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2014 WPA World 9-Ball Championships
Qatar Billiards & Snooker Federation
Al Sadd Sports Club
Al Sadd Street
Sport Roundabout
Doha
Qatar
www.qbsf.qa - facebook - live stream - group results
www.wpa-pool.com - Twitter - facebook
www.kozoom.com

Monday - Friday 16 - 27 June 2014

Photos Courtesy of Richard Walker
Another 32 players battle through Judgement Day nerves and tension to grab a spot in the Final 64 as the real race for World 9-ball supremacy begins

With plenty of cueing arms shaking, nerves frazzling, and careers hanging in the balance, 32 players kept their hopes and dreams for 9-ball magnificence alive today, as the field for the Final 64 at the 2014 World 9-ball Championship finally took shape at the Al Saad Sports Club in Doha.

The race to pool�s most prestigious prize now takes on a completely different complexion beginning Wednesday, as all matches become do or die single elimination contests. The action and drama is guaranteed to heat up as the tournament will reach its sure-to-be explosive conclusion in just three days. All matches down to the final are race to 11, alternate break. The Finals, which will be played just after the completion of the semis on Friday, will be a race to 13, alternate break.

Even a passing glance at the Final 64 bracket is enough to make the most jaded pool fan stand up and take notice. Many of the big names from the sport who came to Doha have made it through. The field also comprises a host of up-and-coming sharp shooters who have a solid chance at becoming the sport�s next superstar. There are also dark horses aplenty who could upset the apple cart. Even a bunch of newcomers from countries not normally associated with pool made it through, and these players too could very well make some noise.

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As usual, Filipinos make up the largest contingent in the Final 64, with 11 players having passed the grade. The Taiwanese have been quietly doing their thing for the last four days and bring eight of their supremely talented players to the big dance. Europe takes up nearly half the field with 27 players.

The 32 matches played over three sessions today at the Al Saad lived up to expectations normally associated with what has come to be known as Judgement Day at the World 9-ball Championship. This was the last chance to make it out of the groups and into to the Final 64 with all matches sink or swim.

Those not close to the sport may wonder what is the big deal exactly, as on the surface they can see there are still dozens of players left in the event. But for those who follow championship pool at this level, Judgement Day holds a special significance. Once a player escapes out of the double elimination stage with his two wins, the path to glory is laid out clear; six wins to the title, six wins to immortality.

If we eliminate perhaps one fourth of the field based on experience, that still leaves nearly 50 players who could, if the stars line up, find their way into the winners circle come Friday. Experts will say only 30 or so realistically have a chance at the title. But then again, pool is often a streak sport. Catch an incredible gear and a player nobody expected could claim a stunning victory on Friday.

That was the cherry waiting to be picked for all 64 players who entered the chilly environs of the Al Saad Sports Club today. And the results didn�t disappoint; 8 out of the 32 matches went right down to the very last ball. Careers hung on the slightest turn of a ball. Elation and crushing disappointment comingled like teenagers at a high school prom.

One of the marquee matches of the day featured Filipino pool legend Efren �Bata� Reyes against England�s Karl Boyes. The match, which was played on the main table, was watched by several hundred Filipinos and locals, all hanging on every Reyes shot.

Reyes didn�t disappoint early on as he looked much more calm than he did in his previous match where could barely settle down and get comfortable. But up 5-4, Reyes missed a straight in, four foot 9-ball in what could have been the worst shot he has ever played in his storied career. Before you could say the word, �Magician,� Boyes had tied the match, then pushed his lead to 8-6. Reyes, though, fought back and tied the contest at 8. But in the final frame the Filipino great let a safety go astray, and Boyes cleared up for the match.

Filipino veteran Warren Kiamco was sure he would be heading home early, as he was down 8-6 against Venezuela�s Frailin Guanipa and Guanipa had only a few balls left for a massive win. But the magnitude of the moment clearly got the better of the Venezuelan as he missed three makeable balls in three straight racks to gift Kiamco a spot in the Final 64.

Two former world champions escaped close encounters today. 2007 champ Daryl Peach of England clipped Sweden�s Tom Storm 9-8. Canadian-Filipino Alex Pagulayan, who won the world title in 2004, had a tense match against Croatia�s Ivica Putnik and won right at the end, 9-8.

Not all of today�s matches went to the cliff. Recent China Open winner Chang Yu Lung of Taiwan advanced with a 9-4 win over Vietam�s Nguyen Anh Tuan. The Philippines Lee Vann Corteza went through with a 9-4 win over Omran Salem of the UAE. Japan�s Naoyuki Oi looked solid with a 9-2 thrashing of Kuwait�s top player Omar Al Shaheen. Canada�s Jason Klatt and Italian veteran Fabio Petroni also made it with solid wins.

It was a miserable day for Team USA. Sweden�s Andreas Gerwin took down Brandon Shuff, Taiwan�s Lin Cheng Chieh beat Cory Deuel, and Korea�s Seung Woo Ryu beat Hunter Lombardo all by identical scores of 9-7. Shane Van Boening remains the only American left in the tournament.

Some of the best moments today came from players who realistically have zero chance of winning the World 9-ball Championship, but for whom making it to the single elimination stage is victory enough.

Iran�s Mehdi Rasekhi was paired against Taiwan veteran Kuo Po Cheng, who had twice reached the finals of this very championship. In one previous try last year, Rasekhi had nearly made it to the Final 64, only to lose a hill-hill match. He had also twice reached Judgement Day at the World 8-ball championship several years back, only to lose each time at the very last rack.

Against Kuo, Rasekhi, who mostly plays snooker back in Iran, played beautifully and looked like a lock as he went up 8-4 in the race to 9 match and had only three easy balls to history. But after blowing the 7-ball, he seemed to mentally collapse as Kuo stormed back. But Rasekhi held his nerve and finally crossed the finish line with a clutch break and run at the wire to make it into the Final 64.

Afterward, the 28 year old Rasekhi , from Shiraz, Iran, couldn�t believe what he had just accomplished.

�I was so very nervous out there,� Rasekhi said. �He is a very good player. That last rack I just put a picture of my mother back in Iran in my head. I thought of her and it calmed me down. This is a very good thing to happen to me. I�m so happy right now.�

India is known more for its snooker and billiards but Sandeep Gulati is hoping to change that image. The 36 year old from New Delhi today became only the second ever player from India to reach the knockout stage of the World 9-ball championship, as he grinded out a hard fought win over Ukraine�s Artem Koshovyi, 9-6. After the match Gulati had the appearance of a man who had just won the lottery.

�This is just so awesome� the Indian said, �I can�t explain it. I�m at a loss for words. I come from a non-pool playing country. Only one other Indian has ever reached the top 64. I was so nervous out there. I know all my friends and family back in India are watching online. �

When asked how he would approach his round of 64 match against Taiwan�s Ko Pin Yi, who happens to be one of the world�s best 9-ball players, Gulati said it was all gravy at this point.

�I have nothing to lose. If I beat him that will be something. The moment I get on the table I am assuming I have lost. So I have no pressure. The pressure is definitely on him.�

The round of 64 begins Wednesday at 11am Doha time(GMT +3)

2014 WPA WORLD 9-BALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
DOHA - QATAR
THE GROUP STAGE RESULTS
Winners qualify for the Final 64. Losers are out of the tournament Group 1 Mario Teutscher(NED) 9 � 5 Sumit Talway(IND) Tanaka Masaaki(JPN) 9 � 7 Erik Hjorleifson(CAN)
Group 2 Hsu Kai Lun(TPE) 9 � 7 Scott Cooney(GBR) Dimitri Jungo(SUI) 9 � 0 Jalal Yousef(VEN)
Group 3 Alexander Kazakis(GRE) 9 � 5 Abdul Rahman Al Ammar(KSA) Daniele Corrieri(ITA) 9 � 6 Melkonyan Babken(ROU)
Group 4 Ramil Gallego(PHL) 9- 3 Michel Bartol(CRO) Mehdi Rasekhi(IRI) 9 � 8 Kuo Po Cheng(TPE)
Group 5 Fabio Petroni(ITA) 9 � 4 Lui Hai Tao(CHN) Seung Woo Ryu(KOR)9 � 7 Hunter Lombardo(USA)
Group 6 Warren Kiamco(PHL) 9 � 8 Frailin Guanipa(VEN) Stephan Cohen(nothing) 9 � 4 Abdullah Al Yusef(KUW)
Group 7 Jason Klatt(CAN) 9 � 1 Ivo Aarts(NED) Chang Jung Lin(TPE) 9 � 1 Ko Ping Chung(TPE)
Group 8 Daryl Peach(GBR) 9 � 8 Tom Storm(SWE) Roman Hybler(CZE) 9 � 8 Glen Coutts(NZL)
Group 9 Young Hwa Jeong(KOR) 9 � 8 Maj Al Azmi(KUW) Karl Boyes(GBR) 9 � 8 Efren Reyes(PHL)
Group 10 Mieszko Fortunski(POL) 9 � 2 Mazen Berjaoui(LEB) Albin Ouschan(AUT) 9 � 0 Elvis Calasang(PHL)
Group 11 Andreas Gerwin(SWE) 9 � 7 Brandon Shuff(USA) Aloysius Yapp(SIN) 9 � 6 Mohammadali Pordel(IRI)
Group 12 Chang Yu Lung(TPE) 9 � 4 Nguyen Anh Tuan(VIE) Francisco Felicilda(PHL) 9 � 6 Ali Obaidly(QAT)
Group 13 Lo Li Wen(TPE) 9 - 4 Petri Makkonen(FIN) Lin Cheng Chieh(TPE) 9- 7 Corey Deuel(USA)
Group 14 Salaheldeen Al Rimawi(UAE) 9 � 8 Thomasz Kaplan(POL) Manuel Gama(POR) 9 � 7 Israel Rota(PHL)
Group 15 Naoyuki Oi(JPN) 9 � 2 Omar Al Shaheen(KUW) Alex Pagulayan(CAN) 9 � 8 Ivica Putnik(CRO)
Group 16 Sundeep Gulati(IND) 9 � 6 Artem Koshovyi(UKR) Lee Vann Corteza(PHL) 9 � 4 Omran Salem(UAE)
TOTAL PRIZE FUND = US $200,000

2014 WPA WORLD 9-BALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
DOHA - QATAR
THE LAST 64 DRAW
Wang Can	0 : 0	Warren Kiamco
Raymund Faraon	0 : 0	Liu Cheng Chieh
Elmer D. Haya	0 : 0	Francisco Felicilda
Hijikata Hayato	0 : 0	Tanaka Masaaki
Waleed Majed	0 : 0	Lee Van Corteza
Darren Appleton	0 : 0	Daryl Peach
Konstantin Stepanov	0 : 0	Andreas Gerwen
Johann Chua	0 : 0	Daniele Corrieri
Mario He	0 : 0	Alex Pagulayan
Jayson Shaw	0 : 0	Jeong Young Hwa
Radoslaw Babica	0 : 0	Manuel Gama
Niels Feijen	0 : 0	Salaheldeen Al Rimawi
Carlo Biado	0 : 0	Mieszko Fortunski
Jeffrey De Luna	0 : 0	Jason Klatt
Dennis Orcollo	0 : 0	Ohi Naoyuki
Ko Pin Yi	0 : 0	Sundeep Galati
Fu Che Wei	0 : 0	Hsu Kai Lun
Wu Jiaqing	0 : 0	Lo Li Wen
Huidji See	0 : 0	Stephan Cohen
Cheng Yu Hsuan	0 : 0	Chang Yu Lung
Shane Van Boening	0 : 0	Chang Jung Lin
Dang Jing Hu	0 : 0	Karl Boyes
Kuribayashi Tohru	0 : 0	Alexander Kazakis
Nick Economopoulos	0 : 0	Fabio Petroni
Antonio Gabica	0 : 0	Medhi Rasekhi
Bruno Muratore	0 : 0	Ryu Seung Woo
Mika Immonen	0 : 0	Roman Hybler
Oliver Ortmann	0 : 0	Albin Ouschan
Li He Wen	0 : 0	Dimitri Jungo
Thorsten Hohmann	0 : 0	Marco Teutscher
Nick van den Berg	0 : 0	Aloysius Yapp
Ralf Souquet	0 : 0	Ramil Gallego

2014 WPA WORLD 9-BALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
DOHA - QATAR
THE PRIZE FUND
1st	$ 30,000
2nd	$ 15,000
3rd ~ 4th	$ 7,500
5th ~ 8th	$ 5,000
9th ~ 16th	$ 3,000
17th ~ 32nd	$ 2,000
33rd ~ 64th	$ 1,500
65th ~ 96th	$ 500
97th ~ 128th	$ 0
TOTAL PRIZE FUND = US $200,000

WPA WORLD 9-BALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
THE WINNER'S LIST
1990 - 2013
1990	Earl Strickland	USA
1991	Earl Strickland	USA
1992	Johnny Archer	USA
1993	Fong-Pang Chao	TPE
1994	Takeshi Okumura	JPN
1995	Oliver Ortmann	GER
1996	Ralf Souquet	GER
1997	Johnny Archer	USA
1998	Kunihiko Takahashi	JPN
1999	Nick Varner	USA
1999	Efren Reyes	PHI
2000	Fong-Pang Chao	TPE
2001	Mika Immonen	FIN
2002	Earl Strickland	USA
2003	Thorsten Hohmann	GER
2004	Alex Pagulayan	CAN
2005	Chia-Ching Wu	TPE
2006	Ronnie Alcano	PHI
2007	Daryl Peach	GBR
2008	*Not held	---
2009	*Not held	---
2010	Francisco Bustamante	PHI
2011	Yukio Akakariyama	JPN
2012	Darren Appleton	GBR
2013	Thorsten Hohmann	GER
2014	---	---

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