Austria and China Through to Quarters at World Cup

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Austria and China Through to Quarters

Philippines Win Opener in Style

The Austrian billiards team of Ouschan and Kempter completed a fantastic win over Belgium by 8-6 to advance to the quarter-final stages of the 2008 PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool.

Team Austria, featuring pool superstar Jasmin Ouschan and the solid Martin Kempter, completed a fantastic win over Belgium by 8-6 to advance to the quarter-final stages of the 2008 PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool.

There was full credit to their opponents Belgium, comprising Serge Das and Noel Bruynooghe, who battled throughout and only fell behind at the closing stages. It was a match that had everything; safety, shotmaking, drama and real competitiveness.

Both teams seemed determined from the outset but it was Kempter who missed a long 2 ball and Belgium took full advantage to close out the opening rack for the early lead.

A dry break from Bruynooghe was also illegal as three balls failed to pass the headstring. The table was congested but Ouschan and Kempter cleared the nine balls to level the score.

A miss from Ouschan on the orange 5 down the rail, let the Belgians back to the table and they ran out to go to 2-1.

Das and Bruynooghe looked composed in running the next one out from the break but Bruynooghe made an illegal break shot in the fifth to give the table back to Austria who ran out to get back to 2-3.

Austria then took the next from the break to level things at 3-3 before Kempter delivered a superb break that saw four balls drop before the white was kicked into the top left pocket. With ball in hand, Belgium cleared the remaining five balls to retake the lead at 4-3.

The Belgium team spent an eternity contemplating the table following their break shot and they were so caught up in the layout, they neglected to request an extension and timed out, giving ball in hand to Austria.

Belgium got back to the table but Bruynooghe’s jump shot saw both cue and object ball fly off the table for ball in hand to Austria. They cleared for 4-4 but a powerful break from Ouschan failed to drop a ball.

Following some safety, Kempter missed a cross table bank on the 1 ball and left it on for his opponents. Belgium, looking rock solid, ran the table to once again regain the lead at 5-4.

Austria got back to the table in the next as Das’s safety attempt failed to come off. They played some confident looking shots to run out and tie things up once at 5-5.

Fearful of a dry break, Kempter slaughtered home his break shot and saw a ball drop and the cue ball skid all over the table.

A superb screw shot on the pink 4 to get to the 5, got the applause it deserved from the crowd, but the run ended when the six ball was missed on the bottom rail. The Belgians gratefully seized the opportunity and ran out to move to 6-5.

With the 1 ball down and a shot on the blue 2, it was a good break from Das. A bad safety though from Bruynooghe left the 2 ball on and Kempter took it.

A great snooker from Kempter forced Das to foul and then Ouschan forced another. That gave Austria the upper hand and they took the rack to level it at 6-6.

Kempter missed on a 2/6 combo but Das then badly missed the blue. In the end, Austria steadied themselves and completed a difficult run out to take the lead for the first time as they reached the hill at 7-6.

Completing a marvellous night for Austria, Kempter and Ouschan composed themselves to run out the final rack for a great 8-6 victory and a spot in the quarter-finals.

TEAM PHILIPPINES showed why they are tournament favourites as they took care of business at the Outland Nightclub in Rotterdam, Holland, beating Denmark 8-2.

Consisting of WPA World No.1 player Dennis Orcollo and Francisco ‘Django’ Bustamante, the Philippines looked comfortable throughout against the Danish side of Martin Larsen and Kasper Kristoffersen.

The Philippines got off to a great start as they won the opening three games before a scratch allowed the under pressure Danes to the table and they took the opportunity to get to 3-1.

A failed jump shot from the Danes that sailed over the blocking balls but failed to connect with the blue 2, meant ball in hand for the Pinoys and they took full advantage to move into a 4-1 lead.

Bustamante missed a long cut on the 2 ball but didn’t really leave much for his opponents, but they laid an excellent snooker. The Filipinos returned the favour and although Denmark escaped, they left a window and Orcollo and Bustamante comfortably cleared to lead 5-1.

A miss from Orcollo allowed the Danes a chance and they nearly blew it but Larsen’s attempt on the 8 ball wobbled in the top pocket and then gently rolled into the centre bag.

Kristofferson deposited the 9 ball to get to 5-2 but they allowed the Philippines back to the table in the next and they ran out to move to 6-2.

Orcollo though, failed to make a legal break in the next but the Danes put them back in. They pushed out and then took advantage to run out to move to the hill.

Bustamante delivered a big break in what was the last rack of the game and the classy pair manoeuvred their way around the table to clear up and take the match 8-2. They will now meet the Russian pair of Stepanov and Chinakhov for a place in the quarter finals.

Defending champions China scraped into the quarter-finals after a hill-hill classic with Switzerland. Fu Jian-bo and Li He-wen, who lifted the trophy here in September 2007, sealed a dramatic 8-7 victory over the Swiss duo of Marco Tschudi and Dimitri Jungo.

China met Switzerland in the first last 16 match and it produced a high-quality encounter as the lead repeatedly changed hands.

Both teams enjoyed good success at the event last year as China won the competition and Switzerland defeated America before falling at the quarter-final stage.

China put out India in the first round of the 2008 tournament, while Switzerland overcame Hong Kong.

Switzerland claimed the first rack before China won the next two. A fluked 9-ball from Tschudi brought the score level at 2-2 but an illegal break gave China the table for 3-2.

Li He-wen scratched on a break in the next and it was 3-3. But the Asians won the next two for 5-3. A Dimitri Jungo 7-9 combination made it 5-4 before both sides shared the next two.

With the score now at 6-5 to China, a dry break from Fu helped make it 6-6 before there was a bizarre incident in the 13th rack.

Tschudi accidently feathered the cue ball before playing his attempted shot to give China ball-in-hand. It could have been a costly error but Li immediately missed a shot on the blue 2, although China still did enough to win that rack to move to the hill.

China registered a dry break in the 14th rack and Switzerland stayed composed to take it to the second hill-hill encounter of the day after Croatia had beaten Spain 8-7.

However, there was one final twist in the match when Tschudi’s break came up dry and to make matters worse China then had a shot on the 1. The frustration showed as Tschudi hit the table and they knew they were in trouble.

Switzerland did not get back to the table and that dry break had proved to be their last shot of the tournament as China held their nerves to move into the quarter-finals.
Round 1 Result

Philippines 8 – 2 Denmark

Round 2 Results

China 8 – 7 Switzerland

Austria 8 – 6 Belgium

Croatia Makes Comeback to Advance

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Croatia Makes Comeback to Advance

Wins for Russia and Japan Too

Croatia 8 – 7 Spain

The Croatian, Russian and Japanese billiard teams advanced into the next round at the World Cup of Pool in Rotterdam, Holland.

Team Croatia, made up of Ivica Putnik and Philipp Stojanovic, completed a superb comeback to dump Spain out of the 2008 PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool in Rotterdam

The Spanish duo of experienced David Alcaide and Carlos Cabello, were two balls away from victory, leading 7-2 with just the 8 and 9 balls remaining.

Alcaide’s miss allowed Croatia to save the match and they went on to win the next five to seal a glorious win, although not without a struggle.

Reigning European Straight Pool Champion Ivica Putnik lead from the front as he and Stojanovic overcame nerves and cashed in on some lax Spanish play to take the win.

Spain took an error strewn opener as both sides failed to settle, but Croatia took the second to level things before the Spanish completed a decent run out to regain the lead.

Croatia got back to the table following an illegal break from Spain, but Stojanovic scratched into the middle pocket. Alcaide lost position slightly as he double kissed the black 8 but Cabello retrieved the situation with a long pot, gaining perfect position on the 9 ball which they potted for 3-1.

The Spaniards ran out of position with just two balls left on the table and Alcaide scratched as he tried to play a difficult snooker. With ball in hand, the Croatians took the rack to move within one of their opponents.

A poor positional shot on the 2 ball saw Putnik hooked and he failed to make contact with the 3 ball. Another ball in hand situation saw Spain run out for 4-2.

Spain then took the next three to reach the hill at 7-2. Spain though made their first mistake in some time when Alcaide, who had looked uncomfortable throughout, missed the blue 2 following a perfect break.

Stojanovic, though missed a horror 3 ball but Alcaide once again missed, this time on the 8 ball with victory in his grasp and Croatia stole the rack to stay in the match at 3-7.

Buoyed by their good fortune, Croatia won the next but looked like they had blown their chance to go 5-7 when Stojanovic missed the 7 ball.

Cabello though failed to make a very tight cut on the same ball and the Croatians gave themselves a chance to save the match.

Amazingly, Croatia took the next to send the match hill-hill and a perfect break from Stojanovic saw two balls drop and a perfect layout.
 
They nervously worked their way through the table and when Putnik drove home a long 9 ball for the match, their delight was plain to see.

They now meet the might of the Americans for a place in the last eight.
Russia 8 – 4 Malaysia

16 year-old wonderkid Ruslan Chinakhov was the star of the show as Russia looked good value winners dumping Malaysia out of competition by an 8-4 scoreline.

Paired with former European No.1 and 2007 Mosconi Cup winner Konstantin Stepanov, the Russians had a little too much for the Malaysian pairing of Ibrahim bin Amir and newcomer Lee Poh Soon.

Malaysia took the opening rack but a fired-up Lee then sent the cue ball to the floor on his break shot. With ball in hand Russia lost position but Lee missed a simple 9 ball to gift the rack to Russia.

Stepanov and Chinakhov cleared the table from the break in the next to go 2-1. Stepanov’s attempt at a snooker in the fourth was foiled when he accidentally nudged the 3 ball in and his partner was forced to escape.

A lucky bank on the 2 ball when playing safe from Bin Amir set his side up for the run out to take the score to 2-2.

Russia were snookered in the next and Stepanov took the jump shot on. He missed it but the cue ball, travelling down table, nudged the 9 ball into the centre pocket for 3-2.

There was more luck for Stepanov in the next as the 9 ball was kicked into the same centre pocket on his break shot to open up a 4-2 lead.

Cueing confidently, the two Russians won the next and then worked their way through the table as they ran out for a 6-2 lead.

Chinakhov was called for a foul shot on the break as referee Nigel Rees deemed the cue ball to be ahead of the headstring. A 1/9 was on for the Malaysians and they took it to stop the rot at 3-6.

Lee made two balls on the next but the requisite third ball failed to travel past the headstring as Malaysia relinquished their visit.

The two teams traded visits before a fine cut on the brown 7 from Stepanov put Russia in the driving seat and they cleared to reach the hill at 7-3.

A bit too much juice on the break from Stepanov saw the cue ball drop and the Malaysians ran out to reduce the deficit and give themselves a life line.

A dry break though allowed Russia a tactical push out. The Malaysians gave the table back to them and Chinakhov produced a stunning jump shot to put Russia in charge and they cleared to take the match as comfortable 8-4 winners.
Japan 8 – 5 Australia

JAPAN, represented by Naoyuki Oi and Satoshi Kawabata, the same pairing that reached the semi-finals in the 2007 event, came back from 4-1 and 5-2 down to oust Australia in their first round match.

There was some controversy in the second rack as the Australians, leading 1-0, broke with Lawler. One ball went into a pocket with another going over the head string. However, due to the breaking rules which require three balls to be either pocketed or go over the head string, the table should have been passed over to Japan.

But neither side, nor the referee, noticed the error as Australia continued with their next shot and it was too late for play to be brought back when the mistake was realised.

Australia claimed that rack for 2-0 before each side won one of the next two as the scoreline now showed 3-1 to Australia. They took the next before Japan won the sixth for 4-2 but had no luck with the break in the next as Oi’s powerful shot saw no balls fall into any of the pockets and Australia made it 5-2.

Wims then produced an illegal break as he downed one ball with only one other crossing the headstring. It gave Japan more time at the table and Oi and Kawabata, who had not let the earlier error get to them, did the rest for 5-3.

A fine 2-4 combination from Kawabata followed by an excellent thin cut pot on the green six from Oi helped to bring Japan to within one rack at 5-4.

Another powerful break from Oi came up dry but a misjudged safety from Wims gave the Japanese a shot on the 1-ball and Kawabata and Oi ran out from there for 5-5.

Japan were in total control throughout the 11th rack and after trailing 4-1 now lead for the first time in the match by 6-5 and were only two away from victory.

Australia had a chance in the next but Lawler potted the green six and then could only watch as the cue ball drifted into the side pocket. With ball-in-hand, Japan sunk the 7, 8 and 9 balls to move to the hill.

Japan produced a good break when it was needed and with two balls down and a shot at the 1-ball the match was there for the taking. They took it to win 8-5 and advance into the last 16.
Croatia 8 – 7 Spain 

Russia 8 – 4 Malaysia

 Japan 8 – 5 Australia

First Annual Predator 9-Ball Tour Empire State 9-Ball Championship

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First Annual Predator 9-Ball Tour Empire State 9-Ball Championship

$3,000 Added Tournament Begins October 11

The First Annual $3000 added Predator 9-Ball Tour Empire State 9-Ball Championship kicks off October 11 at Raxx Pool Room Bar and Grill in West Hempstead, NY

The 1st Annual Empire State 9-Ball Championship (2008 Predator 9-Ball Tour Finale) will take place at Raxx Pool Room Bar & Grill on October 11th & 12th in West Hempstead, Long Island and as always, we will be using 16 beautiful Delta-13 racks provided by Terry Taggart. www.delta13rack.com
 
This will be a perfect warm up for the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships. Many thanks to Holden Chin who is adding $3,000 to this great event.
 
The reason I consider this such a special event is because when I was a teenager, I always read a lot about players that won state championships. I always said to myself how great it would be to win a New York State Championship. Little did I know that a pool room in upstate New York had one for many years but I unfortunately discovered the tournament after it ceased to exist.
 
I’ve won two Ocean State Championships in my career and I can honestly say it was one of the best experiences I’ve encountered as a pro.
 
I am very proud to announce the tour finale as the 1st Annual Empire State 9-Ball Championship. The champion of this event will make New York history and enjoy the continued recognition of their championship win with a banner placement bearing their name and year they’ve won.  It will hang in Raxx Pool Room Bar and Grill for years to come.
 
You must have played in 3 or more events to pay the normal entry fee in the finale. Otherwise, you will be required to pay double the entry.  No Exceptions!
 
Very Important: We will have an awards ceremony for the players of the year before the start of the event so please try to get to the room at least an hour earlier. 
 
Remember collared shirts/dress shirts are required. T-shirts specifically will not be allowed. No collar, no play. Sorry.

I would also like to congratulate Rob Omen for designing the winning logo for this year’s Empire State Championship. Rob is the web designer for our tour and we can’t thank him enough for all the work he’s done for us this season. Anyone interested in having Rob design a web site for them, feel free to contact him at www.poolonthenet.com.  I’d like to thank everyone (Andrew Cleary, Lou Tosado, Irene Moser, Ron Mason, Mike Aro, and Howard Clark’s wife) who participated in this contest for your time and thoughtfulness in creating a logo for this event.

 
Jim Murnak of Murnak Custom Cue Cases has his site go4pool.com up & running. Go check it out for lots of interesting matches and interviews!

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Tony Robles

Predator 9-Ball Tour
Season Finale
Empire State 9-Ball Championship
Banner Event
US Open Warm-up
October 11th & 12th
$3000 Added Guaranteed
Raxx Pool Room, Sports Bar & Grill
510 Hempstead Turnpike
West Hempstead, NY 11552
516.538.9896
 
Normal Entry Fees
$100 Open/Pro   $200 if you’ve played in 2 events or less.

$75 A/A+             $150 if you’ve played in 2 events or less.

$60 B/B+             $120 if you’ve played in 2 events or less.

$50 C/D               $100 if you’ve played in 2 events or less.

$40 Juniors        $  80 if you’ve played in 2 events or less.
Format:
128 Player Field
Double Elimination
Races to 9
Finals One Race to 11
Rack Your Own
Alternate Breaks
No Soft Breaks Allowed
Collared Shirt Required
Doors Open at 10am
Registration Closes at Noon
Matches Start at 12:30