Kristina Tkach and Jasmin Ouschan (courtesy Gabriel Abruzzese)
Austria’s Jasmin Ouschan picked up her first WPBA title in over two years this past weekend (Jan. 31-Feb. 2), when she claimed title to the WPBA’s $25,000-added Olhausen Iron City Billiards Invitational in Birmingham, AL. She shared a title with Monica Webb in a Scotch Doubles event during Biker Week in Laconia, NH last year, but prior to that, she had not won a WPBA event since she came from the loss side to win WPBA’s Aramith/Dr. Pool Classic in December of 2023 and earlier, her second straight WPBA Masters title in July.
Ouschan and runner-up Kristina Tkach, who came into and out of the event as the WPBA’s top-ranked competitor over the last year, have met at the tables before, most recently, last November when they faced each other in the semifinals of the World Pool Association’s (WPA) VenBilliards World 10-Ball tournament in Puerto Rico. Tkach prevailed and advanced to claim the title. They also met in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Kamui WPA Women’s World 9-Ball Championships in Atlantic City, with Tkach, once again, advancing.
Not this time. Though Tkach would defeat Ouschan in the battle for the hot seat, Ouschan came back from a semifinal victory over Tzu-Chien Wei to defeat Tkach and claim the title.
The Olhausen Iron City Invitational featured two, double-elimination stages. Stage 1 drew 48 entrants, who competed until eight from each side of the bracket advanced to meet 32 previously seeded competitors in Stage 2. There were a few surprises that emerged out of Stage 1, though one of them was not the eventual winner, Jasmin Ouschan, who worked her way through three opponents to qualify for advancement to Stage 2 with an aggregate score of 21-2. It was Shanna Lewis who chalked up the two racks against her in what was the last qualifying round of play preceding advancement to Stage 2.
Bearing in mind that ‘surprise’ is a relative term, because it is rarely a first-time rodeo for any competitors at a WPBA event, there were two names that had a way of ‘jumping off the (Stage 1 bracket) page’ at first glance. One was Judie Wilson, a long-time veteran of the J. Pechauer Northeast Women’s Tour (JPNEWT), who advanced to Stage 2 from the winners’ side of the Stage 1 bracket. In races to 7, she got by three opponents with higher FargoRates; Billie Billing (4) and Natae Goldman (5), before locking up in a double-hill battle versus Cathy McDaniel. Wilson dropped the last 9-ball and advanced to Stage 2.
The other ‘surprise’ was 13-year-old Jordan Helfery, who chalked up her first professional finishes at last year’s WPBA Fairfield Invitational (17th) in March, finished 9th at the Americas Heyball Women’s Championship in July and won the 19 and under Girls title at the International Open just over a month ago. Helfery got by her first three opponents, all with lower FargoRates, by an aggregate score of 21-3, eliminating Kaley Sullivan (2), Dulcenia Jones (0) and Laura Semko (1). Helfery, along with teenaged compatriot Savannah Easton, and two JPNEWT veterans (Briana Miller and Ashley Benoit) finished, overall, in the tie for 13th.
Also advancing to Stage 2 from the winners’ side of the Stage 1 bracket were Vietnam’s Nguyen Bich Tram, Jessica Barnes, Jeannie Seaver, Turkey’s Eylul Kibaroglu and Spain’s Mayte Ropero. Advancing from the loss side were Kia Burwell, Betsy Sundholm, Debbie Schjodt, Marianne Merrill, Susan Mello, Shanelle Lorraine, Joanne Ashton and Dawn Hopkins.
In races to 8, Tkach didn’t give up more than three racks to anybody during her trip to the hot seat. She opened with three straight 8-2 wins over Jessica Barnes, Ashley Benoit and April Larson and then, in one of the winners’ side semifinals, got even stingier versus Kelly Fisher, giving up only one. Ouschan, in the meantime, had her share of short ‘racks against’ as well, though not as many. She, too opened with an 8-1 win over June Maiers, only to run into Pia Filler, who put up an almost-double hill fight against her. Ouschan prevailed 8-6 to chalk up her second 8-1 victory against Eylul Kibaroglu. This was followed by two 8-4 victories over Kristina Zlateva and in the other winners’ side semifinal, Tzu-Chien Wei.
Some would contend that ‘easier’ trips to the hot seat match can lead to a touch of overconfidence and complacency, while strong challenges along the way can keep a player sharp. Not this time. Though Ouschan would chalk up more racks against Tkach than any of her previous opponents, it was Tkach who claimed the hot seat 8-3.
Kelly Fisher and Tzu-Chien Wei arrived at the loss side of the bracket to end the two, three-match, loss-side winning streaks of Margarita Fefilova and Veronique Menard. On any given day, the six competitors on that side of the bracket who were still in contention when Fefilova and Menard joined them could well have challenged either Tkach or Ouschan for the title.Fisher picked up Fefilova, who’d eliminated Pia Filler 8-6 and Kaylee McIntosh 8-3 (previously, Filler had eliminated Briana Miller and McIntosh had defeated Kristina Zlateva). Tzu-Chien Wei got Menard, who’d eliminated Maria Teresa (Mayte) Ropero Garcia 8-3 and Brittany Bryant 8-6 (previously, Garcia had eliminated Savannah Easton, while Bryant had dispatched the teenager Jordan Helfery and the once-upon-a-time teenager April Larson).
Tzu-Chien Wei and Kelly Fisher gave up a combined total of one rack (Fisher over Fefilova) and advanced to the quarterfinals. In the match that concluded just minutes before the hot seat match did, “Wei-Wei” (as Fisher calls her) defeated Fisher 8-5. Separated by only two FargoRate points (753-751) Ouschan and Wei went at it for advancement to the finals. Ouschan (the 753) earned her second chance against Tkach with an 8-3 win.
Ouschan had the FargoRate advantage in the race-to-10 final against Tkach, as well, giving her 753 a 60% advantage over Tkach’s 736. It was an almost-double-hill affair as Ouschan chalked up 55% of the racks, claiming the 2025 WPBA Olhausen Iron City Billiards Invitational title with a 10-8 victory.
She’s from Serbia and being more of a ‘known’ competitor in Europe, Bojana Sarac may have surprised some of her American counterparts this past weekend (Dec. 13-15) when she came from the loss side to down Bulgaria’s Kristina Zlateva in the finals and win the $40,000-added, WPBA’s Dr. Pool/Jacoby Tour Championships in Rothschild, WI. It became her second (known) major title, since winning the Predator Group Women’s Euro Tour stop at Dynamic Billiards’ Ladies Treviso (Italy) Open last November. She entered our AZBilliards’ database in August of 2021, which remains her best (recorded) earnings year. Among the Europeans who were not surprised at her win in Wisconsin was Kelly Fisher, who’d battled her in the finals and eventually won the Predator Austria Women’s Open in October of that year.
The Dr. Pool/Jacoby Tour Championships drew a total of 80 competitors to the Central Wisconsin Expo Center in Rotschild and played out in two stages. The opening Stage 1 featured 48 un-seeded competitors, who played in a double-elimination bracket until the final eight on each side of that bracket advanced to compete in a second, double-elimination bracket that came loaded with 16 previously-seeded and 16 unseeded competitors. The 32 who’d waited for the conclusion of Stage 1 to begin competing, happened to be the top 32 in the WPBA rankings. Sarac, whose win catapulted her from well below the ‘top 32’ to #21 (after the win), went undefeated through the Stage 1 bracket, downing Shanna Lewis and Emilyn Callado, both 7-3, with a shutout over Shanelle Lorraine in between them. The field of 16 that advanced to Stage 2 was evenly split between American (Callado, teenager Jordan Helfrey, Sandy Cheng, Tina Larson, Pam Kelly, Laura Smith, Kim Housman) and foreign (Europe, Asia and Far East) competitors.
In her eight-match march to the title, Sarac squared off against three of the WPBA’s top 10; one of them, Zlateva, twice. Racing to 8, she opened Stage 2 with an 8-1 victory over Caroline (“Ka-pow”) Pao, and followed that with wins over Janet Atwell (3), Japan’s Miina Tani (2), Taipei’s Fan Yu Hsuan (5) and drew Bean (Meng-Hsia) Hung in one of the winners’ side semifinals.
Zlateva’s opponents, in the meantime, kept getting closer and closer to catching her. She started with a win over Olivia Cheng (3) and followed up with victories over Nguyen Bich Tram (4) and Chihiro Kawahara (5) to draw Margarita Fefilova in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Sure enough, Fefilova got a rack closer than Zlateva’s previous opponents, but “The Zlayer,” as she’s known, persevered 8-6 and advanced to the hot seat match. She was joined by Sarac, who’d sent Hung to the loss side 8-4. In the hot seat match versus Sarac, Zlateva stopped the ‘one-rack-closer’ pattern, by dispatching Sarac off to the semifinals 8-6 and claiming the hot seat.
By the time the loss side had whittled down to its final 8, in the battles for 9th/12th, at around 10 p.m. on Saturday night, it was still loaded with potentially significant ‘spoilers.’ Briana Miller had eliminated Sofia Mast as Kristina Tkach had gotten by Chihiro Kawahara, both 8-4. Kelly Fisher, who’d eliminated Allison Fisher in her previous match 8-4, had defeated Pia Filler 8-4. And Fan Yu Hsuan, who lost her winners’ side quarterfinal match to Sarac, began her loss-side trip with something of an ‘upset’ over Tzu-Chien Wei 8-5.
Hsuan had another surprise up her sleeve, as she advanced to down Filler 8-6. Miller, in the meantime, was busy with something of an ‘upset’ of her own, eliminating Kawahara 8-5.
The action moved on to Sunday with Miller facing off against Bean Hung, who (presumably) had enjoyed a good night’s sleep following her loss to Sarac. So, too, with Fefilova, whose loss to Zlateva set her up against Hsuan.
Fefilova stopped Hsuan’s loss-side progress with an 8-2 win and advanced to the quarterfinals. Hung joined her after eliminating Miller 8-5. The quarterfinals and hot seat match went off at about the same time, but the quarterfinals finished an hour earlier. Fefilova eliminated Hung 8-4 and waited for Zlateva to claim the hot seat.
The semifinal match between Fefilova and Sarac was the 11th and last double-hill match of the 126 matches played in Stage 2 of the Dr. Pool/Jacoby Tour Championships. Two of them involved 14-year-old Savannah Easton, who defeated Emilyn Callado on the loss side and two rounds later, was herself eliminated by Briana Miller. In two others, Loree Jon Brown eliminated April Larson and Monica Webb defeated stream announcer Lonnie-Fox Raymond.
It was Sarac who prevailed in the semifinals to earn her second shot at Zlateva, waiting for her in the hot seat. Though likely reluctant to renew the pattern that she’d established with her previous opponents, what Zlateva didn’t expect was that the next racks-against figure, in the finals, would indeed reach ‘7,’ but they’d be her racks against Sarac. Sarac claimed the Dr. Pool/Jacoby Tour Championship title 10-7.
WPBA representatives thanked the ownership and staff at the Central Wisconsin Expo Center for their hospitality, as well as Dr. Pool Promotions and Jacoby Custom Cues. They also extended thanks to Presenting Sponsors Viking Cues, Olhausen Billiards, and Brunswick; Titanium Sponsors Diamond Billiard Products and Aramith Balls; Platinum Sponsors Simonis Cloth, How Professional Tips and Cues, Big Family Custom Creations, www.icitraining.com, Kamui Chalk, and Castillo Handmade Leather Products; Diamond Sponsors RJH Custom Cues, www.digitalpool.com, and Perfect Rack; and Gold Sponsors Iowa City Metro Pool League, Holt Family Dental Care, and Iowa City Women’s 8-Ball League.
Team Europe triumphed at the 2024 BetOnline Mosconi Cup, defeating Team USA 11-6 to claim their fifth consecutive title. Held at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida, this historic victory cemented Europe’s dominance in the transatlantic rivalry and provided a thrilling conclusion to the 2024 World Nineball Tour.
Overall Score: Team USA 6-11 Team Europe
Match One: Skyler Woodward 0-5 Jayson Shaw
Match Two: Fedor Gorst 5-4 Mickey Krause
Match Three: Skyler Woodward 4-5 Francisco Sanchez Ruiz
Day Four opened with a high-stakes showdown between the captains, Jayson Shaw and Skyler Woodward. Shaw capitalised on multiple errors from Woodward, including scratches and a dry break, to deliver a clinical 5–0 whitewash. This commanding win brought Europe within a single point of the championship.
In the second match, reigning World Champion Fedor Gorst sought to keep Team USA’s hopes alive against European Open champion Mickey Krause. Gorst surged ahead, winning the first three racks with precision clearances. Krause rallied in impressive fashion, showcasing skill and resilience to draw level at hill-hill. In the decisive rack, Krause’s foul on the 5-ball handed Gorst the opportunity to clear the table, securing a hard-fought win for Team USA.
The final match of the day saw Skyler Woodward return to face Francisco Sanchez Ruiz. Despite a strong start from Woodward, Ruiz’s sharp play, including a brilliant 3–9 combo and a break-and-run, turned the match into a thrilling contest. With the Mosconi Cup on the line, Ruiz remained composed in the hill-hill decider, delivering another flawless break-and-run to pot the winning 9-ball and seal Europe’s victory.
2024 saw Jayson Shaw etch his name further into the history books. Not only did he secure his seventh Mosconi Cup title and his third MVP award, but he also became the first player ever to be crowned MVP as a playing captain.
Reflecting on the achievement, Shaw remarked: “It has been a lot more work this year, but I’m so proud of the boys. It’s been a pleasure to have them on my team, and I cannot wait till next year.”
Team Europe’s emphatic performance not only reinforced their dominance in Nineball but also marked a powerful rebound after their close defeat at the inaugural Reyes Cup. With this victory, Europe adds another illustrious chapter to the Mosconi Cup’s storied history, leaving fans eager to see what the next edition will bring.
Nineball fans have plenty to look forward to in the coming year, with the 2025 World Nineball Tour set to be the biggest yet, with exciting announcements on the horizon. Be sure to follow Matchroom Pool’s social media channels for the latest updates and news.
Team Europe delivered a dominant performance on Day Three of the 2024 BetOnline Mosconi Cup, extending their lead and leaving Team USA with a daunting challenge going into the final day at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida.
Now in its 31st edition, the Mosconi Cup continues to deliver thrilling moments as Team Europe and Team USA battle for transatlantic supremacy. This marquee event is the grand finale of the 2024 World Nineball Tour, with fans tuning in globally via Sky Sports in the UK, DAZN in the US and Brazil, and Viaplay in Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Poland, and Iceland.
Overall Score after Day Three: Team USA 5-9 Team Europe
Match One: Team USA 5-3 Team Europe
Match Two: Shane Van Boening & Skyler Woodward 1-5 Mickey Krause & Francisco Sanchez Ruiz
Day Three began with an intense team match, and Team USA fought hard to claim their first victory of the day. Jayson Shaw opened for Europe with a fortuitous fluke on the 9-ball, but Team USA responded quickly. Skyler Woodward capitalised on a rare error by Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, levelling the score. Fedor Gorst and Tyler Styer seized the momentum, taking advantage of mistakes from Eklent Kaçi and Ruiz to secure the win and close the overall gap to 5-7.
In the first doubles match of the day, Europe’s Mickey Krause and Francisco Sanchez Ruiz showcased exceptional teamwork against Shane Van Boening and Skyler Woodward. The European duo maintained control throughout, with highlights including a stunning hook by Krause and a textbook break-and-run. Despite brief resistance from the Americans, a costly scratch by Woodward in the fifth frame allowed Europe to clinch the match decisively, pushing their lead to 8-5.
Billy Thorpe started strong in his singles match, claiming the opening rack, but Europe’s David Alcaide responded with clinical precision, winning three consecutive racks to establish a commanding lead. Thorpe clawed his way back, levelling at 3-3 with a brilliant 3-9 combination shot. However, a scratch in the seventh frame proved costly, as Alcaide capitalised with a flawless two-rack run to secure victory and further extend Europe’s advantage to 9-5.
The day’s final doubles match saw Jayson Shaw and Eklent Kaçi face Fedor Gorst and Tyler Styer, with the Americans taking the opening frame after Shaw’s miss on the 5-ball. The Europeans levelled in the second, but a failed 8-9 carom from Shaw in the third let the Americans regain the lead, which they extended with a break-and-run in the fourth.
Shaw and Kaçi mounted a stunning three-rack comeback, capitalising on Gorst’s scratch in the sixth and delivering a golden break in the seventh to reach the hill. A tense safety battle in the final rack saw Gorst escape a hook but leave a shot for the Europeans, who cleared the table to claim their third win of the day and extend Europe’s lead.
With Europe leading 9-5, the pressure is on Team USA to stage a dramatic comeback on the final day. Team Europe, on the other hand, will aim to keep their momentum and close out the tournament in style. Tune in tomorrow to witness the finale of nine-ball pool’s most prestigious event.
Team Europe increased their advantage on an exhilarating second day of the 2024 BetOnline Mosconi Cup, taking place from 30 November to 3 December at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida.
Now in its 31st edition, the Mosconi Cup continues to deliver thrilling moments as Team Europe and Team USA battle for transatlantic supremacy. This marquee event is the grand finale of the 2024 World Nineball Tour, with fans tuning in globally via Sky Sports in the UK, DAZN in the US and Brazil, and Viaplay in Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Poland, and Iceland.
Overall Score after Day Two: Team USA 4-6 Team Europe
Match One: Team USA 5-2 Team Europe
Match Two: Fedor Gorst 2-5 Jayson Shaw
Match Three: Billy Thorpe & Tyler Styer 5-4 Jayson Shaw & Mickey Krause
Match Four: Shane Van Boening 1-5 Francisco Sanchez Ruiz
Match Five: Skyler Woodward & Fedor Gorst 4-5 David Alcaide & Eklent Kaçi
The day opened with the second team match of the tournament, setting the stage for another dramatic encounter. Jayson Shaw, carrying momentum from Day One, gave Europe an early lead, while David Alcaide capitalised on Fedor Gorst’s error to extend it to 2-0. Skyler Woodward countered for Team USA in the third rack, followed by Tyler Styer, who levelled the score after a rare miss from Eklent Kaçi.
Billy Thorpe broke the deadlock with a decisive finish in the fifth rack, and Shane Van Boening delivered a remarkable jump shot to put Team USA on the hill. Gorst redeemed himself in the final rack with a composed clearance, securing Team USA’s first team match win of the event and tying the overall score at 3-3.
In the headline singles match, Jayson Shaw faced rival Fedor Gorst. Shaw capitalised on Gorst’s early mistakes, building a commanding lead with highlights including a stunning 2-9 carom in the fourth rack. Despite Gorst narrowing the gap, Shaw’s break-and-run in the seventh rack sealed the win, restoring Europe’s overall lead.
The first doubles clash of the day saw Billy Thorpe and Tyler Styer take on Jayson Shaw and Mickey Krause. The two sides traded racks early before Europe edged ahead. However, a missed shot on the 8-ball by Shaw allowed Team USA to level. Thorpe’s golden break in the seventh rack gave the Americans the upper hand, but Europe forced a decider with a break-and-run. Under mounting pressure, Krause’s missed safety gave Team USA the final rack and victory, once again evening the tournament score.
Francisco Sanchez Ruiz delivered a commanding performance in the fourth match, overpowering Shane Van Boening. Ruiz raced to a 2-0 lead, and despite Van Boening claiming one rack, the Spaniard’s flawless shot-making in his three consecutive racks closed the match in emphatic style, regaining Europe’s lead.
The day’s finale featured an intense doubles battle between Skyler Woodward and Fedor Gorst against Eklent Kaçi and David Alcaide. Both teams traded frames throughout, pushing the match to a hill-hill decider. In a critical moment, Gorst’s scratch on the break opened the door for Kaçi and Alcaide, who capitalised on the opportunity to claim the final rack and extend Europe’s lead to two points.
With Europe now ahead by two points, the tension is building as both teams prepare for another action-packed day. Team USA will need to find momentum to stay in contention, while Team Europe will aim to maintain their dominance. Stay tuned for all the drama as the 2024 BetOnline Mosconi Cup continues tomorrow.
Defending champions Team Europe seized an early lead on the opening day of the 2024 BetOnline Mosconi Cup, taking place from 30 November to 3 December at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida.
The tournament marks the 31st edition of the prestigious transatlantic showdown, with Team Europe and Team USA vying for ultimate glory in the finale of the 2024 World Nineball Tour. Fans across the globe can witness the drama unfold via Sky Sports in the UK, DAZN in the US and Brazil, and Viaplay in Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Poland, and Iceland.
Overall Score after Day One: Team USA 2-3 Team Europe
Match One: Team USA 1-5 Team Europe
Match Two: Skyler Woodward & Billy Thorpe 2-5 Jayson Shaw & David Alcaide
Match Three: Tyler Styer 5-3 Mickey Krause
Match Four: Fedor Gorst & Shane Van Boening 2-5 Eklent Kaçi & Francisco Sanchez Ruiz
Match Five: Skyler Woodward 5-2 Eklent Kaçi
The day kicked off in classic Mosconi Cup fashion with USA and Europe meeting in the first teams match. Europe’s captain Jayson Shaw set the tone early, outmanoeuvring Fedor Gorst with a crafty safety on the 2-ball to secure the opening rack. Francisco Sanchez Ruiz extended the lead in the second frame, maintaining control against Shane Van Boening. Though USA Captain Skyler Woodward responded with a break-and-run in the third, Eklent Kaçi’s clinical break-and-run in the fourth kept Europe ahead. Debutant Mickey Krause capitalised on a failed safety by Billy Thorpe to get Europe to the hill, before Shaw sealed the match with another precise safety against Gorst, securing Europe’s first point.
The second match saw captains Shaw and Woodward face off alongside teammates David Alcaide and Billy Thorpe. Despite Thorpe and Woodward showing flashes of brilliance, Europe capitalised on critical errors to race to a 5-2 victory. A highlight came in the seventh rack, where Shaw and Alcaide executed flawlessly under pressure to put Europe 2-0 ahead in the tournament.
In a highly anticipated singles match, Tyler Styer faced Mickey Krause, making his Mosconi Cup singles debut. Despite Krause showing promise, Styer capitalised on key mistakes, including a missed 2-ball in the sixth rack. With a composed carom shot in the final rack, Styer sealed a 5-3 win, giving USA their first point of the tournament.
The formidable European duo of Kaçi and Ruiz took on Gorst and Van Boening in a star-studded doubles clash. Europe surged ahead with a blend of safety play and break-and-run precision, reaching the hill at 4-1. Though the Americans rallied to close the gap, Kaçi and Ruiz delivered a flawless final rack to win 5-2, extending Europe’s lead.
In the final match of the day, Woodward faced Kaçi in a pivotal singles encounter. Kaçi started strong, claiming the first two racks, but Woodward roared back with a commanding four-rack streak to reach the hill. Exploiting Kaçi’s errors, Woodward capped off his performance with a break-and-run in the final rack, securing a 5-2 win and narrowing the overall deficit to 3-2 on the first day.
With a slender one-point lead, Team Europe enters Day Two poised to extend their advantage, while Team USA looks to build on their late momentum. Fans can expect more thrilling action as the battle for the 2024 Mosconi Cup glory intensifies.
The final curtain came down on the 2024 International Open at the Renaissance World Golf Village Resort in St. Augustine, FL last night (Tues., Nov 26), when the defending champion of the International Straight Pool Open, Austria’s Mario He, completed a modest, 19-ball run to defeat his fellow countryman, MaxLechner, 150-131, to claim that title for the second straight year (one of three competitors who did that in the Open events this year). It will not have escaped those who are good at quick math to figure out that He’s final run began when the match was tied at Lechner’s final score.
In many ways, a straight pool match (to any number, but let’s say 150) is not always a single match, but a series of them; sometimes short, sometimes long and often separated by where a given long run of balls begins and ends (Lee Vann Corteza’s opening round of play in this event was a 125-0 blowout for a single-run, very short match). In the final ‘scene’ of the straight pool tournament, He and Max Lechner played about five of them.
Match #1 took them through a rather normal, ‘getting into the groove’ stage, which came to an end with He ahead 28-26, effectively beginning Match #2. At the time, He was seven balls into what would become the start of a 52-ball run.At 73-26, He missed a soft bank shot, and turned the table over to Lechner. For reasons that puzzled Mike Sigel, commenting in the stream booth, and presumably a lot of spectators, Lechner followed a single, made shot with an attempt at a short-stroke combination that failed.
Looking back on that moment and speculating what Lechner might have accomplished, but for the sake of that one, missed ball, that short exchange of the table could well be defined as Match #3. Match #4 began when He also rattled a ball in a hole, attempting a combination, and Lechner headed out on an 88-ball run, which became, at its very end, the longest possible run of the match.
Match #5, which began at the end of Lechner’s run, now ahead 110-84. They both had a couple of short runs, back and forth, which allowed He to close the gap down to 8 at 115-107. In setting up his break ball for a next rack, He scratched.Lechner made his first shot, to make it 116-107, but when he missed the following shot, he vented some frustration, which led to a stick foul, reducing his score back down to 115.
He returned to the table and by the end of that rack had tied the score at 115 and moved on to take a 119-115 lead, his first since he’d been ahead 84-82 in the middle of Lechner’s 88-ball run. The match tied up again at 126, as Lechner passed He and moved on to complete a 17-ball run that put him back out in front by five at 131-126.
The last ‘Mini’ Match (# 6), began when Lechner rattled a ball in a hole to turn the table back over to He, who promptly dropped five balls, leaving one on the table for the next rack and the score tied for the last time at 131. One complete rack of 14 and five balls into the next rack, He had claimed the 2024 International Straight Pool Open title.
For those who have either not been following our daily reports from St. Augustine or would prefer a single story, covering the entire nine-day International Open tournaments, look for such a report in December’s issue of Billiards Buzz, in the opening days of December; https://www.azbilliards.com/buzz/
The above headline had to do some ‘arm wrestling’ with an alternative that previewed an arguably much more compelling tale. The alternative – 13-year-old Savannah Easton downs world champion Kristina Tkach in ‘undercard’ match at WPBA’s Capital City Invitational – lost the hypothetical, arm-wrestling contest, because while it certainly highlights an important moment in the tournament, it fails, as headlines are expected to do, to encapsulate the event and a the most significant fact of its occurrence.
So, Filler and Fefilova. They played twice, hot seat match and finals, at the $15,000-added stop on the WPBA Tour, which drew 64 entrants to Capital City Billiards in Concord, NH this past weekend (Nov. 21-24). The win for Filler will edge her upwards a step or two from her #15 position in the WPBA standings that she held going into the event, while Fefilova’s runner-up finish will move her ahead of Allison Fisher to occupy the second spot behind Tkach.
Filler’s path to the winners’ circle started with two matches in which she gave up only a single rack; none at all in her opener against Suzy Dickstein and the one to Emily Duddy. Then she ran into two straight, double-hill matches against (until recently) #1 and #2 in the WPBA standings, Kwikfire (Kelly Fisher) and Tzu-Chien Wei. Filler got by those two rather monstrous hurdles and in her winners’ side semifinal, drew Savannah Easton, who had just defeated Tkach 8-3 in a winners’ side quarterfinal.
Fefilova’s trip to the winners’ side semifinal went through Jessica Barnes (3) and Lisa Cossette (4), before encountering two of the three women who adorned the poster for the Capital City Invitational, Briana Miller (3) and Veronique Menard (6), who, on the poster, are captured ‘down on the table’ poised between a standing and rather stern-looking JoAnn Mason Parker. Fefilova drew Bean (Meng-Hsia) Hung in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Filler sent Easton to the loss side 8-5, as Fefilova was working on her 8-6 victory over Hung. It was Fefilova who claimed the hot seat 8-4.
Upon their arrival to the loss side of the bracket, Easton and Hung discovered that they would be standing in the way of advancement to the quarterfinals of two, very good friends. Easton drew Kelly Fisher, who’d lost a third-round, double-hill match to Filler and set out on a four-match, loss-side winning streak that had recently included the elimination of Veronique Menard (3) and Lonnie Fox-Raymond (4). Hung picked up Tzu-Chien Wei, who’d also lost to Filler, right after Filler defeated Fisher. Wei then chalked up two, loss side wins; a forfeit by Monica Webb and an 8-4 win over Kaylee McIntosh.
Very alert to the prodigious talent of Savannah Easton, against whom she has battled before, Fisher has articulated respect for the teenager’s talent and knew before the first rack broke, that she could not be taken for granted. The match proved her right. Though Fisher would advance to the quarterfinals, it was not before Easton had drawn within a game of double hill and potentially, two games ahead of defeating her. Tzu-Chien Wei allowed Hung just a single rack in advancing to the quarterfinals against Fisher.
They battled to double-hill, the two friends, and it was Fisher who prevailed to draw a rematch versus Filler in the semifinals. Filler downed Fisher a second time, edging out in front, avoiding a double-hill rematch by just a game (8-6).
If you ever want an absolutely assured jolt of confidence, there would be no more effective medicine than a victory over Kelly “Kwikfire” Fisher. Filler took that medicine, adding it to her own talent and downed Fefilova in the finals 10-7.
WPBA representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Capital City Billiards for their hospitality along with sponsors Viking Cues, Olhausen Billiards, Jacoby Custom Cues, Brunswick, Diamond Billiard Products, Aramith Balls, Simonis Cloth, How Tips and Cues, Big Family Custom Creations, www.icatraining.com, Kamui, Castillo Handmade Leather Products, RJH Custom Cues, digitalpool.com, Perfect Rack, Iowa City Pool League, Holt Family Dental Care and Iowa City Women’s 8-Ball League.
Next up for the ‘wonderful women’ of the WPBA will be the $35,000-added Dr. Pool/Jacoby Tour Championships, scheduled for Dec. 11-15 at the Central Wisconsin Expo Center in Rothschild, WI.
Team Europe have won their fourth consecutive Duelbits Mosconi Cup title after defeating Team USA 11-3 at the Alexandra Palace with one of the most dominant performances in the 30-year history of the transatlantic 9-ball pool extravaganza.
The 2023 Duelbits Mosconi Cup was broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland, DAZN in the USA, Spain and Brazil, Viaplay in the Baltics and Scandinavia, and networks worldwide.
Led by rookie captain Ralph Eckert, the hosts enjoyed total control across the four days in London, with the tone being set during the opening session when they completed a clean sweep of victories.
The Europeans remained ruthless in their pursuit of a 16th overall Mosconi Cup glory as they continued to extend their advantage throughout days two and three. Heading into the final day, the title holders were 9-2 up and required just two more points to lift the trophy again.
Before any genuine thoughts of overhauling the huge deficit, Team USA’s initial objective was to make the scoreline respectable, and the visitors embodied fighting spirit through Shane Van Boening in the opening match of the session as he came to the party with an impressive 5-2 win against Joshua Filler.
Van Boening – making a record-equaling 17th successive Mosconi Cup appearance – had lost all five of his previous singles matches against Filler in this competition, but the five-time US Open champion constructed two break clearances as he broke free from 2-2 to stop that unwanted sequence and give his country its third point of the week.
The Americans continued to rally in match 13 in a doubles tie featuring Skyler Woodward & Tyler Styer against Filler & Albin Ouschan.
After the Europeans break cleared in the opening rack and then doubled their profit, Woodward – who delivered several exquisite shots – and Styer strung together the next three racks to go ahead.
However, the home team reasserted their command, punishing a misjudged swerve from Styer in rack six to level before crafting another break and run to go 4-3 in front. And when Woodward went dry with his break in the eighth, the boys in blue made no mistake as they put their team on the hill.
In what would be the 30th anniversary’s final fixture, David Alcaide ousted Shane Wolford 5-4 in a compelling encounter where there was never more than a rack between the competitors.
The Cup’s only rookie player this year, Wolford was experiencing singles action in it for the first time, and he acclimatised well with a break and run in the opening rack, although reigning European Open champion Alcaide returned the compliment in the next.
Following an eventful few racks which saw the players tied at 3-3, Alcaide cleared from Wolford’s foul break in rack seven to move one away from glory, but the 24-year-old left-hander followed suit and pushed the match all the way as he dished from his opponent’s dry break in rack eight.
Wolford potted a ball off his break in the hill-hill rack but later missed the 5-ball when attempting to break and clear.
After Alcaide botched his safety shot, Wolford potted the 5 but landed tricky on the 6. The debutant went full-blooded for the pot – which he missed – and was fortunate to leave Alcaide snookered, although the Spaniard successfully navigated it and fluked a snooker back.
With a deft touch, Wolford produced a brilliant escape and forced a subsequent safety error from his rival.
Facing a long cut on the 6-ball, though, Wolford potted it but watched in anguish as the cueball went in-off in the opposite diagonal corner pocket.
Seventeen years on from losing the deciding match at the 2006 Mosconi Cup in Rotterdam which saw defending champions USA draw the overall contest 12-12 and therefore retain the trophy, this time Alcaide made sure he wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to sink the tournament-winning ball as he mopped up the 7, 8 and 9-ball to cue rapturous celebrations amongst the European team and its supporters.
Courtesy of his two singles wins earlier in the week and his doubles success alongside Ouschan on the final day, Filler won this year’s Cuetec Most Valuable Player Award. It is the second year in-a-row that the German has won the accolade, and his third time overall.
Speaking to Sky Sports about the victory and his MVP success, Filler said: “It’s been an amazing week; we played great all week and I think in the end obviously we deserved to win.”
“I got lucky I got sent out so many times; I got many more opportunities than the others obviously, but I still played good and I’ve got a big team behind me which supported me all the way.”
The jubilant winning captain Eckert – who never experienced the Mosconi Cup as a player – said: “It’s such an incredible feeling and I want to take the opportunity to thank the whole team – it is such an incredible team. Thank you to all the fans here. Thank you so much.”
Team Europe require just two more points for a fourth successive Duelbits Mosconi Cup title after taking the spoils on day three of the 30th anniversary staging.
The 2023 Duelbits Mosconi Cup is broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland, DAZN in the USA, Spain and Brazil, Viaplay in the Baltics and Scandinavia, and networks worldwide. For information on how to watch where you are, visit here.
Overall Score after Day Three: Team Europe 9-2 Team USA
Match 9: Jayson Shaw & David Alcaide 5-2 Skyler Woodward & Shane Wolford
Match 10: Shaw 5-1 Woodward
Match 11: Shaw & Francisco Sanchez Ruiz 3-5 Woodward & Fedor Gorst
Heading into Friday night’s action at an electric Alexandra Palace, the hosts and Mosconi Cup title holders boasted a commanding 7-1 lead – an all-time record-equaling advantage after day two.
The visitors surely had to hit the ground running in the opening tie of the night if they harboured any hopes of a colossal comeback; a doubles encounter featuring Jayson Shaw & David Alcaide against Skyler Woodward & Shane Wolford – the four cueists that didn’t play on Thursday.
But it was Team Europe who got away quickly. Shaw made his presence felt early on as he nailed a long bank on the 3-ball as the duo won the opening rack before break clearing in the second to double their lead. And, after two-time MVP winner Woodward miscued in rack three, the boys in blue soon found themselves 3-0 ahead.
The Stars and Stripes showed heart as they claimed the following two racks – punishing a missed 3-9 combo from Alcaide in rack five – but momentum soon shifted again as the Europeans compiled their second break run of the meeting before clearing up in rack seven to stamp the point after Cup rookie Wolford failed with a tricky pot on the 2-ball.
Reverting to the singles format for match ten, Shaw – facing his first solo assignment of the week – and Woodward stayed out in the arena.
Off the back of winning all three of his singles matches in Las Vegas last year, an effervescent Shaw entertained the home support in North London. The recently crowned Hanoi Open champion dealt with a 3-9 combo in rack one and break cleared in rack two to double up.
Woodward found a ball of his break in the third but missed an awkward pot on the 1-ball, inviting ‘Eagle Eye’ to the table to eventually make it 3-0.
Appearing in his eighth consecutive Mosconi Cup campaign, Shaw impressively cross-banked a 3-ball en route to a fourth rack-in-a-row before Woodward avoided the discomfort of back-to-back singles whitewashes with the second golden break of the event in rack five.
However, roared on by the majority of the near 2,200 fans in attendance, Shaw got the job done in style with his second break and run of the encounter to push Europe even further ahead at 9-1.
Pretty much at the point of no return, Team USA would finish the night on a positive note as they enjoyed the undisputed highlight of their week, so far, as Woodward & Fedor Gorst combined to defeat Shaw and Francisco Sanchez Ruz in match 11.
The Americans established 2-0 and 3-1 leads – the first time this week they held an advantage of two racks – prior to the defending champions levelling at 3-3.
Players and fans in red, white and blue were not to be denied their second point of the campaign, though, as Woodward struck his second golden break of the evening in rack seven before the pairing fully capitalised on a overcut 3-ball from World Champion Sanchez Ruiz in the eighth rack for a morale-boosting 5-3 victory.
