Appleton Launches Title Defense

The Derby City Classic continued Wednesday at the Horseshoe Casino in Elizabeth, IN. The 9-ball event kicked off as the One-pocket and 14.1 Challenge entered critical stages. Mika Immonen took charge of the 14.1 Challenge by putting in the high run of 156 balls.

Eight players of the forty six that entered advanced through the preliminary rounds to go into a single elimination bracket, which will begin play on Thursday.

The players ranked as follows:

Immonen leads the pack with a high run of 156 balls as the 14.1 Challenge moves into the single elimination phase.

1. Mika Immonen – 156

2. John Schmidt – 144

3. Alex Pagulayan – 141

4. Darren Appleton – 140

5. Niels Fiejen – 113

6. Dennis Orcollo – 112

7. Johnny Archer – 109

8. Ralf Souquet – 108

Thursday’s matches in the first round will be:

Immonen vs. Souquet

Schmidt vs. Archer

Pagulayan vs. Orcollo

Darren Appleton vs. Niels Fiejen

Notable players that missed the cut this year were Huidji See with 105 balls and Mats Schjetne with 102 balls. Defending champion Darren Appleton was the leader until the final few hours of qualifying, which saw Alex Pagaulayan, Schmidt and Immonen surpass his high mark. Alex Pagulayan and John Schmidt leap-frogged several players and subsequently eliminated Huidji See from the event in the finals minutes of qualifying.

The 14.1 Challenge enjoyed an $8,500 added purse that pays out $300 for the daily high run, $200 for second place daily and $100 for third place daily. The prize breakdown for the main event of the 14.1 Challenge are as follows:

1st – $2,600
2nd – $1,900
3rd-4th – $1,200
5th-8th – $700

Sponsors for the 14.1 Challenge include Diamond Billiard Products, Bob Jewett, Stu Mattana, Rich Klein, Jeff Mohl and Simonis Cloth. Patrons include James & Sons Jewelers, Arnold Kupec, Angel Levine, 14and1.com, America’s Straight Pool League, Stan Haines, Ted Antle, James Franklin, Larry Moy, Jay Helfert and Phil Capelle.

The free live stream is being broadcast by Inside POOL TV in HD at 1-year subscription to the online version of Inside POOL Magazine.

Sponsors that make the free live stream of the 14th Annual Derby City Classic include Diamond Billiard Products, Kamui Tips, Fury Cues, The bankshot Calculator, Hammerhead Hustling Clothing, Sharks web series, Pool Player Excuses billiard towel, Definitive Synergy billiards management software and Tom Simpson’s National Billiard Academy.

by InsidePOOL Staff

After a hill-hill, fourth-round loss to Shawn Putnam, Shane Van Boening came back through the one-loss side to take the Turning Stone Classic title over Raj Hundal in the finals. The $25,000-added tournament, held twice a year at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, NY, drew a packed field of 128.

At the start of Sunday’s matches, only four players remained undefeated. Mike “The Fireball” Dechaine suffered his first loss to Rodney Morris, both recently returned from the Mosconi Cup, 9-5, while Ralf Souquet, a Mosconi Cup veteran, was sent to the west side by Raj Hundal 9-5. Hundal went on to best Morris 9-4 and await a finals opponent.

After a hill-hill, fourth-round loss to Shawn Putnam, Van Boening came back through the one-loss side to take the Turning Stone Classic title over Hundal in the finals.

On the left bracket, Darren Appleton, who suffered a third-round, hill-hill loss to Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour threat Dennis Hatch, won six matches in a row to reach Mosconi Cup teammate Souquet and fell 9-3 in fifth place. Tying with him was Dechaine, who came out on the short end of a hill-hill match against Van Boening.

Once on the west side of the chart, Van Boening disposed of top-notch players such as Larry Nevel 9-5, Bucky Souvanthong 9-6, Earl Strickland 9-4, and Dennis Hatch 9-2 to reach the quarterfinals. After disposing of Dechaine, he then had to face the determined Souquet, a past champion of the Turning Stone event. He made quick work of the German, moving on to the semifinals with a 9-3 win.

View the Turning Stone tournament brackets (updated continuously)

Defending champion Morris awaited Van Boening, but there was no repeat performance for the Hawaiian as “The South Dakota Kid” allowed him 5 racks in the race to 9. In the extended race-to-13 final match, Van Boening allowed Hundal a few chances, but when all was said and done, Van Boening took the final match and the title 13-9.

by Inside POOL

The Turning Stone Classic XVIII has begun, once again boasting a full field of 128 of top players from all over the world. The Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, NY, is hosting the $25,000-added event, put on twice a year by Mike Zuglan of the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour.

Flying directly from Las Vegas, the entire American Mosconi Cup team is present, including defending champion “Rocket” Rodney Morris, who lambasted Mike Selig 9-1 in his first-round match. The rest of his teammates won their matches as well: Mosconi rookie Mike Dechaine bested trick shot artist Steve Lillis 9-1, Shane Van Boening defeated Alex Platonov 9-2, Shawn “Big Bubba” Putnam won 9-6 over Greg Antonakos, and Johnny Archer defeated Gregg McAndrews 9-5. Archer’s first-round win lines him up to face off with Earl Strickland in the second round, which is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

From the victorious Team Europe, Darren Appleton, current U.S. Open 9-Ball champ the last two years, won his first match over Steve Way 9-0. Recent Hall of Fame inductee Ralf Souquet won his first match as well, besting 9-4. His next challenger will be young gun Jesse Engel, who made such a splash at the 2010 U.S. Open with his back-to-back victories over Strickland and Mike Sigel.

The Turning Stone Classic XVIII has begun, once again boasting a full field of 128 of top players from all over the world.

Brittany Bryant, Kathryn Fairchild, and Dawn Fox join New Yorker Jennifer “9MM” Barretta as the four female participants of the event. Barretta won her first match in fine style with a 9-7 win over Randy Labonte, while Bryant one-upped her with a 9-1 rout over Jesse Janovsky.

View the Turning Stone tournament brackets (updated continuously)

Father and son team Ernesto and Oscar Dominguez both won their first matches, defeating John Babravich 9-2 and Dave Ascolese 9-6, respectively. Ernesto next faces Canada’s Eric Hjorliefson, and Oscar’s next match will be against Putnam.

Friday will see the beginning of the elimination rounds, as the field whittles down from its original 128 players. Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news in the sport of billiards and pool.

TULSA, OK – The Women’s Pro Billiard Tour announced that the 2012 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships will return to the fabulous River Spirit Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma June 6-10, 2012. Great Britain’s Allison Fisher will be on hand to defend her title, won on this very stage on June 19, 2011. The quarter final, semi final and final matches will be taped by ESPN for seven one-hour national broadcasts.

The WPBA U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships is a major stop on the Women’s Pro Billiard Tour and is happy to make its home at the River Spirit Casino for a second year in a row. Said WPBA president Tamre Rogers, “The River Spirit Event Center and Casino staff were second to none, and Tulsa fans are simply the best! The event and staging were spectalular and the tour is already looking forward to returning to Tulsa in 2012.

“River Spirit Casino and the River Spirit Event Center are pleased to have hosted the 2011 Women’s US Open 9-Ball Championships and proud to have been selected to host the event again in 2012 and 2013,” commented Jerry Floyd, General Manager at River Spirit. “The Tulsa area and the entire state support and deserve world class events such as this one. We are committed to making this year’s event bigger and better than 2011.”

Already slated to compete are the best known names in the world of women’s pro billiards, including Jasmin Ouschan; famed “Black Widow” Jeanette Lee; Chinese sensation Xiaoting Pan, British “Kwikfire” Kelly Fisher; 2010 U.S. Open champ Ga Young Kim aka “Little Devil Girl”; Hall of Famer and defending champion Allison Fisher; USA’s own Monica Webb; and Ireland’s Karen Corr. The event will once again kick off with a charity pro-am on June 6, 2012 at 7 p.m. Open to the general public, fans have a chance to compete against top players while raising money for Komen for the Cure Tulsa.

The Women's Pro Billiard Tour announced that the 2012 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships will return to the fabulous River Spirit Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma June 6-10, 2012. Jerry Floyd (left) General Manager & Bob Dimmick (right) Director of Marketing River Spirit Casino present 2011 WPBA US Open Champion Allison Fischer will her trophy.

It all takes place at the River Spirit Event Center, adjacent to the River Spirit Casino at 81st and Riverside in Tulsa. Visit www.riverspirittulsa.com/entertainment/eventcenter for tickets and more information!

About River Spirit Casino and Event Center
River Spirit Casino, Tulsa’s $195 million casino project at 81st & Riverside, showcases 300,000 square feet of gaming space and is one of the largest gaming floors in Oklahoma. With over 2,600 high-tech electronic machines, 23 table games and 15 poker tables, River Spirit Casino offers the most current technology and latest games available. The facility features four dining and beverage venues including the largest casino buffet in Oklahoma, a steakhouse, a 24-hour café, a lounge and a sports bar. The newly renovated River Spirit Event Center is located at the site of the former Creek Nation Casino – Tulsa at 81st and Riverside Drive. The venue has nearly 20,000 sq. ft of useable space for sporting events, entertainment, conventions and meetings and all amenities. For more information on River Spirit Casino please visit www.riverspirittulsa.com.

As an active community partner, River Spirit Casino provides a positive Read more ...]]> http://www.cuesandpool.com/billiards/2012-dates-set-for-women%e2%80%99s-us-open-9-ball-championships.html/feed 0 http://www.cuesandpool.com/billiard-news/top-four-return-to-the-u-s-open-9-ball.html http://www.cuesandpool.com/billiard-news/top-four-return-to-the-u-s-open-9-ball.html#comments Sat, 22 Oct 2011 07:27:41 +0000 Pool and Billiards News http://www.insidepoolmag.com/?p=16493 Top Four Return to the U.S. Open 9-Ball
U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships / Chesapeake, VA

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.

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

Bi Zhu Qing Surprise Winner of the 2011 Women’s World 9-Ball Championship with a 9-7 Win Over Siming

By Ted Lerner

Photo courtesy of My147.com

(Shenyang, China)– Bi Zhu Qing stands no more than 4’11”. But Sunday night in Shenyang, this tiny woman became a giant of women’s pool and a sporting hero in the most populace nation on earth. This after the relatively unknown from Beijing defeated world number 2 and heavy favorite Chen Siming 9-7 to capture the 2011 Women’s World 9-ball Championship.

Bi’s title win capped an incredible day for the 23 year old. Up until Sunday, she was mostly unknown beyond her professional peers in China, where the women’s game is wildly popular and its top players are legitimate stars. She is ranked number 7 in China and 81st worldwide and had never won any pool tournaments of note.

That all changed on the last day of the Women’s World 9-Ball Championship in this northeastern city of 7 million people. After she quietly worked her way through the field at the Liaoning Hunnan Sports Training Arena beginning Thursday, Bi shocked defending champion and world number one Fu Xiaofang in Sunday’s semi-final, 9-6. Playing the role of underdog perfectly, Bi played seemingly without a care in the world, while the pressure of stardom and expectation appeared at times to get to Fu.

Bi’s finals match against Chen later in the evening, played in front of over 1200 people, didn’t go quite as smoothly as the semi-final against Fu, and she could have very nearly lost. But Bi freewheeled long enough to build up a decent cushion and held on down the nervy stretch to cross the finish line first.

For Chen the loss was a major disappointment, but like Fu earlier, the mantle of expectation seemed to weigh heavily on her shoulders. The 17 year old pool prodigy has won three big tournaments in the last year and a half, including a gold medal in snooker in the Asian games. As a result she has built up a major following and entered the finals a heavy favorite to capture the crown. Chen, though, spent most of the middle part of the match looking uncomfortable and slightly out of sorts, as her deadly accuracy failed her on several occasions. Chen made a great fight back at the end, but it was too little too late.

Bi’s finals match against Chen later in the evening, played in front of over 1200 people, didn’t go quite as smoothly as the semi-final against Fu, and she could have very nearly lost. But Bi freewheeled long enough to build up a decent cushion and held on down the nervy stretch to cross the finish line first.

An anxious Chen had barely escaped against Han Yu in the second semi-final, but at the beginning of the race to 9, alternate break final she looked like she had shrugged off any of those previous anxieties as she quickly moved up 3-0. But then the cracks returned to Chen’s famously solid game, while at the same time Bi settled back in underdog mode and started relaxing as she had against Fu.

Up 3-1, Chen snookered herself and handed the table to Bi, who eventually cleared. In the next rack Chen missed a cut on the three, and Bi pounced and tied the match.

Bi continued her fine rhythm in rack seven while Chen kept sliding downhill. Bi played a lock down safety and forced Chen into a foul. With ball in hand Bi quickly went up 4-3. After a mandatory break, Chen sank the one on the break, but then missed a very makeable 2-ball. Bi stepped up and mowed down the colors for a two rack lead. In the next rack Bi kept Chen in her chair and nailed a 4-9 combo to make it six straight racks and a 6-3 lead.

Chen SimingChen settled down with a break and run in rack 10. In the next frame, though, Chen got unlucky when she scratched while attempting a jump shot and fell behind 7-4. Chen then dug in for a big time fight back as she broke and ran rack 12, then won a safety battle in rack 13 and cleared to move within one at 7-6.

Chen looked like she was about to tie the proceedings but she suffered an unlucky scratch which allowed Bi to move to the hill and one away from the title. Rack 15 was filled with tension and drama as the two couldn’t break up an 8-9 cluster. Finally Chen showed her mettle by forcing Bi to foul. It was now 8-7 in favor of Bi, but with Chen breaking next, it was anyone’s final.

For Chen, though, it was not to be. She got to the table and tried to draw the cue back full table for a sure 2-9 combination. The cue didn’t cooperate as it traveled too far and Read more ...]]> http://www.cuesandpool.com/billiard-news/bi-g-thing-in-a-small-package.html/feed 0 http://www.cuesandpool.com/billiard-news/montour-is-queen-of-the-fleece.html http://www.cuesandpool.com/billiard-news/montour-is-queen-of-the-fleece.html#comments Tue, 27 Sep 2011 02:51:36 +0000 Pool and Billiards News http://www.insidepoolmag.com/?p=16442 Montour is Queen of the Fleece
Northwest Women’s Pool Association / Kenmore, WA

by InsidePOOL Staff

Jana Montour unseated defending champion Liz Cole at the September 17-18 stop on the Northwest Women’s Pool Association to take the title over her in the final match. The Golden Fleece in Kenmore, WA, hosted the event, where 29 ladies came out to play.

After a long day of fierce competition, only eight ladies remained to compete for the title of Queen of the Fleece. Montour bested Mary Hopkin on the winners’ side 7-5 to advance to the hot seat match and play Kim Jones, who had just sent Kimberly Kirk west 7-5. Montour continued her streak to best Jones 7-5 and remain undefeated.

Fresh off their losses, Hopkin and Kirk matched up with Shelby Locati and Cole, respectively. Hopkin won her match 6-4, while Cole ousted Kirk 6-3. Cole kept on playing strong, eliminating Hopking at fourth place 6-1.

In the semifinal match against Jones, Cole’s consistent shot-making saw her take the win 6-4. Moving on to the finals, Montour took an early 3-0 lead over Cole, who fought back to win three of the next four racks to make it 4-3. But missed shots and safeties by Cole in the following games saw Montour win the next five in a row to take the Queen of the Fleece title.

Nine ladies returned Sunday for the $100-added second chance tournament. Suzanne Smith won her first three matches to earn her spot in the final, while Sabrina Petersen quietly dispatched all of her opponents after a second-round loss to Jessica Orth. The final was a single race to 4. Consistent shot-making and position play by Peterson during the final resulted in her winning the top prize.

Jana Montour unseated defending champion Liz Cole at the September 17-18 stop on the Northwest Women’s Pool Association to take the title over her in the final match.

Results:
1st Jana Montour $435
2nd Liz Cole $280
3rd Kim Jones $185
4th Mary Hopkin $145
5th Kimberly Kirk $86
Shelby Locati
7th Mikki Small $66
Deby Welfringer

Second Chance Results:
1st Sabrina Peterson $65
2nd Suzanne Smith $50
3rd Jessica Orth $35

IT’S CHEN SIMING VS. BI ZHU-QING IN THE FINALS OF THE 2011 WOMEN’S WORLD 9-BALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Chen Siming and Bi Zhu-Qing

BY TED LERNER

Photo courtesy of MY147.com

Shenyang, China – Bi Zhu-Qing, a 23 year old relative unknown from Beijing, spoiled what was supposed to be a showdown between the two best players in the world, when she upset defending world champion and world number one Fu Xiao-fang 9-6, and moved into the finals of the 2011 Women’s World 9-ball Championship at the Liaoning Hunnan Sports Training Arena, in the northeastern city of Shenyang.

Bi’s gutsy and inspired performance in the first semi-final on Sunday means she will now face 17 year old world number two Chen Siming in the finals Sunday evening. Chen, whose prodigious talent has been turning heads since early last year, overcame some late match nerves and defeated fellow Chinese Han Yu in a test of wills in the second semi-final, 9-7.

The all-China finals will be a race to 9, alternate break, and will begin at 7:30PM local time(GMT +8). The winner will receive $30,000.

Bi came into the match against Fu a serious underdog as she was ranked 7thin China and 81st in the world. She had also never before played in a World 9-ball Championship. Bi brought with her some solid credentials, though. She’s been playing cue sports for six years, the first three of which were spent solely on the snooker table. She has playing experience too, some of it overseas as she has traveled extensively around Asia competing in snooker tournaments in India, Australia, Hong Kong, Macau and Vietnam.

As the defending champion and world number one, Fu certainly came in as the heavy favorite. As the match wore on, however, the storyline took a classic twist. The favorite with the high expectations and all the media surrounding her started feeling the pressure, while the upstart with nothing to lose was calm and relaxed.

The pair split the first four games as both had the measure of the table with three break and runs. Fu looked like she was about to take a firm grip on the proceedings when she made the 9-ball on the break in rack 5, then ran out from a Bi foul in the next rack to go up 4-2.

Bi Zhu-Qing, a 23 year old relative unknown from Beijing, spoiled what was supposed to be a showdown between the two best players in the world, when she upset defending world champion and world number one Fu Xiao-fang 9-6, and moved into the finals of the 2011 Women’s World 9-ball Championship at the Liaoning Hunnan Sports Training Arena, in the northeastern city of Shenyang.

Bi never flinched, though, and got one back in the next frame, then broke and ran to tie it at 4. Fu countered with another break and run in rack 9 to move up by one. Once again, though, Bi had an answer, as she forced Fu into making a poor shot on the two, then nailed a 3-9 combo to tie the match at 5-5.

The fast moving contest took a pivotal turn in rack 11. Fu was running out the table with several clutch pots when she missed a short cut shot on the 8-ball. Bi stepped up and made a difficult shot on the 8 but then had to play safe on the 9-ball. Fu’s tepid response left the 9 on, and Bi converted to take the lead for the first time in the match at 6-5.

Bi, clearly gaining confidence and riding a wave of momentum, stepped her game up another notch in rack 12 with a break-and-run to go up 7-5.

Fu fought back with a solid safety in the next rack but on the way to a clear, the normally rock solid champion committed another colossal blunder when she missed a makeable 6 ball. Bi left herself poor position on the 9-ball but never flinched as she stepped up and nailed a cross table bank on the 9 to move to the hill.

Breaking for the win, Bi played a marvelous lockdown safety on the one ball. On the verge of being on the short end of a massive upset, Fu threw a Hail Mary, potting a near impossible full table, blind shot on the 1-ball complete with position for a 2-9 combo, which she potted in the side.

Fu, however, scratched on the subsequent break. Bi took the ball in hand and with quality shot making, confidently ran the table for the biggest win of her career.

Afterwards, the 23 year old said she brought the classic underdog’s mentality into the match.

“No I didn’t think I could win this tournament,” Bi said. “Nobody thinks I can win. So I guess that’s why I’m relaxed. I’m just having fu Read more ...]]> http://www.cuesandpool.com/billiard-news/women%e2%80%99s-world-9-ball-finals-matchup-set.html/feed 0 http://www.cuesandpool.com/billiard-news/pan-defeats-kim-to-advance-to-women%e2%80%99s-world-9-ball-championship-quarterfinals.html http://www.cuesandpool.com/billiard-news/pan-defeats-kim-to-advance-to-women%e2%80%99s-world-9-ball-championship-quarterfinals.html#comments Sat, 24 Sep 2011 07:47:04 +0000 Pool and Billiards News http://www.insidepoolmag.com/?p=16432 THE QUEEN IS BACK

A RESURGENT PAN XIAOTING JOINS SIX OTHER CHINESE PLAYERS AS SHE ESCAPES INTO THE QUARTERFINALS OF THE WOMEN’S WORLD 9-BALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Pan Xiaoting by Ted Lerner

Shenyang, China – Riding an unstoppable wave that she helped create, Chinese superstar Pan Xiaoting, moved into the quarterfinals of the 2011 Women’s World 9-ball Championship today, after holding off a furious fight back from world number 3 Ga Young Kim and winning a thriller, 9-8.

The gritty win by the 29 year old Pan, known throughout China as the “Queen of 9-ball,” moves the Chinese superstar into a marquee nationally televised matchup later on Saturday against defending champion Fu Xiaofang in the first race to 9, alternate break quarter final at the Liaoning Hunnan Sports Training Arena in the northeastern city of Shenyang.

Pan’s last rack heroics capped an incredible surge for the home side on Saturday during the round of 16, as the tournament has become nearly an all-China affair with seven out of the eight spots in the quarterfinals of this year’s championship now belonging to players from China. The other place was grabbed by Taiwan’s Lin Yuan Chun.

That China has literally taken over the women’s game is not in doubt. As to who is responsible for this awesome success there is also no doubt. Pan’s win at the 2007 World 9-ball championship in Taiwan was the first ever by a player from China. She then set off for the US where she carved out a successful niche for herself. At the same time, Pan’s looks, fashion sense and pleasant demeanor fit perfectly with the tastes of the Chinese public. She is a huge star in every sense of the word here, always followed by throngs of fans and media wanting a photo or autograph.

But while Pan is one of China’s most popular sporting personalities, the massive wave of talent in the likes of Liu Shahsha, Fu Xiaofang, Siming Chen and others has led to whispers that she has lost a step in the last few years. After beating Kim today, Pan said she has indeed heard the gossip and said it has motivated her to step up her game in the last year.

“In recent years I only played in other countries,” Pan said as a throng of media besieged her. “But now there are many new billiard players coming up. Their skills have improved rapidly. This has motivated me to practice more and this is what I’m doing now because I want to show that I’m still capable of being on top of the game.”

Chinese superstar Pan, moved into the quarterfinals of the 2011 Women’s World 9-ball Championship today.

The two non-Asian players remaining in the final 16 will long be ruing what might have been. The USA’s Monica Webb trailed 5-2 to China’s Han Yu then fought back to finally jump ahead at 7-6. Webb had a clear path to the hill with just two balls left on the table but lost position on the 8. The resulting kick out left the table open and Han cleared to leave a one rack decider. In the final rack Webb fouled on the 1 ball which allowed Han to clear the rack and grab the win.

Canada’s Brittany Bryant also saw a sure win slip through her grasp against China’s Zhou Doudou. Up 8-6 Bryant had the match in hand only to commit several basic errors that allowed Zhou back in the contest. Bryant ended losing the match, 9-8.

The only player not from China to make it into the quarterfinals, Taiwan’s Lin Yuan Chun, looked very tough in her round of 16 match, as she blanked China’s Wu Jing, 9-0. Lin now faces the daunting prospect of being the only player to have a chance to stop the China freight train in this year’s world championship. Lin faces China Bi Zhu Qing, who took down Japan’s Chichiro Kawahara, 9-6.

The four quarterfinal matchups will all be played on the TV table on Saturday beginning at 2pm local time(GMT +8).

2PM: Fu XiaoFang (CHN) vs. Pan Xiaoting (CHN)
4PM: Lin Yuan Chun (TPE) vs. Bi Zhu Qing (CHN)
6PM: Liu Sha Sha( CHN) vs. Han Yu (CHN)
8PM: Zhou Doudou (CHN) vs. Chen Siming (CHN)Read more ...]]> http://www.cuesandpool.com/billiard-news/pan-defeats-kim-to-advance-to-women%e2%80%99s-world-9-ball-championship-quarterfinals.html/feed 0 http://www.cuesandpool.com/billiard-news/turning-stone-classic-kicks-off.html http://www.cuesandpool.com/billiard-news/turning-stone-classic-kicks-off.html#comments Sat, 10 Sep 2011 17:29:07 +0000 Pool and Billiards News http://www.insidepoolmag.com/?p=16386 Turning Stone Classic Kicks off
Turning Stone Classic XVII / Verona, NY

by InsidePOOL Staff

The Turning Stone Classic has returned to the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY, for its twenty-seventh installment, with a full field of 128 billiards players seeking their share of the $25,000-added prize purse. The event is held September 8-11 and is produced by Mike Zuglan of the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour.

Several mishaps occurred in the first couple of rounds. Defending champion Corey Deuel is not at the event, but Turning Stone XIV and XV champion Johnny “The Scorpion” Archer suffered a second-round loss to Jeremy Sossei 9-4 and will have to reclaim his title from the west side of the chart. So far he has eliminated Ron Casanzio and Billy Biasin, both 9-4.

Alex Pagulayan has had his ups and downs so far. His first match with Angelos Inness he won 9-6 but then advanced to face recent Seminole Pro Tour stop winner Rodney Morris, who had just bested Pete Sever 9-5. Morris was able to send Pagulayan to the one-loss side 9-6 and then follow that up with a 9-4 defeat of Zuglan, who had just bested Dennis Hatch in a thrilling double-hill match 9-8. In the next round, Pagulayan whitewashed Hatch 9-0 to advance, thwarting “The Hatchetman” in his attempt to claim the title.

The Turning Stone Classic has returned to the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY, for its twenty-seventh installment, with a full field of 128 billiards players seeking their share of the $25,000-added prize purse.

View the Turning Stone Classic tournament brackets

Jose Parica, who was just crowned Empire State champion at last weekend’s Predator 9-Ball Tour stop, blew through Shaun “Get Some” Wilkie 9-4 in the first round and then bested Angelina Paglia by the same score in the second. In the third round he delivered Los Angeles’ Ernesto Dominguez to the left side 9-6.

Oscar, the younger Dominguez, won his first two matches but was then stopped by Bucky Souvanthong 9-3. Souvanthong was also responsible for the first-round defeat of Shane Van Boening 9-6. Both Dominguez and Van Boening are still alive as yet.

Three ladies participated in the event this time. Liz Ford won one of three matches, being ousted by Hatch 9-1. After her second-round loss to Parica, Paglia was then ousted in the fourth round by Chris Orme 9-4. And Jennifer Barretta, who had a first-round loss to Ivaylo Petrov 9-5, has rebounded on the one-loss side to win her last three matches.

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