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Tuesday-Sunday 4-9 September 2012
Team Finland - Mika Immonen & Petri Makkonen.
All photography courtesy of ©Carina Altomonte / Matchroom Sport
Finland takes the glory in Manila!
FINLAND are the 2012 PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool champions as they put paid to the dreams of Poland, winning 10-8 in a tight final in front of a packed crowd in Manila. It was blend of youth and experience as 39 year-old Mika Immonen, who has operated at the highest level for the past 15 years, paired up with 24 year-old Petri Makkonen to deliver the goods time and again.
Their efforts won them the trophy, gold medals, a cheque for $60,000 and more importantly the title of World Cup of Pool Champions. However, the Polish pair of Karol Skowerski and Wojciech Szewcyk were magnificent throughout the competition but came up just short in the closing stages of the championship match.
“We were down 4-0 to the Koreans and got over that hurdle. Then we beat the champions Germany. Then we beat the Philippines and that was an immense hurdle and a lot of pressure. And another champion pair in the USA. Coming from that route, I feel that we really deserve this," said Mika Immonen
"It feels absolutely great. It hasn't sunk in yet, it will later. I can't describe it. Every match before, Mika shot the last 9 ball. But this game I shot the last 9 and that was great. That was the greatest moment of my career," said an awestruck Makkonen.
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The match was always close with the scores progressing from 3-3 to 5-5 to 7-7 and then 8-8. With the situation finely poised there was drama in what was the penultimate rack. Makkonen scratched playing a difficult jump shot and the Poles cleared to the 6 ball as a bad position forced Szewczyk into a difficult shot down the rail. The 6 hit the knuckle and the Finns cleared to move within one of the title.
Finland was breaking for the match but the Polish pair made it back to the table after Immonen missed a tricky one on the 2 ball. Poland got down to four balls before Szewczyk missed a makeable cut in the side pocket to hand the table to Finland and it was Makkonen whose lowly #35 ranking on the Euro Tour belies his immense potential, who nailed the winning 9 ball.
Both teams’ paths to the final were epic. Finland had beaten Korea and then looked impressive in dumping out defending champions Germany. Their quarter-final win was a real glory job against ’06 and ’10 champions Efren Reyes and Francisco Bustamante before beating ’08 winners Shane Van Boening and Rodney Morris (USA).
Team Finland - Mika Immonen & Petri Makkonen.
Poland on the other hand, opened their account with hard fought two rack win over Australia and followed that up by beating fancied Holland in the last 16 by the same margin. Their quarter-final match was an all-European affair versus Italy and then they ousted Chinese Taipei in the semi-finals.
Immonen said, "I'm completely spent right now. We put everything we had into this match. It was a high quality final and it was the toughest match we had. We were hanging by the skin of our teeth; the rolls were against us all night. But we came with the tough shots. We both made some terrific long shots. Our decision making was good too and they missed a few opportunities."
"Last year we got knocked out in the first round. This time we got in a lot more practice. We were more in tune with each other. We had a common goal. I told Petri if I tell you something just trust it, and that can take the pressure off you. He's a great shot maker and he took the pressure so well. Now he can say that he's been there and done that."
"Poland was terrific, they are great shot makers, and they broke really well. Somehow in the end it went our way. All the credit goes to the Polish guys who are really great players, great guys."
Makkonen was thrilled with his achievement, the biggest of his career by a long chalk.
"We were down a few times in the tournament and we fought back every time, so I knew we could do it. It's short races and it's 9-ball and anything can happen and playing with Mika helps."
Team Finland - Petri Makkonen & Mika Immonen.
"The pressure gets easier after every game. After we beat the Philippines we can't be nervous and after that it got easier."
The Poles were stoical in defeat having far surpassed their expectations.
“Almost. What a shame. We had a lot of chances and I think we played quite nervous at the end of the match. I missed a 6 ball, he missed a 6 ball. Up until then we played fantastic but that is pool; it's a lot of pressure, said Skowerski.
"I'm not too disappointed. It was close, but I'm not going to cry. We made something special. We created history in Polish pool."
19 year-old Szewcyk said "I don't want to be unthankful but I do regret. I feel disappointed but also a great pride of course. We had a chance and it was our mistake that decided it, not a run out from Finland."
"I think this tournament gave me so much experience that I couldn't earn anywhere else. There's no tournament where the pressure is bigger than here. The sad thing is that the adventure is over."
Team Finland - Petri Makkonen & Mika Immonen.
Team Finland (top) and Team Poland.
All photography courtesy of ©Carina Altomonte / Matchroom Sport
It’s Finland v Poland for the glory!
THE FINAL of the 2012 PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool will be an all-Northern Europe affair as Poland and Finland came through their semi-final matches to set up an intriguing Sunday night clash at Robinson’s Place Mall in Manila.
Earlier Finland had tussled with Team USA before breaking away at the close to clinch it while the Poles were dominant against a Taiwanese team who weren’t able to deliver a similar performance to their quarter-final show over England.
The Poles though, were strait out the traps and within 30 minutes found themselves 5-0 up. Calm under pressure, Karol Skowerski and Wojciech Szewcyk seem to be improving with each match as they completed some difficult run outs.
The Taiwanese pair of Han En-hsu & Hsin Ting-chen were never in it as they chased after a big deficit and in the end they lost by 9-4.
Karol Skowerski, the senior of the two said, “It's impossible. One week ago we didn't dream about the final. We are just happy to reach the quarterfinal. The semi-final is historical. The final is another level. Maybe we can win this tournament.
"We weren't nervous. The key for the win is just to enjoy the game and have fun. I think Finland is the same dark horse like us.
Team Poland's Karol Skowerski.
“Nobody expected they would reach the final, just like us. It will be very tough match. It will be a different story than the other matches. We just have to play the same, just have fun and enjoy the game and everything will be ok."
18 year-old Szewcyk added, "We are not the strongest possible team. We are not top two in Polish ranking, but what we did here was amazing."
Team Poland - Wojciech Szewcyk & Karol Skowerski.
"That was the first match I played really well. We are happy with our result and the way we played. We had much less pressure. The first three rounds made us comfortable playing here; at first this was all new, the crowd, shouting people after every mistake. Now it's our fourth match, I just get used to it."
Team USA's Shane Van Boening.
Earlier, Finland reached their second PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool final as they buried American hopes, running out 9-7 winners. The Finnish pair of Mika Immonen and Petri Makkonen turned over a 5-2 deficit to win seven out of nine racks as they closed the match out.
The American pair of Rodney Morris and Shane Van Boening was in control of the match in the first half but some crucial mistakes by Rodney Morris let the Finns off the hook, coupled with an outrageous fluked 9 ball that saw the Finns get to 8-7 at a critical moment.
In what was the final rack, the Americans had a great chance to clear but Morris missed a bad 6 ball and with that the Finns ran out for the victory in what was a close run match.
Team Finland's Mika Immonen.
This will be Finland’s second World Cup of Pool final. They lost 13-12 to China in Rotterdam in 2007 in a heart-break defeat.
Immonen said, "We hung in there. Our break was a bit off at the beginning and then we adapted. That's what it is in pool. We did better on the long shots than they did. Petri's really doing better. We don't make little mistakes get to us. We analyze it and then brush it off and move on but in the finals we have to play more solid."
"It will definitely be a very sought after title on anyone's resume. It would really make us proud to lift the trophy. We've both worked hard all week and we've done everything we could. I hope we can do it - we've got a chance now," he added.
Team USA's Shane Van Boening.
A delighted Makkonen said, "It hasn't sunk in yet. Mika covered me again a few times. We played good but I made a few mistakes. We made good shots after those misses. The more games you have in that arena and it becomes easier to play as you get used to it.”
Morris was disappointed but only had himself to blame, "Shane played real good, but I didn't - I dogged it and it cost us the tournament. A least three times I dogged it. The turning point was 5-2 when Shane got kissed in and scratched. They tied it up from there and then we had to fight it out. When they fluked the 9 to make it 8-7 that was the game right there."
Team Finland.
The 2012 PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool runs from Tuesday September 4 to Sunday, September 9 at Robinson’s Place, Ermita, Manila. Once again the total prize fund is US$250,000 with $60,000 going to the eventual champions. The superb venue with plentiful balconies offers superb views of the playing arena, and crowds are in the thousands rather than hundreds.
the world's leading online poker school. Cloth is supplied by Iwan Simonis,
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2012 PARTY CASINO.NET | ||||
WORLD CUP OF POOL | ||||
THE DRAW | ||||
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2012 PARTY CASINO.NET | ||||
WORLD CUP OF POOL | ||||
THE LAST 16 | ||||
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2012 PARTY CASINO.NET | ||||
WORLD CUP OF POOL | ||||
THE QUARTER FINALS | ||||
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2012 PARTY CASINO.NET | ||||
WORLD CUP OF POOL | ||||
THE SEMI FINALS | ||||
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WORLD CUP OF POOL | ||||
THE FINAL | ||||
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2012 PARTYPOKER.NET | ||
WORLD CUP OF POOL | ||
THE PRIZE FUND | ||
| Winners: | US$60,000 x 1 | |
| Runners Up: | US$30,000 x 1 | |
| Semi-Finalists: | US$16,000 x 2 | |
| Quarter-Finalists: | US$10,000 x 4 | |
| Last 16: | US$5,000 x 8 | |
| Last 32: | US$3,000 x 16 | |
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