Day Two of the Kappa 2009 Women’s World 9-Ball Championship

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Day Two of the Kappa 2009 Women’s World 9-Ball Championship

by Jerry Forsyth, WPA Press Officer

The qualifying rounds are over and the main event has begun at the sports complex of the Shenyang Jianzhu University in Shenyang. The day was highlighted by the grand opening ceremony where local government and sports officials welcomed the players and fans to the event.

The venue at the university is well suited for the competition. The tables are all located well beneath the main seating area so that the fans have a great view of several tables at once. There is also a separate television arena and the event is being broadcast live throughout China.

It is, of course, still very early in the event but there have been some surprising exits made already. Among notables who have been knocked out of the tournament are Julie Kelly of the USA, Yukiko Oui of Japan, Pang Xueling of China, and Angel Paglia of the USA.

View the Kappa 2009 Women’s World 9-Ball Championships tournament brackets

The knockouts will come in earnest tomorrow as more of the one-loss rounds progress. This stage of the tournament is a double-elimination group stage with eight players in each group. Of those eight only four of each group will survive to make it into the final stage, which will be a single-elimination format of thirty-two players. Eight players have already made it through to the single-elimination stage: Karen Corr, Pan Xiaoting, Chen Xue, Liu Shasha, Chou Chieh-Yu, Sarah Rousey, Gao Shu-Pin, and Jasmin Ouschan have completed their initial task.

Live Internet streaming of the event is found at my147.com and the brackets may be found at wpa-pool.com. They are updated after each round, so it is easy to follow the progress of your favorite players.

Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news in the sport of billiards and pool.

2009 Dr. Cue Classic Artistic Cup III

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2009 Dr. Cue Classic Artistic Cup III & Cue-Dean-E Search Finals This Weekend

Dr. Cue and Promotions is pleased to present the Dr. Cue Classic Artistic Cup III November 20-22 at The Bank Shot Bar and Grill in Laurel, MD. This is the final tour stop of the Dr. Cue Classic Artistic “Sport and Show” Tour for 2009, and 30 of the top pro and amateur artistic pool players from around the world will be competing in this unique pro-am event.

The Dr. Cue Classic Artistic Cup III boasts over $17,000 in guaranteed payout values (added money plus entry fees), with Dr. Cue Promotions adding over $10,000 value to the monetary/special prize fund.

All players will shoot 40 preliminary challenges (5 challenges per each of 8 disciplines), and the top 12 scoring players will compete in a head-to-head shootout with 8 preselected challenges and 2 picks from entire Master Challenge Program.

Scoring is done either by first, second, or third attempt points awarded for any Degree of Difficulty (DOD) Challenges or per Special Scoring Process for certain shots such as bank and wing shots.

There will be 9 champions—8 discipline winners and 1 overall, with all players in the event receiving a minimum guarantee of $100 each and the possibility of winning $3000 for first place.

Also, as a special event that will be a first in this industry, there will be the Cue-Dean-E International Talent Search, where 8 audition finalists from 7 states and France, selected from dozens of online and mail-in auditions received over a 5 month period, will compete.

The talent search will feature over $10,000 in guaranteed payout values (no audition fees), with Dr. Cue Promotions adding the entire prize fund value as solo sponsor.

A special judging panel just like “America’s Got Talent” will score audition finalists with points from 7 to 10 in each of three rounds of competition—8 performers in the first round, 4 performers in the second round, and 2 performers in third round.

Dr. Cue Promotions is expecting to pack the house at this beautiful new venue, The Bank Shot Bar and Grill. Everyone is welcome to attend and experience special moments in billiard history. The Cue-Dean-E event is a first for the billiard industry, so this is a must-see event. Ray Hansen, aka “Bigtruck,” will be at The Bank Shot Bar & Grill to cover all the action at this event, including the Cue-Dean-E International Talent Search the evening of November 21. Everyone is invited to attend these special artistic pool “Sport and Show” events in person, but if you aren’t able to, you will be able to enjoy all the action at Big Truck Show. If the bandwidth allows, the events will be broadcast live. If not, they will be recorded and broadcast at a later date.

This Dr. Cue Promotions event is being held in association with APPA (Artistic Pool Playing Artists, an education / entertainment promotional vehicle of Dr. Cue Promotions, and with The Foundation of R.A.C.K. (Recreational Ambassadors To Christ’s Kingdom), a unique division of Dr. Cue Promotions to help those in the billiard industry with “special needs” and work with various ministries in the process.

The Cup III presents pros and amateurs playing side by side at high make-rate shots on 7-foot tables for guaranteed prize money regardless of field size and all positions paid. The Cue-Dean-E event is a perfect example of entertainment at its finest with acts of comedy, magic, improvisation, artistic billiard skills, and singing with special emphasis on linking these disciplines of talent to the pool table in a special way. If you’re in the Laurel, MD, area this weekend, make sure you stop by The Bank Shot Bar & Grill for some great trick shot and entertainment action!

Relive Recent Mosconi Drama in Three Minutes

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Relive Recent Mosconi Drama in Three Minutes

The Mosconi Cup is Just Three Weeks Away

MATCHROOM SPORT can announce the release of their 2009 PartyPoker.net Mosconi Cup promotional film which is now on the home page of www.matchroompool.com

Coming in at around three minutes, the film goes through the highlights – and lowlights – of the past three events to set the stage for Mosconi Cup XVI which takes place at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas from 10 – 13 December.

The promo was put together by Matchroom Sport’s in house production team and captures all the drama of pool’s most exciting event as two teams representing the USA and Europe do battle over four pulsating days.

Live in its entirety on Sky Sports in the UK, the PartyPoker.net Mosconi Cup features two five-man teams representing Europe and the USA doing battle in a series of singles and doubles matches. Now in its 16th year, the Americans hold a 10-4 lead with one tied match in 2006.

Matchroom Sport are one of the world’s leading producers of televised sport and are responsible for over 1,100 hours of original programming across a range of nine sports. Based in the UK and chaired by charismatic founder Barry Hearn, the Mosconi Cup is one of a stable of pool events that also includes the World Cup of Pool and the World Pool Masters.

Tickets for the Mosconi Cup are available from:

http://www.ticketmaster.com/2009-Mosconi-Cup-tickets/artist/1334375

or 1-800 745 300 or from the MGM Grand on 1-800 929 1111 or 702 891 7777.

Luke Riches, Matchroom Sport: luke.riches@matchroom.com

www.matchroompool.com

The 2009 Mosconi Cup is sponsored by PartyPoker.net, the world’s leading online casino. Tables are supplied by Brunswick Billiards, cloth by Iwan Simonis, Super Aramith balls by Saluc and the Official Cue is Predator.

Kitto Comes in First on Lucasi Tour

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Kitto Comes in First on Lucasi Tour
Lucasi Hybrid All-American Tour / Dubuque, IA

by InsidePOOL Staff

The Lucasi Hybrid All-American Tour traveled to Dubuque, IA, November 14 to at Bulldog Billiards, where Scott Kitto was crowned the winner. The $500-added event featured 22 players in a double-elimination 8-ball format on 7-foot bar boxes.

Kitto, rated an 8 on a regional handicap system, displayed some old flashes of brilliance in taking the undefeated march to the hot seat. His wins included edging both Shane Kelly 8-6 in the A-side semifinals and Tony Garcia 8-4 in the A-side finals. In his A-side semifinals match, Garcia upset Josh Johnson 5-2.

On the B-side Tony Sundstrom and Brian Hearl eliminated Kelly and Johnson at fifth place by 5-4 and 4-3 margins, respectively. Hearl then ousted Sundstrom at fourth place 4-4. Hearl continued his momentum by winning the B-side finals 4-3. The tournament finals were all Kitto, as he fully controlled the action to claim an 8-1 victory over Hearl for the title.

Results:
1st Scott Kitto $500
2nd Brian Hearl $300
3rd Tony Garcia $150
4th Tony Sundstrom $90
5th Josh Johnson $60
Shane Kelly

Opening Day at the Kappa 2009 Women’s World 9-Ball Championship

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Opening Day at the Kappa 2009 Women’s World 9-Ball Championship
Jerry Forsyth, WPA Press Officer

The first day at the Kappa 2009 Women’s World 9-Ball Championships began with a press conference where local officials welcomed the players to the tournament. A briefing was given on the number of players (64) and the qualifying stages and an explanation of when the players meeting and draw would be held. Sponsors were recognized and thanked for their contribution to the event. Players and attendees were also informed as to the massive participation of the Chinese media in this event with newspapers, magazines, television and radio all participating in the coverage.

In addition to the large staff responsible for carrying out the event, it was also announced that 40 volunteers were chosen to assist in these efforts. After the government officials made their welcomes the General Manager of our title sponsor, Kappa Sportswear, also made a welcoming address and spoke of how pleased they were to be associated with such a prestigious undertaking.

WPA President Ian Anderson then expressed his gratitude to everyone involved in the event and his pleasure that the event has been presented in a first-class order. He specifically thanked everyone for the skill of the referees, the quality of the equipment and the beauty of the venue. He also spoke of how he looked forward to returning to Shengyeng next year.

View the Kappa 2009 Women’s World 9-Ball Championships tournament brackets

Next was the player’s meeting. The head referee took the floor first and explained the format of the event. He explained that there would be 8 players seeded into the eight initial groups. These players, chosen by their WPA rank, will be joined by 7 other players in each group and the 8 groups will play a double-elimination format to get down to the final 32. Two losers and two winners from each group of eight will pass through to the final stage. These 32 players will then play a standard single-elimination tournament to determine our champion. All of the rules were explained in detail so that there could be no question as to how the event would be run.

Then it was off to the grand welcoming banquet. 250 players and honored guests were feted to a massive 20-course meal that left no appetite unsatisfied. Gymnasts entertained the crowd as they ate. It must be said, this was a magnificent opening to what portends to be an event that will be difficult for others to match.

It’s the Hatchetman for Team USA

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It’s the Hatchetman for Team USA

Dangerous Dennis Set for Mosconi Debut

AFTER 14 DAYS of voting and some tireless campaigning by all eight candidates, it is Dennis Hatch who will be donning the colours of Team USA for the first time in his career after coming through via the fans’ vote on Mosconi Cup Idol.

‘The Hatchetman’, 38, took the lead in the vote with a few days to go and increased it over the final weekend to win by just over 6% from Rodney Morris, and then Charlie Williams.

Hatch, from Buffalo, has dominated the Joss Northeast Tour in recent times and Las Vegas has proved a happy hunting ground for him when earlier this year he got the better of England’s Darren Appleton in their race-to-100 TAR Challenge Match.

There are many who feel that Hatch’s aggressive game and passionate character may be just the shot in the arm that Team USA needs to get their PartyPoker.net Mosconi Cup challenge back on a winning track.

‘This is unbelievable, I’ve got so many emotions running through me, tears, excitement and happiness’ said an overwhelmed Hatch when informed of the result.

‘This will be the best experience ever. I’ve always wanted to play on the Mosconi Cup and I feel we’ve got a good chance if we prepare. We’ve got to play hard and make sure that every game counts!’ he added.

Hatch now joins Oscar Dominguez, Corey Deuel, Shane Van Boening and Johnny Archer in what looks to be a strong American line up to face the Europeans from 10-13 December at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas.

Final result:

Dennis Hatch 26.31%

Rodney Morris 20.07%

Charlie Williams 19.54%

Stevie Moore 18.68%

Charlie Bryant 6.42%

John Schmidt 5.51%

Shawn Putnam 1.79%

Kim Davenport 1.67%

(% figure equals the share of the total vote)

Live in its entirety on Sky Sports in the UK, the event features two five-man teams representing Europe and the USA doing battle in a series of singles and doubles matches. Now in its 16th year, the Americans hold a 10-4 lead with one tied match in 2006.

Tickets for the Mosconi Cup are available from:

http://www.ticketmaster.com/2009-Mosconi-Cup-tickets/artist/1334375

or 1-800 745 300 or from the MGM Grand on 1-800 929 1111 or 702 891 7777.

Luke Riches, Matchroom Sport: luke.riches@matchroom.com

Click here to view the embedded video.

Simonetti Undefeated on Tri-State Tour

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Simonetti Undefeated on Tri-State Tour
Tri-State Tour / East Rutherford, NJ

by InsidePOOL Staff

Scott Simonetti bested the field of 53 players who came out for the November 15 stop on the Tri-State Tour. This A-D event was hosted by Castle Billiards in East Rutherford, NJ, and featured a $500-added prize fund.

Going undefeated through to the finals, Simonetti matched up with Christian Smith and triumphed 7-4 in order to reach the hot seat match. His opponent there, Roger Hanos, had just come off a close 6-5 victory over Sandie Paterino to meet him. Hanos tried to keep up but fell short, and Simonetti won the hot seat 7-4 while Hanos went to the left side of the chart.

Now on the one-loss side, Paterino began picking up her stride, eliminating Jonathan Castillo in fifth place 6-3, while Smith ousted Stu Warnock 7-2 to tie with Castillo. Smith and Paterino collided in the quarterfinal match. It was a close call, but Paterino escaped 8-6, advancing to the semifinals.

Waiting for her was Hanos, and though he put up a good fight, it was Paterino again who advanced, this time with a 6-4 victory. Her run was cut off when she came up against Simonetti in the finals, though, as Simonetti squeaked by with a hill-hill, 8-7 win.

Results:
1st Scott Simonetti $825
2nd Sandie Paterino $510
3rd Roger Hanos $320
4th Christian Smith $245
5th Stu Warnock $100
Jonathan Castillo
7th Jason Hunt $80
Duane Toney
9th Brian Hunter $75
Diana Rojas
Antonio Navarro
Wali Muhammed

The Scorpion Scores Mizerak Championship Title

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The Scorpion Scores Mizerak Championship Title
Steve Mizerak Championship / Hollywood, FL

by Raymond Linares

Johnny “The Scorpion” Archer has never won a Seminole Pro Tour title … until now. Falling short of championship glory at the Steve Mizerak Championship for the last two years, Archer would not be denied this year. Exhibiting the world-class combination of power and control that garnered “The Scorpion” multiple world 9-ball titles, Archer played above and beyond the rest of his peers.

Archer’s road to the finals was littered with impressive victories. Most notable were his two victories against former U.S. Open champions Rodney Morris and John Schmidt. Tied at 4-4, Archer broke and ran four consecutive racks on “Rocket” in a winners’ side match-up. Then in the hot seat match, Archer showed some real lock-down pool as he steamrolled “Mr. 400.”

Morris had to take a more difficult path through the treacherous one-loss side to make it back to the finals. He defeated Rafael Martinez 8-2, Shane Van Boening 8-7, and Schmidt 8-6 in succession for a chance at redemption against Archer. The stage was set for a clash of two legends.

Archer and Morris both struggled early on in their match, not being able to find the break for the TV table. At 3-2 in favor of Archer, Morris missed a long shot on the 4 ball. Focusing on the position of the Cue ball more than the pocket, Morris hung up the 4 and left Archer with a manageable run-out. The next game saw both players jockeying for position through a safety exchange that ultimately went to Morris. Trailing now by a score of 4-3, Morris came with a break and finish after a fantastic cut on the 6 ball to tie the score at 4-4.

Morris continued to struggle on the break, coming up dry in the ninth game. It seemed that Archer would clear the table, but after he scratched on the 5 ball, Morris fulfilled the task, finishing off the rack with a beautiful power-draw shot that brought the Cue ball one rail for position on the 10. Leading at 5-4, Morris once again found no friends on the break, and after a strong safety exchange, Archer tied the match.

Cheering loudly for their favorite, the audience applauded as Archer, feeding off the crowd’s energy, followed with a timely break and run. But Archer couldn’t replicate that feat in the twelfth frame as he broke and scratched. Morris, with the cool demeanor that brought him such success in the past, ran out to uproarious applause. Tied at 6-6, Morris once again broke dry, and after a brief safety exchange, Archer took control of the match. With a fantastic cross-corner bank, the former world 9-ball champion Archer cleared the table and took the lead at 7-6.

Steve Mizerak Tournament Brackets

The crowd could sense Archer’s determination and watched as he broke and ran the next rack to claim the hill at 8-6. In the last frame Morris had an opportunity to make a comeback; however, after a goofy kiss off the point from the side pocket, his Cue ball sailed cross table and scratched in the opposite side pocket. With ball in hand, Archer collected the last few balls on the table and with it the $15,000 top prize and title of Steve Mizerak 10-Ball champion.

In the presence of a wonderful crowd, and members of the Seminole Tribal council, Archer and Morris gracefully accepted their respective prizes, showing truly why they are revered as some of the top players of our sport. Their tact, sportsmanship, and wonderful spirit of competition are examples that should be followed by all players.

This event was an amazing one as always, and it is precisely due to the dedication and willingness of the Seminole Tribe of Florida to sponsor professional pool and billiards that this was all possible. Special thanks to them for continuing to set the bar and leading the way in men’s professional 10-ball. Special thanks to Brunswick and Simonis cloth for providing such excellent playing conditions. Thank all those who’ve supported the Seminole Pro Tour throughout the entire season.

Ouschan Aces WPBA Tour Championship

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Ouschan Aces WPBA Tour Championship
WPBA Tour Championship / Hollywood, FL

by Anne Craig

The WPBA Tour Championship finals were set as two fierce competitors entered the arena, ready to do battle for the title. Jasmin Ouschan came into this final poised to win her third WPBA title of the season, and Xiaoting Pan was looking for her first win since the 2008 BCA Generationpool.com event. The crowd was amped up and ready for a great match as the competitors stepped into the arena for the lag, which Jasmin won. She broke and pocketed two balls; the table layout was wide open with one exception—the 2 ball which was tied up with an unmakeable combo, so Ouscha elected to play safe. Pan kicked at the 2 ball, hitting it but leaving Ouschan an open shot for the side pocket. Ouschan ran out to take the first game of the match.

Pan broke and was forced to play a safety, and after a short exchange, Ouschan gained the advantage by making a tough cut on the 1 ball. She earned decent position on the 2 but missed it, perhaps thinking too much about getting to the 3 ball. Pan took advantage of the error, running out to the 7, but she snookered herself behind the 9. She jumped and made the 7 in the side but the Cue ball came right back around behind the 9 again. She chose to kick at it two rails and missed the ball entirely, giving Ouschan ball in hand for the easy 1-2 punch to go up 2-0.

Ouschan broke in game 3, pocketing two balls with a touchy little cut on the 1 ball to start the rack. Nailing the shot beautifully, she sent the Cue ball back and forth three times between the two side rails with position for the 2 ball uptable. From there it was just a matter of intense focus as Ouschan ran out to take a three-game lead, 3-0. Pan made the 1 ball on her break and, after a tricky little cut on the 2 ball, continued on with the 3. She had left herself a long cut shot into the opposite corner pocket with only 4 inches separating the 3 and the Cue ball, and she undercut it slightly. She got another opportunity, though, when Ouschan missed the ball. Pan made the 3 with great position on the 5 ball and ran out to take her first game of the match, down 1-3.

Ouschan had the break advantage in game five, making the 1 and 3 balls with position for the 2 and put together her third break and run of the match to go up 4-1. Pan broke in game six, pocketed a ball with position for the 2, and showed her stuff as she ran out and the score was 4-2.

WPBA Tour Championship Tournament Brackets

Ouschan broke and although she made a ball, she was forced to play safe. Pan’s return safe came up dry as she left Ouschan a long shot on the 2. Pocketing the ball, Ouschan continued on and ran out the rest of the rack to go up 5-2. Pan’s break came up dry and the two became embroiled in a safety battle on the 3 ball. Pan blinked first, allowing Ouschan yet another run-out opportunity that she took full advantage of to take the hill 6-2.

Ouschan broke and pocketed a ball but missed the 1 ball, which set off a safety battle between them. Pan ended up leaving Ouschan snookered behind the 7 and partially the 6 ball for the 2, all lined up across the short side of the table. The crowd cheered as Ouschan jumped the 7 ball, missing the 6 and hitting the 2 dead center of the side pocket for position on the next ball and she ran out for a final score of 7-2 and winning the title of the 2009 WPBA Tour Champion and her third title of the season.

As always, the WPBA would like to give many thanks to their hosts, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and staff, especially Tribal Chairman Mr. David Cypress, and all the folks at Seminole Media Productions: Elrod Bowers, Dennis Pellarin, Bobby Frank, Erica and Lakisha. Special thanks to all our shot clock volunteers, especially Janis Holliman who earns the diehard fan of the tournament award. Thanks to Gene Weaver, APA League Operator here in the Ft. Lauderdale area. And of course their sponsors: The American Pooplayers Association, Aramith, Brunswick Billiards, Cuetec Cues, Mueller Recreational Products, Pooldawg.com and Simonis, Inc. for another great season and their support of the Women’s Professional Billiard Association.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Wilkie Wins Big on Joss 9-Ball Tour

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Wilkie Wins Big on Joss 9-Ball Tour
Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour / West Hempstead, NY

by Lea Andrews

Shaun “Get Some” Wilkie’s first win on the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour came in the form of a strong, undefeated run through the hard-hitting field of this season’s fifth stop. The $2,000-added event, held November 14-15, drew 35 players to Raxx Pool Room in West Hempstead, NY.

Wilkie blew by Marc Vidal 9-2 to face in the hot seat match Bucky Souvanthong, who’d held Sean Morgan to three games. Wilkie claimed the hot seat 9-6, while Souvanthong moved west to try for the rematch.

On the one-loss side, Joey Korsiak was making a move, getting by Zion Zvi 9-6 to face Nelson Oliveira, who’d had a 9-3 win over Oscar Bonilla. But Olveira managed only one game against Korsiak, who moved on to Morgan. Meanwhile, Al Lapena notched wins over Mike Wong 9-6 and Lenny Savata 9-2 to face Vidal. Lapena’s bid for the quarterfinals was unsuccessful, planting him in fifth 9-5, and Vidal met up with Korsiak, who’d advanced 9-6 over Morgan. Another 9-6 victory put Korsiak up against Souvanthong in the semifinals, and Korsiak’s 9-7 win earned him his spot in the finals.

For the first several games of the true double-elimination final match, a second set seemed inevitable. Korsiak broke and ran the first rack, then the next four after that. When Wilkie finally got his chance at the table, the two traded games to get the score to 7-2, but then Wilkie made his move, taking six racks in a row to reach the hill first 8-7. Korsiak managed to tie it up, and in the final rack, a safety battle determined the winner. Korsiak had a length-of-the-table makeable kick on the 5 ball, which was near the side pocket. The Cue ball hit its mark—or at least, it seemed to. The 5 ball hit both points of the side pocket before bouncing out, leaving Wilkie a run to the final 9 of his first top finish on the Joss Tour.

Another winner this weekend was Reggie Cutlar, who, like all participants (except past winners) who finished out of the money, was automatically entered into a drawing for free entry to December’s Turning Stone Classic. Cutlar’s prize, which also includes a three-night hotel stay, was generously furnished by Raxx Pool Room owner Holden Chin and Joss Cues.

Next weekend’s $5,000-added Ocean State Championship will be held at Snookers’ new Providence location.

Results:
1st Shaun Wilkie $1,400
2nd Joey Korsiak $950
3rd Bucky Souvanthong $700
4th Marc Vidal $550
5th Sean Morgan $400
Al Lapena
7th Nelson Oliveira $200
Lenny Savata