The World Professional Billiard League Super Series has been formed to not only introduce the new game of Bonus Ball to the world but to help show case the talents of the world’s best players. Bonus Ball is unique to the pool world because of the scoreboard, time clock, and statistical data it brings to the game of pool. What better way to introduce it than having eight of the world’s best professional players show case it!

Bonus Ball had its debut at the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships in October in Chesapeake, VA. It is a game designed to showcase all aspects of pool. It was designed with a time clock to make it more suitable for television and tournaments. In Bonus Ball, you also score points instead of using ball elimination. The statistical program implemented by the WPBL will give fans a lot to analyze. It will give us a picture of how the professional players rank against each other in Bonus Ball.

The World Professional Billiard League Super Series has been formed to not only introduce the new game of Bonus Ball to the world but to help show case the talents of the world's best players.

These eight players will be playing in a unique format that will have each player competing against each other three times, playing the game of Bonus Ball. There will be four of the eight players in a final day play-off of races to 4. Each player will be rewarded with points that they will carry with them to the next event. The first event is scheduled for May 6-9 in Winnipeg, Canada at the beautiful McPhillip Station Casino. Winnipeg is the birth place of the game of Bonus Ball.

You can learn more about Bonus Ball and the WPBL at PlayBonusBall.comon the web. You will find many articles on how to play Bonus Ball and a video of Johnny Archer and Erik Hjorleifson walking the viewer through an actual game of Bonus Ball. This is an exciting addition to billiards, not only a new game but a new league for professional pool players.

by Lea Andrews

Mika “Iceman” Immonen tied with Nick Varner when he took his second U.S. Open Championships title in a row, winning 13-10 over Ralf Souquet in the extended final match. The Open began October 18 with 216 players and wound down a week later with the crowning of the Finnish champion, who earned $40,000 for his top showing.

Souquet and Immonen were both past champions of the event, with Souquet winning his green jacket in 2002 when he bested Alex Pagulayan in the finals. Immonen earned his first title last year over Ronnie Alcano of the Philippines.

Souquet faced Mills first in the match for the hot seat and got out ahead of him 9-5. Souquet’s scratch on the break in rack 15 put him in his chair until the score was tied at 9, though, and Souquet came to the table only once in rack 19 to face a two-rail kick shot. Mills closed out that rack to reach the hill first 10-9, but he made nothing on the break in rack 20. Souquet was out, and then a break and run in rack 21 earned him the hot seat.

Almost immediately, Mills had to face Immonen, who’d put Lee Van Corteza in fourth 11-8 after being down 8-5. “It’s not a good habit to get into, but it’s good to be able to come back from a deficit,” said Immonen, who’s had several comebacks this tournament and ended the Corteza match with a break and run. “It’s nice to end with style,” he commented. Against Mills, Immonen opened with a break and run but soon found himself down 5-2 and 7-4. When Mills scratched on the 8 ball in rack 12, Immonen made it 7-5, and three break and runs in a row gave him the lead 8-7. Mills tied it up at 8 after Immonen left a safety on the 1 ball open, but Immonen took the next two to get on the hill 10-8. Immonen missed a delicate safety on the 1 in rack 19, hitting the 9 instead and leaving Mills out. Rack 20 went to Mills after Immonen kicked at the 3 ball and left it hanging, and it was hill-hill. Mills had been breaking very well all day, and there was a good chance Immonen would not get out of his chair again. But the cue ball found the side pocket on Mills’ break, and Immonen navigated a tricky rack down to the winning 6-9 combination.

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Immonen defeated Souquet in the finals of the 2009 U.S. Open to become the second player in history to win back-to-back U.S. Open 9-Ball titles.

Having successfully negotiated through 13 matches on the one-loss side, more than anyone ever had before, according to event promoter Barry Behrman, Immonen now faced former Mosconi Cup teammate Souquet in the extended race to 13. There was a massive $25,000 difference between first place at $40,000 and second at $15,000. Souquet drew first blood when Immonen broke dry, but Immonen took the next three in a row to gain a 3-1 advantage. When the score seesawed to 4 apiece, Souquet surged ahead, winning the next rack with a break and run. Immonen had a chance in the next after Souquet missed a jump shot, but he missed a straight-in 6 ball, and Souquet was out. Instead of being tied at 5 apiece, it was 6-4 Souquet.

Another miss by Immonen in the next, and Souquet put another game under his belt. But the tides turned again when Souquet hooked himself for the 6 and was forced to kick at it. He hit it but left the Finn a shot, and Immonen took that rack. And the next. And the next. Immonen won six racks in a row to bring the score to 10-7 in his favor, an astonishing change from being down 7-4. When he scratched on the 1 ball in the following rack, Souquet dished up, and though Immonen was back at the table in the next rack, he missed an 8-9 combination, and Souquet drew within a game at 10-9.

A delicate safety on the 3 ball by Souquet saw Immonen flail at it without success, and Souquet drew even at 10 each. A safety battle over the 1 ball ended when Souquet left it dangling in the corner pocket, with Immonen clearing that rack. Immonen completely missed the 2 ball after his next break, handing Souquet ball in hand, but Souquet lost that advantage when he scratched after shooting the 6 ball for position on the 8, and Immonen took the hill 12-10. In the final rack, Immonen broke and immediately eyed the 1-9 carom. He lined up, made it cleanly, and collapsed on the floor in a heap.

Footage from the finals and awards ceremony.

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by Lea Andrews

It’s official: Either Donnie Mills or 2002 U.S. Open Champion Ralf Souquet—or both—will be racing to 13 in the finals of the 34th Annual U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships Saturday. The two men, who were part of the original field of 216 gathered at the Chesapeake Conference Center in Chesapeake, VA, October 18-24, will play for the hot seat tomorrow afternoon.

Mills, who had to get by England’s Karl Boyes to reach the final four, had to get by 1996 U.S. Open champion “Rocket” Rodney Morris to reach the hot seat match—no easy task, especially after being down 8-4. “In the past, I would’ve given up when I was down 8-4,” Mills later admitted, “but one thing I’ve learned about pool by playing a lot is that I knew there was a good chance the momentum would shift my way, so that’s why I just stayed confident and focused. And luckily the momentum did come my way.” Mills took six straight racks to get on the hill, though he made nothing on the break in rack 19. Morris played safe on the 1 ball and was out with ball in hand, but he broke dry in rack 20, leaving a difficult but do-able layout for Mills, who pocketed ball after ball down to the 9, where he found himself nearly frozen to the rail. “I was literally going to take my break right then,” said Mills, who feared a miscue. “But I went ahead and went with it.” His decision earned him the match 11-9.

Meanwhile, Souquet, who’d gotten by Chris Bartram 11-8, was battling it out with Filipino Lee Van Corteza, whom he’s played several times but has never, to the best of his recollection, defeated. Throughout the match, though, during which he stayed ahead 6-1, 7-3, 9-4, and 10-6, and which he won 11-7, that fact wasn’t on his mind. “Obviously you don’t want to think about it, but here and there, you have people reminding you,” he said pointedly, though good-naturedly. Souquet explained that against Corteza in the past, he hadn’t played very well, but today, “Finally, I played a bit better. I still made a few mistakes here and there, but so did he, and I think it was a deserved win.”

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Either Mills or 2002 U.S. Open Champion Souquet—or both—will be racing to 13 in the finals of the 34th Annual U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships Saturday.

Corteza moved on to “California Kim” Davenport, who’d earlier edged out his own friend and business partner, recent Hall of Famer Johnny Archer, by snapping the 9 ball in off the break at hill-hill. Backing it up with a hill-hill victory over Karl Boyes, Davenport seemed more than ready for another win. But Corteza was ready himself, and though Davenport won the lag and the first rack with a break and run, it was his only lead. Corteza got ahead 6-1, 9-3, and 10-5, and though Davenport made a fantastic jump on the 2 ball with a full cue in rack 16 and finished off the table to make it 10-6, his break in rack 17 was his last chance at the table. Nothing fell, and Corteza was out. “I feel very happy,” said Corteza about his win. “I played well.”

Also returning tomorrow is returning champion Mika Immonen, who took care of Morris 11-9 immediately following Morris’ loss to Mills. Immonen, who played seven matches between midnight last night and tonight, had been feeling the fatigue in the early evening and opted for a professional massage in the vendor area outside the arena. “It helped a little. I had to do something to get my legs loose,” said Immonen, who noted that the most important thing was that his arm was loose. And it was. And how does it feel to reach the final day, to defend the crown? “Unbelievable,” he said.

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by Lea Andrews

On the penultimate day of the 34th Annual U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships, the final four on the winners’ side have come through, and on the one-loss side, Steve Moore came from behind two matches in a row to reach the final twelve. The remaining elite players are part of the original field of 216 who gathered October 18-24 at the Chesapeake Conference Center in Chesapeake, VA.

After falling to Ralf Souquet 11-4 on the winners’ side final eight, Moore faced Keith Bennett, who’d just edged out Kenichi Uchigaki 11-10. Bennett got to a 9-3 lead over Moore, who rallied to tie it up at 9, and the two traded off to make it hill-hill. In the final rack, Moore found himself sharked on the 5 ball by the red light on a spectator’s camera. “I got up and I got back down, and she did it again,” recalled Moore after the match. “I got up and I told her about it, but when I got back down, I was still thinking about it.” He missed. But he was back at the table after Bennett miscued on the 6, though he was looking at a kick. After Moore’s hit, Bennett was left with a shot, but his position was off on the 7 ball, and the cue ball found the side pocket. Moore was out, and his next match against Yukio Akagarivama was called nearly instantly.

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Once again Moore was down several games, then tied at 9 and at 10. After some safety play in the final rack, it was Akagarivama who had control, and he moved carefully through the rack. His shot on the 7 down the rail grazed the cushion, though, leaving the 7 hanging in the pocket and the crowd all gasping at once. Moore tapped it in for position on the 8 in the side, which he considered carefully before getting down on the shot. “There were so many options on the eight,” he explained afterwards. “And then I was like, ‘You know what? Just spin the ball in, three-rail it.’ It’s a pretty routine shot—I was just looking at all my options, and I hit it real well. I knew as soon as I hit it.” After getting perfect position on the 9, Moore dropped it in for the win and the right to face Imran Majid, who fell 11-7 to Lee Van Corteza on the winners’ side. About the rest of the tournament, Moore doesn’t care how the matches go—not exactly. “I don’t care if I’m behind and win or ahead and win—I just want to win. Whatever it takes.”

Morris admitted that he had a rather fortuitus set against Davenport.

On the other side of the bracket, 1996 U.S. Open champion “Rocket” Rodney Morris blew by Kim Davenport 11-2 on the TV table to reach the undefeated final four. Morris, who won his first match on the TV table 11-9 against Corey Deuel despite feeling nervous about the way it played, was prepared this time around. “My touch was better than his on the table, and it’s so lightning fast that it’s all touch,” he explained. “It’s easy to lose the cue ball on safeties, but mine were coming out perfect.” Morris faces Donnie Mills, who eased past Karl Boyes 11-3, while Souquet and Corteza round out the final four.

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by Lea Andrews

As day five of the 34th Annual U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships draws to a close, some former champions are saving their dreams of repeats for next year, while others continue their march towards the finish line and the green jacket and $40,000 that come with it. The field of 216 that arrived for the event, which is being held October 18-24 at the Chesapeake Conference Center in Chesapeake, VA, is growing steadily smaller as the end of the week draws near.

2002 winner Ralf Souquet is one such winner still marching on, having arrived in the winners’ side final eight following his victory over Steve Moore. After being tied up 4-4 with Moore, Souquet didn’t allow him to hit the string again. “Well,” acknowledged a modest Souquet, “he didn’t want to win it. Let’s put it that way,” he laughed. “He had some chances—he scratched twice, both times on the second-to-last ball. He could’ve won a lot more games. It could’ve been a much tighter game, because I didn’t play very well. I made several mistakes throughout the match. So did he,” conceded Souquet, “but I managed to get over my weak points and finish the match with quite a comfortable score of 11-4.”

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After his BCA Hall of Fame industion ceremony Archer was on fire and lit his next two opponents up as he moved into Friday's action.

1999 winner Johnny Archer had to go straight from his Hall of Fame induction ceremony to his west side match versus Stan Tourangeau, who managed to mark up two games only after Archer had already marked up nine, and Archer took the next two to close it out 11-2. “It felt good,” said Archer of his first win following his induction, which he called “a great experience.” About the remainder of the tournament, Archer is optimistic. “Just need a good couple of breaks and I think I could be right there at the end.” Also continuing through the left side of the bracket are former champions Shane Van Boening and Corey Deuel, while past champions now out of the competition include Nick Varner, Mike Lebron, and Gabe Owen.

Several players joining Souquet and Corteza in the final eight are “Rocket” Rodney Morris, who won 11-9 over British player Chris Melling; Kim Davenport, who defeated Mike Dechaine 11-8; Demetrius Jelatis, who sent Donnie Mills west 11-5; and Karl Boyes, who bested Jose Parica 11-4.

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by Lea Andrews

Charlie “The Korean Dragon” Williams, who found himself on the left side of the bracket of the 34th Annual U.S. Open Championships following an 11-9 loss to one of North Carolina’s finest, Keith Bennett, is still in the running after a decisive win over 2004 U.S. Open champion Gabe Owen. As play continues from October 18-24th at the Chesapeake Conference Center in Chesapeake, VA, the original field of 216 becomes ever smaller.

Williams kept a strong lead over Owen throughout their match, getting up 6-2, 7-4, and 10-4. When he broke open rack 15, nothing fell for him, and Owen cleared the table cleanly and efficiently to make it 10-5. Owen’s comeback, if there were to be one, would have to be now. The cue ball ricocheted off another ball into the foot pocket on the break, though, and all he could do was wait to see if Williams could navigate the rack. Once Williams got past the 3 ball, which could go only in the side, the rest of the rack looked to be paint-by-numbers for a player of Williams’ caliber. When he came up a little bit short, (“A lot bit,” he later quipped) the path to the winning 9 ball wasn’t quite so simple. What should have been a simple two-rail shot turned into a very thin cut up the rail with a three-rail Z-pattern path to the 9 ball, which was sitting on the foot cushion. “I practice that shot a lot, actually,” explained Williams, who hit it perfectly to take the match 11-5. “I’m good at cut shots. I just tried to put myself in the moment, just making sure I didn’t over-hit it.” Williams went on, “You know, it’s a lot of pressure to finish the match out, and you have a tendency to overamp. I just reminded myself not to hit it too hard, and it went in.”

Matt Clatterbuck got a wish granted from Ryan “The Genie Man” McCreesh and knocked him out 11-9.

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Williams joins the growing list of those responsible for ousting crowd favorites: Ricky Yang, who won 11-5 over Ronnie Alcano; Matt Clatterbuck, who got a wish granted from Ryan “The Genie Man” McCreesh and knocked him out 11-9; and Manny Chau, who won 11-7 over Nick Varner, a back-to-back champion in 1989 and 1990.

Tonight’s 10 p.m. round will feature eight winners’ side matches, including Steve Moore versus 2002 champion Ralf Souquet, Chris Bartram versus Jeremy Sossei, and Lee Van Corteza versus five-time winner Earl Strickland.

by Lea Andrews

1996 U.S. Open champion “Rocket” Rodney Morris is vying for a repeat at the 2009 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships, arriving on the final 16 on the winners’ side following a tight match-up with Corey “The Prince of Pool” Deuel. The two men are part of the field of 216 gathered at the Chesapeake Conference Center in Chesapeake, VA, October 18-24 for the 34th Annual US Open Championships.

Morris got off to a strong start against Deuel, leading the way at 6-3, but Deuel took rack 10 to make it 6-4, and back-to-back break and runs tied it up at 6 apiece. Nothing fell for Deuel on the break in rack 13, and after Morris’ push-out and some back-and-forth safeties, Deuel got control and seemed to be on his way out. When he got out of line on the 9, though, the tables turned. His bank attempt came up short, though the speed was just right to leave Morris with a very tough cut. He nailed it to get ahead 7-6, but Deuel tied it back up when Morris broke dry. Morris came out on top of rack 15, and his 9 on the break in rack 16 put him up 9-7. After getting ball in hand following a great safety on the 3 ball in rack 17, Morris was on the hill 10-7, but Deuel wasn’t ready to give up. He navigated the rack that Morris left on a dry break to make it 10-8, and after Morris found himself hooked on the 2 ball in rack 19, Deuel took ball in hand to get within one. But he could get no further. It was Morris who topped the safeties in the final rack, and though he came up short on position on the 9 ball, he sliced it in, urging it on with a shout as it dropped. “I felt nervous, as I always do,” said Morris of his match, “but that’s a good thing. The fact that I’m actually cued in and thinking the way I need to think is good.”

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Morris is vying for a repeat at the 2009 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships, arriving on the final 16 on the winners’ side following a tight match-up with Deuel.

Also in the final 16 is British former snooker player Chris Melling, who missed the feel of his 12.5-ounce snooker cue with its 8-millimeter tip during his hill-hill victory over Japanese player Tomoo Takano, who was responsible for sending last year’s runner-up, Ronnie Alcano, west earlier in the event. “I wish I had it back, but on the other end, there’s so much more you can do with an American pool cue,” said Melling, who now plays 9-ball and 10-ball exclusively.

Jose Parica earned his spot in the final 16 with his 11-9 win over 2007 champion Shane Van Boening, while Karl Boyes made it with an 11-5 win over Charlie “Hillbilly” Bryant. Out of the competition is Oscar Dominguez, who fell 11-9 to Matt Clatterbuck; Cliff Joyner, who fell 11-4 to Majed Alazemi; and Oliver Ortmann, the 11-7 victim of fellow countryman Thorsten “The Hitman” Hohmann.

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Photo courtesy Rodney Andrews/Inside POOL

by Lea Andrews

Niels Feijen, who fell in round one to Ramil Gallego 11-8, blew past Curtis Coleman 11-0 to face Raj Hundal in a tight elimination-round match on day four of the 34th Annual U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships. Feijen is one of the field of 216 that is gathered at the Chesapeake Conference Center in Chesapeake, VA, October 18-24, though that field is steadily dwindling.

Feijen opened up by getting ahead 3-0 over Hundal, but Hundal used some safety play to tie it up at three apiece. Feijen took rack seven, but his break, which is powerful and controlled, nevertheless did him no favors in the next three racks, though he was able to work around it with push-outs and safeties to make it 7-3. His break worked well for him in rack eleven, and he ran out to take a five-game lead. Rack twelve went to Feijen, but thirteen went to Hundal, and it was 9-4, at which point Hundal began putting the racks together. Three straight break and runs put Hundal on the path to a comeback 9-7, but he couldn’t see the 1 ball after the break in rack eighteen and chose a kick-safe, though it left Feijen a shot, which he pocketed and followed up with a safety on the 2 ball. Although Hundal managed to hit it, Feijen was out and on the hill, and a 9 ball that sailed into the head corner off of a ball sealed the match.

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Feijen, who fell in round one to Gallego 11-8, blew past Coleman 11-0 to face Hundal in a tight elimination-round match on day four of the 34th Annual U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships.

“It was nice,” said Feijen, who’d found himself in a similar situation in 2006 in the World Pool Masters against Hundal, though there situations were reversed—in 2006, it was Hundal on the hill. “It was the same nine ball break in the same corner, but his hit one more ball,” he explained. Feijen, who feels he’s getting more and more in stroke after getting some practice in the past couple of days, is ready to just “keep playing and keep enjoying it.” Hundal joins a growing list of those out of the running, including CJ Wiley, Jerry Calderon, and Shaun Wilkie, who fell 11-9 to Scott Tollefson after being up 9-8.

Upcoming winners’ side matches include Corey Deuel versus Rodney Morris, Roberto Gomez versus Kim Davenport, who sent Shawn Putnam west 11-8, Ralf Souquet versus Abdullah Alyousef, and Shane Van Boening versus Jose Parica.

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photo courtesy Rodney Andrews

by Lea Andrews

Day three of the 34th Annual U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships was the final day for some of the field of 216, while others, some of whom are responsible for the heavy hitters on the west side of the bracket, continue their quest for the title on the east. The event, which features a grand prize of $40,000, runs October 18-24 at the Chesapeake Conference Center in Chesapeake, VA.

One such giant slayer is British player Scott Higgins, who sent fellow Brit Raj Hundal to the left side 11-7 in the second round and followed it up with a hill-hill win over Filipino Warren Kiamco in the third. Higgins, who played in the Open last year but didn’t fare very well, has since improved and is currently ranked 16th on the Euro Tour. In a seesaw match against Kiamco, he found himself down 3-1, then up 6-3 and down 9-6, 9-8, and 10-8. Kiamco’s dry break in rack 19 left Higgins out, and Higgins’ break and run in rack 20 put the score at hill-hill. He played safe on the 2 ball, and Kiamco’s masse missed its mark, giving Higgins ball in hand. “He left me a 2-9 combo but I didn’t even see the shot,” said Higgins. “I just got focused on trying to clear the table.” When he did finally see the shot, “I started laughing,” he said.

Bennett is also moving quickly along, having notched matching 11-9 wins over Ortmann and Williams to go up against Majid in upcoming round four.

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Keith Bennett is also moving quickly along, having notched matching 11-9 wins over Oliver Ortmann and Charlie Williams to go up against Imran Majid in upcoming round four. Chris Bartram, who was responsible for sending defending champion Mika Immonen west 11-9 and David Alcaide west 11-6, will face Jason Klatt, who put Thorsten Hohmann on the left side 11-9.

Out of the running are CJ Wiley, who fell 11-8 to Tom D’Alfonso, and Bob Jewett, who fell 11-9 to Chris Futrell.

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by Lea Andrews

The field of 216 who arrived Sunday for the start of the 34th Annual US Open 9-Ball Championships has just begun to whittle its way down, as day three has seen the first eliminations of the event, though many are still going strong on the winners’ side. Action at the Chesapeake Conference Center in Chesapeake, VA, continues through October 24, when the last man standing will don that green jacket.

CJ Wiley, who moved west after a first round 11-4 loss to Marlin Manalo, is now out of the running after falling 11-8 to Tom D’Alfonso. Upcoming one-loss side matches are Holland’s Niels Feijen versus Curtis Coleman, Pat DiBuono versus Kenichi Uchigaki, bank pool champ Danny Harriman versus Jason Richko, and Thorsten Hohmann versus fellow countryman Oliver Ortmann.

Still moving along on the right side is Ryan McCreesh, who survived a hill-hill battle with Craig Houghton by breaking and running the final rack.

Still moving along on the right side is Ryan McCreesh, who survived a hill-hill battle with Craig Houghton by breaking and running the final rack. “I broke perfect. On a break like that, this guy’s in trouble,” said McCreesh, who has a strategy for his upcoming match with world 10-ball champion Darren Appleton. “Break good, play good safes, and don’t miss,” he said with a laugh. Mike “Fingers” Badsteubner is ready for his winners’ side match versus Manalo after keeping Nick Varner from notching up the final game in their hill-hill match. Badsteubner, who’d gotten up 9-3, found the momentum of the match changing and Varner mounting a comeback, tying it up at 9 and reaching the hill first 10-9. “At that point, I wasn’t having any of that. I gave him seven games—I was determined not to give him the eighth game. If he wants it, he’s got to take it. I’m not going to hand it over.” When Varner’s 2-8 carom slid on him, keeping him from getting a rail, Badsteubner seized his opportunity. “At that point I knew it—it was over. I took a breath, got down on the shot, and ran the rack out.” Now that Badsteubner is in the money rounds, to what he calls ‘the business end of it,’ “I’m ready to knock some people out,” he said with confidence.

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Still to come in the third-round winners’ matches are Keith Bennett versus Charlie Williams, Daryl Peach versus Rafael Martinez, and Earl Strickland versus Zion Zvi.
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