Storms Rock Derby City Billiard Event

The 9-ball division of the Eleventh Annual Derby City Classic began Wednesday, boasting a field of 341 fine players from around the world. Defending champion Ralf Souquet has recovered from his runner-up finish last night in the Fatboy 10-Ball Challenge, while other players such as Johnny Archer, Mika Immonen, Marcus Chamat, Efren Reyes, Thorsten Hohmann, and Jeanette Lee are lining up to take his 2008 title.

The 9-ball matches were scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. but because of the inclement weather, this was postponed until 3:30 p.m. to allow for poor travel conditions.

In the one-pocket division, the field will be narrowed to approximately 20 players returning Thursday. Defending champion Gabe Owen has taken an early exit, and Efren Reyes, for the second year in a row, has not made it to the finals, having been defeated by David Vaughn and Jeremy Jones. Still alive are Johnathan Pinegar, Shane Van Boening, and Jones, among others. The one-pocket finals are scheduled for 9 p.m. Thursday.

There was a 16-player banks mini tournament Tuesday night that was won by Shannon Murphy of Cincinnati, OH. Kevin Nicholas of Louisville, KY, came in second, and third place was shared by Mark Jarvis of Northern Indiana and Butch Wolf of Cincinnati, OH.

The Accu-Stats Gameshow was held Wednesday evening. It was a single-elimination, 16-player race to 1. The format was 9-ball, with the incoming player following the break having the decision which player pushes. Accu-Stats added $2,000 to the pot, with the winner taking home the entire amount. Some of the big names invited to play were Efren Reyes, Shane Van Boening, Mika Immonen, and Ralf Souquet. In the semifinal matches, John Schmidt bested Francisco Bustamante while Jose Parica ousted Johnny Archer to meet in the finals. In an entertaining final game, Schmidt defeated Parica to take first place in this unique event.

In today’s Straight Pool Challenge update, today’s highs are as follows: Thorsten Hohmann, 100; Johnny Archer, 83; Yannick Beaufils, 71. The current leader board is as follows: John Schmidt, 154; Corey Deuel, 153; Huidji See, 114; Darren Appleton, 114; Danny Harriman, 114; Thorsten Hohmann, 100; Beau Runningen, 100; Charlie Williams, 85.

Philippines to host 2009 World Cup of Pool

2009 World Cup of Pool will be staged in the Philippines for the first time in the tournament's history.

A press conference was held at the Sports Plus Cafe, Eastwood, Philippines, earlier this week to announce the event, which will now be in its fourth year.

The first competition was staged in Newport, Wales with the next two in Rotterdam, Holland, but this will be the first time it will have been held outside of Europe.

Featuring 32 two-player teams from around the globe, The World Cup of Pool, sponsored by PartyGaming, has become one of the most important dates in the sport's calendar and this year's version will be hosted from September 1 to 6 in Manila.

"We're really looking forward to a great tournament because the World Cup of Pool is a special event and to bring it here to the Philippines is really exciting," said Matchroom Sport Director Eddie Hearn.
"When Matchroom Sport wants to stage a major pool tournament the Philippines is always the first place we look to come. In terms of number one venues, this has to be our first choice.

"Obviously Las Vegas is a great place for pool as well with their heritage but the passion that the people have for the game in the Philippines, and the importance of what it means to everyone, always makes it a pleasure to come here."

The prestigious competition, which features 32 two-player teams from around the world, but two sides for the host nation, has never been won by the same country twice.

Filipino legends Efren Reyes and Francisco Bustamante won the inaugural tournament in 2006, China's He-wen Li and Jian-bo Fu claimed the trophy in 2007 before Americans Shane Van Boening and Rodney Morris triumphed last year.

Hearn hinted that, with the Philippines being given two teams as hosts, the successful pairing of Reyes and Bustamante could be reunited for 2009.

"The Filipino people would want to see Efren and Django play together and it's very important that we make the choice that makes the people happy," explained Hearn.

"Matchroom Sport and our Filipino partners Solar Sports are also eager to have one younger team representing the real new wave of players coming through in the Philippines at the moment.

"Due to the great number of qualified Filipino players, it's going to be tough when we select the teams because there are always people who feel they should be in.

"But our job is to select the right teams for the people and the right teams that are most likely to take the title for the Philippines.

"We have to make sure we have the biggest names and the biggest personalities playing while the best players as well. I'm really glad that the Philippines will have two teams as host nation because to have only had one team would have been very difficult to pick."

Solar Sports CEO Peter Chanliong added: "The World Cup of Pool has a format that's very exciting and we're hoping the Philippines will enjoy the home-court advantage and pull it off again to prove we're the best in the world."

The defending champions - Shane Van Boening and Rodney Morris - will make up the USA pairing but the rest of the sides will be selected nearer the competition.

There is a huge incentive for all teams as the champions win $60,000, the runners-up take home $30,000, the beaten semi-finalists collect $16,000 and the quarter finalists receive $10,000.

Each match will be filmed for television and then produced by Matchroom Sport into 31 1-hour programmes, which will then be broadcast on stations around the world.

Pool Player’s Novel Sets Love Story Against the World of Pool

BILLERICA, Mass.– The novel, Right on Cue, by pool aficionado Thomas McGonagle, tells the story of Johnny Jordan and Flo Stevens, two young players struggling to make their name in the gritty world of high stakes pool.

In Right on Cue, by McGonagle, a young pool player named Johnny learns that his birth father is a professional pool player, and he sets out to find him with unexpected results. Along the way, Johnny meets up with a down-on-her-luck fellow player, and while helping her out financially, discovers that he is falling in love. But when Johnny meets his real father and discovers he’s a hustler, he wants no part of that kind of life.  Things soon change, though, and as Johnny’s father begins to teach him the fine art of the game, Johnny could find himself a winner at pool—and at love.

McGonagle has spent 43 years playing pool and writing about the game, and he has designed his novel to have a real authenticity and behind-the-scenes feel. Right on Cue suggests that honesty is the best policy and that games are best played on the pool table and not in real life. McGonagle has filled Right on Cue with pool facts and lore, aiming for his novel to be as educational about pool as it is purely entertaining.

For more information or to request a free review copy, members of the press can contact the author at rmcgonagle@ut.edu. Right on Cue is available for sale online at Amazon.com, BookSurge.com, and through additional wholesale and retail channels worldwide.

Indian Pool Star Raj Hundal Joins Dragon Promotions

Chicago, Illinois-  Raj Hundal of India has signed on with global events producer Dragon Promotions to be exclusively represented as one of pool's rising stars. Hundal, known as The Hitman, has in a short time proven to the pool world he is a force to be reckoned with. He first turned heads in 2005 when he defeated #1 seed Yang Ching Shun of Taiwan at the World 9-Ball Championship, and then shocked the field as the dark horse winner of the 2005 World Pool Masters taking down veteran Rodney Morris (USA) in the finals. In 2008 Hundal played his first full year on the US Pro Tour circuit starting out the year unranked and ending the year ranked #6.

"Raj has an enormous amount of confidence in himself, and that's going to take him a long way in this game. He never gets down on himself and he has a smooth, fast paced game that fans enjoy watching." commented Charlie Williams. "Plus he has a ton of charm and witty sense of humor that makes people from all over root for him."

Dragon Promotions will be expanding into India in 2009 with events and goal of promoting the growth of billiards there. DP has been highly successful in other markets such as Korea and the United States in producing international billiard events, and has garnered the confidence of industry sponsors such as Brunswick who is investing substantially into India and Asia. Hundal is also confident of India's future and potential.

"Dragon Promotions is a great company that I would have loved to join regardless, but when I heard about the expansion into India it gave me a boost of electricity! My roots are in India and though I lived in London awhile, I've been to India enough to know the sport could become massive there. If anyone can do it, it's Dragon Promotions and I am looking forward to helping the sport grow there as much as I can." said Hundal.

"Raj by far is the most established and most successful Indian player in billards history. His credentials of wins against top players and international coverage is significant, and on top of that he works hard off the table as well. It was a no brainer to bring him on board with us." explained Cindy Lee, CEO of Dragon Promotions.

Hundal will join an elite group of selected players managed by DP that include Mika Immonen of Finland, Rodney Morris of USA, Yu Ram Cha of Korea, Shanelle Loraine of Guam, and top American stars Jeanette Lee, Mike Davis, and Charlie Williams.

Kelly Fisher is the AZB female Player of the Year!

Kelly Fisher has been chosen the AZBilliards female Player of the Year for 2008. Ms. Fisher had a simply stellar 2008, claiming victories at both the WPBA US Open and the WPBA Pacific Coast Classic and runner-up honors at The WPBA Great Lakes Classic and the WPBA Nationals. In fact, Fisher was in the top ten at ALL of the WPBA events for 2008. In addition to the above-mentioned first and second-place finishes she also garnered two fifth-place finishes (GenerationPool.com and WPBA San Diego) and a 9th at the Carolina Classic.

Many fans had expected Fisher to earn this honor earlier than she did. When she came over from England in 2005 and became a WPBA pro she came with a lot of credentials. She was six times the World Snooker Champion and seven times the European Snooker Champion. This was the Fisher who was going to unseat the other Fisher, the Queen Allison who had so long dominated the WPBA winners list.

But while Kelly had her shining moments, even winning the West Coast Classic that first year, she fell short of the goals that many had put out for her. The next year she also enjoyed a single WPBA victory lap – again for the San Diego Classic. But 2007 became the year that she really blossomed. That year she won the Great Lakes event, the San Diego Classic (again) had two second-place WPBA finishes and a third. It was evident to all that she had begun to find her gear.

That gear drove her to the top in 2008 and she wears the crown well. In addition to her ‘table job’, she is also President of KwikFire Cues and is involved in the future of the game by sponsoring the KwikFire Kids, 13-year old Jonathan Castillo from New Jersey and 10-year old Taylor Reynolds from Maine. Ms. Fisher’s outgoing personality and willingness to promote the game led WPBA pro Sarah Rousey to comment: “ She’s one of the nicest, most approachable people you could ever meet. She is always willing to share her knowledge with everyone and help anyone out.”  AZBilliards agrees with that assessment and we heartily congratulate Kelly Fisher for being our female Player of the Year for 2009!

 

- AZB

Ralf Souquet is the Player of the Year!

Ralf Souquet has been chosen the AZBilliards male Player of the Year for 2008 and he completed quite a turnaround from 2007 in order to earn the honor. In 2007 he had only one win (the Mosconi Cup) during the entire calendar period and pocketed only $43,000. But in 2008 he won ten titles and cashed checks totaling more than $170,000 to literally walk away from the rest of the field on the money list and with nearly double the victories of our second-place choice, Mika Immonen. 

Souquet began his year with a win in the tough 9-Ball division of the Derby City Classic. When we interviewed Ralf after that win he said he was looking forward to a great year. His personal life had been fulfilled with his marriage to Illy and he said he just felt very good about the way his year was shaping up. He was quite correct in his assessment.

Within 90 days of that interview Souquet had won three more events and a World Championship. He won the Weert Open 10-Ball, then the Paris Open and the Gema Open and followed these with his Damas World 8-Ball World Championship title that he took down in Fujairah, UAE. 

Souquet also took the top slot at both the Interpool 9-Ball and 10-Ball events, the Eurotour Swiss Open, the Eurotour Netherlands Open and finished the year with an overwhelming 12-6 victory in the Mosconi Cup. Here he capped a fantastic year the same way that he began it, with a tribute to his wife. When the players gathered for an after-victory celebration they all spoke of their inspiration and motives for winning. Souquet gave a tearful soliloquy to Illy in which he said that it was her support that always lifted him to the top. 

Consistency was the keyword for Souquet in 2008. Out of 27 events that he played in he had 24 top-ten finishes, a simply stunning 90% of all the events in which he held a cue. But there is more to Ralf than his wizardry with a pool cue. Ralf Souquet is a champion in every sense of the word. He is outwardly serene even when the rolls do not go his way. He is always the gentleman and sportsman. He trains for his sport both physically and mentally and he does not leave success to chance. In short, Souquet earns his way on this pool world and does not wait for anything to come his way. He creates his own opportunities and pursues the podium finish with every move that he makes. Souquet is a thinking man’s player.

Possibly one of the most impressive things about Ralf Souquet is that he was not a natural-baron talent. He had to work hard to attain and hone his skills. He was not a child prodigy who claimed World Championship as a lad. He has had years where the winner’s circle eluded his efforts. But his tenacity, his absolute refusal to ever give up, has always pulled him through. Ralf Souquet learned and earned his skills.  He is proof positive that a firm work ethic can overcome all obstacles and, with Illy, a pleasant reminder that love can lead the heart and soul to new heights. No matter how much Ralf Souquet is to be admired as a player he is equally to be admired as a man. Souquet brings the total package to the table, no matter where in the world that table sits.

 

- AzB

Immonen's Secrets Revealed in Mastering Pool Instructional DVDs

Peterborough, Canada - The world's hottest player Mika "Iceman" Immonen has unveiled his latest achievement, Mastering Pool. Intrinsic Media has teamed up with the current US Open and Mosconi Cup Champion to produce Mastering Pool, a 3-part pocket billiard instructional series. The DVD series is packed with tips, techniques and systems, 3D animated diagrams, and expert commentary by Immonen himself all of which easily making MASTERING POOL one of the most comprehensive billiards guides on the market today. Mastering Pool also has a comprehensive website with video samples of the DVDs at http://www.mastering-pool.com

"Mika's one of the greatest players I've ever seen. He has a great all around game and very versatile knowledge on the game. I definitely could not pick anyone better than him to come out with an instructional video." said fellow tour pro Rodney 'Rocket" Morris, current World Cup Champion and former US Open Champion.

"The guy breaks like King Kong, shoots like the Terminator, and kicks like Bruce Lee. And he's one of the most physically and mentally fit players alive. " says Raj Hundal, World Pool Masters Champion and the most winningest Indian player in history.

MASTERING POOL is divided into three DVDs starting with "beginner level", than "intermediate level", and finally "advance level". Each DVD has several special features with superior graphics and expert filming from several angles.

Immonen personally demonstrates all shots and scenarios so the viewer can see what a world class player would do in each situation. Immonen also commentates along with a narrator on his own personal thinking process during the shots.

"I've seen numerous tapes and DVDs of pool training, but Mastering Pool is by far the best production I've ever seen. It's definitely elevated the standard of quality and filming for instructional videos." commented Charlie Williams, renowned TV billiard producer and world class pro player.

MASTERING POOL is available online at http://www.mastering-pool.com/purchase.html and can be purchased at selected distributors such as www.seyberts.com

" Working with Intrinsic Media on MASTERING POOL was a terrific team effort. Intrinsic was very professional and the quality of the DVDs I feel are superb. I couldn't ask to be involved in anything better than this and my hopes of how it turned out were well surpassed. I feel very privileged to have been a part of MASTERING POOL"- said Mika Immonen.

Mika Immonen is one of the world's premier professional players. Immonen is known for his athletic rigourous training off the table as well as intense training on the table. Immonen made his big impact in the pool world in 2001 when he won the World 9-Ball Championship and has since been ranked in the top 5 in the world.

More recently in 2008, Immonen has won the US Open, Mosconi Cup, All Japan Championships, and Philippines vs The World . The Finnish Iceman who resides in New York City, is truly an international star with a wide array of foreign sponsors including Mezz Cues of Japan, Cafe Puro of Philippines, and Mastering Pool based in Canada. Immonen is managed by Dragon Promotions USA and Korea.