RP & Taiwan now even-Steven

Filipino cue artists are finding the Taiwanese such a pain in the necks. In the recent grand finals of the 2008 Guinness 9-Ball Tour, the Taiwanese booted out the likes of Dennis Orcullo and Alex Pagulayan in the semifinals.

Current world No. 1 Dennis Orcullo, the Guanzhou leg champion, fell apart after the 13th rack to bow out of contention, beaten by Yan Ching Shun, 5-9. Pagulayan, who dominated the Singapore leg, fell 1-4 early in the game, worked his way to make it 6-8 but succumbed to 2004 World Pool champion Wu Chia Ching, 6-9.

This must have been a bitter loss for Orcullo as he vowed to make up after the stinging semis loss, he and Django Bustamante, suffered to eventual champs the US in the 2008 Party Pooker World Cup of Pool.

Yang ultimately won the grand finals, beating Wu, 11-9. With Yang’s triumph, the Philippines and Taiwan are now even-steven, 13-13, in titles won since the Guinness 9-Ball tournament started in 2003.

Orcullo and Pagulayan were in breathing fire in the quarterfinals as they routed their respective rivals. In between laying out my pages, I would peek and looked at the scores, and they were miles apart.

It was fast shaping up to be an All-Filipino finale but the Taiwanese spoiled the party. What I couldn’t understand is the sudden change in the games of Orcullo and Pagulayan - from almost perfect to mediocre. Or is billiards that unpredictable?

Orcullo and Pagulayan weren’t alone. Over at the US 9-Ball Open, Ronnie Alcano had his misfortunes as well. Alcano cruised into the finals, undefeated, and was the favorite to wrap up the crown until he lost to Finland’s Mika Immonen, 13-7.

Immonen came from the loser’s bracket, having absorbed an 11-6 beating from Alcano in the semis. On his way to the final, he beat another Filipino Warren Kiamco. The Finn more than made up for his earlier defeat by beating Alcano in the most important game, relegating Alcano to his second runner-up finish in the US Open.

All of a sudden, I’m missing the Magician. The last time I heard, Efren “Bata” Reyes has to skip the US 9-Ball Open due to health reasons. Let’s hope that he gets well soon and back in harness again.

American Mosconi Cup Team Complete

Matchroom Sport has announced that Jeremy Jones and Earl Strickland have been chosen to fill the final two spots in the American line-up at the 2008 PartyCasino.com Mosconi Cup.

The pair will join Shane Van Boening, Johnny Archer and Rodney Morris on the American side, which was upset by the Europeans last year in Las Vegas. The only change from 2007 team is the substitution of Jones for Corey Deuel.

The American team not be lacking in experience, with Strickland making his 13th appearance and Archer his 12th. All in all, the five Americans have a total of 35 appearances at the yearly Ryder Cup-style event.

Van Boening is by far the greenest member of Team USA, though he may also be the most feared. In his Mosconi Cup debut last year, the 25-year-old South Dakotan won three of his five matches.

Though Strickland has struggled in international singles events, he has always been a force at the Mosconi Cup. Of the 61 player to compete in the event, Strickland has the best record, winning a staggering 37 of his 56 matches.

“I’m a more intelligent player than most of these guys. I’m working hard and I think I’m close to being back to my very best," he said. "The Mosconi Cup is my kind of tournament, and I’m looking forward to doing my best for the U.S.A. in Malta.”

Looking to win a second straight Cup for the first time in the event's 15th year, Team Europe will consist of Ralf Souquet, Mark Gray, Tony Drago, Niels Feijen and Mika Immonen.

Stickland and Jones fill out Team USA

Matchroom Sport can announce that the final two spots on the American side for the forthcoming PartyCasino.com Mosconi Cup will be filled by South Carolina’s Earl Strickland and Jeremy Jones (Texas).

Both players line up in an American team that is hoping to win the Mosconi Cup outright for the first time since 2005. Taking place at the Hilton Hotel, Portomaso, St Julians, Malta from December 11 – 14, the event features two five-man teams playing a series of singles and doubles matches over four days.

Strickland, 47, is playing in his 13th consecutive Mosconi Cup, a record for the event, and has won a fantastic 37 points from 56 matches. ‘The Pearl’ insists that he will be back to his imperious best come December, having put the health issues that dogged him a few years ago very much behind him.

“I’m not just a pool player, I’m an athlete,” said an ebullient Strickland.

“I’m running four miles every morning and doing 500 sit ups a day and I’m practicing seven to eight hours a day.

“I’m a more intelligent player than most of these guys, I’m working hard and I think I’m close to being back to my very best.

“The Mosconi Cup is my kind of tournament and I’m looking forward to doing my best for the USA in Malta.”

Despite his well-documented bust-ups at the Mosconi Cup, Strickland’s record in the event is the best of the 61 players who have participated in the competition in its 14 year history.

Joining Strickland, Archer, Van Boening and Morris will be Jeremy Jones, who at 36 will be making his seventh Mosconi Cup appearance. ‘Double J’ sports an impressive 16 wins from 28 starts and made his debut back in 1999 when the USA won 12-7 at the York Hall in London.

Jones has enjoyed a revival this year with a third place finish at the Predator International 10 Ball Championship back in May. Then in June, he followed that up with a long-awaited victory in the Generationpool.com Open in Charlotte.

These results and others were enough to propel the likable Texan up to fourth in the BCA Points List and secure his Mosconi Cup spot.

Matchroom Sport Chairman Barry Hearn said, “In all the sports that I have promoted over the years, aside from the boxer Chris Eubank, there has been no other sportsman who has got the public going more than Earl Strickland.

“Some love him, plenty hate him but he is one of the greatest players to have ever held a cue stick and when it comes to entertainment, he has few rivals.

“The Mosconi Cup has always been Earl’s playground – he won MVP honours in Las Vegas in 2005 – and when he’s on form, the Europeans will know all about it.

“Jeremy Jones has a great record in the event and it is gratifying to see him play his way back into contention. He completes a very strong looking American side and I am expecting a fierce battle in December.”

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.

A range of superb value hotel and ticket packages are available from the Official Mosconi Cup Travel Agents www.alleventsmalta.com

Karen Corr wins Challenge of Champions

This years International Challenge of Champions at the Mohegan Sun Casino, saw four of the absolute top talents on the WPBA tour doing battle in a tough single elimination format for the $25,000 winner take all first prize.

Combatants in this event were Allison Fisher, Karen Corr, Xiao-Ting Pan and Ga-Young Kim. Corr faced off against Kim and Fisher faced Pan.

Fisher and Pan split the first two sets and were forced to play a sudden-death tie-breaker to determine who would move on. That player was Xiao-Ting Pan.

Pan's opponent in the finals was Karen Corr, who defeated Ga Young Kim.

The finals saw each player win one set, forcing another sudden death playoff to determine the winner.

In this "one game playoff" format, the lag is all important. And Pan won the lag to earn first shot at winning the final game. Pan was immediately confronted with a tough decision after the break. She could go for a tough 2-ball in the side or try for a long carom on the 9-ball down table. She opted to go for both shots and only succeeded in pocketing the 2-ball. Pan was left with a tough kick on the 3-ball which she managed to hit and pocket.

As the 3-ball was being pocketed, the 7-ball rolled towards the 9-ball and left an enticing combo on the 9-ball for the win. Pan's next obstacle though, was a difficult 4-ball in the side. That obstacle proved to be too much for her as she failed to pocket the 4-ball, leaving Corr a partially hidden 4-ball that would have to be either banked or played safe.

Corr went for the aggressive bank to the 7-combo and executed it perfectly. The 9-ball fell and so did Pan's hopes to return to the table.

Corr won the $25,000 first prize and Pan settled for a day of tough competition against her WPBA rivals.

'Bata' still top Pinoy in AZBilliards list, two others in top 10

He may not be as rich as his compatriots in terms of winnings this year but Efren "Bata" Reyes has proven that he is still king Pinoy cue master as far as AZBilliards.com rankings are concerned.

Reyes, also dubbed as "The Magician", remained in sixth place in the weekly standings that saw Shane Van Boening jumping a notch at number one. Reyes has so far earned $5,500 in international tournaments, with the last one being the Qatar International Open in July.

Bustamante, meanwhile, trailed Reyes closely at seventh, dropping three notches from last week's rankings. His last tournament was the US 9-Ball Championships in Chesapeake, Virginia, where he finished ninth earlier this month.

Orcollo, on the other hand, shed four places to finish the week at No. 9. He landed third in the US 9-Ball Open after finishing first in the Guangzhou, China leg of the Guinness 9-Ball Tour in September.

In terms of earnings, Orcollo came first with $91,400, so far, followed by Francisco Bustamante with  $80,903.

Another Filipino champ, Alex "The Lion" Pagulayan, fell short of a slot as he landed 11th for the week. He has so far earned $61,203.

Jose "Amang" Parica, meanwhile, jumped 12 steps after last week's 51st placing. His 2008 winnings are now pegged at $20,190, with the latest addition coming from the US Open 9-Ball where he shared ninth place with Bustamante.

Ronnie "The Volcano" Alcano, on the other hand, was at the bottom of the 50-man list as he dropped 21 places from last week's 29th spot. He now has $41,200 in winnings after adding $20,000 as first runner-up prize in the US 9-Ball Open.

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.

Eight Billiard Players Return for U.S. Open

Only eight players are still alive at the 33rd Annual U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships, held this week in Chesapeake, VA.

Friday’s elimination rounds began with Lee Van Corteza sending 22-year-old Oscar Dominguez home 11-6, while fellow countryman Warren Kiamco ousted Tony Chohan 11-3. Also, Donnie Mills continued his winning ways, eliminating Canada’s Tyler Edey 11-8, with Corey “Cash Money” Deuel defeating Larry Nevel 11-7.

The 1 p.m. round featured winners’-bracket matches. Reigning 9-ball champion Daryl Peach went up against Johnny Archer in one of the event’s lengthiest matches, 4 hours and 40 minutes. It was close throughout, going to 9-all. Peach almost scratched on the break, but Archer cleared that table to take the hill. Archer jumped the cue ball off the table on his next break, but Peach hooked himself on the 4 ball and was forced to jump, almost making the 9. With only five balls left on the table, Archer cleared the table easily for the 11-9 win.

Rodney Morris had a tight match against Thorsten Hohmann. The score went all the way to 10-9 in Morris’ favor when he scratched on the break and screamed. Hohmann cleared to make it hill-hill and then engaged Morris in a lengthy safety battle on the 1 ball. Finally Hohmann left Morris a shot, and Morris jacked up and fired in the 1 ball to clear the remainder of the balls for the 11-10 win.

Mika Immonen grabbed an early lead in his match against Jose Parica and never relinquished it, winning 11-8. In the last winners’-side match, Francisco Bustamante never seemed to show up in his match against Ronnie Alcano. At one point he was down 9-4 but managed to take two racks before Alcano won their match 11-6.

In the 3 p.m. elimination rounds, Corey Deuel demonstrated serious prowess over Francisco Bustamante. Though Bustamante had few errors, they were important ones, while Deuel didn’t always make his position but made some excellent shots to win 11-7.

Hohmann finally ended Donnie Mills’ run at the title after defeating him 11-9, while Corteza sent fellow Filipino Parica home 11-5. Additionally, Kiamco dealt Peach an 11-3 defeat in their elimination match.

In the evening rounds, winners’-bracket matches will be Johnny Archer versus Mika Immonen, and Rodney Morris versus Ronnie Alcano. In the one-loss side, Thorsten Hohmann will play Corey Deuel, while Warren Kiamco plays Lee Van Corteza.

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.

Souquet Sent West at U.S. Billiards Championship

In the 7 p.m. round, Ralf Souquet survived a 48-hour stretch without sleeping to only arrive in Chesapeake and get 7 hours of sleep before his match against Northeastern regional player Manny Chau. Souquet was flying in from Switzerland, where he just won back-to-back EuroTour events, something that has not been accomplished in years. Though he suffered from a headache and general malaise Monday evening, he experienced few troubles sending Chau west 11-3.

However, his next match against Chris Szuter did not go so well for “The Surgeon.” Leading 5-3, Souquet faltered and allowed Szuter to catch up. The Canton, OH, room owner not only caught up, he put the screws to Souquet, taking over and reaching the hill 10-6. He missed the 3 ball badly, but Souquet failed to get shape on the 5 with ball in hand and gave control back to Szuter, who won the match 11-6.

Steve Moore matched up with John Kutcher, who owns the poolroom Sharks in Las Vegas. With his break in full gear, Moore dominated the match from the beginning, going from a 5-2 lead up to a 9-4 lead before closing things out at 11-4.

Action Heats Up at U.S. Open

Putting the term "open" in the title of a major sporting event implies that anybody has a chance of lining up next to the world's finest. On Day 2 of the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship, three former champs were knocked out of the winners bracket by a trio of unheralded opponents.

2002 Open winner Ralf Souquet was bounced leftward by Chris Szuter. Souquet, who won the EuroTour's stop in Switzerland on Saturday, was never a serious threat to Szuter, whose best finish of '08 was 13th at August's Turning Stone event. The unheralded American easily finished off his upset over Souquet, 11-6.

Jeremy Jones and John Schmidt were also victims of the annual round of early upsets at the Open. Jones dropped a second-round hill-hill match to Mike Badsteubner after leading by as many as four games. Schmidt fell by an 11-6 score to Beau Runningen.

While former U.S. Open winners struggled, some reigning champions advanced without incident into the third round. Last year's winner Shane Van Boening topped Troy Miller, 11-7. Reigning 9-ball world champ Daryl Peach and recently crowned World 10-Ball titlist Darren Appleton also won their second-round matches.

Alcano Leads RP Campaign in US Open

Former double world champion Ronnie Alcano leaves for the United States today to compete in the 33rd Annual U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship that starts Sunday at the Chesapeake Conference Center in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Alcano, a stalwart of the star-studded Bugsy Promotions of businessman Perry Mariano, will lead a lean Filipino squad in vying in one of the toughest pool tournament in world.

He will be joined by former world no.1 Francisco “Django” Bustamante, Ramil Gallego, Lee Van Corteza, Warren Kiamco, Rodolfo Luat, Jose “Amang” Parica and Joven Alba in mixing up with the field of close to 300 players from all over the world for the guaranteed total prize of $250,000, including the champion purse of $40,000.

The other top Filipino cue artists did not join in the event for various reasons. Efren “Bata”Reyes is undergoing medical checkup, while current world no.1 Dennis Orcollo and former world champion Alex Pagulayan are set to compete in the Grand Finals of the Guinness 9-Ball Tour in Jakarta, Indonesia, which is slated on October 24.

Alcano, who was a runner-up to American Shane Van Boening last year, is hoping to become the third Filipino to win the prestigious event after Reyes (1994) and Pagulayan (2005).

“I’ll do my best to go all the way this time."  said Alcano, who is searching for his first major title since winning the 2007 World 8-Ball Championship.

Meanwhile, the Quezon City Council has passed a resolution commending Orcollo for his recent string of triumph in the international and local arena.

Led by Majority Floor Leader Ariel Inton, the councilors, with the concurrence of Mayor Sonny Belmonte and Vice-Mayor Herbert Bautista, cited the 29-year-old Orcollo for his title conquest in the 2008 Quezon City 9-Ball Champion, the All-Japan Open, the Qatar International 9-Ball Open, the Guinness 9-Ball Tour leg in Guangzhou, China, and just recently, his and Bustamante’s third-place finish in the PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool.

“Orcollo’s string of triumphs only proved that the Philippines is still considered as the powerhouse when it comes to billiards because of the achievement of the Filipinos in different prestigious billiards competitions here and abroad,” the resolution states.

“Whereas, he is one of the Outstanding Citizens of Quezon City and a true Quezon City pride, is worthy of emulation and an inspiration for the Quezon City aspiring athletes who will join in all international competition.”

The resolution will be presented to Orcollo today during the SCOOP Forum at Kamayan Restaurant in Ermita, Manila.

Alcano Leads RP Campaign in US Open

Former double world champion Ronnie Alcano leaves for the United States today to compete in the 33rd Annual U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship that starts Sunday at the Chesapeake Conference Center in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Alcano, a stalwart of the star-studded Bugsy Promotions of businessman Perry Mariano, will lead a lean Filipino squad in vying in one of the toughest pool tournament in world.

He will be joined by former world no.1 Francisco “Django” Bustamante, Ramil Gallego, Lee Van Corteza, Warren Kiamco, Rodolfo Luat, Jose “Amang” Parica and Joven Alba in mixing up with the field of close to 300 players from all over the world for the guaranteed total prize of $250,000, including the champion purse of $40,000.

The other top Filipino cue artists did not join in the event for various reasons. Efren “Bata”Reyes is undergoing medical checkup, while current world no.1 Dennis Orcollo and former world champion Alex Pagulayan are set to compete in the Grand Finals of the Guinness 9-Ball Tour in Jakarta, Indonesia, which is slated on October 24.

Alcano, who was a runner-up to American Shane Van Boening last year, is hoping to become the third Filipino to win the prestigious event after Reyes (1994) and Pagulayan (2005).

“I’ll do my best to go all the way this time."  said Alcano, who is searching for his first major title since winning the 2007 World 8-Ball Championship.

Meanwhile, the Quezon City Council has passed a resolution commending Orcollo for his recent string of triumph in the international and local arena.

Led by Majority Floor Leader Ariel Inton, the councilors, with the concurrence of Mayor Sonny Belmonte and Vice-Mayor Herbert Bautista, cited the 29-year-old Orcollo for his title conquest in the 2008 Quezon City 9-Ball Champion, the All-Japan Open, the Qatar International 9-Ball Open, the Guinness 9-Ball Tour leg in Guangzhou, China, and just recently, his and Bustamante’s third-place finish in the PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool.

“Orcollo’s string of triumphs only proved that the Philippines is still considered as the powerhouse when it comes to billiards because of the achievement of the Filipinos in different prestigious billiards competitions here and abroad,” the resolution states.

“Whereas, he is one of the Outstanding Citizens of Quezon City and a true Quezon City pride, is worthy of emulation and an inspiration for the Quezon City aspiring athletes who will join in all international competition.”

The resolution will be presented to Orcollo today during the SCOOP Forum at Kamayan Restaurant in Ermita, Manila.

2nd Billiards Stars Search set Nov. 5-9

FILIPINO billiards enthusiasts gather anew to compete for top honors in the second leg of the Billiards Stars Search which gets underway on Nov. 5 to 9 at the famous Star Billiards Center in Grace Village, Quezon City.

Defending champion Elvis Calasang lead the cast along with reigning national champion Marlon Manalo, Antonio Gabica, Jeffrey de Luna, Mario Tolentino, Victor Arpilleda, Edgar Acaba, Leonardo Didal and reigning RP Junior champion Jerico Banares in Division A.

The four (A, B, C and D) division event is organized by the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines in close cooperation with Raya Sports, Philippines Billiards Foundation and Star Billiards Center.

The game is a Ten Ball WPA rules using the winner's break format. Entry fee is P400. Prizes include cash, trophies and in kind. Cash prizes will depend on the number of entries.

Interested parties may register at Star Billiards Center, tel. No. 364-6041, 0917-888-8888, Rizal Memorial Center, tel. No. 0928-744-1740, or Raya Sports, tel. No. 895-2021.

Orcollo Vows To Bounce Back From Failed World Cup Bid

After failing in his mission to bring the World Cup of Pool back to the Philippines and taking much of the blame for it, world no.1 Dennis Orcollo vowed to bounce back and resume his winning ways to reap more honors for the country.

His next target: the 2008 Guinness 9-Ball Tour Grand Finals on October 24 to 26 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

“I’m very disappointed that we weren’t able to fulfill our mission of winning the World Cup, and I blame myself for it,” said Orcollo, who made a couple of unforced errors that doomed his and teammate Francisco “Django” Bustamante’s bid as they succumbed to a 9-6 defeat against the eventual champion American pair of Shane Van Boening and Rodney Morris in the semifinals of the event held in Rotterdam, Holland.

“With that, I promise to improve my game even more and I’ll do my best to win more titles for our country,” added the 29-year-old stalwart of the star-studded Bugsy Promotions of businessman Perry Mariano.

Orcollo has so far won four major titles this year – the 2008 Quezon City 9-Ball Championship, the All-Japan Open, the Qatar International 9-Ball Open and the Guinness Tour leg in Guangzhou, China – to more than validate his tag as the world’s best cue artist today.

After the Guinness finale, he will join forces with seven other top Filipinos pool masters in going up against a group of topnotch international players in the Q.C. Invasion: Quezon City-Philippines vs the World Grand Billiards Showdown slated on December 2 to 4 at the Trinoma Mall.

There, he and Bustamante will have a chance to exact revenge against their World Cup tormentor, in particular, Morris who is part of the Team World in the event organized by Quezon City Council Majority Leader Ariel Inton and supported by the Quezon City government led by Mayor Sonny Belmonte and Senate President Manny Villar’s Villards: Tulong sa Pagsulong ng Philippine Sports.

Besides Orcollo and Bustamante, the other members of the Team Quezon-City Philippines are former world champions Efren “Bata” Reyes, Alex Pagulayan and Ronnie Alcano, as well as 2007 World Pool runner-up Roberto Gomez, and former Southeast Asian Games multi-gold medalists Lee Van Corteza and Warren Kiamco.

Also bannering the international selection are former world champions Mika Immonen of Finland and Thorsten Hohmann of Germany.

The Q.C. Invasion is also supported by the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP), the Quezon City Tourism Council, Puyat Sports, Bugsy Promotions and the Negros Billiards Stable.

Orcollo Vows To Bounce Back From Failed World Cup Bid

After failing in his mission to bring the World Cup of Pool back to the Philippines and taking much of the blame for it, world no.1 Dennis Orcollo vowed to bounce back and resume his winning ways to reap more honors for the country.

His next target: the 2008 Guinness 9-Ball Tour Grand Finals on October 24 to 26 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

“I’m very disappointed that we weren’t able to fulfill our mission of winning the World Cup, and I blame myself for it,” said Orcollo, who made a couple of unforced errors that doomed his and teammate Francisco “Django” Bustamante’s bid as they succumbed to a 9-6 defeat against the eventual champion American pair of Shane Van Boening and Rodney Morris in the semifinals of the event held in Rotterdam, Holland.

“With that, I promise to improve my game even more and I’ll do my best to win more titles for our country,” added the 29-year-old stalwart of the star-studded Bugsy Promotions of businessman Perry Mariano.

Orcollo has so far won four major titles this year – the 2008 Quezon City 9-Ball Championship, the All-Japan Open, the Qatar International 9-Ball Open and the Guinness Tour leg in Guangzhou, China – to more than validate his tag as the world’s best cue artist today.

After the Guinness finale, he will join forces with seven other top Filipinos pool masters in going up against a group of topnotch international players in the Q.C. Invasion: Quezon City-Philippines vs the World Grand Billiards Showdown slated on December 2 to 4 at the Trinoma Mall.

There, he and Bustamante will have a chance to exact revenge against their World Cup tormentor, in particular, Morris who is part of the Team World in the event organized by Quezon City Council Majority Leader Ariel Inton and supported by the Quezon City government led by Mayor Sonny Belmonte and Senate President Manny Villar’s Villards: Tulong sa Pagsulong ng Philippine Sports.

Besides Orcollo and Bustamante, the other members of the Team Quezon-City Philippines are former world champions Efren “Bata” Reyes, Alex Pagulayan and Ronnie Alcano, as well as 2007 World Pool runner-up Roberto Gomez, and former Southeast Asian Games multi-gold medalists Lee Van Corteza and Warren Kiamco.

Also bannering the international selection are former world champions Mika Immonen of Finland and Thorsten Hohmann of Germany.

The Q.C. Invasion is also supported by the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP), the Quezon City Tourism Council, Puyat Sports, Bugsy Promotions and the Negros Billiards Stable.