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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Matchroom Sport can announce that Alex Lely of Holland is returning in his role as captain of the European team for the forthcoming PartyPoker.net Mosconi Cup which takes place at the MGM Grand Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada from December 10 – 13.

The Flying Dutchman took over the role for the first time in Malta last year when he guided his team to a record-breaking 11-5 victory over their American opponents.

“I knew I was in a good position to be honored with the captaincy for this year’s event and I’m delighted that it is now official!” said Lely.

“There are still two months to go, but the vibes are already there. Also in Camp USA, on the forums that is, you can discern some strong American discomfort with the actual balance of power in the Mosconi Cup, but that is a good thing.

“The Mosconi Cup is like the Olympics of pool, where the elite players of two continents battle for a year’s reign. I say let things heat up, let there be big crowds for Team USA, let there be European pool hooligans, let it be the toughest battle in the history of the Cup!”

Lely will be the captain of the European team at the Mosconi Cup.

Lely, 35, no longer plays but through the late 90’s he established himself one of Europe’s top tournament players.

He took three Euro Tour titles and in 1999 he achieved a career-best victory when he won the World Pool Masters title which included wins against Francisco Bustamante and Kunihiko Takahashi, and an epic win in the championship match against Efren Reyes.

He has played twice himself in the Mosconi Cup and both times he was on the losing side; firstly in 1999 at the York Hall in London, and then again in 2006 in at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Lely is highly knowledgeable, a shrewd tactician and possessor of great motivational skills but was happy to let his players take the plaudits. In fact he modestly explained away his success last year; “They’re a machine, all I had to do was push the button, make the sandwiches and rack the balls.”

This year, three of his five man team have been named and they are Niels Feijen (Holland), Germany’s Ralf Souquet and Darren Appleton of England.

“The players of Team Europe have worked hard for years to acquire their status. As for the status quo and its extension, they will be prepared and be able to dig very deep when the heat is on.

“Souquet and Feijen are just the core of any European team. They are the values of European Pool personified; professional and disciplined, headstrong and technically sound. Appleton will make his debut and is sure to stand tall in the limelight. His all-round game and temperament will be a valuable addition to the European gang.”

Live in its entirety on Sky Sports in the UK, the event features two five-man teams representing Europe and the USA doing battle in a series of singles and doubles matches. Now in its 16th year, the Americans hold a 10-5 lead with one tied match in 2006.

The remaining two European players will be named in October, while the members of the Team America will be named over the coming weeks and then at the conclusion of the US Open at the end of October as well as a public vote.

Tickets for the Mosconi Cup are available from:

http://www.ticketmaster.com/2009-Mosconi-Cup-tickets/artist/1334375

Or 1-800 745 300 or from the MGM Grand on 1-800 929 1111 or 702 891 7777.

Luke Riches, Matchroom Sport: luke.riches@matchroom.com, +44 7785 395688

www.matchroompool.com

Notes: Matchroom Sport are one of the world’s leading producers of televised sport and are responsible for over 1,100 hours of original programming across a range of nine sports. Based in the UK and chaired by charismatic founder Barry Hearn, the Mosconi Cup is one of a stable of pool events that also includes the World Cup of Pool and the World Pool Masters.

US professional player Oscar Dominguez, aka “The Big O”, is the newest member of the Tiger Products team. He joins forces with such elite players on the Team Tiger lineup as: Shawn Putnam, Neil Fujiwara, Samm Diep, and Mazin Shooni.

Dominguez, a California native had this to say, “I’ve tried every cue tip there is. By my use of such a very small diameter shaft (8mm), it really wreaks havoc on my cue tips. Sniper Cue Tips by Tiger have been the most consistent and best performing tips thus far!”

“Having personally known Oscar and his family for over 20 years, I’ve been privileged to watch his development as a man and a pool player, to say I have been impressed would be a gross understatement!” said Corey Harper, Marketing Director for Tiger Products.

Currently ranked 11th on the 2009 BCA Points List, Dominguez is can be found competing at most major professional billiard competitions.

The talented and all-around nice guy Oscar Dominguez signed with Tiger Products.

Some of Oscar’s recent accomplishments:
• Winner: Catherine Alden Memorial 9-Ball
• Runner-up: Jay Swanson Memorial 9-Ball
• 3rd Place Pro Players 10-Ball Championships
• 7th Place UPA Desert 9-Ball Shootout
• 13th Place: US Open 9-Ball Championships
• US Representative – World 10-Ball Championships
When not competing, Oscar attends College of the Canyons in Valencia, CA with plans for transfer to Pepperdine University or California State University Northridge in order to complete his Bachelors of Science Degree in Sports Medicine/Kinesiology.

Established in Canoga Park, Ca 1988, Tiger Products is the leading US Manufacturer of specialty laminated billiards products and accessories. Tiger brand Laminated Cue Tips including; “Sniper”, “Everest”, “Tiger Jump/Break” and “Tiger” (Soft, Med & Hard) are known throughout the world as the very best. For more information on their fine products, visit their website at http://www.tigerproducts.com.

Samm Diep, a.k.a. “Cherry Bomb,” top semi-professional player and nationally recognized pool/billiard personality, is the newest member of the Tiger Products team. She joins forces with such elite players on Tiger’s line-up as Shawn Putnam, Neil Fujiwara, and Mazin Shooni.

Samm "Cherry Bomb" Diep has signed with Tiger Products.

“I could never endorse or promote something that I don’t believe in. I fell in love with the Tiger ICEBREAKER break/jump and look forward to representing Tiger’s complete line of reputable products,” said Diep.

“Samm’s hard work and dedication to the sport of billiards an inspiration to us all. I have the greatest of confidence in her abilities and work ethic,” said Corey Harper, marketing director for Tiger Products.

Diep has been a recognizable player for the last few years.

Diep, a Colorado native, is seen at most major events competing, writing, or conducting interviews. She has a strong presence in the online pool community, and her writing can be found in most regional and national billiard publications. She can be found training or teaching regularly as the house pro at Rack ‘Em Billiards in Aurora, Colorado.

When she’s not competing, writing, or teaching, she’s promoting her book, “You Might Be A D Player If…” or filling orders for her online store, SammsPocket.com. She frequently competes on the OB Cues and Arizona Women’s Billiard Tours. Her top finishes and stories from her pool experiences can be found at PoolTipJar.com.

by Tom Fryer

Truman Hogue filled a 64 player bank pool tournament at Bank Shot Billiards in Louisville, KY.

TJ Back received a nice early Christmas present at Bank Shot Billiards in downtown Louisville, KY, over the December 13-14 2008 weekend. Promoter Truman Hogue was assigned the task of filling a 64-player field for a $40-entry, $500-added 9-ball banks tournament on Bank Shot’s early style Diamond 9-footers. As always, Hogue filled the field with players from four states days before the first rack was broken. Although no elite players were invited, the charts were filled with dangerous match-ups, and the upsets started early.

In fact, only one of the winners’ side semifinals would be considered pretournament favorites. In that round, defending champion Bryan Roberts drew TJ Back of Middletown, OH. It was Back who then established himself as the man to beat with a 3-0 win featuring a barrage of warp speed straight back banks. In the other semifinals, 65-year-old Jerry Watts of Shelbyville, KY, lamented his loss to 60-year-old Greg Sullivan, saying that Sullivan beat Watts at his own game in the 3-0 verdict.

The one-loss side was heating up as Duke Laha of Elizabethtown, KY, rallied from a 2-0 deficit to eliminate the dangerous Mike Brown, also from Middletown, OH. At the same time, Louisville’s enigmatic superstar Billy Peay was making a rare local appearance and stopped local young gun Johnny Rhingo at 3-1. Watts’ first trip to the left side matched him with last year’s runner-up, Laha. Laha prevailed by a 3-1 count in a tightly contested match that may have been won by a tough three-ball run-out when down 4-2 in the first rack.

Meanwhile, Roberts and Peay staged an excellent match that went to 2-2 in sets and 3-3 in balls before Roberts advanced. This brought about a rematch of last year’s final, but this time it was third place at stake. Another intense battle between Laha and Roberts went to the fifth set before Roberts emerged by making two three-rail banks, one to the corner and the winner to the side.

The winners’ final was a classic boxer versus puncher scenario. Sullivan was punched out primarily by Back’s break-velocity straight-backs by a count of 3-1. That left Sullivan and Roberts to fight it out to be in the true double-elimination finals. Roberts led 4-2 in two racks, but the wily Sullivan advanced by a 3-0 count.

The finals were set with Sullivan, who won a world 8-ball championship the year his opponent in this year’s event was born. This time Sullivan took it to the hill at 2-2 and 2-2 in the fifth game before Back uncorked three more blink-and-you-miss-‘em straight-backs for the win. Not only did Back win the $1,200 first place and a free entry into the 9-ball banks at the 2009 Derby City Classic, he looked like he was having fun doing it.

by Tom Fryer
Bank pool Hall of Famer Truman Hogue’s Second Annual Invitational 9-Ball Tournament, sponsored by Jeff Griffith’s Diamond Pub in Louisville, KY, was held February 23-24, much to the delight of event winner David Rice. The 2007 version of this tourney was one of the best events in Kentuckiana all year, and it inspired boosting the field from 64 players to this year’s booming 96-player roster.
The format was races to 6 on both sides with alternating breaks on ten Diamond 7-footers. The “invitational” part of the format was that none of the area’s elite players was invited. Several local pool industry businesses added a total of $1,500 to the prize fund, and so popular was this event that all 96 entries were paid more than a week in advance.
The action really heated up in the winners’-side semifinals. Rice got past Elizabethtown’s Duke Laha by a 6-4 count. Bryan Roberts of Louisville made the hill first at 5-3 in the other semi, but two tricky safeties that came just short for Bryan, coupled with a successful Minton break, gave Richard Minton three chances to run out, and he cashed all three to win 6-5.
The one-loss side got dangerous at this point. Pre-tournament favorite Russ Edwards of Somerset was lurking and proceeded to end Bryan Roberts’ strong bid 6-2, while Laha’s first appearance on the left side ambushed Indianapolis’ Gary Gentry at 6-4.
Rice rampaged through to the hot seat over Minton 6-2. Edwards returned to action on the one-loss side with Laha and held The Duke to a strong fourth-place finish in a hill-hill thriller. This left just Edwards and Minton on the left side, and in another tense match, Edwards prevailed 6-4, leaving Minton with an excellent third-place performance.
The finals were formatted as true double elimination with each race being lengthened to 9. The play was excellent, as no more than two games separated the opponents at any point. Edwards, who was a stone’s throw from elimination into ninth place in an earlier match, was poised on the hill at 8-6. But he got no further than second place as Rice won the last three to claim the championship as the only undefeated player.
Results:
1st David Rice
2nd Russ Edwards
3rd Rich Minton
4th Duke Laha
5th Bryan Roberts
Gary Gentry
7th Robert Frost
Nathan Wagner
9th Donny Sinkhorn
Dave Grau
Troy Brown
Jackie Bell

Tournament
Place

2000 BCA Junior National 9-Ball Championships
14 Under Boys National Champion

2000 BCA Junior National Artistic Pool Championships
14 Under Boys National Champion

2001 BCA Junior National 9-Ball Championships
14 Under National Champion

2002 BCA Junior National Artistic Pool Championships
18 Under Boys National Champion

2003 BCA Junior National 9-Ball Championships
18 Under National Runner-up

2003 BCA Junior National Artistic Pool Championships
18 Under Boys National Champion

2004 BCA Junior National 9-Ball Championships
18 Under National Runner-up

In 2002 Strawn represented the USA for the second time at the WPA Junior World 9-Ball Championships in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, and won a bronze medal against the world’s elite players. He also represented the USA in the Junior World Championships on three other occasions.

BEF President and former USA junior team leader Tom Riccobene knew Strawn well and observed, “I am sure most people Tyler came in contact with will immediately remember his energy, unending competitive spirit, and, most of all, his playful antics. He was a natural pool player and never afraid to play. He made a difference and will always be in our hearts.”

Tyler is survived by his mother Elane, father David, brother David II, and sister Megan. The funerals for both Tyler and Elyse will be conducted at 10:30 a.m. Friday, October 12, at Fitzgerald’s Southwood Colonial Chapel at 91st Harvard in Tulsa, OK. Messages of sympathy may be sent to the same chapel at 3612 E. 91st St. S., Tulsa, OK 74137.

EnjoyPool.com 9-Ball champions crowned, both undefeated in a major
By Paul Berg, Inside POOL Magazine Staff
With an oppressive 7-0 finals victory over Shane Van Boening, perhaps the most feared Filipino in the islands’ new wave of dominant players has a major championship to his credit on American soil. Dennis Orcollo, long kept from appearing in the United States due to visa difficulties, emerged here during the short-lived International Pool Tour. In an undefeated run through the invited field of 64 elite players, Orcollo swept through the EnjoyPool.com 9-Ball Championships like a typhoon.
Not to be outdone, Karen Corr won the WPBA-sanctioned women’s event without taking a loss. In a reprisal of their great rivalry, Corr bested Allison Fisher 7-4, taking advantage of a pair of side pocket misses by “The Duchess of Doom” in the middle of the match to reclaim a lead “The Irish Invader” never lost again. Counting its hallowed previous BCA Open incarnation, the name of which the Congress changed both to indicate its invitational nature and promote their web site, Corr has now won this event four times.
The women’s final played first today in the Grand Ballroom at the Riviera, and as ESPN cameras rolled for the first time this year on the old snooker rivals, WPBA-ranked #1 Fisher and #2 Corr hit near perfect lags to an exhilarated reaction from the crowd. Corr’s was barely better, and she broke and ran the first rack with a break that would carry her through the match. With the alternate-break, one race-to-7 format in effect, Fisher broke the next rack and looked to keep Corr in her seat but missed a 5-9 combination to allow Corr a run-out and a 2-0 lead. When Corr scratched on her next break, Fisher quickly leveled the match, running out there and after her own break.
It was Fisher taking her only lead after some tentative play by both champions in the next game, but a miss on the 3 ball in the side that she had deliberated the position for extensively put Corr back in control. She cleared there and then broke and ran to go back up 4-3, and after Fisher missed the 1 ball in the side pocket, Corr worked defensive magic on the 5 ball to get one game closer. Fisher rallied to great excitement from the crowd in the next rack, splitting the pocket with a long jump at the 1 ball and running out. With a chance to tie the match at 5 in the next, Fisher followed Corr’s miss of the 3 ball with one of her own on the 4. Corr worked out the pattern from there, clearing for a 6-4 edge, and broke and ran out the next to bring the title home.
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While a major 9-ball title in Las Vegas this time of year is old hat for “The Irish Invader,” Orcollo has never had the chance to bring one home to his beloved Philippines. His run through this event was spectacular, with back-to-back victories over European standouts Marcus Chamat and Niels Feijen followed by ousting venerable greats from his homeland Francisco Bustamante and Jose Parica. For his part, Van Boening was eager for a rematch in front of a partisan crowd. The long support of the BCA by his pool-playing family, from his grandfather Gary Bloomberg to his champion mother Timi, was a big reason he was the BCA players’ selection for the field, and he did not disappoint, bringing a champion’s heart and his growing game to any doubter’s attention.
Unfortunately for Van Boening, Orcollo was not to be denied. Failing to pocket a ball on two of his three breaks cost the 23-year-old Sioux Falls, SD, sharpshooter dearly, as Orcollo allowed scant opportunities after his own smashes. As the lead mounted, Van Boening made a few unforced errors, seemingly caught up in the chances that had already passed. While the 7-0 result was indeed a case of a different level of play on this day by Orcollo, the past two finals at this event have been similarly lopsided, as momentum in a short race with alternate breaks is an avalanche of pressure to overcome.
The EnjoyPool.com 9-Ball Championships were made possible by the BCA and a host of sponsors. Diamond Tables, Simonis Cloth, Aramith Pro Billiard Balls, and Tweeten Fiber Co.’s Master chalk are mainstays of the professional game and were joined in their support by Ozonebilliards.com, PoolDawg.com, the American Poolplayers Association, and Cuetec Cues and their distributor Imperial International. Play in the BCA Open teams division will wrap up tonight, so for all the latest in billiards news from Las Vegas, stay tuned to www.insidepoolmag.com.

Top-performing American billiard player and Women’s Professional Billiard Association (WPBA) rising star, Pamela Treadway has joined the Tiger Products team as Tiger Cues’ WPBA player representative. The 19-year old Temperance, MI, resident joins forces with elite players on Tigers’ staff such as Shawn Putnam and Larry Nevel. Pamela commented, “I have complete confidence in the entire line of Tiger Products. They consistently produce the best equipment on the market, and I know I can always depend on Tiger craftsmanship.”
“We are deeply honored to have such a talented young lady on our pro staff. Pamela is certainly one to watch for, and we believe she will represent Tiger with great poise and integrity,” said Corey Harper, Tigers’ marketing and sales manager.
Some of Pamela’s career highlights include:
• Two-time (2005 and 2006) Tiger Tour season champion (with a dominant record of 15 wins out of 20 events)
• Two-time Valley Forge women’s 9-ball champion (also youngest player ever to win at 17 years old)
• Valley Forge women’s 8-ball champion.
• ESPN-televised fourth-place finish at the WPBA U.S. Open
• Seventh-place finish at the WPBA Enjoypool.com 9-Ball Championships
• Seventh-place finish at the WPBA Midwest Classic
• Fifth-place finish BCA Junior National Championships (age 15)
Pamela currently participates as an invitee on the Women’s Professional Billiards Association Classic Tour and is working towards her full-time tour card.
Established in Canoga Park, CA, in 1988, Tiger Products joined the billiards industry in 1997 and is now the leading U.S. manufacturer of specialty laminated billiards products, cues, and accessories. For more information on their products, visit their website at http://www.tigerproducts.com (http://www.tigerproducts.com/).