Snookering a double world champ

Terrence Voon shoots pool table with Taiwan's double world champion.

Whilst interviewing Taiwan's double world champion Wu Chia-ching at Klassic Cuesports, someone thought it might be worth a laugh if I played a few rounds of 9-Ball with him.

He was right: It was funny pitting a casual pub player against one of the world's best. But the experience wasn't just humourous - it was humiliating.

Wu, for the record, was here in Singapore as a sparring partner for the national team, a move that has sparked considerable hysteria in Taiwan, where speculation is mounting that he may become the Republic's latest foreign import.

But while he may been frustrated by all the media hoopla back home, the 20-year-old remains a consummate professional on the table, even against a rank amateur like yours truly.

"Go easy on me," he joked, as he lined up to break the first rack.

Two minutes later, I was racking up again, without having gone to the table yet.

Wu was showing exactly why he is known as "The Little Genius" by his peers. His stroking movement was incredibly consistent and he reads the table in a flash, knowing quickly how best to untangle the puzzle of balls and numbers on the table.

His positioning is also impeccable, always within an inch or two of the desired 'sweet spot'.

If pool is all about physics then this man is a Nobel laureate.

When it was finally my turn to take to the table, I missed. But the cue ball spun behind the black, hiding from the pink that was a full table length away. A safety shot, albeit an unintended one.

No problem, said Wu. With just the right amount of top-spin, he promptly bounced the cue ball off two rails to hit the pink - and 'snookered' me in the process.

And when the centre pocket swallowed up my cue ball on the next shot, I knew that the gig was up.

The final score was 0-3 in favour of the world champion. No surprise there.

Maybe 8-Ball would be a better bet, I suggested.

Fat chance. Wu allowed me to break, and my response was to propel the cue ball out of the table, narrowly missing a member of the Singapore national team who had been smirking the entire time.

Wu politely retrieved the errant ball, and proceeded to clear the deck. 10 minutes and two games later, I had truly been beaten black, blue and yellow.

Throughout the entire experience, he never even smiled once - that was how serious the guy took the game.

Mercifully though, it was soon time for me to go, with my proverbial tail firmly between my legs.

And as I turned to leave, Wu had already returned to the table, potting shot after shot with that same unsmiling look of intense concentration.

For this world champion, there is no such thing as playing pool 'for fun'.

Orcollo Seeks to Reinforce His No. 1 World Standing

Dennis Orcollo will try to reinforce his standing as the No. 1 player in the world when he competes in the Bacolod leg of the 1st Senate President Manny Villar Cup which begins Wednesday at the Garden Royal Function Hall of Goldenfields Commercial Complex.

The 29-year-old Orcollo has already won four major tournaments this year, but fell short of winning a title in his last two events. Partnering veteran pool legend Francisco “Django” Bustamante in the World Cup of Pool, the Filipinos were beaten in the semi finals by the US pair of “The South Dakota Kid” Shane Van Boening and Rodney “The Rocket” Morris who went on to win the crown.

Orcollo also faltered in the semi finals of  the Guinness 9-Ball Grand Finals last month in Jakarta .

Orcollo said he was hoping he  “could resume my winning ways.  I want to do it here in the Villar Cup.” Orcollo, who ruled the Quezon City 9-Ball Championship, the All-Japan Open, the Qatar International 9-Ball Open and the Guinness Tour Guangzhou has emerged as one of the most successful pool players in 2008. He is a superstar in the star-studded 

Bugsy Promotions roster of passionate pool supporter Perry Mariano.

Orcollo remarked “Actually, nothing changed in my shot making but I did get a good break in my past two tournaments. So I’m still confident that I can continue winning more tournaments.”

It certainly will not be easy for the World No.1 as he is expected  to face stiff competition in the fifth edition of the island-hopping series presented by Villards: Tulong sa Pagsulong ng Philippine Sports.

Unlike the four previous stagings, Orcollo  will not only take on his already tough countrymen, but also have to contend with top-class foreign contenders  led by former World Cup of Pool winner Fu Jianbo of China .

Orcollo who was runner-up to Gandy Valle in the Cebu leg said “its much harder now but I am very confident and I really want to be champion in the Villar Cup because this is the most prestigious tournament now..”

Besides the foreign players Orcollo will have to contend with a formidable roster of his countrymen including former world champions Efren “Bata” Reyes, Alex Pagulayan and Ronnie Alcano,  Francisco "Django" Bustamante, Lee Van Corteza, and previous Villar Cup leg winners Kiamco (Alabang), Gandy Valle ( Cebu ), Ramil Gallego (Bulacan) and Roberto Gomez ( Davao ).

There is also a group of rising stars led by Carlo Biado, Ricky Zerna, Mike Takayama and Michael Feliciano that Orcollo will have to contend with since they  out to make a name for themselves and win the $15,000 top purse at stake in this four day meet organized by the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP) in cooperation with the city government of Bacolod led by Mayor Evelio Leonardia and the Negros Billiards Stable (NBS) of businessman Jonathan Sy, and sponsored by Camella Communities.

The rest of the 32-man main draw is still being disputed by dozens of aspiring players through a series of qualifying tournaments being held at the Celebrity Billiards and Bar in Bacolod City.

Besides the international invitational division, there will also be the Executive Class and Amateur divisions for both men and women, where almost half-a-million pesos cash prize is at stake.

Moreover, the event will also have a series of side activities like street parties, concerts and exhibits as the event is also dubbed as “the Bacolod International VILLARDS Festival.”