Final Names added to 2008 World Pool Masters Line-up

The final names have been added to the players’ roster for the forthcoming 2008 PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters which takes place at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas from May 9 to May 11.

Filipino superstars Francisco Bustamante and Alex Pagulayan have confirmed their attendance as well as top-rated Europeans Ralf Souquet (Germany) and Niels Feijen of Holland.

With 16 players in the field competing for a $62,000 prize fund, event promoters Matchroom Sport believe they have assembled the strongest line-up yet in the 16 year history of the event.

“With four World 9 Ball Champions, six US Open Champions and a host of other title-holders in the field, I believe that this will be the toughest ever World Pool Masters,” said Matchroom Sport Chairman Barry Hearn.

“With winner breaks, race to eight matches on the toughest equipment it will take a series of fantastic performances over the three days to lift this prestigious trophy,” he added.

Other recent confirmations include 2001 US Open Champion Corey Deuel and a quartet of stars recently qualified from the Euro Tour.

They are the latest English 9 Ball sensation Mark Gray, Germany’s dangerous Christian Reimering, up-and-coming Italian player Bruno Muratore and 2006 Mosconi Cup player Imran Majid (England).

World Junior Champion, the 18 year-old Ko Pin-Yi of Taiwan cemented his credentials to a Masters spot at the weekend by coming from 14-4 down to beat Dennis Orcollo 15-14 and lift the Brunswick Thailand 9 Ball Open.

Elsewhere, 2003 Masters Champion Tony Drago won the Paris Open at the weekend, his first Euro Tour title, after three losing finals.

2008 World Pool Masters Field:

Daryl Peach (England)
Thomas Engert (Germany)
Mika Immonen (Finland)
Tony Drago (Malta)
Shane Van Boening (USA)
Rodney Morris (USA)
Francisco Bustamante (Philippines)
Alex Pagulayan (Philippines)
Ko Pin-ye (Chinese Taipei)
Niels Feijen (Netherlands)
Ralf Souquet (Germany)
Corey Deuel (USA)
Mark Gray (England)
Christian Reimering (Germany)
Bruno Moratore (Italy)
Imran Majid (England)

2008 Partypoker.net World Pool Masters Announced

The 2008 PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters will be heading to Las Vegas for the first time. A total of 16 of the finest players from around the world will be competing in the event, which will be staged at The Riviera Hotel and Casino from May 9 to May 11.

2007 champion Thomas Engert from Germany will be back to defend his title and will be joined by a host of big names from the sport. Other players confirmed include 2007 World Pool Champion Daryl Peach (England), 2001 World Champion Mika Immonen (Finland), 2007 Mosconi Cup players Tony Drago (Malta), Shane Van Boening and Rodney Morris (both USA) and 2007 World Junior Champion Ko Pin-yi (Chinese Taipei).

Francisco Bustamante and Alex Pagulayan (both Philippines) have also been invited while the leading four players on the Euro Tour rankings after the Paris Open later this month will also qualify with the other players to be announced shortly.

The PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters is now in its 16th year and has grown into one of the biggest and most prestigious Pool competitions in the sport's calendar. This year it will be hosted by the BCA National 8-Ball Championships with the opening matches on Friday, May 9 with the final on Sunday, May 11.

Matchroom Sport spokesman said: "It's fantastic that the event is coming to the USA for the first time. "I'm sure there will be big crowds, lots of excitement and drama and will be a great competition.

"The invite list is taking shape and, through our agreement with the WPA, we take the top four ranked players on the Euro Tour after their next event which finishes on the 24th of this month."

As always, the World Pool Masters will be televised throughout the world in 15 one-hour highlights programmes. There will be a $62,000 prize fund with the winner collecting $20,000.

Tickets will be made available in March on the Playbca.com website, and if any are left, at the Championships. The BCAPL, in conjunction with the Riviera, is working on a seating plan that will accommodate a few hundred spectators.

BCAPL's Mark Griffin added: "Our players love professional action. This is the first time the Masters has been held on U.S. soil and we are honored Matchroom has chosen us.

"It's been a tradition to entertain the thousands of BCA Pool League members who travel the globe to compete in our National 8-Ball Championships. This year will be no different."

Blackpool boys take on the World

Blackpool has two players hoping to make their big break this weekend in the World 9 Ball Pool Championships in the Philippines. Karl Boyes joins Daryl Peach in the 128 man line-up after winning a qualifying spot in Holland.

The Draw

Group 12 - Karl Boyes
Play starts 4 November:
Mika Immonen (FIN)
Leevan Corteza (PHI)
C. Chang Pei-wei (TPE)
D. Tyler Edey (CAN)
E. Jeremy Jones (USA)
Karl Boyes (ENG)
Goren Mladenovic (SER)
Fahad Mohammadi (QAT)

Group 16 - Daryl Peach

Niels Feijen (NED)
Daryl Peach (UK)
Rodolfo Luat (PHI)
Dharminder Singh Lilly (IND)
E. Charles Bryant (USA)
F. Toh Lian Han (SIN)
G. Matjaz Erculj (SLO)
H. Roberto Gomez (PHI)

Peach received an automatic invitation in the $400,000 2007 World Championships courtesy of his number 3 ranking on the prestigious Eurotour.

Boyes came through a 61 strong field at the European qualifiers in Holland to book his spot in pool's premier event.

Peach is somewhat of a veteran of the big stage in 9 Ball - he won the European Masters back in 1995 and this year realised his ambition of winning a Eurotour event - the German Open.

Boyes is a relative newcomer in comparison having switched from English 8 Ball Pool to play on the IPT's American 8 Ball tour less than two years ago.

Peach and Boyes currently stand at 17 and 19 respectfully on the suspended IPT so Boyes has turned his hand to 9 Ball.

The Championships promoted by Matchroom will be his first trip to the Philippines - which is pretty much the capital of the sport.

Twenty four year old Boyes said: "It's a massive win for me - it's the biggest event in pool and it's in Manila. I watched it all on telly last year - so I'm really pleased to be actually in it this year!"

He added: "I've still got a lot to learn but there's no greater place on earth to learn than out there."

• World 9 Ball Pool Championships, 3-11 November