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Ronnie Hits the Strip Running

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Date: Monday, July 24 2006 @ 18:35:42 UTC
Topic: International Pool Tour



IPT North American 8 Ball Open
Venetian Hotel
3355 Las Vegas Blvd
South Las Vegas
Nevada 89109
USA
www.internationalpooltour.com
IPT NA Open Statistics
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24 July 2006


Many thanks to JR Calvert from InsidePOOL Magazine for the pictures.


The Rocket Advances at the IPT North American 8-Ball Open Championship

Snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan advanced to the second round of the International Pool Tour North American 8-Ball Open championship’s in Las Vegas yesterday proving he’s got what it takes when it comes to pool.

After a shaky start which saw him lose his first match , O’Sullivan pulled out some classic shots to progress through to the second round taking him one step closer to the $350,000 1st place purse.

Playing in his first IPT event , O’Sullivan was faced with having to compete in a round-robin format to make it to the second phase of competition and had to take on a tough line-up.

Click on "Read More..." for the details.


Many thanks to JR Calvert from InsidePOOL Magazine for the pictures.


His first match was America ’s Dennis “The Hatchetman” Hatch , which he lost 8-6; he came back fighting with an 8-5 win against France ’s Vincent Facquet by winning 8-5. His head went down with a loss to Serbia ’s Sandor who beat him 8-6 in his third match , but he made it through to the second round , with a resounding 8-2 victory over former U.S. Open winner Mike Lebron.


Many thanks to JR Calvert from InsidePOOL Magazine for the pictures.


Despite the early loss on Sunday night Ronnie is confident ahead of going into Tuesday’s matches but explains that the style of play on the tour is a new challenge.


Many thanks to JR Calvert from InsidePOOL Magazine for the pictures.


“I couldn’t pot off the break , and that’s very frustrating. It was disheartening. But there’s still time , and I can’t expect miracles straightaway.”


Many thanks to JR Calvert from InsidePOOL Magazine for the pictures.


“Until I get a break , I’m always going to be chasing whomever I play , because I’m not going to be putting three or four racks on the chart , which is what I think you need to be doing , I’m making ones and twos. It’s not enough. I need threes and fours minimum. I’ve just got to stick in there. I’m glad I’m through to play Tuesday , because it gives me the opportunity to try to improve on today...However, I can’t be too disappointed , because they’re seasoned eight-ball , nine-ball players , and they’re used to the equipment.


Many thanks to JR Calvert from InsidePOOL Magazine for the pictures.


“There’s some characters here , ” O’Sullivan chuckled as he watched the diminutive Santos Sambajon Jr of the Philippines show off his famously smooth stroke. “I’ve never seen so many characters in my life. Even if I’m not playing in this , I’d come just to watch it and support the people—I think they’re great.”


Many thanks to JR Calvert from InsidePOOL Magazine for the pictures.


Regarding the IPT’s glittering event , which features 200 of the world’s best , O’Sullivan exclaimed , “What is there not to like? This is just mind-blowing. I’ve never seen anything like this , even on the snooker tour , let alone the pool circuit. It’s amazing. It’s like Wimbledon , the U.S. Open. It’s a massive event. It’s huge. It’s fantastic.”


IPT North American Open Prize Money Breakdown
Total Prize Fund$2,050,000
1st Place$350,000
2nd Place $99,000
3rd Place $80,000
4th Place$65,000
5th Place $50,000
6th Place $40,000
7th - 18th Place$30,000 each
19th - 36th Place $17,000 each
37th - 60th Place$10,000 each
61st - 120th Place $5,000 each
121st - 200th Place$2,000 each
All prize money is regardless of number of players