by InsidePOOL Staff

Darren Appleton joined an elite group the eve of October 22—a group of only three 9-ball players, in fact. The players who have pulled off consecutive wins at the prestigious U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships now include Nick Varner (1989, 1990), Mika Immonen (2008, 2009) and now Appleton (2010, 2011).

At 1 p.m. Appleton faced off with the other undefeated player, Alex Pagulayan, in the hot seat match. Pagulayan, who won the Open in 2005 and was in the finals in 2002, staved off Appleton and held the lead at 6-4. But Appleton’s break was working, and so were his defensive moves. Though he had his chances, Pagulayan never won another rack in that match, as Appleton steamrolled through to an 11-6 win.

In the concurrent quarterfinal match, Dennis Hatch, who had played and won six matches Friday on the one-loss side to reach Saturday alive, and Shawn Putnam went up against each other. “Big Bubba” opened up the set with a four-pack and kept Hatch in his chair for most of the match. Finally Hatch won the eighth rack and raised his arms in the air to celebrate. Putnam took the next two and only allowed “The Hatchetman” one more game before breezing past him 11-2.

The Diamond Open 10-Ball Professional Players Championship kicked off Thursday morning with a field that was expanded to 72 players.

Putnam went on to meet Pagulayan in the semifinal match, where the score remained even for the first few games, but it didn’t take long for Pagulayan’s little mistakes to catch up to him. Putnam reached a 6-2 lead, but Pagulayan fought back to 6-4. A scratch by “The Lion” gave Putnam the next rack, and then he broke and ran the following one. However, Pagulayan wasn’t done—he took the next four racks to knot the score at 8.

Live real time scoring and tournament brackets were provided by Propool.com at Inside POOL TV.

An empty break, though, spelled doom for him as Putnam was gifted a 4-9 combo to go up one and then employed his jump cue to win the next rack to reach the hill 10-8. The last rack was pure heartbreak for Pagulayan fans: A safety battle led to Pagulayan kicking in the 3 ball and hanging the 9 at the same time. He got out of line for the 6 and even worse position on the 8, which he and Jimmy Wych attributed to the balls skidding. A long sharp cut shot on the 8 ball was missed, giving Putnam the table with two balls left and the match 11-8.

The final match was a reversal for Putnam and his match with Hatch, as Appleton raced to a 6-0 lead in the extended race to 13. His break was dialed in, and Putnam really wasn’t allowed to the table too often. In the seventh rack Appleton scratched on the 4, and Putnam got on the board and won the next two as well. But when Putnam scratched on his next break, Appleton cleared that table and then broke and ran the next … and the next, with a long-rail bank on the 9 to top things off and bring the score to 9-3 in his favor.

They traded the next four racks, with a great deal of defensive play occurring. Appleton made three balls on his next break, and though they both missed the 3 ball, Putnam lucked in the 7 ball and ran out. But again, his problems with the break came up again and he scratched, and Appleton cleared the table to reach the hill 12-6. In the last rack, Appleton made one ball on the break—but it was all he needed. He broke apart the 2-8 cluster when he shot the 2, and as sparkling wine corks popped in the background, he coolly pocketed the remaining balls to take his second U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship in a row.

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by InsidePOOL Staff

Many fine players were eliminated from the 36th U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships Friday, with only the top 6 returning Saturday to collect their piece of the $175,000 prize purse. Defending champion Darren Appleton will face off with former champ Alex Pagulayan in the hot seat at 1 p.m., while Shawn Putnam and Dennis Hatch will go head to head in the quarterfinal match.

Appleton sent Johnny Archer west in a tight 11-9 match and then went on to face down Putnam 11-7 to reach the hot seat match. In the bottom bracket, Pagulayan breezed through reigning 10-ball champion Huidji See of the Netherlands 11-3 to face Larry “The Truth” Nevel, who had just bested Japan’s Kenichi Uchigaki 11-9. Pagulayan held the lead in his match with Nevel, who, down 9-5, missed a bank shot on the 6 ball and stabbed the floor with his cue, smashing the shaft. Pagulayan reached the hill after that rack, and though Nevel put another couple racks under his belt, after a failed attempt at a bank in the last rack, Pagulayan ran out for the 11-7 win.

Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour regular Hatch was taking care of business on the west side of the chart, routing Johnny Archer and sending him home in ninth place. Their score was tied 4-all when Archer allowed Hatch to the table and never saw it again, as Hatch ran the set out to win 11-4. Hatch then turned Filipino champ Warren Kiamco’s lights out in the following round, eliminating him 11-5.

Live real time scoring is being provided by ProPool.com and are being displayed at Inside POOL TV.

Many fine players were eliminated from the 36th U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships Friday, with only the top 6 returning Saturday to collect their piece of the $175,000 prize purse.

After his winners’ side match loss, Nevel went on to face Hatch, with “The Hatchetman” dominating completely. Up 9-3, Hatch pushed out after his break, and Nevel took a swing at the 1 ball and scratched, handing Hatch the hill and then forfeiting the next rack to hand the match to Hatch 11-3.

2011 U.S. Open 9-Ball Final 8 Player Tournament Brackets
2011 U.S. Open 9-Ball Tournament Brackets
Day 1 Results
Day 2 Results
Day 3 Results
Day 4 Results
Day 5 Results

Putnam defeated reigning world 9-ball champion Yukio Akagariyama 11-9 only to be sent west by Appleton 11-7. From there he held a 10-4 lead over See, who attempted a comeback and won the next four racks, but Putnam shut him down 11-7 to return Saturday.

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by InsidePOOL Staff

The contest for the main prize at the 36th U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships is heating up in Chesapeake, VA, with only 8 players going into Friday’s matches without a loss and 24 players vying for their piece of the $175,000 prize fund.

Reigning champion Darren Appleton looks a good bet at this point—he has breezed through his first four opponents to match up with Johnny Archer, who won the Open in 1999. Archer put on a clinic in his evening match against Antonio Lining, holding the Filipino to 3 to win their match.

Shane Van Boening, champion in 2007, is still going strong after a close call over India’s Raj Hundal 11-9 to move on to best reigning world 9-ball champ Yukio Akagarima 11-8. Van Boening’s next challenge will come from Shawn Putnam, who overcame Hall of Famer Earl Strickland 11-8 earlier.

Japan can be proud of hometown hero Kenichi Uchigacki, who has triumphed over former winner Tommy Kennedy, Harvey Shognosh, Kevin Bailey, and Filipino Jundel Mazon to reach the final 8 without a scratch, only to face down formidable opponent Lee Vann Corteza 11-9. Uchigacki’s next opponent, Larry “The Truth” Nevel, earlier bested one of Europe’s best, Mark Gray, in a narrow 11-9 victory.

The contest for the main prize at the 36th U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships is heating up in Chesapeake, VA, with only 8 players going into Friday’s matches without a loss and 24 players vying for their piece of the $175,000 prize fund.

Alex “The Lion” Pagulayan had an easy day of it, first defeating Stan Shuffett 11-4 and then going to to whitewash fellow countryman Warren Kiamco 11-0. Pagulayan’s next match will be against former 14.1 champ Huidji See, who earlier sent Rodney Morris to the one-loss side 11-8 after Morris had just sent Nick Varner west 11-5.

Live real-time scoring of the U.S. Open 9-ball is being provided by ProPool.com at InsidePOOL TV.

2011 U.S. Open 9-Ball Tournament Brackets
Day 1 Results
Day 2 Results
Day 3 Results
Day 4 Results
On the one-loss side, Niels Feijen of Holland eliminated Hall of Fame inductee Ralf Souquet 11-8. Dennis Hatch is still alive, after ousting Hunter Lombardo 11-4 and then Chris Bartram 11-6. China Open champ Chris Melling was sent home after an 11-7 loss to Naoyuki Oi. Hall of Famer Nick Varner is still alive, having eliminated Raj Hundal 11-7, while Charlie Williams ousted two-time champion Mika Immonen 11-3.

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by InsidePOOL Staff

It was a heart-breaking evening for some in the winners’ bracket at the 36th U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships, as the undefeated side was halved from 64 to 32.

Legends of One-Pocket champion Shannon Daulton went up against fellow Kentuckian Nick Varner, a two-time winner of the U.S. Open, and held a 5-3 lead before Varner was able to knot the score at 6-all. Unfazed, Daulton steadily climbed to the hill, but then he scratched on a rail shot on the 2 ball and never made it back to the table—Varner cleared that rack and then put a four-pack on “The Cannon” to escape with the 11-10 win.

Another tough winners’ side match saw Filipino Warren Kiamco, who took fourth place in last year’s event, go up against frequent Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour winner Dennis Hatch. The match seesawed to double-hill with Hatch in control of the table, but he missed the 8 ball, and Kiamco dished up to advance unscathed.

Two more hill-hill matches on the winners’ side occurred: Indiana’s Dennis Haar bested Northeast force Jeremy Sossei 11-10, while Bill Anderson moved past Mike Fuller 11-10. India’s Raj Hundal held an early lead over 2007 champ Shane Van Boening but was passed up as “The North Dakota Kid” surged to an 11-9 victory. Los Angeles’ Oscar Dominguez triumphed over Holland’s Niels Feijen in a close match that saw “The Big O” move on 11-9.

It was a heart-breaking evening for some in the winners’ bracket at the 36th U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships, as the undefeated side was halved from 64 to 32.

Live real time scoring of the entire 2011 U.S.Open 9-Ball Championships is being provided by ProPool.com and can be viewed at Inside POOL TV. The live real time scoring of the event also has chat so that visitors can visit with other fans.

2011 U.S. Open 9-Ball Tournament Brackets
Day 1 Results
Day 2 Results
Day 3 Results
Day 4 Results

The elimination rounds will continue all throughout Thursday, with the winners’ side rounding out the night at 7:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m., and 11:00 p.m.

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by InsidePOOL Staff

Half of the undefeated players at the 36th U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships have gone through two rounds of play, while on the west side of the chart, the elimination rounds have begun. This year’s event brought 250 players to the Chesapeake Conference Center to vie for their piece of the $175,000 prize fund.

InsidePOOL’s 2010 Amateur Player of the Year, Raymond Linares, had a tough draw but bested Jonathan Demet 11-6 in the first round before facing off with Lee Vann Corteza in the second. An 11-1 loss sent him to the one-loss side, where he will play Hayato Hajikata.

Jesse Engel, the 19-year-old who wowed spectators last year with back-to-back victories over Earl Strickland 11-10 and Mike Sigel 11-1, bested S. Suryawanshi 11-3 in the first round but suffered a second-round loss to Jundel Mazon 11-8. His first opponent on the one-loss side will be Mark Horn.

Jesse Engel, the 19-year-old who wowed spectators last year with back-to-back victories over Strickland 11-10 and Sigel 11-1, bested S. Suryawanshi 11-3 in the first round but suffered a second-round loss to Jundel Mazon 11-8. His first opponent on the one-loss side will be Mark Horn.

Famed Los Angeles player Ernesto Dominguez was defeated in the first round by Tim Colvin 11-6 but fought back in the second round by whitewashing Shaun Moylan 11-0. Dominguez’s next challenge will be former junior champion Brittany Bryant.

The live scoring will be provided by ProPool.com and posted at Inside POOL TV Live U.S. Open Scoring and the tournament brackets will be updated continuously and posted at:

U.S. Open 9-Ball Tournament Bracket 1

Corey Deuel, who won this event in 2001 from the west side, recovered from his first-round loss to Li Wen Lo 11-8 and eliminated Aradhana Naik 11-1 to advance. “The Korean Dragon” was slain in the second round by Robb Saez 11-6 and will have to get past Cleiton Rocha in the next round. Mike Davis was also defeated in the second round by England’s Mark Gray 11-7 and will have to face Canada’s John Morra next. Virginians Chris Bruner and Larry Kressel are both on the west side, having been bested by Niels Feijen 11-4 and Larry Nevel 11-5, respectively.

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The 2011 U.S. Open 9-Ball live real time scoring and tournament brackets will be provided by ProPool.com. The event will be held October 16-22, 2011 at the Chesapeake Conference Center in Chesapeake, VA and will feature 251 of the world’s greatest billiards players including Earl Strickland, Ralf Souquet, Nick Varner, and Johnny Archer.

The 2011 U.S. Open 9-Ball live scoring and tournament brackets will be provided by ProPool.com.

The live scoring will be posted at Inside POOL TV Live U.S. Open Scoring and the tournament brackets will be updated continuously and posted at:

U.S. Open 9-Ball Tournament Bracket 1

U.S. Open 9-Ball Tournament Bracket 2

U.S. Open 9-Ball Tournament Bracket 3

U.S. Open 9-Ball Tournament Bracket 4

The action starts at 11am EST on October 16 and will continue through October 22.

About Propool.com
Propool.com has taken almost two decades of accumulating statistics, refined them, and created a system to rating the playing ability of players from all over the world. These ratings can be used to handicap weekly tournaments, leagues and even one-on-one match-ups. See more at Propool.com.

Tournament promoter and director Joshua Dickerson is pleased to announce that Kamui Tips will be the official tip of the 2011 VA State 9-Ball Championship. The event will be hosted by Diamond Billiards in Midlothian, VA on July 30-31, 2011.

The 2011 VA State 9-Ball Championship will be simulcast live in HD and for free by Inside POOL Video throughout dozens of locations online including Youtube, Facebook and Ustream.

The event is a double elimination tournament limited to 64 players. Live streaming for the event will be provided by Inside POOL Video and will be broadcast live and for free in high definition. The top finisher will receive also receive an entry into the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship in Chesapeake, VA which will be held on October 16-22, 2011.

John Bertone of Kamui said, “Kamui Tips is a proud sponsor of the Virginia State 9-Ball Championship. We know that this is a great event to be part of and for the players to attend. We are also proud to know that this event is streamed in dozens of locations for the enjoyment of the players around the world. The Kamui Brand is about the player and glad to be part of this great event.”

The 2011 VA State 9-ball Championship will be simulcast at dozens of locations, including the following locations:

Ustream InsidePOOLmag Live Streaming Billiards Channel
Youtube InsidePOOLmag Live Streaming Billiards Channel
Facebook InsidePOOLmag Live Streaming Billiards Channel
VA State Pool and Billiards Association web site
Inside POOL Live Streaming
Inside POOL TV

About Kamui
The Kamui brand started just over 7 years ago by a player. We understand that players today want a tip that is consistent and has the most playability. We have the latest in technology to help us become the #1 in Playability and Consistent tip on the market. We are never satisfied with the products we produce, which means we push technology to make our products better for you.

About the Virginia State Pool and Billiards Association
The Virginia State Billiards Association is dedicated to the professional promotion of pool and billiards with a focus on events that showcase billiards in high profile and upscale establishments around the great state of Virginia. The events currently being produced include the Virginia State 9-Ball and the Virginia State 14.1 tournaments. For more information, please visit the web site at VA-Pool.com.

Tournament promoter and director Joshua Dickerson is pleased to announce that Simonis Cloth will be the official billiards cloth of the 2011 VA State 9-Ball Championship. The event will be hosted by Diamond Billiards in Midlothian, VA on July 30-31, 2011.

The 2011 VA State 9-Ball Championship will be simulcast live in HD and for free by Inside POOL Video throughout dozens of locations online including Youtube, Facebook and Ustream.

The event is a double elimination tournament limited to 64 players. Live streaming for the event will be provided by Inside POOL Video and will be broadcast live and for free in high definition. The top finisher will receive also receive an entry into the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship in Chesapeake, VA which will be held on October 16-22, 2011.

The 2011 VA State 9-ball Championship will be simulcast at dozens of locations, including the following locations:

Ustream InsidePOOLmag Live Streaming Billiards Channel
Youtube InsidePOOLmag Live Streaming Billiards Channel
Facebook InsidePOOLmag Live Streaming Billiards Channel
VA State Pool and Billiards Association web site
Inside POOL Live Streaming
Inside POOL TV

About Simonis
Simonis is a global company and you will find Simonis cloth on tables all over the world. In fact, Simonis cloth is one of the constants in the sport. Sold in over 50 countries, Simonis cloth is truly the universal choice for cue sports. Having earned its reputation with professional players and amateurs alike, Simonis remains the choice for more tournaments worldwide than any other cloth. Simonis is truly The Cloth of Champions® and you can use its functional superiority to enhance your enjoyment of the game because it allows you to play your best.

About the Virginia State Pool and Billiards Association
The Virginia State Billiards Association is dedicated to the professional promotion of pool and billiards with a focus on events that showcase billiards in high profile and upscale establishments around the great state of Virginia. The events currently being produced include the Virginia State 9-Ball and the Virginia State 14.1 tournaments. For more information, please visit the web site at VA-Pool.com.

by InsidePOOL Staff

Mika Immonen, winner of two U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships, triumphed at the Masters 10-Ball Championship by cruising to an undefeated victory in the finals over Ralf Souquet. The $25,000-added Masters was hosted by the Chesapeake Conference Center in Chesapeake, VA, March 1-5.

Immonen, winner of two U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships, triumphed at the Masters 10-Ball Championship by cruising to an undefeated victory in the finals over Souquet.

Surviving a featured match-up against Earl Strickland that went double-hill put Immonen into the final four on the winners’ side facing Souquet for the first time in the event. Immonen swept the German aside 8-2 by taking the lead from the start to advance to the hot seat match.

His opponent there was Mike Davis, who had been responsible earlier for the 8-4 defeat of Shawn “Big Bubba” Putnam. After facing down Putnam Davis went on to play Mike Dechaine, and their match went neck and neck before Davis finally edged ahead to an 8-6 win. Against Immonen, though, Davis was quickly pushed to the west side of the chart 8-2 while the Finn awaited a finals opponent.

Strickland was not down for the count yet and went through the one-loss side, eliminating Dennis Hatch 8-6 and Rodney Morris 8-6 before being stopped by Dechaine 8-2. Dechaine moved on to the quarterfinal match, where he faced Souquet, who had just ousted Putnam at fifth place 8-2. Dechaine met with a similar fate, as Souquet forged ahead and relegated him to fourth place.

Davis put up more of a fight against Souquet, as the two battled back and forth for control in the semifinals. Souquet was the one left standing at the end of it, and he earned his rematch with Immonen 9-7, with Davis taking third. Immonen played excellently in the finals against Souquet, and he was able to secure the title 10-4.

Per the press release dated March 5 on AZBilliards.com, Barry Behrman has paid out the players who came in 9th through 24th in cash and has issued eight post-dated checks for the balance, each dated one week apart, to the remaining eight players.

Results:
1st Mika Immonen $15,000
2nd Ralf Souquet $7,000
3rd Mike Davis $5,000
4th Mike Dechaine $4,000
5th Shawn Putnam $3,000
Earl Strickland
7th Rodney Morris $2,000
Johnny Archer
9th Alex Pagulayan $1,500
Shane Winters
Warren Kiamco
Dennis Hatch
13th Tommy Kennedy $800
Corey Deuel
Charlie Williams
Jundel Mazon
17th Gabe Owen $600
Jesse Engel
Chris Loar
Brian Brekke
Chris Orme
Shane Van Boening
John Morra
Stevie Moore

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