MEZZ CUES BALTIC POOL LEAGUE 2018, FIRST EVENT, FIRST RECORD
Mezz Cues Baltic Pool League 2018 (MCBPL) has kicked off with a staggering total of 135 athletes in Kaunas, Lithuania. This is the record number of participants ever taking part in the event. The first venue was the Entry Billiard Club, known as the first ever venue for one of the most popular leagues in Eastern Europe. Due to raising number of athletes in all disciplines this year the event format is changed and the MCBPL is held now in three different divisions – men, women and oldboys. After two days of tight matches the mens event was won by Pijus Labutis (Lithuania), womens event by Kateryna Polovinchuk (Ukraine) and oldboys event by Guntars Grinums (Latvia).
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Jeremy Jones named as US Vice-Captain
Jeremy Jones, a five-time winner of the Mosconi Cup, has been named vice-captain of Team USA squad as they look to get back in the winner’s circle after years of European domination. Jones, 47, competed for the US on seven occasions and last played in Malta in 2008. He was selected by team captain Johan Ruijsink for his knowledge, experience and leadership.
The 2003 US Open champion will be an integral part of the operation in the build-up as well as at the event itself which takes place at Alexandra Palace, London this December 4-7.
Jones is determined to make a difference to Team USA this time around; “I’m hoping some of my experience may be a helping hand for the guys. I’ve had plenty of thoughts on why our team hasn’t won since 2009 and come to realize it’s got to be a bit of a fluke along with some good reasons. I’m not saying the Euros haven’t earned their wins but I think you get what I’m saying.
“I feel my best asset to the team will be mostly mental. And I’m sure some tactical things also. But mainly the mentality and realizing everyone’s a little different.
The BWPPA tour returned to Escape Pool Bar in Barnsley over the sunny weekend of 12-13 May, as 15 players did battle for the Simonis Grand Prix title. The tour welcomed Great Britain shooter Jonathan Bates, who was making his BWPPA debut in his hometown.
The first round threw up some thrilling matchups including two dramatic hill-hill battles. Fred Dinsmore had to use all of the experience that helped him win the wheelchair World 9-ball title last November, as he pipped Craig Welsh 7-6. Elsewhere having lead 3-0, Adam Pearson survived a hill-hill encounter with Matthew Lester to take the match 7-6. Stoke’s Dave Beaumont beat Frankie Gillen 7-4, which sent ”Hotwheels” into the one-loss bracket. Gillen was to fall victim to another hill-hill drama, this time at the hands of Darren Taylor who came through a 6-5 victor.
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China are World Cup of Pool champions!
The Final
China 10-3 Austria
Semi-Finals
SF 1 – China A 9-7 Chinese Taipei
SF 2 – Austria 9-8 China B
China are the 2018 World Cup of Pool Champions after they defeated defending champions Austria by 10-3, the biggest winning margin in the events race-to-ten era. The team of Wu Jiaqing and Liu Haitao dominated the Austrian pair of Albin Ouschan and Mario He to the delight of the crowd at the Luwan Arena, Huangpu District in Shanghai.
The winning pair earned $60,000 between them, two gold medals and the magnificent trophy. It was the third World Cup of Pool victory on home soil following the Philippines in 2009 and England in 2014.
The victory also equals the Philippines record of three World Cup of Pool wins following wins for China in 2007 in Rotterdam and 2010 in Manila.
Commented Liu, “I have played Matchroom tournaments before but never had a good run like this. I cannot remember how I played, it is a bit of a haze, but I must thank Wu as well.”
Wu added, “I am really, really happy to win this tournament. I had never played with Liu as a doubles partner so we were working on the chemistry from day one and the first few matches we struggled but in this final it was a really brilliant performance.”
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Austria, China A & B and Chinese Taipei are the final four in Shanghai
Quarter Finals
QF 1 – Chinese Taipei 9-5 USA QF 2 – China A 9-8 Spain
We are down to the last four in Shanghai and there are three Asian teams plus defending champions Austria contesting the semi-final matches at the Luwan Stadium on Sunday afternoon. In the final last eight matches, Chinese Taipei defeated USA in a match of two halves, while China A took a last rack decider to put paid to Spanish hopes.
The $250,000 tournament originated in 2006 and has since moved around the world before touching down in Shanghai. The World Cup features 32 pairs from across the globe including two from host nation China. Running from 15th to 20th May, the event is on live TV in over 100 countries around the world.
The third quarter-final match was a definite game of two halves as Chinese Taipei defeated the USA by a 9-5 margin. The USA had opened up a 5-1 lead and looked in a commanding position.
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However, the tide turned as the Taiwanese pair began to pull back the racks. They got the match to 5-4 before Cheng Yu Hsuan (Kevin Cheng) locked the US up in a super-tight safety and Van Boening fouled trying to escape.
That gave Chinese Taipei the lead for the first time and they never looked back, playing flawless pool to take the next four games for the win. Both players looked superb but in Cheng, the Taiwanese look to have the player of the tournament.
Commented the 2015 US Open champion, “It is exciting for us to be in the semi-finals and like yesterday we are very happy with our win. At 5-1 down I was thinking, just give us a chance because they were playing almost perfect. Tomorrow we will just play our game. Whoever we come against we will just play our game, that is it.”
“The turning point was that safety in the tenth rack. After that we didn’t really get a shot. I think this team can win the whole thing tomorrow night,” said Woodward for the USA.
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Down to the final eight in Shanghai
Round Two
Finland 5-7 USA Spain 7-3 Sweden
Australia 4-7 China A
The quarter final line up at the 2018 World Cup of Pool is now complete as the remaining three second round matches concluded at the Luwan Arena, Huangpu District in Shanghai. The USA, runners-up at last year’s event, made it through as they got the better of a Finnish pair who won the event in 2012.
In the second match Spain eased through ahead of Sweden while the final game saw home favourites China A put paid to the hopes of the final non-seeded country left – Australia.
The $250,000 tournament originated in 2006 and has since moved around the world before touching down in Shanghai. The World Cup features 32 pairs from across the globe including two from host nation China. Running from 15th to 20th May, the event is on live TV in over 100 countries around the world.
Having tripped up at the final hurdle at the York Hall last June, Shane Van Boening and Skyler Woodward are two matches away from another crack at the title following a 7-5 win over Sweden, Petri Makkonen and Mika Immonen.
Commented Van Boening, “We felt uncomfortable at the beginning but at the end of the match we battled out the safeties and we won from there. I love playing with Skyler, we have been friends for ten years and have played a lot of tournaments together. We always have fun and that is the important thing.”
Woodward was looking ahead to their last eight match against Chinese Taipei; “It doesn’t matter that Chinese Taipei have played well because they are playing us next. We played better than in the first match and we will get better and better.”
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Austria and Holland in last eight while China A win
Round One China A (2) 7-6 Estonia
Round Two Austria 7-6 Poland Holland 7-2 Scotland
Three more matches took place at the 2018 World Cup of Pool at the Luwan Arena, Huangpu District in Shanghai, and it was China A who delighted a packed but nervous crowd as they stole a 7-6 win over plucky Estonia.
In the other two matches both Austria and Holland won through to the last eight where they will meet.
The $250,000 tournament originated in 2006 and has since moved around the world before touching down in Shanghai. The World Cup features 32 pairs from across the globe including two from host nation China. Running from 15th to 20th May, the event is on live TV in over 100 countries around the world.
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In the final first round match, China A scraped into the second round in the tournament’s first hill-hill thriller as they overcame the Estonian pair of Dennis Grabe and Mark Magi at the death. It was a thrilling match and it was Magi’s inexperience at the close which saw fortunes change.
Estonia held the lead throughout and were never behind until the 13th and final rack had concluded but it was Wu Jiaqing and Liu Haitao who took it.
Commented Liu, “It was the first match so we felt really nervous but later on we made some adjustments so hopefully next match we will play better.”
Wu felt similarly; “We struggled with the break so we will work on that. We missed the 7 in the first rack so we were chasing all the way through the match. Hopefully we will get better in the next round.”
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Wins for Greece, England and USA
Greece (14) 7-0 Hong Kong England (13) 7-2 South Korea USA (6) 7-5 Singapore
The three evening session matches went true to the seeding as Greece, England and the USA enjoyed victories in the opening round of the 2018 World Cup of Pool at the Luwan Arena, Huangpu District in Shanghai.
The $250,000 tournament originated in 2006 and has since moved around the world before touching down in Shanghai. The World Cup features 32 pairs from across the globe including two from host nation China. Running from 15th to 20th May, the event is on live TV in over 100 countries around the world.
The Greek pairing of Nick Malaj and Alexander Kazakis whitewashed their Hong Kong opponents 7-0 and looked in excellent shape as they look to mount a realistic challenge for the title. Hong Kong by contrast looked relative novices as they struggled to make an impact.
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Scotland, Germany, and China B romp into the Last 16 Stage!
Canada 3 – 7 Scotland Germany 7 – 0 Indonesia China B 7 – 2 South Africa
There was more action at the Luwan Arena, Huangpu District in Shanghai, as the World Cup of Pool continued with three more first round matches and there were wins for Scotland, Germany and the China B team.
The $250,000 tournament originated in 2006 and has since moved around the world before touching down in Shanghai. The World Cup features 32 pairs from around the globe including two from host nation China. Running from 15th to 20th May, the event is live in over 100 countries around the world.
Scott Gillespie became the first ever winner of an event on the historic Supreme Pool Series after he came from behind in an-all Scottish final to win the Jason Owen Open; the curtain raiser to an eagerly anticipated season of tournaments.
Bringing together top players from both sides of the English 8 Ball Pool divide - which includes the return of some of the sport's greats, this five event series boasts over £150,000 in prize money across the year, including a record-breaking £51,000 to the winner of the Grand Finals at the conclusion of the campaign.
The multi-talented Gillespie, a former Nations Cup Blackball Champion, went into the tournament with positive memories of the Players Pool Lounge venue having reached the final of the Supreme Masters which was staged there last year. He began his long journey to the title on Friday dropping just six frames in total when defeating Mark Astbury and Mason Penny.
Returning on Saturday he continued his brutal assault with an 11-3 success over a former World Champion in John Roe and then an 11-4 win over last year's Challenge Winner Shaun Storry.
His undefeated run was halted in the Winners Qualification Round when he went down 11-4 to IPA Number 1 ranked player Marc Farnsworth. However, Gillespie re-grouped on the Losers Side to see off the evergreen Phil Harrison 8-5, another one of the hot favourites (and another former World Champion) going into the weekend.
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