Falling short... again: Alcano loses to Immonen in US Open 9-ball final

Mika Immonen of Finland bucked a late loss and two Filipino challengers to win the US Open 9-Ball Championships Saturday in Chesapeake, Virginia.

It looked like the finals would see an all-Filipino cast featuring former World 9-ball champion Ronnie Alcano and miracle man Warren Kiamco.

But Immonen had other things in mind.

Immonen defeated Kiamco 11-9 in the last losers' bracket match, then defeated Alcano 13-7 in the final to become only the second European to win the top-tier event.

In a complicated format that gives the losers a chance to get back in contention via "the losers' bracket", Immonen took advantage of the second life.

He, Alcano and Americans Rodney Morris and Johnny Archer ended up as the top placers in their respective "winners' brackets", the players who emerged without a loss in four preliminary-round groups.

Immonen beat Archer 11-7, and Alcano won over Morris by the same score as the winners set up a duel to determine the first finalist.

Alcano booked the first finals berth with an 11-6 win and in the process, sent Immonen to the losers' bracket where the Finn would meet Kiamco in a match to decide the second finalist.

Immonen got back on the winning groove versus Kiamco and avenged his earlier defeat to Alcano to give Europe its first US Open crown since Ralf Souquet of Germany won in 2002.