2009 World Pool Masters set to return to Las Vegas

The 2009 PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters returns to Las Vegas in May. Featuring 16 of the best players in the world, the event will be held at the historic Riviera Hotel and Casino following a successful staging in 2008, where Filipino Alex Pagulayan defeated Finn Mika Immonen in a thrilling final.

The competition will be staged over three days from Friday, May 8 to Sunday, May 10 -during the annual BCAPL National 8 Ball Championships.

Promoted by Matchroom Sport, the world leader in televised pool, the PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters will be running for the 17th consecutive year and its roll call of champions reads like an international who’s who of the sport.

Pagulayan will be back to defend his title, while Immonen (Finland), the reigning US Open champion, who won the Most Valuable Player award at the 2008 Mosconi Cup in December, will be aiming to go one step better than last year.

Immonen's Mosconi Cup team-mates, five-time Masters champion Ralf Souquet (Germany), Holland’s multi-titled Niels Feijen and Malta's Tony Drago will all be in the single-elimation tournament.

Other players in attendance include England's Darren Appleton, the current World 10 Ball Champion, and former world number one Dennis Orcollo of the Philippines.

The top two American ranked players on the BCA Men’s Point List - Shane Van Boening and Johnny Archer - will be representing the United States, while Montreal’s Dancing Bear, Alain Martel, will be flying the flag for Canada.

They will be joined by top ranked European stars Nick van den Berg of Holland, England’s Imran Majid, who beat Van Boening in this event last year, and teenage Russian sensation Ruslan Chinakhov, 17, who will be making his Masters debut.

Challenge of Champions winner and 2007 World Cup winner Fu Jian-bo will be making the trip from China and 2005 World Pool Masters victor Raj Hundal, now representing India, will return to the fray at the Riviera.

There is one female in the 2009 Masters line-up and that honour this year goes to the rising star of the women’s game, 21 year-old Korean Yu Ram Cha.

Once again, the Masters will be promoted in partnership with Mark Griffin’s BCA Pool Leagues and the opening first round matches take place on the evening of Friday, May 8, culminating in the championship match on Sunday, May 10.

Matchroom Sport Chairman Barry Hearn said: "The event was a big success for us last year at the Riviera and we’re looking to build on that in May.

"The crowds at the Masters were good and with the outstanding line-up we have assembled this year, I am sure that we will have bumper crowds.

" Speak to any of the players; this is the event they all want to win and looking at the field, anyone of them can emerge triumphant."

As always, the World Pool Masters will be televised throughout the world in 15 one-hour highlights programmes.

There will be a $66,000 prize fund, an increase of 6.5 per cent compared to 2008, with the winner collecting $20,000.

Tickets will be made available in March on the Playbca.com website.

BCAPL's Mark Griffin added: "BCA Pool League players love professional action. They're excited the World Pool Masters will return to the Riviera for 2009 and hope Matchroom will continue to honor our tournament with their participation for years to come.

"The finest amateur and professional players from around the globe gather every year at the Riviera for the greatest pool tournament in the world - and the tradition continues."

World Pool Masters

The Riviera Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas
Friday, May 8 to Sunday, May 10

1. Darren Appleton (England)
2. Johnny Archer (USA)
3. Ruslan Chinakhov (Russia)
4. Tony Drago (Malta)
5. Niels Feijen (Holland)
6. Fu Jian-bo (China)
7. Raj Hundal (India)
8. Mika Immonen (Finland)
9. Imran Majid (England)
10. Alain Martel (Canada)
11. Dennis Orcollo (Philippines)
12. Alex Pagulayan (Philippines)
13. Ralf Souquet (Germany)
14. Shane van Boening (USA)
15. Nick van den Berg (Holland)
16. Yu Ram-cha (Korea)

Immonen Snares Predator Billiard Win

Chicago, IL - The Ice Man finished off another undefeated night after facing Filipino Champion Bustamante and USA Champ Charlie Williams at the conclusion of a week of challenges in Chicago. Palace Billiards hosted the event which featured Mika Immonen of Finland, who dominated the three shows featuring the trio of champions with only taking one loss during the week. Immonen, considered to be the current #1 player in the world, is continuing his superb play that began in the fall of 2008 and taking his streak into 2009.

The event was able to draw some strong local media attention with CBS Chicago covering the event as well as VIA Times from the Filipino media.

The event began with a trickshot show with Bustamante, Immonen, and Williams performing several artistic shots. “We’re no Mike Massey, but we have definitely got the shots down better and more brave than the first show.” laughed Williams. Next the pros took on challengers who lined up to try their luck against the world class billiard stars.

All the fans received gifts from Poison Cues for attending the event. Prizes and gifts included Poison shirts, hats, patches, towels and posters. The pros all signed pictures and memoribilia afterwards, so no one left empty handed.

The Blatt Billiards Predator 9-ball Tour kicked off its second stop with an astonishing 108 players at Comet Billiards in Parsippany, NJ, the weekend of February 28-March 1. Of them all, it was 2008 Player of the Year Mika Immonen taking home top honors in the open division, with Christian Smith winning the amateur event.

Ignacio Chavez and Tony Robles were on a collision course for one another, as Chavez defeated Frankie Hernandez 9-6 to earn a spot for the hot seat and Robles won a hard-fought set against the legendary George “Ginky” Sansouci 9-6. In the match against Chavez, Robles took the lead 4-2 early in the match but scratched on three routine shots, which ultimately cost him the set 9-6. Now all Robles could do was wait for the winner of Immonen and Jorge Rodriguez.

Immonen was on a mission on day two and was determined to make it to the finals from the west side. He started the second day by defeating Sean Morgan 9-2, Al Lapena 9-7, Frankie Hernandez 9-0, and Jorge Rodriguez 9-3 for the right to meet Robles in the semifinals. His break and patterns were in perfect form against Robles as he quickly won the match 9-3.

Immonen continued to break and run with consistency in the finals, while Chavez struggled to make a ball on the break. The Finn came with his full arsenal and put on a clinic in shot-making, position play, kicking, banking, and defense to easily win the match by a score of 11-4.

The Predator 9-Ball Tour also hosted a second-day BCD event with 29 players. Christian Smith took care of business in the top of the chart to earn his spot for the hot seat, where he defeated Raphael DaBreo 5-3. Guy Ianuzzi won six matches in a row to earn a spot against DaBreo in the semifinals but ran out of steam and succumbed 5-3. In the final race to 7, Smith started strong, and though DaBreo put up a great fight, Smith triumphed 7-5.
After the dust settled, it was Mezz Cues player rep Mika "The Iceman" Immonen (pictured right) coming up with the victory. Ignacio Chavez (left) and Tony Robles share the moment.

Results:

1st Mika Immonen $1,400
2nd Ignacio Chavez $1,000
3rd Tony Robles $ 700
4th Jorge Rodriguez $ 500
5th George Sansouci $ 325
6th Frankie Hernandez $ 325
7th Oscar Bonilla $ 225
8th Al Lapena $ 225
9th Rob Saez $ 135
10th Lionel Rivera $ 135
11th Shaun Wilkie $ 135
12th Sean Morgan $ 135
13th Mhet Vergara $ 100
14th Junior Sanchez $ 100
15th Justin Muller $ 100
16th Marc Vidal $ 100

Turning Stone Classic Continues

The second day of the Turning Stone Classic XII is well underway, with another round in each bracket completed. The four-day event is hosted by the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, NY, and boasts a $25,000-added prize fund.

Women’s pro Allison Fisher, ranked sixth on the WPBA, bested Tony “The Sniper” Crosby in the second round of the winners’ bracket matches, sending him west to face off against Steve Moore, who lost his first match to Jack Smith but defeated Dave Ascolese 9-1 in his second. Fisher’s next match will be against reigning world 9-ball champion Daryl Peach.

Sarah Rousey, also still in the winners’ bracket, survived a hill-hill bout against Randy Labonte in the second round and will face off against Matt Tetreault. In the late-night round Thursday evening, Karen Corr advanced over David Wetmore 9-0 and will next play Liz Ford, who came through a hill-hill match against Caroline Pao.

The strong European contingent also continues to thrive in the winners’ side. Player of the Year Mika Immonen bested Adam Radomski 9-2, while Thorsten Hohmann squeaked past Josh Ulrich 9-8. England’s Darren Appleton and Peach also won their matches over Tamiko Kumatori 9-2 and Holden Chin 9-4, respectively.

Up-and-comer Oscar Dominguez out of Los Angeles made it through round two unscathed, defeating Earl Herring 9-4. Shawn Putnam bested Greg Priest 9-6, Dave Grau sent Dave Fernandez west 9-8, and George “Ginky” San Souci dealt Jonathan Smith a 9-0 donut.

Immonen Leads Turning Stone Final Twelve

The Turning Stone Classic XII is now down to just twelve players. On the winners side, Mika Immonen

will face Mario Morra and Ralf Souquet will take on Shane Van Boening. On the one loss side, it will be Shawn Putnam vs Oscar Dominguez, Charlie Bryant vs Thorsten Hohmann, Stevie Moore vs Dennis Hatch and Daryl Peach vs Louis Ulrich.

Immonen could be the man to beat in this one. After a close 9-8 match with Shawn Putnam, Immonen came back with lopsided wins over both Darren Appleton and Thorsten Hohmann on Saturday. Morra escaped with a 9-7 win over Oscar Dominguez, but will be severely tested by Immonen on Sunday.

Van Boening has not had an easy draw and his last three matches were all close. He defeated Johnny Archer, Mike Davis and Dennis Hatch by a combined margin of five racks. Souquet has not had a real close match all week, although his last two wins over Jeremy Sossei and Louis Ulrich were both by three games each.

On the one loss side, the final female player was eliminated when Allison Fisher lost to Shawn Putnam. Fisher settled for 13th place in this event. Sarah Rousey took 17th place after losses to Oscar Dominguez and Stevie Moore.

World Pool Masters and International 10-Ball Championships Set to Rock the Riviera

The BCA Pool League is proud to announce the return of two of the most prestigious professional events to the Riviera Hotel and Casino May 2009. The 17th Party Poker.net World Pool Masters and the 9th Annual Predator 10-Ball Championship will be in the Royale Pavilion once again along side the BCAPL National 8-Ball Championships.

The World Pool Masters, one of the most revered invitational events with a limited field of 16 players is produced by Matchroom Sport and will take center stage first at the Royale Pavilion May 8-10. A large supplier of sports programming worldwide, Matchroom Sport also produces other well regarded events such as the Mosconi Cup and the World Cup of Pool in addition to Darts, Fishing, Pokes, Snooker, Boxing, Tenpin and Bowls.

Equally exciting, the Predator 10-Ball Championship produced by Dragon Promotions will move into the pavilion May 11-16. The tournament boasts a roster of the top pool talent from across the globe. Last year’s winner Tony Drago of Malta, considered one of the fastest players in the world, will have an opportunity to defend his 2008 title. Once again he will have to face players such as Shane Van Boening, Mika Immonen, Johnny Archer, Francisco Bustamante, John Schmidt, Efren Reyes and the 2008 World Pool Masters winner Alex Pagulayan just to name a few of the illustrious names who will be in attendance.

Billiards Events Set for Vegas

World Pool Masters and International 10-Ball Championships Set to Rock the Riviera.

The BCA Pool League is proud to announce the return of two of the most prestigious professional events to the Riviera Hotel and Casino May 2009. The 17th Party Poker.net World Pool Masters and the 9th Annual Predator 10-Ball Championship will be in the Royale Pavilion once again along side the BCAPL National 8-Ball Championships.

The World Pool Masters, one of the most revered invitational events with a limited field of 16 players is produced by Matchroom Sport and will take center stage first at the Royale Pavilion May 8-10. A large supplier of sports programming worldwide, Matchroom Sport also produces other well regarded events such as the Mosconi Cup and the World Cup of Pool in addition to Darts, Fishing, Pokes, Snooker, Boxing, Tenpin and Bowls.

Will Pagulayan successfully defend his World Pool Masters title this year?

Equally exciting, the Predator 10-Ball Championship produced by Dragon Promotions will move into the pavilion May 11-16. The tournament boasts a roster of the top pool talent from across the globe. Last year’s winner Tony Drago of Malta, considered one of the fastest players in the world, will have an opportunity to defend his 2008 title. Once again he will have to face players such as Shane Van Boening, Mika Immonen, Johnny Archer, Francisco Bustamante, John Schmidt, Efren Reyes and the 2008 World Pool Masters winner Alex Pagulayan just to name a few of the illustrious names who will be in attendance. Watch for links on the BCA Pool League web site at Playbca.com for more information and tickets to the professional events. For more information about Matchroom Sport and the World Pool Masters please visit

Matchroomsport.com and for the Predator 10-Ball Championship visit Dragonpromotions.com.
CueSports International (CSI) … more choices for players
of all abilities –

BCA Pool League (BCAPL), playBCA.com, National
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Bar Table Championships.

Immonen crushes Vidal for Joss Tour Win

Mika “Iceman” Immonen came from the one-loss side to defeat Marc Vidal in the finals of the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour stop the weekend of January 10-11. In the midst of a snowstorm, 37 entrants were on hand for the $2,000-added event, hosted by Comet Billiards in Parsippany, NJ.

From among the winners’ side final four, Vidal bested Dave Grau 9-6 to face Tom McGonagle in the hot seat match. McGonagle, who’d sent Peter Nielsen west in a double-hill battle, followed him over on the heels of a 9-4 win by Vidal.

Immonen, in the meantime, was working his way back to the finals. He got by Mike Miller 9-5 and Mike Badsteubner 9-4 to face Nielsen. Bucky Souvanthong defeated Jason Michas and Bob Blackmore for the right to meet Grau. Immonen moved into the quarterfinals with a 9-5 win over Nielsen, as Grau advanced to meet him on the heels of a 9-7 victory over Souvanthong. Immonen dropped Grau into fourth place and then defeated McGonagle in the semifinals 9-3.

In the true double-elimination finals, Immonen was forced to win two. He took both sets 9-3 to take top honors in the tour’s first stop of the year.

Results:
1st Mika Immonen $1,400
2nd Marc Vidal $980
3rd Tom McGonagle $780
4th Dave Grau $600
5th Peter Nielsen $400
6th Bucky Souvanthong
7th Mike Badsteubner $200
8th Bob Blackmore
9th Tony Robles
10th Mike Miller
11th Brandon Shuff
12th Jason Michas

The Finnisher: Mika Triumphs in Osaka

The Mika Immonen Redemption World Tour kept rolling along — this time at the All-Japan Championships in Osaka. Entering this year's event, Immonen had made the final match four times in ten years, walking away in second place each time.

But this year is different for the Finn. In October, Immonen dominated Ronnie Alcano in the final of the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship, ridding himself of the memory of a 11-0 loss to Corey Deuel in the final of the 2001 Open.

This past weekend, Immonen conquered a talented 128-player field at the All-Japan Championships for his first win in five tries. On the final day, Immonen topped two of Japan's finest — Satoshi Kawabata and Naoyuki Oi — to book yet another trip to the final.

"Well, here we go again," Immonen cracked after his 11-3 win over Oi.

Meanwhile, his opponent in the U.S. Open final was charting his course through the other side of the bracket. Alcano topped Efren Reyes in the quarterfinals, then edged Antonio Gabica in a hill-hill semifinal, 11-10.

Just like at the U.S. Open final, Immonen jumped out to an early lead, winning the first three racks. After gifting Alcano the fourth rack, he then went on an offensive tear, collecting racks until he made a mistake in the 12th game — with a 10-1 lead. Alcano missed the 8 in the next rack, and Immonen closed out the 11-2 win.

"I can't believe I got wins in both events I've wanted to win so long in the same year," Immonen said after the win.

In the women's division, Xiaoting Pan braved a 75-player field to win her third All-Japan title. She barely escaped her semifinal match against Chihiro Kawahara, recent winner of the Asia 10-Ball Championships. Kawahara miscued in the case game, giving Pan an open table for an 8-7 win.

Taiwan's Chieh Yu Chou awaited Pan in the final. Pan's international experience offered her a huge advantage, and the WPBA No. 3 coasted to a 9-2 win in the final.

 

- Billiard Digest

Mighty Mika Invincible at All Japan! Pan Wins for Third Time

Osaka, Japan- Finland's mighty Mika Immonen has won the 41st All Japan Championships, prolonging a winning streak that started out in October and hasn't stopped yet. Asia has been considered, in the new millennium, the continent with the strongest players. At this year's event, the field was truly littered with Asia's best inicluding names such as Taiwan's World Champion Chia Ching Wu, Po Cheng Kuo, China's He-wen Li and Challenge of Champions Winner Jianbo Fu, Japan's former World 9-Ball Champion Kunihiko Takahashi, and Korean Champions Young Hwa Jeong and Seung Woo Ryu. Throw in western counterparts World 9-Ball and 14.1 Champ Thorsten Hohmann (GER), World 9-ball and 8-Ball Champ Ralf Souquet (GER), and USA top pros Rodney Morris, Charlie Williams, and Max Eberle. Then add in arguably the toughest country, the Phillippines, with Efren Reyes, Francisco Bustamente, Alex Pagualyan, Ronnie Alcano, Dennis Orcollo, Marlon Manalo, Antonio Gabica, Warren Kiamco, Ramil Gallego, Lee Van Corteza, and Antonio Lining. In this 128 man super elite field, even the hottest pool player in the world could easily settle for a top 10 finish and be happy. That is why Mika Immonen is the world's strongest player.

The Ice Man started the final day of the event with a close 11-9 win over Japan's #1 Satoshi Kawabata, whom was Japan's favorite for a win. Immonen won despite the crowd support for Kawabata. Next he took on Japan's last and final hope, Naoyuki Oi currently ranked #3. Oi had no answer for Mika's tremendous break and offense and succumbed 11-3 with a smile on his face and a shrug of helplessness. This put Mika in the finals waiting and fighting his own inner demons of finishing 2nd place a record four times at the All Japan.

Mika looked up with a smile and said aloud, "Well, here we are again!" referring to his 5th trip the finals at the All Japan in 10 years.

On the top brackets, Ronnie Alcano defeated fellow Filipino World Champion Efren Reyes while Antonio Gabica escaped 11-10 against Alex Pagulayan. The semi-finals with Alcano and Gabica saw the match see-saw as neither was able to gain a significant lead. Gabica reached the hill first at 10-9 and made a perfect break making two balls on the break but hooking himself with no shot on the 2-ball. He pushed to a kick which Alcano gave back. Gabica played a near perfect 2 rail kick and played the ball up table leaving Alcano a long off angle shot with cue ball near frozen to the rail. Alcano fired in the table length shot and then came short on the 3ball. With a possible bankshot or natural safe, the crowd gasped at a razor thin cut shot on the 3 ball that sent the cueball zigzagging 3 rails. Making the shot was hard, but now Alcano faced his third tricky shot with another backrail frozen cueball shot on the four ball. Again Alcano came with it! Then, he got too straight on the 6 ball and had to play it leaving a funny angled cut shot on the 7-ball, but Alcano didn't hesitate on the shot and ran out. At 10-10, Alcano made a ball on the break and started off again with a tough one ball cut shot which he made with extreme inside english creating position for the 3 ball. By the time he reached the 6 ball, which again was too straight, he again faced the same off angle cut shot on the 7ball with the cueball near the siderail. He again held his nerve with his smooth styled stroke but after making the 8-ball he drifted too far down and left himself a backward cut on the 9-ball which would naturally be a scratch in the side. Laughing aloud with a smile, he chalked his cue and smoothly finessed stroked the cueball and avoided the side pocket scratch with draw while the 9 ball slid into the back of the corner pocket for the win, ending with Alcano's heavy sigh of relief.

On the ladies side, Xiao Ting Pan cruised undefeated to the finals for her third time here. In a field of women that would rival the WPBA in talent and skill, the Taiwanese and Chinese were dominant in the 75 player field. Japan's Chihiro Kawahara , recent winner in Korea at the Asia 10-Ball Championships, was Japan's highest finishing female and in the semi-finals had given Pan a hard time with the score at 8-7. With an open table run, Kawahara miscued and fouled giving Pan a sigh of relief and the win without going through the headache of a hill hill match. The finals had Taiwan's Chieh Yu Chou against Pan. Pan's experience in winning this event, as well as international wins, was too much for the inexperienced #2 Taiwanese player and Pan crushed her 9-2 for her third All Japan Championship title. Taiwan's top bet Yuan Chun Lin, the reigning World 9-Ball Champ, was eliminated to 9th place by Korea's Yun Mi Lim.

The men's finals would be a re-match of the US Open Championship match, and also Alcano and Immonen's 3rd match against each other in 30 days. Alcano could easily be considered the hottest Filipino player with a multitude of consistent finishes including runner-up at the 2007 US Open, 2nd in 2008 World 8-Ball Championships, 2nd in 2008 US Open, and now again in the finals. Immonen of course is the definition of hot with wins at the US Open, IPT Challenge, 2nd in Asia 10-Ball Championships, and now the finals of the All Japan.

"I hope Mika wins. He's gotten 2nd place so many times here." answered one Japanese pro when asked who was the crowd pulling for.

Knowing the meaning of this title to Immonen, many people were more heart felt than usual in well wishing Immonen. Rodney Morris, Charlie Williams, and Yu Ram Cha , (Mika's fellow compatriots in Dragon Promotions) could all be seen giving fist bumps and words of encouragement before the match. His sponsor Kaz Miki of Mezz Cues gave Immonen a new break cue prototype that Immonen said he tried and gave him a boost of confidence.

Immonen jumped out to a 3-0 lead, looking strong and determined to overcome the close calls of the past. Then Immonen made his first error leaving Alcano an out to get on the board 3-1. Mika clearly looked irritated at his carelessness and could be seen reinforcing himself to bear down. Then Immonen went on an offensive tear giving Alcano no chance or open shots, with Mika breaking and running out and playing superb safeties. Almost as if he could sense the sweet taste of victory, Immonen finally made an error missing the 1 ball . By that time, Immonen had taken a 10-1 lead before Alcano had any real chance. Alcano made a great effort with a tricky out to add one more game and people wondered if there would be any real match. Alcano faced an easy 8-ball stop shot with the 9-ball sitting pretty next, but Alcano fired too hard and popped the 8-ball out. Immonen sensing the closeness of a finality to his goal, raised his eyebrows, seemingly to slowly realize this could be it. After making the final 9-ball, Immonen brought both hands together down in a pump, as if to forever push away the demons that haunted him in this event.

After a few moments, Immonen sat down in his chair and could be seen with his hands pinching away the tears from his eyes. After sitting frozen in his chair blocking the tears, Immonen gathered himself together to be embraced and congratulated by his friends and fans.

"I can't believe I got wins in both events I've wanted to win so long in the same year!" said the jubilant Immonen. When asked how did he prepare for the finals this time, Immonen answered, "I just went to my room and relaxed. I knew I was playing well and I shouldn't change anything. The key was just staying focused and not worry about anything else. At the very least i put myself in the best possible position to win by just getting to the finals."

"When Mika gets behind he knows how to come back. But when he gets out in front, he can whiz right by you better than anyone I ever seen." observed Rodney Morris.

"That guy (Mika) might be the greatest front runner ever. It's dangerous to let him lead, he shoots straighter than anyone I know." commented Alex Pagulayan.

Immonen will head next to Manila to participate in the Quezon City Invasion which will pit the World Team against Team Philippines. Immonen will partner up with Morris, Williams, Raj Hundal, and Thorsten Hohmann. The home team will consist of Reyes, Bustamante, Pagulayan, Orcullo, Alcano, Kiamco, Van Corteza, and Gomez. Immonen's hot streak will be a welcomed key force for the World Team. Immonen adds his win at the All Japan to his impressive list for 2008 including 2nd Place World Pool Masters, 5th Place World 10-Ball, 1st Place US Open, 1st Place IPT Challenge, 2nd Place Asia 10-Ball.

"Mika's playing his absolute best game right now. Even better than I've ever seen before, and as the level of play gets stronger, he still finds a way to rise up. I think it's safe to say right now he's the world's greatest player." said Charlie Williams.

Immonen Continues Fighting at All Japan: Cha, Morris, Williams Out

Osaka, Japan- The All Japan Championships is drawing to an end with one day left out of the six total. Mika Immonen (FIN) is the last man standing out of the four pros Dragon Promotions sent. But as Immonen has proved in the past, one is all you need.

Rodney Morris (USA) suffered a first round loss and had came back with dominating wins over three Japanese pros with scores 9-1, 9-3 and 9-1. Then to enter the final 32 money rounds, he faced China's #1 Jian-Bo Fu. Morris rocketed to a 8-2 lead and then finally gave Fu an opening. Fu took more advantage of this chance then Morris would have liked as he strung that game plus five more racks. The format included no racks, just stickers that indicated where to place the balls with a circle indentures that made every ball frozen. This meant the corner ball would go in near 100% of the time. Incredibly at 8-8, Fu managed to not make a ball and Rodney ran the game out for the 9-8 win. Unfortunately Morris lost the next match to Marlon Manalo (PHI) with Manalo running 8 racks in a row to win 11-7 leaving The Rocket in 17th place tie.

Charlie Williams (USA) once again went the furthest out of the Americans finishing in the top 16. Williams on the winners side was 4-4 with Japan's Hayato Hijikata, and then a skidding 5 ball derailed him back to his chair and Hijikata would break and run out the rest of the set with Williams never leaving his chair. The Korean Dragon bounced back though with a commanding 9-3 win over Ando Masaka (JPN) to enter the final 32 man board. Then Williams proceeded with a 11-9 win over Taiwan's Po Cheng Kuo, runner up and 3rd place at the 2006 and 2007 World 9-Ball Championships. Williams was then defeated 11-7 by Japan's Satoshi Kawabata.

Yu Ram Cha and Xiao Ting Pan had a tough match with both players giving away easy games. Pan led early at 4-1, but Cha came back and tied at 5-5. Pan made a error that left Cha the 7,8, and 9 ball but a miscue on the 8 ball cost her the game and a missed 2 ball in the next rack ended Cha's run on the winners side. The losers side had Cha defeat Japan's Takahashi 7-3 but afterwards Cha faced Japan #1 Miyuki Fuke. Fuke led at 4-1 but Cha came back and soon the score was 5-4 favor of Fuke, but a near straight in 9 ball miss gave Kuo an easy combo. Fuke would win 7-5.

"I'm very disappointed in my play this week. I haven't been able to concentrate," said Cha.

Other notable defeats out of the event are Thorsten Hohmann (GER), Yuan Chun Lin (TPE), Francisco Bustamante (PHI), Dennis Orcullo (PHI), Max Eberle (USA) , Ga Young Kim (KOR), and Ralf Souquet(GER).

Mika Immonen is keeping his word thus far with a strong run undefeated. Mika defeated Marlon Manalo in the final match of the round and will advance into tomorrow's quarter finals against Satoshi Kawabata (JPN). Immonen has been in this spot many times and is now only 3 matches away from the title.

Top Seeds Immonen, Morris, Williams, Hohmann Advance in Asia 10-Ball Championships

Seoul, Korea-  Day 1 of the 5th Annual Asia 10-Ball Championships is concluded with relatively few upsets. #1 seed Mika Immonen (FIN) had an easy day with a bye and then a 9-0 win over Korea's Sung Ho Seo. Thorsten Hohmann had almost as easy task with wins over Won Jae Lee (KOR) 9-2 and Au Siu Wai 9-4 (HK). Rodney Morris struggled after his first round bye against an unknown Korean amateur player 9-7 as well as Heoun Ho Kim (KOR Charlie Williams) who barley defeated Korean amateur champions Moon Suk Jang 9-7 and Su Bok Park 9-8.

"I love tight tables. You have to be able to really play well to defeat the better player." commented Immonen on the pocket toughness.

"When me and Mika arrived, I told Mika I must be really tired cause the tables from even a distance looked super tight." said Rodney Morris.

This year's event has drawn the largest contingent of amateur players for a pro event in Korea with 20 top amateur players vying in both men and women's divisions. The amateurs were well represented by the biggest upset of the day coming from Korea's Yhong Hwang's 9-6 victory over #5 seed Hayato Hijikata (JPN), who is ranked in the top 5 in Japan and a former World Junior 10-Ball Champion. Australia's Todd Hayward also fell in both of his matches to Korean amateurs. The Filipino contingent of Renemar David, Jech Limen, and #6 seed Rodrigo Geronimo all easily advanced to Day 2 unscathed. The Hong Kong contingent of four players had a rough day with defeats by the Koreans save for #7 seed Lee Chenman who had an easy two wins including a 9-0 shutout to advance.

In the women's division, #1 seed Gui Young Lee defeated Ha Na (KOR) 7-4 and #4 seed Kaori Ebe (JPN) 7-4. #5 seed Junko Mitsuoka (JPN) upsetted #2 seed Neslihan Gurel (TUR) 7-6 with both players missing the 10-ball twice in the final exciting game.

"In Korea the tables we used traditionally would be considered very forgiving. We promised the international players that in the future as the Korean players get better, we would make conditions tougher and more favorable to the better players. In the past four years, the Koreans have made dramatic improvements to their skill levels as we have grown the sport and brought the best players of the world here.  So living up to our word, I doubt anyone can argue that the tables are loose now." said Cindy Lee, CEO of Dragon Promotions.

The XTM Asia 10-Ball Championships is produced by Dragon Promotions and played on Min Tables with Simonis Cloth and Aramith Balls. Official Cue is Poison Cues and Predator Cues. Final day will have six matches airing on XTM and XPORTS.

Mika Immonen on Runout Radio

It has been a big month for Mika Immonen. First a US Open Title, then an invite to the Mosconi Cup. But it keeps getting better for him. Mika took the top spot on the AzBilliards Players Rankings this week and now he is the featured guest on the latest episode of Runout Radio. (We suspect that the US Open and Mosconi Cup were a little more important for Mika, but you never know)

Check out this week's episode, as well as the previous twenty seven episodes, at www.runoutradio.com.

Immonen and Feijen named in Europe team

The Europe team line-up for the 2008 Mosconi Cup was completed recently when the organisers announced that Finland's Mika Immonen and Neils Feijen, of Holland, will be joining Malta's Tony Drago, Ralf Souquet, of Germany, and Mark Gray, of England.

Malta will be hosting the tournament, pool's version of the Ryder Cup in golf at the Hilton Conference Centre in Portomaso.

Europe vs US will be played over four days. The Americans hold a clear edge in overall successes and lead 10.5-3.5. Last year, Europe, with Drago in the team, won the Mosconi Cup in Las Vegas, beating the US 11-8.

Between them, Immonen and Feijen have played in 15 Mosconi Cup tournaments. Souquet is the player in the European team with the highest number of appearances, 12 editions. Drago played once and Gray will be making his debut in Malta.

World Cup of Pool winning duo, Rodney Morris and Shane van Boening, together with American no.1 Johnny Archers have already been named in the US team. The complete squad will be known in the coming days.

Meanwhile, online ticket booking (www.maltacup.org/mosconi) is building up nicely, organisers said, with 90% of bookings done coming from overseas enthusiasts mainly hailing from England, Germany, Bulgaria and the US.

The main sponsors of the Mosconi Cup are PartyCasino.com while the travel partner of the event, Allevents Malta, which forms part of the UK-based Fraser Eagle Group, are offering various packages including flights, accommodation, transfers and tickets to encourage overseas visitors to attend the event.

Matchroom Sport are the promoters of the Mosconi Cup while Snooker Promotions have been entrusted with the local organisation of the event.

Feijen and Immonen Added to European Mosconi Cup Team

Matchroom Sport are pleased to announce that Finland’s Mika Immonen and Niels Feijen (Holland) are the final two players to make up the European team for this year’s 15th annual Mosconi Cup which takes place at the Hilton Hotel, Portomaso, St Julians, Malta from December 11 – 14.

Immonen, 35, became only the second ever European player to win the prestigious US Open at the weekend when he dispatched 2006 World Pool Champion Ronnie Alcano of the Philippines 13-7 in the final.

The American-based Finn was a member of the successful European Mosconi Cup side in 2002 and will be desperate to make amends for 2006 when he was two balls away from winning the Mosconi Cup for Europe.

“It’s amazing to be back in the team again. It was one of the driving forces that kept me fighting for the US Open title,” he said.

“I said to my friends before the Open that I am going to win this one and earn my spot back on the Mosconi Cup team. It’s the only way and it’s the right way. I simply had to show why I think I should be on that team.

Immonen who will be making his 12th Mosconi Cup appearance and has recorded 27 wins from 55 matches added, “I am looking forward to it all and I will fight just as hard on the team so we can retain the title.”

For Feijen, the 31 year-old from The Hague, it has been a culmination of a highly successful year that saw him claim the WPA World Straight Pool Championship in August.

“It’s been a great year for me and I think I deserve to be in the team again. Of the five major events out there, I’ve finished in the top three in three of them including being runner up at the Qatar International Open and third place at the recent World Ten Ball Championship.

Feijen was one of the back bones of the European side that won so well in Las Vegas last year and overall, sports a 10 wins from 17 starts record in the event.

Immonen and Feijen now join Germany’s Ralf Souquet, Tony Drago (Malta) and Mark Gray of England to make up what looks to be one of the strongest European teams in recent years.

Commented Matchroom Sport Chairman Barry Hearn, “It was always going to be a very tough decision and someone was going to be disappointed but that is a testament to the current strength in depth of European pool.

“Mika and Niels have played in a total of 15 Mosconi Cups between them and have both experienced victory in the event so they know all about what is required.

“Their achievements this year have been exceptional and I am sure they will be as keen as anyone to be a member of the first European team to successfully defend the Mosconi Cup.”

The final two players for the American team will be announced on Friday 31st October.

This year will see the 15th running of pool’s answer to the Ryder Cup and the current score stands at 10 ½ - 3 ½ to the Americans.

The official sponsors of the 2008 Mosconi Cup are PartyCasino.com, Brunswick Tables, Simonis Cloth, Super Aramith Pro Balls and Predator Cues.

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.

Immonen is New U.S. Open 9-Ball Champion

A very determined Mika Immonen returned to the final arena at the 33rd Annual U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships for the final match Saturday evening, and he persevered to win his first title at that event. This makes eight years that a new champion has won this prestigious event.

It was a different Immonen who approached the table and played quickly and smoothly for the win. He took a very comfortable 6-0 lead in the extended race to 13 before giving his opponent in the finals, Ronato Alcano, something to shoot at by coming up empty on the break. Alcano cleared to get on the board and then took the next rack as well when Immonen undercut the 1 ball.

It was back to business after that, though, as Immonen went up another three racks to make it 10-2. And then Alcano made his own bid, playing superb defense and bringing the score to 10-5. At that point, Alcano switched from a soft break to a hard one, which helped him gain the next two racks. Alcano came up empty on his next break, but the Finn earned ball in hand after a sweet safety on the 3 ball, taking advantage of the 3-9 combo to go up 11-7. Immonen came up dry on his break, but Alcano scratched on the 1 ball, allowing Immonen to reach the hill.

In the final rack, Immonen had another dry break, and Alcano played a weak safety on the 1 ball. Immonen cleared to the 6 ball, for which he left himself tough and opted to play safe, putting the 6 behind the 8 and 9. Alcano kicked at and hit the 6, leaving a bank shot for Immonen. Immonen missed the bank but left the cue ball parked behind the 8, hiding the 6. Alcano kicked at the 6 again and hit it but left a simple out. Immonen considered it, addressed it, and ran out for the 11-7 victory.

Immonen and Alcano Set for US Open Finals

The finals of the 33rd Annual U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships are set, with Mika “Iceman” Immonen and Ronnie Alcano to return for their 7:30 p.m. match at the Chesapeake Conference Center in Chesapeake, VA.

Earlier in the day, Johnny Archer matched up with Warren Kiamco in the quarterfinal match, which ended up being one-sided in Kiamco’s favor. At 7-1 in Kiamco’s favor, Archer finally notched another rack and then switched from a head-on break to a cut break and jumped the cue ball off the table. Kiamco took that opportunity to three-foul Archer, going up 8-2. He then broke and ran two racks to reach the hill, at which point Archer made a bit of a run when Kiamco hung the 8. It was too little, too late, though, for Archer missed a jump shot on the 1 ball, and Kiamco won handily 11-4.

At the same time, the hot seat match between Immonen and Alcano was going on at the Accu-Stats table. They traded the first six racks, but then Alcano pulled ahead to 8-3, a large margin he created by excellent defensive play. Immonen rallied a bit, winning the next rack after Alcano overcut the 8 ball and then breaking and running the following rack. He came up empty on his next break, though, and Alcano ran out; however, Alcano made nothing on his next break, and Immonen cleared the table to make it 9-6. A missed jump shot on the 2 ball by Immonen gave Alcano the hill, and then when Alcano pocketed a ball on his last break, he was able to clear the table to win 11-6.

Daulton, Shuff, Immonen Notch Wins at U.S. Open

In the 7 p.m. winners’-bracket round, strong Northeast player Brandon Shuff took on Ryan Stone in a tight match that almost went double-hill. Shuff took an early lead but Stone tied it up and then took a 4-2 lead with the 9 ball going in on the snap. The score seesawed to 6-all when Shuff took the reins and won the next three racks in a row. A dry break put Stone one rack nearer, but Stone had no shot on the 1 ball after his next break, and Shuff cleared to reach the hill. He scratched on his following break, though, and Stone got another game under his belt to make it 10-8. A foul by Shuff gave Stone ball in hand, and Stone ran out. However, Stone didn’t come up with a playable shot after his last break, and he tried to play safe but left a shot for Shuff, who ran out for the 11-9 win.

Mika Immonen is making a strong bid for the winner’s circle. He was matched up with Florida’s Donnie Mills and took a commanding lead, running the first four racks. Mills started fighting back when his break started working and brought the score to 10-8. In the last game, Immonen played a formidable safety on the 2, and Mills was forced to attempt a jump shot, which he missed. With ball in hand, Immonen cleared the last rack to win 11-8.

Defending champion Shane Van Boening took on Ernesto Dominguez on the Accu-Stats table, with neither player giving up an inch. Filled with defensive play galore, the match finally arrived at 8-7 in Van Boening’s favor. At that point, Van Boening sped ahead, winning the next three racks in a row.

Texas’ Sylver Ochoa, who finished ninth in 2005’s event, stayed even throughout his match with Sweden’s Marcus Chamat until the score reached 8 apiece. Ochoa missed a safety on the 4 ball, and to his surprise, Chamat cleared that rack and ran the next two to win the match 11-8.

In the 9 p.m. rounds, Josh Lewis of Daytona, FL, came back from a 6-0 start against Filipino straight-shooter Warren Kiamco. His breaks started working well for him, and once he was able to get a shot after the break, he came back to defeat Kiamco 11-9.

Darren Appleton, newly crowned 10-ball world champion, took down Ismael “Morro” Paez. Appleton had an early lead throughout and, leading 4-1, played a safe on the 4. Paez elected to bank the 4 cross-corner and the cue ball ended up caroming in the 9 to draw within two racks. A couple of misses by Paez brought the score to 6-3 in Appleton’s favor. Paez won another game after Appleton played won a safety match on the 4 ball, but it was not enough, as Appleton took the next five racks in a row to win the match 11-4.

Favorite Filipino Francisco Bustamante had an early lead against Imran Majid, who has been dominating the Great Britain 9-Ball Tour. With Bustamante up 8-6 in the race to 11, Majid was undaunted and came back to run the next four racks to reach the hill 10-8. Bustamante was faced with playing a safety on the 2, and he received ball in hand to run the table. Another safety battle saw Majid reach the hill, but after trading defensive moves on the 2 ball, Bustamante cleared to win their match 11-10.

Former world champion Ronnie Alcano matched up with U.S. Bar Table champion Mitch Ellerman in a fairly even match. At hill-hill, Ellerman played a two-way bank shot on the 1 ball, hooking Alcano. After some consideration, Alcano played a masse, coming two rails between the 3 and 4 for perfect shape on the 2 ball, which he made to run out for the 11-10 win.

Shannon “The Cannon” Daulton came through in fine fashion in his evening match, racing to a 10-0 lead against Beau Runningen. He came up with a dry break in the eleventh rack, and Daulton scratched on the 6 ball, giving Runningen ball in hand and the rack. Although Runningen was able to win another game, it was not enough to withstand “The Cannon,” as he took the match 11-2.

In the featured match-up at 11 p.m., CJ Wiley and Jeremy Jones matched up on the televised table. It was touch and go from the start to the finish. In the last rack at hill-hill, Jones had poor position on the 6 ball and still made it but left himself tough on the 7-8 combo. He made the combo and then had a tough shot on the 7 ball and had to go uptable to get position on the 9, which wasn’t a “give-me” but he still made it to advance.

Immonen Bests World Billiard Champion Varner

In the headlining match for the 9 p.m. rounds at the 33rd Annual U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships, Mika “Iceman” Immonen met former world U.S. Open champ Nick Varner on the Accu-Stats table. Though Immonen seemed tentative during his warm-up routine, he quickly took a 4-0 lead. Looking smooth and fearless, Immonen went up 8-1, but Varner countered to take the next two racks. A 5-9 combo put Immonen one rack closer to the finish line, and then he came up empty on his next break, giving Varner another rack. A missed 4 ball by the Finn handed Varner one more game, but Immonen got ball in hand in the final rack after a safety on the 1 and ran out for the 11-6 win.

Shane Van Boening is still working on defending his U.S. Open title. In his match against Charlie Williams, he held an early lead and never relinquished it, going up 6-3. In the tenth rack, Van Boening played a vicious safety to further extend his lead to 7-3. Each player exchanged the next few racks, with Van Boening remaining in the lead in order to reach the hill 10-6. Though Williams had a chance in the final game, he couldn’t get out, and Van Boening won 11-6.

Johnny “The Scorpion” Archer matched up with Tony Robles as well in the winners’ bracket, with Archer taking an early 7-3 lead. Robles won the next two out of three racks and then some fancy shooting put him at 8-6 Archer. A missed safety on the 1 ball by Archer gave Robles ball in hand and the next game, and then a golden break allowed Robles to knot the score at 8. Archer won the safety battle in the next rack and then broke and ran to reach the hill; the final game was a lengthy one, but he ran out win 11-8.

Brandon Shuff dominated his match against Tom D’Alfonso, though both players exhibited a strong break. D’Alfonso had several misses on relatively easy outs, which put Shuff in the lead 10-4. Shuff came up empty on his next break, and D’Alfonso cleared to make a last-ditch effort to catch Shuff, but missed an early ball in the final rack, leaving Shuff with an easy out 11-5.

A lengthy match ensued between reigning 9-ball champion Daryl Peach and Steve Moore in the 9 o’clock rounds. The first rack lasted 30 minutes, with Peach finally ending the safety battle. The match stayed close at the beginning, with Peach maintaining a slight lead throughout until it reached 5-4 in his favor. At that point, Moore missed simply position for the 9 ball and scratched, which seemed to jar him, for Peach won the next five racks in a row to reach the hill. Peach missed a jump shot on the 1 ball in the next rack, and Moore capitalized to take the next two games. Moore came up dry on his following break and left an easy out for Peach to win the match 11-7.

Niels Feijen suffered an upset in the 11 p.m. elimination rounds, being ousted by Floridian Justin Hall. The match went back and forth the entire way, seesawing to 9-all. At that point Feijen missed a key 7 ball, handing Hall a simple out to reach the hill. Once there, however, Hall scratched on the 1 in an attempt to play safe. The 1 hung in the corner but was blocked by the 2. After several exchanges, Feijen came through with a tough run-out to make it hill-hill. He broke dry on his final break, and Hall, with the help of a tremendous jump shot on the 1, ran out for the 11-10 win.

Rodolfo “Boy Samson” Luat held an early lead in his match against Dan Louie, but it was worn down with some handy safety play to knot the score at 9-9. Luat reached the hill first, but Louie played a sweet safe on the 2 ball and Luat sold out, so that brought the score to double-hill. Louie broke and hangs the 9 in the corner pocket. He was straight in on the 1 and ran out to the 4-9 combo for the win.

Donnie Mills of Clearwater, FL, and Eric Moore, Virginia State 9-Ball champion, traded racks in their match until the score reached 7-all. Moore broke dry on the next rack, and Mills cleared that table and then, with the help of a sweet cut break, ran out the last three to win 11-7.

ACKDO Supports QC Vs The World Grand Billiards Showdown

The QC-Philippines vs the World Grand Billiards Showdown received another boost with the Association of Clubs, Karaoke and Disco Operators (ACKDO) throwing its all-out support to the much-anticipated event slated December 2 to 4 at the Trinoma Mall in Quezon City .

With promoting Quezon City as the country’s sports tourism capital, ACKDO did not think twice in backing the project when approached by its chief proponent, City Council Majority Floor Leader Ariel Inton.

“We are very happy to be part of this big event. Entertainment is one of the premier tourist attractions here in Quezon City, so we in the industry are giving our all-out support to this project, which in more than one way will also benefit us,” said ACKDO secretary-general Amil Yap.

ACKDO has been supporting a number of sports events, including the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP)'s Search for the New Billiards Idol series.

Also known as the “City of Stars ”, Quezon City boasts of having the biggest and liveliest entertainment spots in the country.

Already home to major television broadcasting networks, including giants ABS-CBN and GMA-7, Quezon City also houses dozens of restaurants, bars, night clubs, massage parlors, KTVs and the likes.

Pool icon Efren “Bata” Reyes banners the eight-man Team Q.C.-Philippines, which will pit prowess against a selection of topnotch cue artists from other countries in this three-day competition supported by the Quezon City Government led by Mayor Sonny Belmonte, QC Tourism Council headed by chairman Raffy Chico, and BMPAP with Solar Sports, RPN and the Philippine Star as media partners.

Besides Reyes, the other members of the Team QC Philippines are fellow former world champions Alex Pagulayan and Ronnie Alcano, reigning world no.1 Dennis Orcollo, Francisco “Django” Bustamante, 2007 World Pool runner-up Roberto Gomez, Lee Van Corteza and Warren Kiamco.

They will go up against a foreign team also led by three former world titlists in Chia-Ching Wu of Chinese-Taipei, Mika Immonen of Finland and Thorsten Hohmann of Germany. The other players of Team World are 2006 Asian Games gold medalist Satoshi Kawabata of Japan , Ching-Shun Yang of Chinese-Taipei, and Charlie William and Rodney Morris of the United States and another top European player.

They will compete for the $40,000 winner purse.