by InsidePOOL Staff

The one-pocket division of the 13th Annual Derby City Classic is in its last stages, with the finals scheduled for some time January 27. The third division, the open 9-ball event, began January 26 with 301 players, with a winner to be crowned Saturday evening.

The one-pocket division of the 13th Annual Derby City Classic is in its last stages, with the finals scheduled for some time January 27.

There are 22 players remaining in the one-pocket event, and leader in the all-around champion race, Alex Pagulayan, is still alive with no losses. The only other players without a defeat are Shannon Daulton, Scott Frost, Jeremy Jones, and Richie Richeson. Players who are in but having used their buy-back option include Shane Van Boening, Earl Strickland, Sylver Ochoa, Jason Miller, Niels Feijen, Francisco Bustamante, and Dee Adkins.

The $10,000-added Fatboy 10-Ball Challenge began last night with 16 players. In the first round, it was an epic battle between two of the best when Ralf Souquet and Shane Van Boening matched up. Van Boening had an early lead, but Souquet chipped away at it until the score reached double-hill, at which point Van Boening pushed through for the win 15-14.

Francisco Bustamante had a much easier experience in his first-round match, eliminating Rafael Martinez 15-1. InsidePOOL Magazine’s 2011 Player of the Year, Darren Appleton, drilled Mike Davis 15-6, while Chris Bartram ousted Dennis Orcollo 15-10.

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On the bottom half of the bracket, Lee Van Corteza sent Jesse Engel home 15-8 and will next play Stevie Moore, who eliminated Hall of Famer Johnny Archer 15-10 in the first round. “Rocket” Rodney Morris struggled against Tommy Kennedy but came out ahead 15-13, while Holland’s Niels Feijen advanced over Jason Klatt 15-12.

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by InsidePOOL Staff

Only 12 players remain of the 256 who kicked off the week at the 35th U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships in Chesapeake, VA. The $50,000-added event began last Sunday and will crown a winner Saturday.

Ever since his unexpected defeat in the first round by Mike “Fireball” Dechaine 11-3, 2007 champion Shane Van Boening has been a man on a mission. Having eliminated excellent opponents such as 2004 winner Gabe Owen, Keith Bennett, Manny Chau, Chris Bartram, and Brandon Shuff with ease, it seems Van Boening is only priming himself for attacking the finals from the west. In the last afternoon round Friday, Van Boening found himself matched up against 1999 winner Johnny Archer. Van Boening took a three-rack lead but watched it evaporate as Archer came back and knotted the score. Then it was Archer’s turn to take the lead 7-4, but at that point Van Boening wasted no more time and surged ahead, winning seven games in a row to take the match 11-7.

Jesse Engel knocked off Strickland and Sigel before falling to Melling. Not too shabby for only being eighteen years old.

Francisco Bustamante, who was inducted into the BCA Hall of Fame the previous evening, rebounded from his hill-hill defeat by David Alcaide and crushed Chris Melling in the afternoon round 11-3. Bustamante’s next match will be against the loser of the Ralf Souquet / Jason Klatt match.

The legendary Efren Reyes finally exited the building. He suffered an 11-5 loss to Darren Appleton on the winners’ side, eliminated fellow Hall of Famer Nick Varner 11-8, and then was himself eliminated by countryman Warren Kiamco 11-4.

Appleton remains undefeated, having bested 2001 winner Corey Deuel 11-8 to reach the winners’ side final four. His next match will be against Spain’s David Alcaide, who defeated Thorsten “Hitman” Hohmann 11-5.

Mika Immonen, hoping for his third U.S. Open title in a row, defeated Lo Li-wen, 2010 U.S. Open 10-Ball Championships runner-up, 11-7. Lo will face off against Kiamco on the one-loss side in the first evening round.

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2010 U.S. Open 9-Ball Gallery 1

272 Photos

2010 U.S. Open 9-Ball Gallery 2

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2010 U.S. Open 9-Ball Gallery 3

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Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

40 Photos

2010 U.S. Open 9-Ball Gallery 4

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2010 U.S. Open 9-Ball Gallery 5

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by InsidePOOL Staff

After his surprising first-round defeat by Mike “Fireball” Dechaine, Shane Van Boening has been a man on a mission, hoping to reclaim the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships title he first took in 2007. He most recently eliminated Virginia State 9-Ball champion Brandon Shuff 11-4 and then whitewashed Chris Bartram 11-0. Van Boening’s next opponent will be the loser of the Manny Chau / Francisco Bustamante match.

After his surprising first-round defeat by Dechaine, Van Boening has been a man on a mission, hoping to reclaim the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships title he first took in 2007.

Dechaine saw his tournament come to a close in 49th place after his loss to Ramil Gallego of the Philippines. Gallego goes on to face the loser of the Ralf Souquet / Raj Hundal match.

Former world champion Ronnie Alcano remains still alive, having bested Paul Song 11-5. Filipinos Lee Van Corteza and Antonio Lining did not fare so well, though. Corteza was eliminated by Tommy Tokoph 11-8, and Lining was ousted by Daniel Heidrich 11-7. And 2005 champ Alex Pagulayan was eliminated as well after a nail-biting 11-9 match against Jeremy Sossei. 2009 Semifinalist Donny Mills was also sent home after a tight 11-9 loss to Beau Runningen.

The father-and-son duo of Ernesto and Oscar Dominguez are headed home as well after Thursday’s rounds. O. Dominguez was eliminated by Dechaine 11-9, and E. Dominguez ran into a determined Keith Bennett, who won their match 11-8.

Local fans were disappointed to see the elimination of Chris Futrell, a young player but a classy one. Futrell had a close match with Earl Strickland but fell 11-9. Strickland moved on to oust So Shaw 11-4 and now waits for the loser of the Charlie Williams / Tommy Kennedy match.

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2010 U.S. Open 9-Ball Gallery 1

272 Photos

2010 U.S. Open 9-Ball Gallery 2

150 Photos

2010 U.S. Open 9-Ball Gallery 3

132 Photos

Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

40 Photos

2010 U.S. Open 9-Ball Gallery 4

162 Photos

2010 U.S. Open 9-Ball Gallery 5

368 Photos

by InsidePOOL Staff

The elimination rounds continue at the 35th U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships in Chesapeake, VA, and fewer players are left to vie for the title and the $40,000 first-place prize.

Hofstatter is the only female left in the field, with Barretta having been eliminated by Scott Higgins 11-5.

Gerda Hofstatter is the only female left in the field, Jennifer Barretta having been eliminated by Scott Higgins 11-5. On the one-loss side today Hofstatter withstood John Timmermans. She held the lead in their match from the start and reached the hill when Timmermans was at 6. But Timmerman began to climb back into the game, taking four racks to bring it to hill-hill. It was touch and go, but Hofstatter pulled off the 11-10 win.

Local hope Chris Futrell is still alive and kicking, having made it through his double-hill match against Craig McPartlin. Futrell’s next challenge will be making it past Shane Winters, who just eliminated Joshua Newman 11-6.

Scott “The Freezer” Frost was eliminated after a hill-hill loss to Bahram Lotfy, with Lotfy’s next match being against Gregg McAndrews, who bested Shane Norris 11-4. Ohio’s Chris Szuter handed Edwin Montal his walking papers 11-5 and will advance to fight Montal’s countryman Dennis Orcollo in the next round. Orcollo just ousted Jerome Rockwell 11-4.

Former champ Shane Van Boening eliminated Steve Sones 11-3, while Chris Bartram ousted the flamboyant Roberto Gomez in a tight 11-9 match. Also, Hunter Lombardo pulled off a nice victory over Shaun Wilkie 11-6 and will next face Jeff Abernathy, who eked out a hill-hill win over Richard Burns.

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2010 U.S. Open 9-Ball Gallery 1

272 Photos

2010 U.S. Open 9-Ball Gallery 2

150 Photos

2010 U.S. Open 9-Ball Gallery 3

132 Photos

Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

40 Photos

2010 U.S. Open 9-Ball Gallery 4

162 Photos

2010 U.S. Open 9-Ball Gallery 5

368 Photos

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by InsidePOOL Staff

Of the 16 women who participated in the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships for the first time, 13 have been eliminated. Ten went two and out: Angie Hawkins, Tracy Prescott, Loree Jon Hasson, Jackie Duggan, Borana Andonia, Morgan Steinman, Yomaylin Feliz, Belinda Beardon-Calhoun, Neslihan Gurel, and Cheryl Pritchard. Ewa Laurance bested Bill Mason 11-6 in the first round but then was bested by Chip Klein 11-6 and then Brian Brekke 11-3. Sarah Rousey was defeated by Chris Melling of the U.K. 11-2, won by forfeit over Michael Page, and then was eliminated by Chris Bartram 11-5. Amy Chen won 11-6 over Edmundo Ambrose but then was sent to the one-loss side after her match with Lee Van Corteza, which ended 11-3. There she was eliminated by Adam Kielar 11-0. JoAnn Mason Parker and Morgan Steinman both lost their first-round match and then faced each other. When Parker prevailed 11-6, she went on to meet Gerda Hofstatter and was herself ousted 11-4.

Hofstatter is still alive at the event.

Jennifer Barretta, the first woman to win a match in the U.S. Open, thereby making history, will vie with Gerda Hofstatter in order to win the extra $1,000 that event promoter Barry Behrman has promised to the top lady finisher. After winning her first-round match against David Ross 11-5, Barretta suffered her first loss to Nigel Francis 11-4. Barretta will next play Scott Higgins in the one-loss side.

Past U.S. Open champion John Schmidt survives—after winning his first-round match over Gregg McAndrews 11-4, he was sent west by Daniel Heidrich 11-2. There he whizzed through his match with Matt Riggs 11-5 and will face Steven Page in the next round. Shane Van Boening, who was upset in the first round by Mike “Fireball” Dechaine, still remains alive, having ousted Mike Badsteubner 11-2 and Omar Santiago 11-6.

New York’s Frankie Hernandez has been eliminated—he lost his second-round match to England’s Jayson Shaw and then suffered an 11-5 loss to Danny Mastermaker, who was celebrating his 22nd birthday. Charismatic Filipino Roberto Gomez rebounded from his second-round loss to Chris Orme 11-8 to win his one-loss side match over Blair Levandowski 11-6.

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View U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships 256-player tournament brackets (updated continuously)

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2010 U.S. Open 9-Ball Gallery 1

272 Photos

2010 U.S. Open 9-Ball Gallery 2

150 Photos

2010 U.S. Open 9-Ball Gallery 3

132 Photos

Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

40 Photos

2010 U.S. Open 9-Ball Gallery 4

162 Photos

2010 U.S. Open 9-Ball Gallery 5

368 Photos

Monday evening saw the bottom half of the massive 256-player bracket in play, with many of the players moving on hailing from the Philippines. The 35th installment of the U.S. Open began Sunday and will run throughout the week at the Chesapeake Conference Center in Chesapeake, VA.

BCA Hall of Fame member Efren “Bata” Reyes has won his first two matches over Nick Tafoya 11-3 and Ben Judge 11-7, remaining undefeated as yet.

BCA Hall of Fame member Efren “Bata” Reyes has won his first two matches over Nick Tafoya 11-3 and Ben Judge 11-7, remaining undefeated as yet. Joining him on the winners’ bracker is Francisco Bustamante, who is to be inducted into the Hall of Fame later this week. Bustamante has notched victories over Shawn “Big Bubba” Putnam 11-9 and Michael Yednak 11-1.

However, their fellow countrymen haven’t let them down. Warren Kiamco has scored impressive wins over Richard Burns 11-2 and Chris Bartram 11-7, while Ramil Gallego defeated both Belinda Beardon-Calhoun 11-7 and Germany’s Ralf Eckert 11-3.

“The Leader of the Filipino Invasion,” Jose Parica, has won both of his matches so far, sending Jason Johann and Dave Bollman west 11-4 and 11-8, respectively. Lee Van Corteza, who placed fourth in last year’s Open, is also on a roll, having bested Alexander Fitzgerald 11-2 and Amy Chen 11-3. Former world champion Ronnie Alcano also remained unscathed, with his victories over Justin Hall 11-6 and Jason Richko 11-7.

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Mike “The Mouth” Sigel is going strong with two victories as yet over Walter Blacker 11-5 and Ray Reyna 11-4. Right below him, Earl Strickland is also undefeated. If the two of them win their next match, they will meet in Round Four.

2010 U.S. Open 9-Ball Gallery 1

272 Photos

2010 U.S. Open 9-Ball Gallery 2

150 Photos

2010 U.S. Open 9-Ball Gallery 3

132 Photos

Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

40 Photos

2010 U.S. Open 9-Ball Gallery 4

162 Photos

2010 U.S. Open 9-Ball Gallery 5

368 Photos

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by InsidePOOL Staff

Some exciting matches went off at the Diamond Open 10-Ball Professional Players Championship Friday. The winners’ side was whittled down to eight players, and in a feature match-up, Corey “The Prince of Pool” Deuel went up against Charlie Williams. The match seesawed to a double-hill contest with Deuel breaking. He came up empty, but Williams played safe on the 1 ball. Deuel played a two-rail kick and contacted the 1 ball but left a combo. Williams was on his way to victory but rattled the 6 ball in the corner pocket, and Deuel was easily able to clear the table to win 9-8.

But the most talked-about match was surely the one on the one-loss side between defending champion John Schmidt and Earl Strickland. Schmidt came out of the gate like a bolt, quickly gaining a 6-1 lead. At that point, Strickland caught fire. He not only caught Schmidt at 6, he passed him to reach the hill at 8-6. Schmidt won the next rack to postpone his fate, but it was all Strickland in the next as he dished up to win 9-7.

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Some exciting matches went off at the Diamond Open 10-Ball Professional Players Championship Friday.

Sixteen players remain on the west side of the chart, including Strickland, Chris Bartram, Mike Davis, Marlon Manalo, and Rodney Morris. Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news in the sport of billiards and pool.

After four days of competition at the Derby City Classic, the Bank 9-Ball division ended Monday night with John Brumback successfully defending his title as Derby City Classic Bank Champion by defeating Filipino billiards legend Efren Reyes. In addition to being the defending Banks Division champion, Brumback is also the defending Derby City Classic All-Around champion.

The event kicked off Friday, January 22 with 352 competitors. It was originally thought that the field was 353, but Roberto Gomez was not registered and his entry was withdrawn. The total prize fund for the event was $45,200 with $10,000 being added by the Derby City Classic promoters.

Efren Reyes defeated Larry Nevel in the semis to earn his chance to win the one discipline that has eluded him in the past. Though Reyes has won several titles, including the All-Around, the Banks division has remained out of his reach. His highest finish in the Banks division was runner-up against Steve Moore.

With Brumback being a Kentucky native and Reyes being a legend know around the world, the finals was a classic home crowd favorite versus the world. As Brumback won the lag, the crowd barely cheered. But as Brumback broke, made several banks, and then went on the close out game 1 without a contest, the crowd erupted with hope. Brumback continued to fire in banks and play smart safeties and won the second game. Brumback was met in the third game by a determined Reyes. The game went to a 4-4- tie in ball count before Brumback fired the last bank in for the win.

Brumback handed Reyes a 3-0 beatdown in his successful title defense in the Derby City Classic Bank Division finals.

Derby City Classic 2010 Banks Division Results
1st John Brumback $10,000
2nd Efren Reyes $5,000
3rd Larry Nevel $2500
4-5th Rafael Martinez 1,375
Alex Pagulayan
6-9th Chris Bartram $850
George Breedlove
Shannon Daulton
Truman Hogue
10-16th Bill Bailey $550
Danny Harriman
Neil Jacobs
Michael Laney
Clent McCollough
Steve Moore
Mark Slye, Jr.

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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

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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