International Speed Pool Challenge
ESPN Zone Las Vegas
NY NY Hotel and Casino
3790 Las Vegas Blvd South
Las Vegas
Nevada
NV 89109
Telephone: 702 933 3776
www.espnzone.com/lasvegas
Wednesday-Thursday 1-2 October 2008
BOBBY McGRATH WINS 2008 INTERNATIONAL SPEED POOL CHAMPIONSHIP
The 2008 ESPN ZONE BILLIARDS SHOOTOUT was held October 1 in Las Vegas. Bobby McGrath defeated Dave Pearson for the INTERNATIONAL SPEED POOL CHALLENGE crown and the $40,000 purse. ESPN Zone Las Vegas was host to the event, which was taped for three 1-hour telecasts on ESPN and the first ever to be broadcast in High Definition.
The Third Annual INTERNATIONAL SPEED POOL CHALLENGE drew an international lineup battling for the $40,000 winner-take-all prize. The action in Speed Pool is fast and furious (the speed of light compared to 9-ball) with two sets, twelve racks in each set, the first set Straight Pool and the second set 8-Ball. Players routinely run racks of fifteen balls in about 1-minute and the player with the lowest accumulated time for twelve racks wins the match.
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For the second year in a row, McGrath and Pearson emerged from the pack as the top guns. In the Championship Match, McGrath, the defending champion, overcame Pearson by scores of 6:43 / 7:29 minutes the first set and 8:45 / 9:14 minutes the second set to capture the title and $40,000. In semifinal action, McGrath zipped past Nick Nikolaidis of Canada 7:14 / 7:19 in the first set and 9:29 / 11:09 in the second set. The other semifinal saw Pearson zap Tan Chin Seng of Malaysia in straight sets 6:42 / 8:35 and 9:12 / 10:39. McGrath displayed blinding speed to defeat Pearson who holds several Speed Pool records in the Guinness Book of World Records. Even then, it went to the last rack of the second set to decide the Championship Match.
The standing-room-only crowd gave Bobby McGrath a rousing ovation at the conclusion of the final match. The winners check was presented by Blaine Martin, Connelly Billiards and Ivan Lee, Simonis Cloth. The presentation brought another round of cheers from the audience.
In addition to the fine tournament site at ESPN Zone at the New York New York Hotel & Casino, the event was sponsored by Connelly Billiards, Aramith Super Pro Balls, Simonis Cloth, L.E.A.N.I. Italian Slate, AcCue Shot Target Practice Device, Executive Billiards Delta-13 Rack and Silver Cup Chalk. The event was produced by Billiards International, Ltd.
Billiards International, Ltd.
2008
TOM ROSSMAN WINS 2008 TRICK SHOT MAGIC TITLE
The 2008 ESPN ZONE BILLIARDS SHOOTOUT was held October 2 in Las Vegas. Tom Rossman defeated Andy Segal for the TRICK SHOT MAGIC title and the lion’s share of the $40,000 purse. ESPN Zone Las Vegas was host to the event which was taped for three 1-hour telecasts on ESPN and the first ever to be broadcast in High Definition.
The Ninth Annual TRICK SHOT MAGIC featured a stellar international cast vying for the most coveted title in Artistic Pool. The matches required each player to execute 10 Artistic shots in a challenge format. Players challenged their opponents with shots of their choice, with each player forced to make the shot to score a point. In the event of a tied score, the tiebreaker was an 8-rail bank shot onto the face of a $100 bill. The player who came closest to the center of the bill won the match.
Rossman and Segal displayed their brilliance to emerge as the top trick shot artists. The Championship Match was poetry on green felt, with Rossman defeating Segal by a score of 13 - 10 to take the crown and $18,000. Segal, who otherwise played to top form in the event, claimed $6,000 second prize. In the semifinal action Rossman (USA) and Eric Yow (USA) battled back and forth in a thrilling match to a tied score of 13 – 13. They then sent to a sudden death 8-rail bank shot and Rossman claimed victory by placing the cue ball onto the center of a $100 bill. The other semifinal saw Segal (USA) upend Mike Massey (USA) by a lopsided score of 11 - 4. Massey, who injured his shoulder in a quarterfinal match, was unable to play at his legendary level of skill. International trick shot stars who were bumped off in single elimination included Yow and Massey, who won $4,000 each, and Stefano Pelinga (Italy), Luke Szywala (Poland), Sebastian Giumelli (Argentina), and Mark Dimick (USA), who won $2,000 each.
The standing-room-only crowd gave Tom Rossman a spirited ovation at the conclusion of the final match. The winner’s check was presented by Blaine Martin, Connelly Billiards and Ivan Lee, Simonis Cloth. The presentation brought another round of cheers from the audience.
In addition to the fine tournament site at ESPN Zone Las Vegas at the New York New York Hotel & Casino, the event was sponsored by Connelly Billiards, Aramith Super Pro Balls, Simonis Cloth, L.E.A.N.I. Italian Slate, AcCue Shot Target Practice Device, Executive Billiards Delta-13 Rack and Silver Cup Chalk. The WPA sanctioned event was produced by Billiards International, Ltd.
Billiards International, Ltd.
2008
