Judgement Day at the 2018 World 9-ball Championship in Doha came and went in a flash, with just two sessions on the losers side of each of the 16 groups. And while there were the usual jangling nerves rattling throughout the cavernous Al Arabi Sports Club, one thing that was definitely missing from this year’s final day of the group stages was the complete lack of upsets.
This means that the 64 players left in the competition, who begin a single elimination, race to 11 format on Monday at 10am Doha time(GMT +3), comprise the absolute best of the very best in professional pool. Over the next several days these greats of the game will duel it out for the most prestigious prize in the sport and a $40,000 top prize. If you are a fan of 9-ball pool, buckle up and get ready for the ride of your life.
A look at the players still standing tells us a lot about the state of pool, and where the world’s best practitioners come from. The Taiwanese lead the way with nearly 15% of the players left, 9 to be exact. Next up might be a surprise to some fans but not to those who follow the sport intimately: six players from Poland qualified, proof that the sport of pool in Poland is perhaps the most vibrant in the world at the moment.
The Philippines, Japan and China come in next with five players each. The Philippines is an interesting story because many Pinoy players stayed away from this year’s championship to play in boxer Manny Pacquiao’s event in his home town in the southern Philippines. If you are hard core fan that is no doubt a disappointing development. But the 5 Pinoy’s left, including defending champion Carlo Biado, all have a shot at going far.
The Japanese have put in their best showing in years, while the Chinese players have also looked strong. A Chinese player has never won a World 9-ball Championship.(Wu Jiaqing played for Chinese-Taipei when he won in 2005).
One of the most watched matches of the day came between the Philippines Roland Garcia, a runner up here last year, and American Billy Thorpe. The two stayed close throughout the first half of the match, splitting the first 8 racks. But Garcia pounced on several mistakes by Thorpe and then piled on the racks, winning 9-5.Garcia breathed a massive sigh of relief afterward because he had lost his very first match in Doha and had to win two straight to qualify.
In a battle of two former world champions, Germany’s Thorsten Hohmann took on China’s Wu Jiaqing. Wu jumped out to a big early lead, 6-2, before the German mounted a brief fight back. But Hohmann admittedly let the match slip away with too many unforced errors, as Wu advanced 9-6.
It was a proud day for the Kuwaitis who once again showed their prowess as a pool playing nation. Bader Alawadhi pulled off what could be the day’s biggest surprise when he shocked Spain’s David Alcaide, 9-7. Omar Alshaheen also booked his spot in the knockout rounds with a handy 9-6 win over Bosnia’s Sanjin Pehlivanovic.
It was also a good day for Finland. Petri Makkonen advanced with his second straight win, after taking down the always strong Chang Yu Leung, 9-6. Casper Matikainen put a halt to Filipino Marlon Manalo’s comeback with an easy 9-2 victory.
Austria’s former world champion Albin Ouschan struggled early but qualified with a 9 – 5 win over Myanmar’s Aung Moe Thu. Fellow Austrian Maximilian Lechner put an end to the hopes of South African Jason Theron, winning 9-5 after an early struggle.
Lebanon doesn’t often feature in the business end of things here, but Mazen Berjaoui held his nerve with a break and runout in the final frame to eliminate the USA’s Hunter Lombardo, 9-8.
Canada’s John Morra looked very strong in his 9-3 win over American Tommy Tokoph. Venezuela’s Jalal Al Sarisi(formerly Yousef), who went all the way to the quarterfinals last year, also qualified after handily beating the Netherland’s Ivar Saris, 9-6.
Monday’s action will be comprised of three sessions, with both the rounds of 64 and 32 being completed. The tournament will have a day off on December 18th due to it being the National Day of Qatar. The round of 16 and the quarterfinals will be held on December 19th, while the semis and final will take place on December 20th.
Play on Monday begins at 10am Doha time(GMT +3)
Fans around the world can watch four tables on our free live stream which can be accessed via the live scoring page here; http://www.esnooker.pl/live/en/tsnew.php
Click the tables where you see the word "Video" and you will be taken to Youtube to watch the match. Tables 1, 7,8,9. Please visit the WPA Facebook Page for more information.
The winner of the 2018 World 9-ball Championship will receive $40,000. The runner up will receive $20,000. The total prize fund is $200,000.
To view the Final 64 bracket, please CLICK HERE.
*The 2018 WPA World 9-ball Championship takes place at the Al Arabi Sports Club Sports Club in Doha, Qatar from December 10-20, 2018. The event is hosted by The Qatar Billiard and Snooker Federation(QBSF), and is sanctioned by The World Pool Billiard Association, the governing body of the sport of pool.
The WPA is on Twitter; @poolwpa
Visit the official website of the WPA at www.wpapool.com
The players will compete on Wiraka DYNASTY Tables with Simonis 860 Cloth, Electric Blue Color and using Aramith Tournament Pro cup TV Pool Balls featuring the new Duramith Technology.
Media coverage of the 2018 World 9-ball Championship is being supported by the American Poolplayers Association(APA). Join the world’s largest pool league today. Please visit join.poolplayers.com
Day 3 Results.
Losers Side Matches. Losers are out. Winners qualify for the final 64 knockout stage.
A veritable armada of pool’s biggest stars pushed their way through to the Final 64 knockout stage at the Al Arabi Sports Club in Doha today, as the business end of proceedings quickly started to take shape at the 2018 World 9-ball Championship.
It was a very busy day which saw 32 players qualify for the money rounds, and another 32 players see their dreams of glory come to a screeching halt.
Of course it was quite expected when the tournament began on Friday that over half the original field of 128 players from over 40 countries had no chance at actually winning the event. But the outcomes today were somewhat surprising in that we saw few of the upsets fans have come to expect in the group stages over the years. The only big name to fall by the wayside and get a pink slip was 2001 World 9-ball Champion and Hall of Famer Mika Immonen, who lost his second straight match in as many days.
Otherwise the day’s action saw one superstar and rising star after the next take their place in the final 64. When the field is filled at the end of the day’s play on Sunday, fans around the world can expect one of the finest runs to the gold in many years.
World number one Klenti Kaci hasn’t looked his sharpest so far. But the 19 year old Albanian did what he had to do in a steady 9-6 win over Kuwaiti Meshaal Al Murdhi.
Defending champion Carlo Biado of the Philippines seemed to be on cruise control in his 9-5 win over Russia’s Sergey Lutsker. Despite being the reigning 9-ball king, the Filipino great benefits from being so humble and so low key that he plays almost unnoticed.
The biggest winners Saturday in terms of countries was Taiwan, which saw a whopping seven of its players qualify for the round of 64. 2015 World 9-ball champion Ko Pin Yi looked the goods today as he handily beat Czech Republic’s Roman Hybler, 9-4. 2017 semi-finalist Lin Wu Kun grinded out a solid 9 – 7 victory over former champion Yukio Akagariyama of Japan. Ko’s younger brother Ko Ping Chung took a 9 – 6 win over Greece’s Nikolas Malai. Hsieh Chia Chen beat Russian strongman Ruslan Chinhov 9-8 to make it through.vLui Ri Ten beat American Billy Thorpe 9-7 to make it through.
Taiwan’s biggest monster right now—and that is saying something– is surely Chang Jung Lin who is currently ranked number 2 in the world. Chang did win his second straight match to qualify today, but he once again had to go to the limit to get there. Chang blew an 8-5 lead to Greece’s Damianos Giallourakis and had to eke out victory with a nervy clear in the very last rack for a second straight 9-8 win.
The USA’s Shane Van Boening, who is one of the heavy favorites this week in Doha, didn’t have as easy a time today as he did on day one. But he was never in real trouble against Venezuelan veteran Jalal Al Sarisi, winning 9-7. SVB’s Mosconi Cup teammate Corey Duel played steady 9-ball and easily defeated Finland’s Petri Makkonen 9-4 to make the knockout stage.
World number six and 2014 champion Niels Feijen had another solid day, defeating Spain’s Francisco Diaz-Pizarro, 9-7. The Dutchman’s Mosconi teammate Albin Ouschan didn’t fare as well as he took a thumping from Poland’s Konrad Juszczyszyn, 9-4. Juszczyszyn may not be a household name to pool fans but it should be noted that he is the current European 9-ball champion. Another Pole who scored a very big victory was Mateusz Sniegocki who took down a very tough Filipino, Jeffrey Ignacio, 9-5. Tomasz Kaplan made it three for Poland today with a win over South Africa’s Jason Theron.
It was good day for the Germans as both Ralf Souquet and Joshua Filler won their second straight matches to qualify for the final 64. 18 year old Russian Fedor Gorst continued to impress as he qualified with a handy 9-1 win over Jeong Young Hwa of Korea.
It was a very big day for the Japanese side as three players made it through with impressive wins. Takano Tomoo took down former world champion Wu Jiaqing 9-8. Naoyuki Oi was a 9 – 4 winner over Finland’s Casper Matikainen. And Tomoya Iima took a 9 – 7 win over Hoang Guong Quoc of Vietnam.
Other winners who qualified for the knockout rounds included the Philippines Jeffrey De Luna, Singapore’s Aloysius Yapp, Canada’s Alex Pagulayan, Myanmar’s talented Phone Myint Kyaw, Spain’s Fracisco Sanchez Ruiz, Greece’s Alex Kazakis, China’s Wang Can and Russia’s Konstantin Stepanov.
Chris Melling, the lone Brit in the field, again looked the goods as he easily beat South Africa’s Richard Halliday, 9-3. Qatar’s Waleed Majid also won his second straight to make it through, beating China’s Xu Xiacong, 9-6.
Play continues on Sunday in Doha at the Al Arabi with the action beginning at 12pm local time(GMT +3.) All matches on Sunday will be do or die, losers side matches with the winners advancing to the knockout round and the losers going out of the event.
The winner of the 2018 World 9-ball Championship will receive $40,000. The runner up will receive $20,000. The total prize fund is $200,000.
*The 2018 WPA World 9-ball Championship takes place at the Al Arabi Sports Club Sports Club in Doha, Qatar from December 10-20, 2018. The event is hosted by The Qatar Billiard and Snooker Federation(QBSF), and is sanctioned by The World Pool Billiard Association, the governing body of the sport of pool.
Fans around the world will be able to view many of the matches via the QBSF’s free live streaming platform. Multiple tables will be available to view online at no charge to the public. Please visit the WPA Facebook Page for more information.
The WPA is also on Twitter; @poolwpa
Visit the official website of the WPA at www.wpapool.com
The players will compete on Wiraka DYNASTY Tables with Simonis 860 Cloth, Electric Blue Color and using Aramith Tournament Pro cup TV Pool Balls featuring the new Duramith Technology.
Media coverage of the 2018 World 9-ball Championship is being supported by the American Poolplayers Association(APA). Join the world’s largest pool league today. Please visit join.poolplayers.com
Shane Van Boening has never won a World 9-ball Championship. He did, of course, come ever so close, finishing runner up in 2015, and 2016. After skipping last year’s championship, however, there is a palpable sense in Doha that the American star is absolutely destined to finally grab the world crown in 2018.
Interestingly there are eight former World 9-ball Champions in this year’s field, all of them still highly capable of pulling off the impossible feat yet again. But nobody is yet talking about them. It’s the moniker ‘SVB’ who is on everyone’s lips.
Van Boening has admitted that he is playing his best pool perhaps ever. After a grueling six month training regime, he led Team USA to a thrilling victory in the Mosconi Cup last week. He showed up in Doha saying he intends to win, and that he is playing with zero pressure on his shoulders.
Fans in Doha, and the pro pool community itself seem to agree something is afoot. While most players played in the relative obscure quiet of the cavernous Al Arabi Sports Club on day 1 of this year’s championship, Van Boening’s time in the arena today actually drew a fair amount of watchers. Everyone and anyone who likes pro pool around here seems to feel something special is afoot.
The American didn’t disappoint in his first outing, as he crushed Poland’s Marek Kudlik 9-1. Good breaking, solid potting, deft safeties all showed up in Van Boening’s arsenal today. Combined with his quiet confidence, SVB laid down an early marker stating that nothing short of victory in Doha will suffice.
As all 128 players saw action on the first day of the 2018 World 9-ball Championship, it’s clear, though, that Van Boening will have plenty of serious contenders just as eager and capable of taking the crown on December 20. This year’s field is positively stacked with ferocious talent, both young and not so young. With the Wiraka tables breaking fairly easily—wing ball down, 1 in or near the side pocket—it’s all going to come down to who can handle the almost impossible pressure. Pool fans are in for a real treat over the next six days.
In the group stages it’s all about just winning two matches, to make it through to the final 64, where the tournament becomes single knockout all the way to the final. Defending champion Carlo Biado of the Philippines had an easy time of it today, easily taking down Argentina’s Llanos Jorge, 9-3. The man who lost in last year’s final to Biado, fellow Filipino Roland Garcia, came into Doha one of the hottest players in Asia and with high expectations. Garcia, though, stumbled out of the blocks to Taiwan’s Hsu Jui An, 9-8. Garcia will move over to the one loss side of his group where he needs two wins to advance.
World number one Klenti Kaci came out looking tired against the always tough Chilean Alejandro Carvajal. The Albanian teen was down four racks early but battled back to clip Carvajal at the wire, 9-7.
Pool’s young guns get more numerous and more dangerous year after year. 21 year old German sensation Joshua Filler played his usual brand of solid, care free pool in a 9-6 win over Bulgaria’s Ruslanov Stanimir. 17 year old Russian Fedor Gorst handled the always tough Kuwaiti Omar Al Shaheen, winning 9-6. 17 year old Pole Wiktor Zielinski came in with some expectations on his shoulders but he fell to Japan’s Tomoya Iima, 9-7.
It was a good day for the USA Mosconi Cup team as both Billy Thorpe and Corey Duel notched victories, and moved with one win of making the final 64. Canada’s Alex Pagulayan, a winner in 2004, barely scraped by Lebanon’s Mohammad Berjaoui, 9 – 8. Fellow Canadian John Morra has an easier time of it today, blanking the Philippines Roberto Brillantes, 9-0.
Taiwan’s Chang Jung Lin is considered one of the tournament favorites but he struggled mightily against Korea’s Kwon Hojun. Chang was actually down 6-2 at one point but stormed back and won at the wire, 9-8.
Chang was one of eight Taiwanese notching victory today, including 2015 champion Ko Pin Yi, Ko’s younger brother Ko Ping Chun, Hsieh Chia Chen and Lin Wu Kun. The Ko’s actually have an even younger brother in the event, Ko Ping Han, but he lost to Japan’s Hayato Hijikata.
The four European Mosconi Cup players on hand all won today. Besides Kaci, Austria’s Albin Ouschan continued to look rock solid with a 9-4 win over the USA’s Thomas Tokoph. The Netherlands’ Niels Feijen waltzed to victory with a neat 9-5 win over the always stingy Taiwanese Chang Yu Lung. Greece’s Alexander Kazakis barely got by Slovakia’s Jakub Koniar, 9-8.
England’s Chris Melling is someone people seem to be talking about as a possible champion, and the lone British representative on hand didn’t disappoint, winning easily over the Netherlands Marc Bijsterboch, 9-2.
Former world champion Wu Jiaqing of China cruised with a 9-1 win over the Netherlands’ Jimmy Worung. China went 5 out of six today with wins also by Dang Jinhu, Liu Haitao, Wan Can and Xu Xiacong.
Former world champion and hall of famer Ralf Souquet found victory today with a 9-3 win over the Maldives’ Mohammed Hassan. But former world champion and fellow hall of famer Mika Immonen fell to Russia’s Ruslan Chinahov, 9-5.
Qatar’s favorite player made a splash today. Waleed Majid, who made it to the quarterfinals here in 2014, showed that he has clawed his way back into championship form with a 9-5 win over former US Open champion, Yu Hsuan “Kevin” Cheng.
Play continues on Saturday in Doha at the Al Arabi with the action beginning at 10am local time(GMT +3.) After the four sessions on Saturday, 32 players will be out and 32 players will be through to the final 64.
The winner of the 2018 World 9-ball Championship will receive $40,000. The runner up will receive $20,000. The total prize fund is $200,000.
*The 2018 WPA World 9-ball Championship takes place at the Al Arabi Sports Club Sports Club in Doha, Qatar from December 10-20, 2018. The event is hosted by The Qatar Billiard and Snooker Federation(QBSF), and is sanctioned by The World Pool Billiard Association, the governing body of the sport of pool.
Fans around the world will be able to view many of the matches via the QBSF’s free live streaming platform. Multiple tables will be available to view online at no charge to the public. Please visit the WPA Facebook Page for more information.
The WPA is also on Twitter; @poolwpa
Visit the official website of the WPA at www.wpapool.com
The players will compete on Wiraka DYNASTY Tables with Simonis 860 Cloth, Electric Blue Color and using Aramith Tournament Pro cup TV Pool Balls featuring the new Duramith Technology.
Media coverage of the 2018 World 9-ball Championship is being supported by the American Poolplayers Association(APA). Join the world’s largest pool league today. Please visit join.poolplayers.com
After an unpredictable day of world class pool, the 2016 WPA World 9-ball Championship has come down to the last 16 competitors. From here the pressure and drama is guaranteed to be ramped up, as the remaining players can suddenly see the golden prize, pool’s ultimate and most prestigious crown. The round of 16 and the quarterfinals will take place on Wednesday. The semi-finals and final will be held on Thursday.
And what a race to the mountain top of pool it will be. The final 16 still standing comprise an amazing mix of players from nearly every pool playing region. Some of those still present represent the current and old guard, while a slew of them embody the strong youth movement in the sport of pool. The only thing we know for sure is that we will crown a brand new champion come Thursday evening.
Great Britain’s Jayson Shaw today made an excellent case for some seriously good odds being placed on the affable Scotsman. Shaw came into this year’s championship playing the best pool of his career. In Doha, the 26 year old had to come from the loser’s side in the group stages, and in his first match in today’s round of 64, he was paired up against none other than defending champion Ko Pin Yi.
Shaw never flinched and looked as cool as the Al Arabi Sports Club air conditioning out on the TV table. Breaking well and playing excellent safeties, the Brit surprisingly waltzed to a comfortable 11-5 win over the fancied Taiwanese.
In the round of 32 Shaw then had to face another monster in the Philippines’ Dennis Orcollo, who had just come from behind to topple Germany’s Thorsten Hohmann, 11 – 8. Again, Shaw was unflappable, coming back from an early deficit to walk away with the match, 11-5.
The Scotsman certainly seems to have that winner’s air about him. Relaxed, focused and clearly having the time of his life, Shaw has all the tools in his bag to advance even further.
“I feel really calm out there,” Shaw said after disposing of Orcollo. “I’m just taking it ball by ball, not thinking ahead, grinding away, stay down on the shot, put the cue straight through the shot, take my time, don’t let it affect me if I make a mistake or two. I’m happy with my performance. Breaking good, safeties are good. When the tournament started my goal was to get to the last 16, and I’ll just carry on from there. Now I’m there. I’m happy, really pleased. Hopefully I can keep the momentum tomorrow and roll on again.”
If you’ve watched enough pool at this level, it quickly becomes clear that being able to let the inevitable stress roll off your back and play without a care in the world is a big key to success. Which means just because Shaw’s next opponent in the round of 16 is hardly a big name, that doesn’t tell him things will get any easier.
[photo id=45156|align=right]Ukraine’s Artem Koshovoj hasn’t even played much competitive pool in the last two years, as he’s been busy helping his family run their wall paper factory. But this break from the game seems to have served Koshovoj well. The Euro tour veteran only got an entry into this year’s World 9-ball Championship when he placed 5th in the European Championships this year. He only spent two weeks practicing before coming to Doha.
Like Shaw, Koshovoj has been playing relaxed and carefree and today that approach saw him take down two heavyweights. He first defeated the Philippines Johann Chua, 11-8. He then cut down Taiwanese veteran Chang Jun Lin 11-7.
“Sometimes it’s better when you have a long rest and then you come back and play,” the Ukranian said afterward. “You are more fresh. I’m just playing my game and everything is going. I don’t make many mistakes. I have no pressure. When you play all the tournaments, you have to show some results. But I come here just for playing. I hope tomorrow will be the same.”
Estonia’s Dennis Grabe also performed marvelously today. After crushing Poland’s Mieszko Fortunski, 11-3, Grabe headed to the round of 32 to square off with 2005 World 9-ball Champion, Wu Jiaqing. The 26 year old Grabe was hardly in awe of the great Wu. He led throughout and confidently closed the door on a Wu fight back, winning impressively, 11-7.
Grabe, one of Europe’s bright young guns, will now square off with 2007 World 9-ball champion Daryl Peach of Great Britain. The “Dazzler” has found a renewed spark this week in Doha and has played some seriously solid 9-ball. Today Peach first beat China’s Li Hewen, 11-7, then manhandled Taiwan’s Lo Li Wen, 11-6.
One of the big favorites over the next two days has to be the USA’s Shane Van Boening. Van Boening, who was runner-up here last year, seems bent on taking it all the way this year. Except for one loss in the group stage, the American has played flawlessly, always leaving himself shots on the break and never letting his opponents into the match. Today he took down Filipino veteran Warren Kiamco and then Taiwan’s Wu Kun Lin.
Van Boeing will be a heavy favorite in his round of 16 match against Kuwait’s Omar Al Shaheen, who continued his surprising run today, first beating Spain’s Francisco Pizzarro Diaz, 11-9, then the UAE’s Salah Al Remawi, 11-4.
Tuesday was a downright awful day for the always strong Philippine contingent, but Carlo Biado is now making a case for perhaps being the top player from one of the world’s best pool playing countries. After barely making it into the knockout rounds, Biado today played like a man on fire, crushing fellow Filipino Ramil Gallego, 11-5, then Korea’s Jeong Young Hwa, 11-4.
[photo id=45157|align=right]Biado will square off with Ko Ping Chung, the younger brother of last year’s champion, Ko Pin Yi. Don’t be surprised if the boyish Ko goes all the way. The Taiwanese youngster is wildly talented, and some say even more so than his champion brother. Last year Ko made it all the way to the semi-finals where he lost to his older brother. With his big brother now out of the event, this could be the younger Ko’s turn to shine on the big stage. Certainly his matchup with Biado promises to be highly entertaining.
It’ll be an all-Austrian affair when Mario He takes on 2014 runner up Albin Ouschan. Ouschan played his typical steady game today while He went to the wire against Hall of Famer Ralf Souquet in the round of 32.
Another young European making a name for himself this year is Alexander Kazakis who had two solid wins today including an 11-6 win over China’s Liu Haitao. He’ll face another tough Chinese Chu Bing Jie who marched untouchable through today’s two rounds.
Chu’s countryman Dang Jin Hu also advanced today with wins over the Philippines Roberto Gomez and fellow Chinese Han Hao Xiang. Dang will take on Taiwan’s Cheng Yu Hsuan, who barely escaped against Filipino Lee Van Corteza, 11-10 in the round of 64. A battle hardened Cheng then showed serious mettle in outlasting Konstantin Stepanov of Russia, 11-8.
Muhammad Bewi of Indonesia escaped into the round of 16, first with a well played 11-7 win over Britain’s Karl Boyes, then with a gutsy close against Singapore’s Toh Lian Han, 11-10. Bewi will face Canadian-Filipino veteran Alex Pagulayan, who in the last 18 months has found renewed passion for pool after several years away. Pagulayan, a true master of pool and winner of this event in 2004, played solid and steady in his two wins today.
Pagulayan’s approach to the game these days sums up the prevailing attitude that seems to produce winning runs in the biggest and most pressure packed tournament of them all; don’t get carried away. Just relax and try to have fun.
“I just play the game,” Pagulayan said after his comeback win against China’s Zhou Long in the round of 32. “ I don’t think about anything. It’s just another game. I just think one ball at a time. I don’t know if my experience is an advantage. The young guys these days they play so good. You have to play good and get lucky. I won’t be here if I don’t think I can win it. But at the same time, I don’t want to pressure myself. It’s just another game. It’s not the end of the world if I lose. It’s not the end of the world if I win. Life goes on. “
The round of 16 and quarterfinals will take place on Wednesday beginning at 11am Doha time(GMT +3.) The semi-finals and final will be held on Thursday. All matches will be race to 11, alternate break. The Final will be race to 13, alternate break.
**The 2015 WPA World 9-ball Championship takes place at the Al Arabi Sports Club Sports Club in Doha, Qatar from July 30-August 4, 2016. The winner of the 2015 World 9-ball Championship will receive $40,000. The runner up will receive $20,000. The total prize fund is $200,000.
The players will be competing on Wiraka DYNASTY Tables with Simonis 860 Cloth, Electric Blue Color and using Aramith Tournament Pro cup TV Pool Balls featuring the new Duramith Technology.
The 2016 World 9-ball Championship is being hosted by The Qatar Billiard and Snooker Federation(QBSF), and is sanctioned by the The World Pool Billiard Association, the governing body of the sport of pool.
Up to date brackets and live scoring can found at this link:
The WPA will be on hand in Doha throughout this year’s World 9-ball Championship providing up to the minute information, live scoring, photographs and in depth articles with insights and analysis from WPA Press Officer Ted Lerner.
(Doha, Qatar)-–Omar Al Shaheen knows that success in championship pool is as much about perseverance as it is about being an amazing shot maker. Sometimes, when things aren’t going your way, you just have to be patient. When your time finally does come, you have to be ready to grab the cherry.
Today at the Al Arabi Sports Club in Doha, that cherry came in the form of a brilliantly played match against former World 9-ball Champion Darren Appleton. Today was Judgement Day at the 2016 World 9-ball Championship, the last chance to make it into the Final 64, the knockout rounds and the real road to 9-ball glory.
Of course Appleton, one of pool’s giants, was the heavy favorite. But the 23 year old Kuwaiti played flawlessly and completely carefee, while the Brit couldn’t find the measure of the break shot and looked tight. Al Shaheen won in a master class, 9-5, putting Appleton out, and himself in the money rounds of pool’s biggest event.
To understand just how Al Shaheen got to this point of being able to oust one of pool’s best players, it helps to look back over the last few days. The talented and good looking youngster didn’t even have a spot in the tournament a few days ago. He entered the brutally tough qualifiers last week, reached the finals two times, only to lose to two top players. But as he was lamenting what could have been this year, he got the call that another player had dropped out and, as the leading point holder of the qualifiers, he got the very last spot in the world championship.
Al Shaheen then lost his very first match and was forced over to the losers’ side of his group bracket. But then the Kuwaiti found his groove, handily beating Sweden’s Marcus Chamat, to set up a showdown with Appleton. He suddenly realized all the tough competition and, yes, the losing, had prepared him for this moment.
“I think it’s good that I lost many times,” an ecstatic Al Shaheen said after disposing of Appleton. “In the qualifiers I lost three times, two of them in finals to very good players. In the group stages I lost my first match. So that’s four times. So now I can accept losing. And it was good practice. Today I just play my game and I am relaxed. Darren is a very good player and I feel very good right now.”
31 one other players left the Al Arabi with similar wide grins today as they booked their spots in the Final 64 which begins Tuesdaymorning here. They join the 32 players who qualified on Sunday in what is a brutally stellar field of pool greats ready to do battle over the next three days for pool’s most prestigious prize.
Leading the way, as usual, are the Taiwanese and the Filipinos. Taiwan brings 10 heavyweights into the knockout stages, including defending champion Ko Pin Yi, Chang Yu Lung and Chang Jun Lin. Filipino fans will have nine players to get behind including Dennis Orcollo, Warren Kiamco, Lee Vann Corteza, Carlo Biado, Jeffrey De Luna and Johann Chua. Filipino Alex Pagulayan, who won the World 9-ball crown in 2004, plays out of Canada and also made it through to the knockout rounds.
It wouldn’t be surprising if China finally takes its first World 9-ball title. Former champion Wu Jiaqing(formerly Wu Chia Ching) is playing rock solid pool, while Lui Haitao has consistently been raising his game over the last few years. Six Chinese players will be featured in the Final 64.
Poland has proved this year that it could arguably be Europe’s leading pool country with four players qualifying. A slew of other Europeans make up the field as well.
Perhaps the most notable statistic this year is the rise of the Middle Eastern players. Six players from the Middle East have qualified for the knockout rounds, a first in the history of this prestigious event. Clearly having the World 9-ball Championship in Qatar for the last seven years has significantly helped the sport grow.
Judgement Day always brings with it plenty of jangling nerves and high drama as players wilt under the gravity of the circumstances. One small roll of the ball can spell the difference between a player going 2 games and out, and perhaps a run at a world title. If there was ever a sport where whole careers rest on a razor’s edge, pool is it.
The Philippines young Jeffrey Ingacio has given Pinoy fans high hopes for the young generation to make their mark, but he had to get very lucky in holding off tough Canadian Francis Crevier to advance, 9-7.
Great Britain’s Jayson Shaw has played himself into being one of the top players in the world over the last six months, but today he had to come from way behind against a stingy Justin Campbell of Australia to qualify, 9-7.
2007 World 9-ball Champion Daryl Peach had to go toe to toe with the Philippines Antonio Gabica, but the Brit prevailed 9-7 in a high quality match.
Bangladesh isn’t the first country to come to mind when one thinks of great pool players. Today, however, will stand as a monumental day in Bangladeshi cue sports history. 29 year old MD Alim became the first player from Bangladesh to make it to the knockout rounds of the World 9-ball Championship. Alim, who owns a business installing satellite TV services in Dhaka, was playing in his very first world championship this week. Today, he went to the wire with Italy’s Bruno Muratore and showed major league poise and skills in crossing the finish line to qualify.
Another player to look out for is Iran’s Ali Maghsoud. A few days ago Maghsoud took down the great Mika Immonen. Today the Iranian sucked up the massive pressure and beat Japan’s Hiroshi Takenaka, 9-7 to make his first Final 64.
Other Middle Eastern players continued to impress. Abdul Rahman Al Amar of Saudi Arabi continues to show maturity beyond expectations. Today he came from behind to win at the wire against Poland’s Konard Juszczyszym, 9-8, and move on to the money rounds.
Other notable players bouncing back from defeats and advancing today include the Netherlands’ Niels Feijen, Germany’s Ralf Souquet, the Philippines Dennis Orcollo, Japan’s Yukio Akagariyama and Taiwan’s Chang Yu Lung.
One particular match at the end of today’s play seemed to encapsulate the drama and pressure of Judgement Day to a “T.” The Philippines Carlo Biado was not playing well and found himself down to Japan’s Hayato Hijikata, 7-4 in a race to 9. Hijikata pushed the score to 8-6, but with the finish line and a qualification in sight, the Japanese began to wilt and the match went to 8- 8 and a pressure packed one rack decider, with Hijikata breaking.
The Japanese sank a ball on the break and then proceeded to make a superb full table bank on the two, with an open table to the win. But just as Biado started to slink down in defeat in his chair, Hijikata missed a wide open shot on the 4-ball. The Filipino bounced out of his chair but even then his legs looked weak from the pressure. Biado held it together and cleared the table for an unlikely spot in the knockout stages.
“When he made that 2-ball, I just knew the match was over,” a seriously relieved Biado said after the match. “But then he missed the 4-ball and I knew this was my chance. My heart was beating and it was pressure. Now that I won the match, I have a lot of confidence. I’m in the Final 64. Anything can happen, and anyone can win. May the best man win.”
Play in the first day of the group stages begins Tuesday at 10am(GMT +3). All matches now become race to 11, alternate break. The round of 64 and round of 32 will be played on Tuesday. The round of 16 and quarterfinals will be played on Wednesday. The Semi-finals and Finals will be played on Thursday. The final will be a race to 13, alternate break.
**The 2015 WPA World 9-ball Championship takes place at the Al Arabi Sports Club Sports Club in Doha, Qatar from July 30-August 4, 2016. The winner of the 2015 World 9-ball Championship will receive $40,000. The runner up will receive $20,000. The total prize fund is $200,000.
The players will be competing on Wiraka DYNASTY Tables with Simonis 860 Cloth, Electric Blue Color and using Aramith Tournament Pro cup TV Pool Balls featuring the new Duramith Technology.
The 2016 World 9-ball Championship is being hosted by The Qatar Billiard and Snooker Federation(QBSF), and is sanctioned by the The World Pool Billiard Association, the governing body of the sport of pool.
The WPA will be on hand in Doha throughout this year’s World 9-ball Championship providing up to the minute information, live scoring, photographs and in depth articles with insights and analysis from WPA Press Officer Ted Lerner.
Greece's Nikos Ekonomopoulus plays perfect pool to book his place with 31 others in the knockout rounds at the World 9-ball Championship.
(Doha, Qatar)–Misery and joy danced a sultry tango today at the Al Arabi Sports Club in Doha on Day 2 of the 2016 WPA World 9-ball Championship, as 32 players headed for the exits, while another 32 players booked their place in the final 64 knockout stage.
As on Day 1, all 128 players saw action, but unlike the opening rounds, much more was at stake. All 32 losers-side matches in the group stage were do-or-die. All 32 winners-side matches offered the victor a massive sigh of relief, and a day off as they await the start of the single elimination knockout stage which begins on Tuesday.
For the 64 players remaining in this year’s World 9-ball Championship, that means Monday is the dreaded Judgement Day, when every roll of the ball could spell the difference between a career defining run at glory, or a career sullying walk into the lonely Qatari desert, head in hand, never wanting to show your face in public again. Yes, pool at this level can deliver the ultimate prize and the ultimate shame, and all at the same time. It’s why fans around the world love world championship 9-ball.
The day started early at 10am inside the icy cold Al Arabi Sports Club with the losers side matches. A second loss meant an instant out, while a win meant one more chance at qualifying. You could sense the tension straight away as nobody, especially the top players, wanted to go 2 and out in a world championship.
Easily the biggest shock of the tournament so far came when former World 9-ball Champion and Hall of Famer Mika Immonen quickly got the big boot. Surprisingly the always ready for prime time Finn couldn’t get himself into the thick of the action this year. Today he fell behind early to Poland’s Mieszko Fortunski and never contended, getting blown out, 9-4.
Day 1 had been a terrible day for the USA, but Shaun Wilke, Skylar Woodward and Shane Van Boening kept hope alive for the American side with impressive wins. Van Boening in particular looked the goods as he broke magnificently in his 9-2 drubbing of Argentina's Ariel Castro. Fans will recall it was Van Boening’s sensational break shot last year that saw him storm into the finals.
2007 World 9-ball Championship Daryl Peach bounced back from a big collapse on day 1 and played perfect in a 9-5 win over Singapore’s Alyosius Yapp, who had made a run to the quarterfinals last year. Interestingly Peach will play a Judgement Day match against the Philippines Roberto Gomez, the very man he beat in Manila in 2007 to win the world title.
The winners side matches in the afternoon presented some brilliant face offs that would be worthy of a semis and even a finals any day of the week. Defending Champion Ko Pin Yi once again looked completely impervious as he took down Austria’s Mario He, 9-5.
China’s Zhou Long and Canada’s John Morra squared off in a battle of young rising stars. Morra has been one of pool’s rising bright lights in the last two years and even made it to the quarterfinals last year in Doha with a sensational run. But Zhou made a case for his superb skills today, playing what could be the match of the tournament so far, as he beat the Canadian handily, 9-2.
Perhaps the biggest matchup on the winners’ side took place between Greece’s Nikos Ekonomopoulus and Great Britain’s Jayson Shaw. Ekonomopoulus has been one of Europe’s best players over the last three years. Shaw recently won two straight events in Europe and currently leads the points race for the European Mosconi Cup squad.
Today, however, belonged to the Greek as he played absolutely perfect pool and beat the determined Scotsman, 9-5. Afterward, Ekonomopoulus attributed his stellar play to the fact that he has recently put aside his usual high life living and taken up a training regime.
“I played a perfect set,” the friendly Greek said. “The last two months I made a good workout program for myself. I go to the gym every day, I practice pool for two hours, and I eat good. So I feel better. It’s the first time in my life I have made a program like that so I feel really comfortable at the table.”
Fans and future opponents should pay attention as Ekonomopolous new focus on fitness is clearly paying off. He’s reached the final in the last Euro Tour event, made two finals in other recent open European tournaments, and won an event in Cyprus. And now he’s in the Final 64 in Doha.
Also deserving a good look are the Russians, as veterans Konstantin Stepanov and Ruslan Chinakov barged into the Final 64 undefeated. It should be noted that both Stepanov and Chinakov have spent the last year under the tutelage of coach Johan Ruysink, the Dutch pool coaching guru who led the European Mosconi Cup team to victory seven times.
Several big names failed to qualify today as 2012 World 9-ball Champion Darren Appleton and the Philippines Dennis Orcollo both went down to defeat. Appleton couldn’t fend off the spirited play of Taiwan’s tiny Chu Hong Ming—nicknamed “Peter Pan”—losing 9-7. Orcollo faced fellow Filipino in veteran Ramil Gallego. Orcollo couldn’t get a groove and got swept aside, 9-4. Both players will be back for another go on Judgement Day.
Former world champion Wu Jiaqing(formerly Wu Chia Ching) once again looked superb and moved on. Already seven Chinese players, including Liu Haitao and Li Hewen, have made it through to the final 64.
Other notable players qualifying include two time World 9-ball Champion Thorsten Hohmann, Austria’s Albin Ouschan, Great Britain’s Karl Boyes, and Chang Jung Lin of Taiwan.
Play in the final day of the group stages begins tomorrow at 10am(GMT +3).
**The 2015 WPA World 9-ball Championship takes place at the Al Arabi Sports Club Sports Club in Doha, Qatar from July 30-August 4, 2016. The winner of the 2015 World 9-ball Championship will receive $40,000. The runner up will receive $20,000. The total prize fund is $200,000.
The players will be competing on Wiraka DYNASTY Tables with Simonis 860 Cloth, Electric Blue Color and using Aramith Tournament Pro cup TV Pool Balls featuring the new Duramith Technology.
The 2016 World 9-ball Championship is being hosted by The Qatar Billiard and Snooker Federation(QBSF), and is sanctioned by the The World Pool Billiard Association, the governing body of the sport of pool.
The WPA will be on hand in Doha throughout this year’s World 9-ball Championship providing up to the minute information, live scoring, photographs and in depth articles with insights and analysis from WPA Press Officer Ted Lerner.
Abdul Rahman Al Amar (Photos courtesy of Bo Bader)
(Doha, Qatar)–The moments before the first rack on the first day of the World 9-ball Championship are never easy, even for the best of players. The tables and conditions are new and untested. Players know they only have to win two race-to-9matches to qualify for the final 64, but things in pool can easily go array as you may come out flat, or the balls might conspire against you. Even the top players realize that just because you haven’t heard of the guy you’re paired against, it doesn’t mean you’re going to waltz into the money rounds.
Indeed while 15 of the WPA’s top 20 players won their opening matches on day 1 in Doha, several big names suffered setbacks, suddenly finding themselves on the one loss side of their groups, and one more loss from unceremoniously exiting pool’s biggest stage.
After 8 hours of pool at its highest level at the Al Arabi sports club, several things stand out loud and clear. The sport of pool has never seen this many highly skilled players from so many different countries. This fact, combined with the new rule this year of racking the balls with the 9-ball on the spot instead of the 1-ball, thereby toughening up the opening break shot, means that the 2016 World 9-ball championship will surely see the world crown contested at the highest level we have ever witnessed.
All 128 players saw action in the double elimination group stages today and, as usual, it seems the Taiwanese are ready to contend yet again. Defending champion Ko Pin Yi had a layup of a match to get things started as he cruised to a 9-1 win over Algeria’s Mohamed Elraousti. As the day progressed, the Taiwanese kept notching up impressive wins, going 8 out of 10; Chang Jun Lin, Chu Hong Ming, Ko Ping Chung (Pin Yi’s younger brother), Hsieh Chia Chen, Li Wen Lo, Wu Kun Lin and Cheng Yu Husan all saw victory. Only Chang Yu Lung and veteran Yang Chin Shun lost.
Many people believe that a European will be standing in the winner’s circle next Thursday because the Europeans have been playing with the 9-ball on the spot on the Euro tour for years, and already understand this breaks shot’s unique complexities. One player in particular with good odds is 2014 World 9-ball Champion Niels Feijen of the Netherlands, who didn’t face a difficult task as he waltzed past Qatar’s Abdul Latif Al Fawal, 9-3. It’s rumored that the Dutchman has put in 1000’s of hours perfecting the break shot and has even unlocked a certain secret about its configuration.
Other notable Europeans notching victories today include two time World 9-ball Champion Thorsten Hohmann of Germany, Greece’s Nikos Ekonomopoulos, Austria’s Albin Ouscan, and 2012 World 9-ball champion Darren Appleton.
[photo id=45144|align=right]Fans looking for a relatively new European face to break through should pay attention to Britain’s Jayson Shaw. The Scotsman recently topped two very strong fields in Europe and is currently leading the points race for the European Mosconi Cup team. This is a young player who is clearly on the rise and anxious to make some waves.
“My game is about as good as it’s ever been,” Shaw said after besting Iraq’s Karar Abdulwahed, 9-3. “I’m not putting any pressure on myself. There’s some seriously good players here so I’m just taking it one match at a time and trying to enjoy this atmosphere. My goal is to get into the final 16 and from there, anything can happen.”
It was a solid day for Spain as David Alcaide, Francisco Pizaarro Diaz, and Francisco Sanchez Ruiz all won. Ruis squeaked by last year’s surprise quarterfinalist from Singapore, Aloysius Yapp.
The day proved downright miserable for the USA, as 5 out of six Americans in the field went down to defeat. Last year’s runner up, Shane Van Boening drew a very difficult opponent in 2011 World 9-ball champion Yukio Akagariyama of Japan. The match was close halfway, but Akagariyama, who earned entry into the tournament by winning a qualifier, pulled away to win, 9-5. Only Oscar Dominguez saved the day for the USA, but barely as he squeaked by Poland’s Mateusz Sniegocki, 9-8.
China’s powerhouse lineup performed solidly today. Former world 9-ball champion Wu Jiaqing, world number 3 Lui Haitao, Li Hewen, Dang Jinghu and three others saw victory.
One of the early revelations of this year’s world championship is just how far players from the Middle East have truly come in competitive 9-ball. In years past Middle Eastern players were just entering these big events for the experience. Now it is clear they are truly on a world class level and will soon start contending and even winning big events. And they are coming from some very surprising places.
Nobody thought Iran’s Ali Maghsoud had much of a chance against Hall of Famer and multi world champion Mika Immonen, especially being down 8-5 in the race to 9. But the 27 year old from the Iranian city of Kermanshah buckled down, held his nerve and stormed back to win by a thread, 9-8.
“When I was down 8-5, I just knew I was going to come back,” Maghsoud, who owns his own pool club in Iran, said afterward. “He’s a world champion but I was very positive.”
[photo id=45143|align=right]Saudi Arabia showed they are a rising pool nation today as Abdul Rahman Al Amar beat American Justin Campbell 9-7, while Abdulla Al Shemmari took down the USA’s Hunter Lombardo, 9-5. Eritrean Hamzaa M Saeed Ali, who was born and raised in Saudi and still lives there also won, defeating Japan’s Naoyuki Oi, 9-8.
The 27 year old Al Almar is clearly knocking on the door to success. Last year he defeated the Philippines Johann Chua in the group stages and made it to the final 64. The former snooker player informed us that pool is actually backed by the government in Saudi and that there are currently over 14,000 registered pool players in the Kingdom. Yes, you read that right; Saudi Arabia is one of pool’s hot spots.
Even Bangladesh rode the winning wave today as MD Alim handily defeated Swedish veteran Marcus Chamat, 9-4.
The group stages at the 2016 World 9-ball Championship continue on Saturday at the Al Arabi Sports beginning at 10am local time(GMT +3.) All 128 players will again see action on Day 2, with 32 players advancing into the final 64 Knockout rounds, and another 32 players heading for the exits.
**The 2015 WPA World 9-ball Championship takes place at the Al Arabi Sports Club Sports Club in Doha, Qatar from July 30-August 4, 2016. The winner of the 2015 World 9-ball Championship will receive $40,000. The runner up will receive $20,000. The total prize fund is $200,000.
The players will be competing on Wiraka DYNASTY Tables with Simonis 860 Cloth, Electric Blue Color and using Aramith Tournament Pro cup TV Pool Balls featuring the new Duramith Technology.
The 2016 World 9-ball Championship is being hosted by The Qatar Billiard and Snooker Federation(QBSF), and is sanctioned by the The World Pool Billiard Association, the governing body of the sport of pool.
The WPA will be on hand in Doha throughout this year’s World 9-ball Championship providing up to the minute information, live scoring, photographs and in depth articles with insights and analysis from WPA Press Officer Ted Lerner.
Fans can interact with us through the WPA’s official Facebook Page for the event at this link;https://www.facebook.com/worldpoolbilliardassociation/
The WPA is also on Twitter; @poolwpa
DAY 1 RESULTS , GROUP STAGES, DOUBLE ELIMINATION
Winners need 1 more win to advance to the Final 64.
With the field at the 2015 World 9-ball Championship now down to the final 32, it's clear that the sprint to the finish line is anyone's game.
(Doha, Qatar)– So you want to be the champion of the world? Well good because now comes the hard part.
After a day of weeding out the pretenders from the contenders at the Al Arabi Sports Club, and with the field having been halved from 64 to 32 players, the 2015 World 9-ball Championship is now headed for what will surely be a dramatic climax over the next two days. Thursday promises to offer up enough drama, nerves and memorable pool to last many years as anyone who has designs on 9-ball’s biggest prize will be put through the meat grinder, with the field being whittled down to just four players at the end of the day’s play.
The group of 32 remaining players offers pool fans a fascinating combination of champions, veterans, potential rising stars and a few newcomers all ready to do battle. Many had to pass stern tests in their round of 64 match ups today, with some players being taken to the very limit before barely getting over the finish line.
It would be difficult to say that there were any shocking results in any of today’s 32 matches. That’s because the lesson from this year’s World 9-ball Championship is that the talent level in professional pool has risen dramatically from all corners of the globe. Perhaps never before in pool history has there been so many top level players competing all at once. This has produced a parity that makes predicting winners extremely difficult.
Nowhere was this more clear than in an early match featuring one of the tournament’s favorites, Taiwan’s Ko Pin Yi. Ko, the current World 10-ball champion and a marvelous talent, found himself down 4-1 early to James Campbell from Australia. Australia? Yeah you read that right. The land down under hasn’t produced word beaters in a long time but the young Aussie looked cool as ice as he stayed even through the halfway point. Ko, however, had too much class and won 11-7, but not before taking a few solid hits.
Ko already knows to prepare himself for some major blows in his round of 32 match on Thursday. There he’ll face the man he barely beat in the finals of the World 10-ball championship in February, the Philippines Carlo Biado. Biado absolutely wiped the floor of the Al Arabi clean with fellow Filipino Lee Vann Corteza today. This matchup between two of the sport’s best young talents is about as good as pool can produce. Whoever wins between Ko and Biado could very well go all the way.
England’s Mark Gray is starting to feel that he too could have designs on the big prize, especially after making a great escape today against the legendary German Ralf Souquet. Gray trailed the entire match, but hung around and at 9-7 down he won three straight racks to move to the hill. Souquet countered to tie but Gray broke and ran for a very satisfying victory.
Afterward Gray seemed downright ebullient and for good reason. He knows his rock solid snooker-trained stroke can hold up as good as anyone’s under the immense pressure of championship pool. And since becoming a father last year, his new found positive attitude at the table has been a key to his stock rising once again.
“I’m not renowned for my stickability,” Gray said referring to his once shaky resiliency. “Sometimes I can get down on myself. But since I became a family man a couple of years ago, I realized that there’s more important things than pool. I just try to enjoy pool a lot more now. Ever since my little girl Sofia was born a couple of years ago, things seem to have happened for me on the pool table. I seem to be a lot more relaxed at the table, I hold myself together. And I seem to get rewarded for it.”
Gray will have all he can handle in his next match against one of pool’s fastest rising talents, John Morra. The Canadian pounded the UAE’s Omran Salem, 11-2.
Several other veterans produced fine victories in the early sessions today. Finland’s Mika Immonen, the 2001 World 9-ball Champion and a member of the Hall of Fame, continued his impressive form with an 11-2 win over Singapore’s Goh ChinTeck. The Philippines’ Warren Kiamco outlasted countryman Raymund Faraon 11—7. And Wu Jia Qing, who won the World 9-ball title exactly 10 years ago at the age of 16 years old, crushed Indonesia’s Irsan Nasution, 11-3. Wu will now feature in a hardcore match against world number 1, Albin Ouschan of Austria, who outlasted Japan’s Satoshi Kawabata, 11-8.
Today’s matches also showcased some terrific young talents, and fans will now get a chance to see them matchup.
Russia’s Ruslan Chinakov has been turning heads of late, and his 11-5 drubbing of the Philippines’ Antonio Gabica had fans singing the 23 year old’s praises. Since he appeared on the scene six years ago, Chinakov’s been known as a pool prodigy who didn’t like to practice much and didn’t have a head for pressure situations. But the Russian has recently redoubled his efforts in pool, even hiring renowned Dutch coach Johan Ruysink to help bring his game to championship level.
“I’m trying to get my game back to when I was 17 or 18 years old,” Chinakov said. “That’s when I played my best pool. This year has been good so far. Johan has helped me by telling me to keep my mind clear. It seems to be working.”
Chinakov will get a chance to test his new found confidence when he trades blows with Chinese rising star Wang Can, who took down Japan’s Tohru Kuribayashi, 11-7.
Singapore’s Aloisius Yapp and the Philippines Jeffrey Ignacio are two youngsters who have shown serious promise and will face off in the final 32. Yapp outlasted Japan’s Naoyuki Oi 11-9, while Ignacio routed Canada’s Jason Klatt, 11-5.
While Americans rightfully focus on the great Van Boening as their potential savior in 9-ball, Dechaine has exhibited all the tools so far this week to create serious waves. The 28 year old played a brilliant match today and his confidence level seems to be soaring.
“I’m playing great right now and I feel good,” Dechaine said after his high qualify match with Cheng. “I’ve got good concentration, focus, I’m breathing good. I’m not that nervous…yet. I think I’m playing rotation pool as good as anybody right now. I’m not going to put any pressure on myself. I’m not going to expect anything.”
England’s Darren Appleton had an easy time in his match against Mexico’s Reuben Bautista, winning 11-3. Appleton will now have a showdown with Greece’s Nick Ekonomopoulos, who outlasted Norway’s Matey Ullah, 11-7. Another Greek, Alexander Kazakis, pulled off his biggest win to date with a nervy 11-10 comeback victory over Taiwanese veteran and two time former world champion Fong Pang Chao.
Taiwan’s former world number 1 Chang Yu Lung looked like a monster with his 11-4 win over the Netherland’s Marc Bijsterbosch. Another Taiwanese, 19 year old Ko Pin Chung, who is the younger brother of Ko Pin Yi, looked positively brilliant with an 11-5 drubbing of Austria’s Mario He. The younger Ko will now be tested by the 2011 World 9-ball Champion, Yukio Akagariyama.
Spain brings two solid players in the final 32. Davide Alcaide came back to defeat Tawainese veteran Yang Ching Shun. Francisco Diaz Pizarro, the current European 9-ball champion, barely beat China’s very formidable Dang Jing Hu, 11-10.
Qatar’s last remaining hope never stood a chance, as debutante Mishel Turkey fell to the Philippines’ Dennis Orcollo, 11-1.
The field will be reduced to four players by the end of play on Thursday. The semi-finals and finals will be played on Friday.
**The 2015 WPA World 9-ball Championship takes place at the Al Arabi Sports Club Sports Club in Doha, Qatar from September 7-18, 2015. The winner of the 2015 World 9-ball Championship will receive $30,000. The runner up will receive $15,000. The total prize fund is $200,000.
The players will be competing on Wiraka New Model Tables with Simonis 860 Cloth, Electric Blue Color and using Aramith Super Pro TV Balls.
The Qatar Billiard and Snooker Federation(QBSF), which is once again hosting and organizing the World 9-ball Championship, will be providing free live streaming of the entire tournament, in cooperation with Kozoom. Fans can watch the action live on the QBSF website at, http://live.qbsf.qa/. With all 14 tables streamed live, fans can select which table they want to watch and switch between tables at their convenience.
Complete up to date brackets can be found here: http://competition.kozoom.com/en/home/qatar/
The WPA will be on hand in Doha throughout this year’s World 9-ball Championship providing up to the minute information, live scoring, photographs and in depth articles with insights and analysis from WPA Press Officer Ted Lerner.
Fans can interact with us through the WPA’s official Facebook Page for the event at this link;https://www.facebook.com/wpaworld9ballchampionship
THREE POOL POWERHOUSES MAKE UP NEARLY HALF THE FIELD AS THE WORLD 9-BALL CHAMPIONSHIP MOVES INTO THE FINAL 64
(Doha, Qatar)–There’s something about Judgement Day in the World 9-ball Championship that brings out the wild drama, and the crazy pressure that is unique to professional pool at the highest levels.
It makes a high stakes money game seem like child’s play. This is, after all, the world championship. And this is the moment where, with the field about to be cut in half, with all matches do or die, a player gets his chance to reach the final 64 single elimination stage. From there, in just three days with six more wins, he might just make history and win a world title.
Sure, for most players this incredible dream will remain just that. But pool is a sport where the slimmest roll of the ball, even just a millimeter, can mean the difference between staying a nobody or being crowned king. As long as you’re still standing, there’s always that chance at history, and with that carrot dangling out there, that means nerves rattling, arms and wills weakening, and unbearable pressure taking its toll.
As the Philippines Marlon Manalo said today after winning his match and advancing to the final 64; “Was I nervous? Sure I was nervous. You could win a world championship, right?”
Indeed with careers on the line, Day 4 of the 2013 World Pool Championship proved to be a Judgement Day in all its glory. 32 players made it through to join 32 others from Monday to make up the big dance, where it now becomes a single elimination knockout, race to 11, all the way to Friday’s race to 13 Final. For the 32 players who didn’t make it, the walk to the exits and into the all-encompassing heat of Doha was surely long and lonely.
On a macro level, the final 64 is dominated by pool’s powerhouse countries. As usual, the Philippines makes up a good portion of the field, just about one-fifth, as an amazing 13 Filipinos qualified for the knockout rounds. The British, including defending champion Darren Appleton, put in their finest performance perhaps ever, as all seven of their entries qualified for the final 64. Taiwan will be making its customary run at the crown, as seven players from Chinese-Taipei made it. Next up are Germany and the Netherlands, each bringing four players to the main ball.
Even when a match was fairly one sided today, nobody could escape the pressure. Manalo, whose been spending the last three year involved in local politics in his home area of Metro Manila, got a taste of what he’d been missing today. Even though he had little trouble with Poland’s Sniegocki Mateusz in a 9-4 win, Manalo still found himself dealing with nerves.
“Yes I felt the pressure,” Manalo said. “This is my first tournament in three years and I’m not 100% confident. Being an elected official is a very busy job and I only had a chance to practice a few times coming back. My confidence is not yet back to 100%. But I do have a big heart. As long as you have the heart you can win here.”
The Philippines' Efren ReyesAnother man who was feeling massive pressure was Manalo’s legendary countryman, Efren Reyes. Reyes seemed to have an easy time out there with Korea’s Jeong Young H, winning 9-4. But the man known as “the magician” can’t ever get away from the expectations of his fellow Filipinos, who always expect him to win. Reyes can’t escape from the expectations even in Doha, as there are tens of thousands of Filipinos living and working here.
“They always think I will win and if I don’t win it’s no good to them,” a smiling Reyes said. “Too much pressure out there. Maybe if I can win a few matches I’m gonna play good without pressure but now, too much.”
If players who waltz are feeling the heat, what more guys like Mark Gray? The Brit went up against 2011 World 9-ball Champion Yukio Akagariyama of Japan today in a rematch of their 11-10 thriller in the semi-finals the same year Yukio won the crown.
Gray was hungry for a bit of revenge. Plus he craved personal and professional redemption. The 40 year old from Petersborough, Cambridgeshire became a dad earlier this year and hasn’t played in any world events recently. In addition his last few years of pool have been filled with a string of disappointments.
The two top tier players engaged in a toe to toe battle that went to a nerve jangling one rack decider. Yukio broke dry and left Gray a wide open table. Gray, who by now was visibly feeling the heat, had only the 9-ball left to win but his position wasn’t perfect and he missed the shot. Luckily, all Yukio could see was a full table bank. The Japanese went for it and missed, leaving Gray a hanger, and a coveted spot in the round of 64.
“That’s the first bit of luck I’ve had in five years,” a relieved and delighted Gray said afterward. “I didn’t feel confident out there. I needed a result and to beat the 2011 world champion to qualify feels really really good.”
In a match that could have been a terrific final, Germany’s Thorsten Hohmann, the 2003 World 9-ball Champion, took on the Philippines Hall of Famer Francisco Bustamante, the 2010 World 9-ball Champion. The match was every bit the cracker the two names suggested it would be, with a palpable intensity throughout. The two were tied half way through but Hohmann took advantage of several good rolls and close the deal to win, 9-6.
Germany's Hohmann took down a rejected Bustamante of the Philippines“It was intense out there,” Hohmann said. “At 5-5 I got a couple of good rolls and at the end I didn’t miss.”
Hohmann couldn’t help but get a bit emotional about the match as he recalled his younger days in Germany when Bustamante, who was based there for many years, was considered pool royalty.
“I grew up playing against him,” Hohmann said. “He was like a pool god then. I’ve beaten him in many important matches. He has a lot of respect for me and that only makes me play better when I play against him. That gives me confidence. And I have a lot of respect for him.”
England’s Chris Melling put in another fine performance today with a 9-3 win over Taiwan’s Kuo Po Cheng, winning 9-3. In a tense test of wills, Carlo Biado came back from 7-5 down to beat Canada’s Jason Klatt, 9-7. Vietnam’s Nguyen Anh Tuan put in perhaps the best performance of the day, blanking one of China’s best players Liu Haitao, 9-0. It wasn’t a good day for the Chinese, as China’s number one player and last year’s runner up, Li Hewen, surprisingly crashed out, falling to the Philippines Raymond Faroun, 9-7.
The Philippines Lee Vann Corteza had to overcome some early nerves and pulled away from a tight early match to beat Kuwait’s very tough Salah Al Rimawi, 9-4.
Switerland's Dmitri Jungo advancedTwo late matches came right down to the last ball. Tied at 8 with Japanese veteran Satoshi Kawabata, Greece’s Nick Ekonmopoulos looked like he could barely hold the cue. But he buckled down for the final clear and a spot in the final 64.
American veteran Corey Duel surely should have had no problem with Singapore’s young Aloysius Yapp. But the unbearable pressure got the best of both players, so much so that it appeared to cloud their vision in the final one rack decider. Yapp was looking for the quickest route out and went for a homerun with a 1-9 combo only to predictably miss. Duel took the rack and the spot in the final 64.
The country of Lebanon had its first ever success to celebrate as Mohd Ali Berjawi defeated Qatar’s Mhana Al Obaidly to become the first ever Lebanese pool player to advance this deep into a world 9-ball championship. Berjawi surely has no chance of winning the world 9-ball championship. But the expression on his face after what for him and his country was an amazing accomplishment, spoke volumes about how pool, and this world championship, can be so exciting and so much fun. When asked if he thought he could win the tournament Berjawi smiled.
“I have hope,” he said. “All the players have hope. That’s why we’re all here.”
Play in the Final 64 begins Wednesday at 11am local time(GMT +3) with all matches single elimination race to 11, alternate break. The finals, which will take place on September 13th, will be a race to 13.
The winner of the 2013 World 9-ball Championship receives $36,000. The runner up will pocket $18,000. The total prize fund is $250,000.
*The World Pool-Billiard Association(WPA) will be on hand in Doha throughout the week bringing you all the drama from the 2013 World 9-ball Championship. WPA Press Officer Ted Lerner will be reporting from the Al Arabi Sports Club with daily articles containing insight, interviews and analysis, as well as photos. Ted will also be manning the WPA Facebook page and Twitter feed and responding to fans queries and comments. Fans can also follow all matches via the WPA live scoring platform.
Daryl Peach – Photo courtesy of Takayama Takao/onthehill.jp
AS THE LACK OF UPSETS CONTINUES ON DAY 2 OF THE WORLD 9-BALL CHAMPIONSHP, POOLS BEST ARE SURELY HEADED ON A COLLISION COURSE
(Doha, Qatar)–As the long, slow grind of this week-long World 9-ball championship wound its way through Day 2, perhaps the best way to try and understand where it’s all headed at this point is to listen to the words of defending champion Darren Appleton, after he won his opening match on Day 1.
Said the Brit: “There are probably only 20 players who you can actually say are favorites to win this tournament, 10 more who are knocking on the door of perhaps winning it, and 20 more who can, on any given night, beat any of those top 30 players.”
Add that simple equation together and you’ve got 50 top pros who can wreak massive havoc out on the blue pitch, with 30 who can realistically even consider entering the winner’s circle come September 13th. I don’t know about you. But those look like some extremely impressive numbers that, when added together, can only mean this event is primed for some big time fireworks in the coming days. That’s a guarantee.
This tantalizing fact has become even more evident after four sessions over nine hours today inside the frigid Al Arabi Sports Club in Doha, as Day 2’s storyline followed Day 1 with those massive upsets we all love again non-existent, and all of pool’s top guns notching impressive wins to position themselves for slots in the Final 64. You need two wins to advance out of the group stage into the single elimination knockout round of 64, and it’s looking like most of the 50 players that Appleton referred to will be there when the real action begins.
We’re still in the double elimination group stages for another two days, but 32 players got their walking papers today and saw their dreams of pool glory, however slim, quickly die off until another year.
The day began, however, with one final session in the first round with players competing in their first matches. With 14 entries in this year’s field, the most of any country, many fans—especially the legions of Filipino overseas workers who make up a sizeable chunk of Qatar’s 1.5 million population– fancy a Filipino to lift the trophy on Friday evening. And if you were looking for two solid bets, you simply couldn’t do better than Lee Vann Corteza and Dennis Orcollo, both of whom waltzed over their overmatched opponents today with 9-1 wins.
Between them Corteza and Orcollo have set a blistering pace this year on the worldwide pool circuit and both are clearly in some of the best pool playing shape of their already impressive careers. In May Corteza won the China Open, which is one of pool’s majors. In June he took the Southern Classic in Mississippi, USA. He then went to Tokyo and placed 2nd in the Japan Open in July. From there he flew to the US where he placed third in the US Open 10-ball.
“I’ve been playing well for the last few months,” the notoriously understated and humble Corteza said after blitzing Lebanon’s Mohd Ali Berjawi . The only downside he could think of was that he was a bit tired of all the traveling. But knowing Corteza, that’s simply his non-boastful side coming out.
“My game is in good shape,” he admitted with a shy smile.
Orcollo has racked up a series of smaller events in the US this year, but they were all well attended by pool’s top pros and the win’s were no less impressive. Both Filipino greats are clearly primed and more than capable.
Former World Champion Daryl Peach looked impressive todayAnother veteran whose game has certainly been turned up a notch recently is Great Britain’s Daryl Peach. Peach won the world title in 2007 in Manila. He’s had a terrific campaign so far this year, winning once on the Euro Tour and once on the GB 9-ball tour in England. Peach didn’t flinch today even though he drew a very difficult opponent in Japanese veteran Satoshi Kawabata. After the two traded the first 8 racks , Peach came back from a brief break outside in the blazing Doha sun and turned up the gas for a solid 9-4 win.
“I went outside to get warmed up,” Peach said afterward. “It was my first match of the tournament and I was a bit edgy, but it was in a good way. I just had to tell myself to calm down a bit. It was a tough game. He’s a proven player. But I did well today.”
Several other top European players moved to the winners side of their group bracket, including Greece’s Nick Ekonomopoulos, Spain’s David Alcaide, Holland’s Niels Feijen, Germany’s Oliver Ortman, and Poland’s Tomasz Kaplan.
The winners from the first two days will face each other tomorrow to determine the first qualifiers for the Final 64.
From there Day 2 became a mini Judgement Day, as the floor was handed over to the losers side of each group. Winners would get one more chance on Tuesday, while losers would be packing up and heading for the exits.
Much to the delight of the Filipino crowds, the legend Efren Reyes rebounded from a sorry performance on the first day with a solid 9 – 4 win over the USA’s Shawn Wilke. Another fancied Filipino Carlo Biado bounced back with a somewhat shaky 9-4 win over Qatar’s game Saleh Ameen.
England’s Mark Gray kept hope alive with a 9-7 win over Egypt’s very tough Mohamed Elassal. Also winning was young Brit Phil Burford, Japan Open winner Hijikata Hayato, Taiwan veteran Kuo Po Cheng, the USA’s Corey Duel, and Poland’s Radoslaw Babica.
2003 World 9-ball Champion Thorsten Hohmann found himself on the ropes after a poor performance on day 1, but finally showed his true colors with a well played 9-2 win over Iran’s Mehdi Rasekhi. While the win was surely expected, Hohmann put out notice tonight that he has come to Doha in stroke and ready to compete for the crown. And how can anyone not stand up and pay attention? Hohmann’s recent win in the World Straight pool event in New York, along with several other impressive outings over the last few months, mark him as a real contender this week.
Thorsten Hohmann“My first match yesterday I wasn’t warmed up because I was traveling and for three or four days I didn’t hit a ball and I didn’t feel confident,” the German said. “The more matches I play usually the better I play. I’ve had some good results this year.”
Hohmann pointed out that although straight pool and 9-ball are completely different disciplines, his mind and cue stroke have become well-oiled from competing, and winning, against world class competition.
“Yes, there’s a big strategic difference between straight pool and 9-ball. Straight pool is mostly offensive. 9-ball has more defense. But winning the straight pool has given me a lot of confidence. At our level pool is all mental and it gives me a huge edge.”
Also back on the winning track today was China’s Li Hewen. Li, who was last year’s runner up by just one thin rack, was shocked yesterday by Chile’s Enrique Rojas. Tonight Li very nearly gave away a sure win to Italy’s Bruno Muratore, but prevailed, 9-7, to stay alive another day.
In one of the biggest upsets of the day, the UAE’s Salah Al Rimawi handed Austria’s Albin Ouschan, Europe’s current number two ranked player, his walking papers with an impressive 9-6 victory.
The 25 year old Rimawi’s win is just another example of the massive strides pool and pool players have taken over the last few years in the Middle East. Rimawi recently finished in the top 32 at the China Open in Shanghai. Last year he made it to the top 16 at the US Open.
The UAE’s Salah Al RimawiRimawi explained that there are several reasons why pool has become a rising sport in the Middle East. Firstly, the sport is being backed by the various rulers and Sheiks in the Gulf region. The players are able to compete in competitions such as the Arab games, the Asian games, the West Arab games, and various large pool tournaments strictly for players in the Gulf area. If a player wins a medal, they will receive upwards of $15,000 back home from the government as a reward.
The other reason, Rimawi said, is that the media in the Middle East have been covering pool more and more on TV and in the local papers, fuelling an interest in the sport among the youth. Indeed all of the large Qatar daily papers have been featuring articles about the World 9-ball Championship all week here right next to coverage of football.
“They are putting pool in the media,” Rimawi said, “and this is really helping a lot. There are a lot of junior players that are coming up now and the talent level will only get better and better.”
As the young Emirati showed tonight, they’ve already got plenty of game.
Play in the group stages continues at 12pm local time(GMT +3) on Monday with all Winner’s Side matches. The players are divided into 16 groups of 8 players each, playing double elimination. Four players from each group will advance to the Final 64 which becomes a single elimination knockout with race to 11, alternate break. The finals, which will take place on September 13th, will be a race to 13.
The winner of the 2013 World 9-ball Championship receives $36,000. The runner up will pocket $18,000. The total prize fund is $250,000.
*The World Pool-Billiard Association(WPA) will be on hand in Doha throughout the week bringing you all the drama from the 2013 World 9-ball Championship. WPA Press Officer Ted Lerner will be reporting from the Al Arabi Sports Club with daily articles containing insight, interviews and analysis, as well as photos. Ted will also be manning the WPA Facebook page and Twitter feed and responding to fans queries and comments. Fans can also follow all matches via the WPA live scoring platform.
*The 2013World 9-ball will be held in Doha, Qatar from September 2-13,2013 and is sanctioned by the World Pool & Billiard Association(WPA), the world governing body of the sport of pocket billiards. 128 players from across the globe will compete for the biggest prize in Men’s Pool. The 2013 World 9-ball Championship is a WPA ranking event.
