The World Tournament Champion will also have his/her name inscribed on the 14.1 Champion's Cup alongside the names of previous winners such as Mizerak, Sigel, Mosconi, Hohmann, Ortmann, Feijen, and Cohen.

“It’s quite an honor to host this historic event. Breaker Billiards has never held so many top names under one roof and we are very excited,” said Ricky Coren, Owner of Break Billiards and new home to Accu-Stats.

This year marks the 70th World Tournament, and stars such as Thorsten Hohmann, John Schmidt, Oliver Ortmann, Niels Feijen, Allen Hopkins, Jasmin Ouschan, Johnny Archer, Mika Immonen and defending champion Stephan Cohen of France are just a few of the powerful list of world beaters who will come to play in the greatest straight pool tournament in the world. Players may also join qualifiers to get a chance to compete in the World Tournament with all the legendary greats. Qualifier info can be found at www.DragonPromotions.com To host a qualifier or play, contact worldstraightpoolchampionships@gmail.com

The format for the event will be the same as the past four years. 64 players divided into 8 groups of 8 players in a round robin format playing races to 100. The top 32 players will advance to a double elimination tournament races to 150. The top 16 players will then advance to a single elimination race to 200 points. Half of the field will earn prize money with the champion winning $11,000.

The World Tournament Champion will also have his/her name inscribed on the 14.1 Champion’s Cup alongside the names of previous winners such as Mizerak, Sigel, Mosconi, Hohmann, Ortmann, Feijen, and Cohen.

“The Predator World Tournament till this day has proven to have the most passionate fans and players. Myself and our staff at Dragon Promotions have really come to a true appreciation of this game and its rich history. We are very proud to have become the caretakers of this prestigious event”, said Cindy Lee, CEO of Dragon Promotions.

The 2010 Predator World Tournament is proudly sponsored by straight pool afficianados Dr.Louis Pannullo of NYC, Bill Austin of UT, Harold Siegel of NYC, Stu Mattana of NYC, and Badi Nazhat of Curacao. Other significant patrons include Dr.Michael Frank, and Ralph Rubin. Co-Contributors we like to recognize include Dennis Walsh, Bill Marapolus, Peter Burrows, Richard Klein, and Jeff Mohl. For more information on player registration, sponsorship, or if you would like to submit a comment, please email worldstraightpoolchampionships@gmail.com or contact Dragon Promotions at 1-407-782-4978.
Full event info is at www.dragonpromotions.com

Predator Group, an international billiards industry leader, is focused on bringing constant innovation and game-improving equipment to billiards players worldwide. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, USA, Predator Group’s core brands include Predator Cues – high-end (professional level) cues with revolutionary technology to enhance performance, Poison Billiards – recreational cues with cutting-edge designs and Predator engineering for best-in-class playability, and Uni-Loc® – precision billiards equipment manufacturer. For more information regarding Predator Group’s products, visit www.predatorgroup.com.

Dragon Promotions is one of the leading producers of billiard programming in the world today. Dragon produces over 40 events a year airing on networks in USA, Korea, and Europe such as ESPN, MBC ESPN, XTM, XPORTS, and Euro Sport. Events include The World 14.1 Championship, The Predator International 10-Ball Championship, King & Queen of Carom, Empress Cup, Pro Pool Schools, Women’s Trickshot Challenge, World Junior 10-Ball Championships, Korea vs USA, Mezz Classic and many more. Dragon also manages some of the world’s best players including Shanelle Loraine, Rodney Morris, Charlie Williams, Mika Immonen, Mike Davis, and many more.

by InsidePOOL Staff

The American Poolplayers Association’s (APA) 30th Annual National Team Championships saw a record number of teams compete in the newly expanded ten-day extravaganza. Nearly 2,000 8-ball, 9-ball, doubles, and masters teams made the trek to Sin City to compete August 19-28 for more than $1 million in prize money. Because of record participation, the event had to be extended an extra day.

The American Poolplayers Association’s (APA) 30th Annual National Team Championships saw a record number of teams compete

Lisa Marr went head to head with Kraber for the hot seat, and the hard-fought win went to Kraber in a hill-hill finish. Angela Garza and Julie Comitini finished seventh, Michelle Cortez and Lisa Henderson-Major tied for fifth, Orietta Strickland took fourth, and Julie Stephenson finished in third place.

Kraber, who just this year has been in the finals three additional times, considered herself “always a bridesmaid, never a bride.” This day, though, she defeated Marr in the finals with a score of 7-3. Kraber has been a consistent player on the OB Cues Ladies’ Tour, and with her first tour win ever, she is at the top of the rankings.

Results:
1st Jennifer Kraber $750
2nd Lisa Marr $550
3rd Julie Stephenson $400
4th Orietta Strickland $280
5th Lisa Henderson-Major $160
Michelle Cortez
7th Angela Garza $110
Julie Comitini
9th Monica Anderson $60
Kim Pierce
Melinda Bailey
Corina Campbell
13th Michelle Prince $35
Rebecca Riley
Annie Doyle
Tara Williams

Crazy 8’s Family Pool Hall in Port Arthur, Texas played host to the Lone Star Tour’s twelfth stop of the year on August 28th-29th.

In the ladies event, Ming Ng played near flawless with wins over Love Nguyen, Belinda Lee, Marie Chhuon, and Loretta Lindgren. It was Chhuon who made her way out of the woods and into the finals, but was out gunned by Ng 7-1.

LSBT recognizes its Official Cue, Poison Cues; Official Rack, Delta-13 Rack; Leagueshirts.com; and Barnett Ranching. LSBT would like to thank Jerry Jordan, Managing Editor of the Examiner in Port Arthur along with Channel 4 local news for their coverage of this event.

The tour debuts at Skinny Bob’s Billiards (formerly G Cue Billiards) in Round Rock, Texas on September 11th-12th. Join LSBT “on the road”, accept the challenge, and take your game to the next level! See you on the Lone Star Trail!

Open Payouts
1st $800 Charlie Bryant
2nd $400 Sylver Ochoa
3rd $300 David Gutierrez
4th $200 Dalton Riley
5th-6th $125 Mike Alonzo, Brian Rosenbaum
7th-8th $80 Viet Do, Troy Woodard
9th-12th $45 Chuck Pham, Will Felder, Rodney Stewart, David Heinz

Auction
1st $1,400
2nd $910
3rd $510
Ladies Payouts
1st $265 Ming Ng
2nd $170 Mary Chhuon
3rd $70 Loretta Lindgren
4th $40 Belinda Lee
Ladies Auction
1st $185
2nd $80

by InsidePOOL Staff

The 2010 WPA Women’s World 9-Ball Championships saw Xiaofang Fu of China crowned the new victor after she bested Allison Fisher in the finals. This grueling, week-long event was held in Shenyang, China, and saw a total of 128 of the world’s best female 9-ball players compete for the prestigious title.

The 2010 WPA Women’s World 9-Ball Championships saw Xiaofang Fu of China crowned the new victor after she bested Fisher in the finals.

Her opponent was the defending champion, fellow countrywoman 17-year-old Shasha Liu. Earlier in the event Liu had eliminated Miso Lin of Taipei, Kelly Fisher of Great Britain, and Siming Chen of China. Liu was unable to hold on to her title, though, and had to content herself with a third-place finish as Fu advanced to the final.

Allison Fisher, a four-time winner of this coveted crown, was waiting for her. Fisher had faced down Xioachun Zheng of China, Angelina Paglia of the U.S., and the WPBA’s number-one-ranked player, Ga Young Kim, to make it to the semifinals. There she had to go up against Shu-Man Chang, who had eliminated Yun Mi Lim of Korea, Monica Webb of the U.S., and Yuan Chun Lin of Taipei. Hoping to take a fifth title, Fisher pressed on to victory and defeated Chang as well.

But another victory was not in the cards for Fisher this time. The extended race to 9 was a hotly contested battle, but in the end it was Xiaofang Fu who took top honors with a 9-7 final score.

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

by InsidePOOL Staff

An undefeated run through the Tri-State Tour’s August 28 field saw Jason Egeln standing in the winner’s circle at the tournament’s end. The $750-added event was hosted by Gotham City Billiards in Brooklyn, NY, and drew a field of 25 to vie for the title.

An undefeated run through the Tri-State Tour’s August 28 field saw Jason Egeln standing in the winner’s circle at the tournament’s end.

Cleary ran into trouble in the form of Nicholas Chan on the west side, and their match went hill-hill but saw Chan advance 7-6 to the quarterfinals. Meeting him there was John Egeln, who had quickly finished his previous match against McCarthy 6-2. Egeln was then felled by Chan, who took charge of their match and ousted Egeln 6-2. In turn, Chan was then eliminated by DeCuire in the semifinals, as DeCuire was eager for a rematch with Egeln.

But the final match was all Egeln, as he took a 4-0 lead before DeCuire got his foot in the door. The players traded a few racks, but when DeCuire had 3, Egeln reached the finish line and won the match 6-3.

Results:
1st Jason Egeln $500
2nd Ken DeCuire $270
3rd Nicholas Chan $180
4th John Egeln $110
5th Ryan McCarthy $60
Andrew Cleary

by InsidePOOL Staff

The World Women’s 9-Ball Championship has revealed the final 4 players of the original 128 talented ladies vying in Shenyang, China, for the title. Great Britain’s Allison Fisher is one of the four, while the other three players hail from Asia.

Fisher is one of the four, while the other three players hail from Asia.

Fisher’s semifinal opponent will be Shu-Man Chang of Taipei. After besting Yun Mi Lim of Korea 9-1 in the first round of the final 32, Chang also eliminated Monica Webb of the U.S. 9-7. Her closest match came from fellow countrywoman Yuan Chun Lin, which went double-hill before Chang moved on to the semifinals.

China’s Xiaofang Fu fought off three Taipei players en route to the semifinals. She bested Hui Shan Lai 9-3 in the first round and then advanced to meet Ho Yun Tan. Another quick victory for Fu went 9-2 and then she met Chieh Yu Chu. This match was much closer, but still Fu was able to move forward with a 9-7 victory.

View the Women’s World 9-Ball Preliminary Rounds tournament brackets

View the Women’s World 9-Ball tournament brackets

Meeting Fu in the semifinals will be Shasha Liu, also from China. In Liu’s first match she ousted Miso Lin of Taipei 9-5. Her second match, though, did not go so easily. Her opponent was Kelly Fisher of Great Britain, and Fisher took Liu to the hill but did not advance. Liu bested her 9-8 and then went on to meet China’s Siming Chen, whom she defeated 9-5.

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

by InsidePOOL Staff

The Women’s World 9-Ball Championship, held this week in Shenyang, China, has gotten through its initial double-elimination, 128-player field and winnowed down to only 32 players to fight for the title in a single-elimination format.

Bryant came through the one-loss side to make her appearance in the final 32. Bryant was defeated by Rousey in the first round 7-3 but dealt a 7-0 donut to Carlynn Sanchez in the next round.

Junior champion Brittany Bryant came through the one-loss side to make her appearance in the final 32. Bryant was defeated by Sarah Rousey in the first round 7-3 but dealt a 7-0 donut to Carlynn Sanchez in the next. She then survived a hill-hill nail-biter against Jasmin Ouschan 7-6 to reach the single-elimination round and to oust the Austrian prodigy.

Monica Webb also survived the west side of the chart to make it through. She won her first match against Nataly Camancho Villarroel of Bolivia 7-1 but was routed by former world champion Shin Mei Liu of Taipei 7-2. But Webb rallied in her next match, which was against Iris Ranola, and defeated the Filipina 7-2 to advance.

Also from the U.S., Rousey and Angelina Paglia have moved on to the single-elimination phase without a loss. After her win over Bryant, Rousey went on to face Adriana Villar and defeat her 7-3. Paglia has bested Japan’s Kajatani Akimi 7-3 and Xiaochun Zheng 7-6.

View the Women’s World 9-Ball Preliminary Rounds tournament brackets

View the Women’s World 9-Ball tournament brackets

Both Allison and Kelly Fisher remain unscathed and have moved on to the single-elimination format. A. Fisher first defeated Gerda Hofstatter 7-3 and then Ina Jentschura of Germany 7-2, while K. Fisher scored wins over Ya Ting Chan 7-5 and Siming Chen 7-5.

Ranked number two on the WPBA, Karen Corr did not survive to play in the round of 32. Corr was sent to the west side of the chart after her first-round, hill-hill loss to Chieh Yu Chouh. She bested Kynthia Orfandis 7-4 but then was eliminated by Taipei’s Hui Shan Lai 7-5.

Representing Ireland, Julie “Motor Molly” Kelly survived a stint on the left side of the bracket to make a triumphant return to the final 32. Kelly defeated Ranola in the first round 7-5 and fought hard against Vivian Villareal in the next round but fell 7-5. She advanced to the final 32 after a 7-4 defeat of Canada’s Veronique Menard.

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by InsidePOOL Staff

Robb Saez earned the Florida State 9-ball title August 21 when he bested Butch Croft in the finals of the Florida State Open 9-Ball Championships. This $2,000-added event drew 47 players to Ultimate Billiards in Fort Pierce, FL.

Saez earned the Florida State 9-ball title August 21 when he bested Butch Croft in the finals of the Florida State Open 9-Ball Championships.

One of the surprise players of the day was relatively unknown player Jason Steman from Atlanta. Steman had people talking, with his comprehensive wins over Altes 7-2, Justin Hall 7-6, and then 7-5 win over Tommy Kennedy, who was looking to take his seventh straight win on the Poison Tour. But Jacksonville’s Croft proved to be too strong for Stemen and booked himself a winners’ side final with Saez after a hard fought 8-6 win.

Calderon wreaked havoc on the one-loss side after a second-round loss to Saez, eliminating Dave Ross, Richard Knight, Tony Crosby, Hall, Raul Alverez, Jarred Schlauch, Steman, and then Meglino to put himself in the semifinals. The hot seat match was a tight affair, with both players matching each other shot for shot to take it to the wire. At 7-7 Saez held his nerve and captured the hot seat 8-7. Croft then had to deal with Calderon, and he did so convincingly with a 7-1 victory.

Having played solid pool all weekend, Saez continued to do so in the final match. Croft never got out of second gear as Saez raced to a 9-5 win to take the $1,000 in first-place prize money and the title, plus the entry into the Seminole Pro Tour’s Steve Mizerak Championship.

Results:
1st Robb Saez $1,000
2nd Butch Croft $600
3rd Jerry Calderon $500
4th Anthony Meglino $400
5th-6th Tommy Kennedy $300
Jason Steman
7th John Foster $190
Jarred Schlauch
9th Chris Gentile $85
Raul Alverez
Jeff Beckley
Julio Aquino

by InsidePOOL Staff

A full 128-player field filled with the top female billiards players in the game today have gathered in Shenyang, China, to see who is the best of the best. The WPA Women’s World 9-Ball Championship has concluded two rounds of play, and already there have been some upsets.

A full 128-player field filled with the top female billiards players in the game today have gathered in Shenyang, China, to see who is the best of the best.

Ireland’s Karen Corr, ranked third on the WPBA, headed the bracket and faltered in her first-round match against Chieh-Yu Chouh, which went hill-hill before Corr went west. Corr then eliminated Kynthia Orfandis of the Netherlands 7-4 and will next play Hui Shan Lai of Taipei.

Also surprisingly, Xiaoting Pan, who is ranked fourth on the WPBA, fell in the first round to Taipei’s Pei Chen Tsai 7-5. She rebounded in the one-loss side against Norway’s Line Kjorsvik, trouncing her 7-1, and will next face Yun Mi Lim.

Another unexpected loss came from Austria. Number-two-ranked Jasmin Ouschan did well in her first match against Shu Wah Hoe of Singapore, besting her 7-5. But in the second round, Ouschan went to the hill against China’s Xue Chen and ended up heading west 7-6. There she will face Brittany Bryant, former junior champion, who just dealt Carlynn Sanchez of Venezuela a donut 7-0.

View the Women’s World 9-Ball tournament brackets (updated continuously)

Representing the U.S., Sarah Rousey has gone through the first two rounds unscathed, defeating first Bryant 7-3 and then Costa Rica’s Adrian Villar 7-3. U.S. players who have won the first-round matches include Angelina Paglia, Vivian Villareal, and Monica Webb.

Allison Fisher won her first two matches easily, sending first Gerda Hofstatter 7-3 and then Germany’s Ina Jentschura 7-2 to the left side of the chart. Also undefeated, Kelly Fisher bested Taipei’s Ya Ting Chan 7-5 and then Siming Chen of China double-hill.

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