Mika Immonen (FIN)
Darren Appleton (ENG)
Yukio Akagariyama (JPN)
Huidji See (NED)
The Wolf Den
Mohegan Sun Casino
1 Mohegan Sun Blvd
Uncasville
Connecticut
CT 06382
USA
www.mohegansun.com
25 October 2011
Darren Appleton receives his award from Mike Libera of the Mohegan Sun.
APPLETON TAKES THE PRIZE AT WINNER-TAKE-ALL $25,000 EVENT
In 2009 an elated Mika Immonen said, “this is the toughest tournament in the world” and then he proceeded to win it - and then win it again in 2010 too. It was all part of the most thrilling 18 months of his career, as win followed win, including back-to-back US Open victories.
Sound familiar?
Well, it could... Darren Appleton seems to be following in Mika's very successful footsteps and clocking up victories all over the world - particularly resonant are the two back-to-back US Open victories and now this too - this most unpredictable of events, short set race-to-five format - and an electrifying single rack decider if the score is tied after two sets. An exquisitely nerve-wracking format!
But, that's exactly what happened in "Dynamite" Darren's final with the Netherland's Huidji See. Appleton had already swept aside Japan's Yukio Akagariyama in straight sets, and See had managed to defeat defending champion Mika Immonen, albeit through a sudden death final rack after they were tied at one set apiece. You couldn't predict a winner of the final, and true to form they both took a set each. There was even some to-and-fro in the final one-rack shoot-out, and it wasn't until a vital miss on the four by Huidji that gave his opponent the opportunity needed to run out the final balls, and Darren Appleton was crowned the new “Champion of Champions.” The two semifinals and the Championship match were taped by ESPN for telecast (normally December).
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Darren Appleton (GBR) and Huidji See (NED) before the final match.
It's all a blur as Darren Appleton wins the final.
THE 2011 INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS | ||
MOHEGUN SUN CASINO, CONNECTICUT, USA | ||
THE SEMI FINALS | ||
Darren Appleton (GBR) | 5:2 - 5:2 - 0:0 | (JPN) Yukio Akagariyama |
Huidji See (NED) | 5:1 - 3:5 - 1:0 | (FIN) Mika Immonen |
THE 2011 INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS | ||
MOHEGUN SUN CASINO, CONNECTICUT, USA | ||
THE FINAL | ||
Darren Appleton (GBR) | 2:5 - 5:2 - 1:0 | (NED) Huidji See |
THE 2010 INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS | |||||
MOHEGUN SUN CASINO, CONNECTICUT, USA | |||||
THE WINNER'S LIST | |||||
| 1991 |  | Mike Lebron |  | USA | |
| 1992 | | Buddy Hall | | USA | |
| 1993 | | Allen Hopkins | | USA | |
| 1994 | | Nick Varner | | USA | |
| 1995 | | Chao Fong-Pang |  | Taiwan | |
| 1996 | | Ralf Souquet |  | Germany | |
| 1997 | | Oliver Ortman | | Germany | |
| 1998 | | Lee Kun-Fang | | Taiwan | |
| 1999 | | Francisco Bustamante |  | Philippines | |
| 2000 | | Oliver Ortmann | | Germany | |
| 2001 | | Chao Fong-Pang | | Taiwan | |
| 2002 | | Efren Reyes | | Philippines | |
| 2003 | | Francisco Bustamante | | Philippines | |
| 2004 | | Thomas Engert | | Germany | |
| 2005 | | Chao Fong-Pang | | Taiwan | |
| 2006 | | Johnny Archer | | USA | |
| 2007 | | Niels Feijen |  | Netherlands | |
| 2008 | | Fu Jian-Bo |  | China | |
| 2009 | | Mika Immonen |  | Finland | |
| 2010 | | Mika Immonen | | Finland | |
| 2011 | | Darren Appleton |  | Great Britain | |
