for Korea, only one of their players will make it to next round as Kim and Park faceoff each other today. Park was ranked #15 seed after the group stages while Kim was ranked #18. Kim actually knocked Park out last year during the final stage. Park will be fighting to change history from repeating.
Play continues today with live coverage on Balls and Studio 23 of ABS-CBN.
The opening draw for the upcoming Amway Cup has been posted online, which leaves no time like the present to examine the various groups and pick some early favorites.
Before we get into each group, let's review the format. This event sees 48 players divided into eight groups of six players. Each group will play round robin and the top three players from each group will move into the single elimination stages. Matches are race to seven until the semi-finals and finals. Semi-finals will be race to 9 and the finals will be a race to 11.
Lin shocked the world and won this event last year with back to back wins over Allison Fisher and Ga Young Kim. Prior to that win, Lin was relatively unknown. She is the #1 seed in this event and she should have no problem advancing into the single elim stages.
Former World Champion Julie Kelly has struggled the past couple of years, with a 5th place at the 2007 WPBA Nationals as her best finish in the last two years. She could struggle in this group, but should make it into the single elim stages.
Canadian Joanne Ashton had a nice finish at the WPBA San Diego Classic, and a good performance in Taipei would do big things for her confidence.
The Amway Cup press is referring to this group as the "Group of Death". While it is a tough group, it would best be called the "Group of Doom" as The Duchess of Doom, Allison Fisher, should have no problems here.
Schwan just turned in a runner up finish to Jasmin Ouschan at the European Chamionships, and her #5 seeding is not really fair. She should advance into the single elim stages.
Amit was thought of as the top female in the Philippines before Iris Ranola burst on the scene. Amit could make it out of this group, but Chang is probably a bigger favorite to advance.
Tan is the reigning Japan Open Champion and should have no problems here.
Thornfeldt would be a safe bet to also advance here.
Group F:
Yum-Mi Lem Karen Corr
Pei-Chen Tsai Sarah Rousey
Johanna Espinoza Fajardo
Qualifier 3
Lim finished 5th here last year and has won this event in the past, but seeding her above Corr seems to be a mistake.
If the injury that hampered Corr in San Diego is healed, she should be a lock to advance from this group.
Tsai was a third place finisher here last year and should advance.
Sarah Rousey is the wild card here. Her #4 seeding would indicate that she is not a favorite to advance, but she should outplay that ranking and join Corr and Tsai as players advancing from this group.
Now this is a tough group. The top three seeds are certainly the favorites to advance.
With Ouschan just winning the 8-ball and 9-ball divisions at the European Championship, she would be a favorite to advance from any group; this one included.
Rademakers is rightfully the #4 seed, but she could surprise some people and advance past Liu or Ranola.
Lee has taken her game back to the level it was at 10 years ago, Pan should play even stronger with the home field advantage and Hofstatter just finished 3rd in San Diego.
The bottom three players are going to have to work hard to edge out any of the top three.
