Site News
Topic: *Industry News* 2011

Straight Pool final coming up

Heiko Müller and Stefano Bazzana will battle it out

Monday, 08 August 2011: The straight pool competition at the Dynamic European Seniors Championship 2011 is down to two men.

Stefano Bazzana (ITA) defeated Luis Torres (POR) with 100:73. Torres had a bad start which Bazzana took advantage of. He never got to the table with a real good option of making a ball until the score was 44:8 in favour of Bazzana. Then, Torres managed to catch up 31:44. For a while, safety shots were exchanged. It was Bazzana to gain momentum first and steal some points off Torres, taking a 92:44 lead over the Portuguese. Everybody thought it would be over but Torres fought back. He made 29 balls to make the score 73:92 when he missed the important shot. That was the kiss of death for him in that match. Bazzana ran out and won the match with 100:73.

In the other semi-final, Heiko Müller (GER) won over Robert Sudic (CRO) with 100:89. Both players have performed quite well during the straight pool competition with Sudic being the favourite player on paper. For both players and the spectators the match turned out to be a marathon.

Unfortunately, they could not tie in with their performances from earlier rounds. Many mistakes and errors happened and the match lasted over 2 ½ hours. The scoreboard mostly showed Sudic leading and Müller trailing behind. But the German was able to turn the match to his favour. In the end, Müller showed the better nerves, defeating Sudic with 100:89.

Amsterdam Billiards Warm-Up for The World Tournament of 14.1

New York,New York- Big time straight pool action is back in Manhattan as fans will get a one day preview taste of world class 14.1 action on August 27th at Amsterdam Billiard Club. 16 world class pros will be joined by 16 fortunate amateur and local talents in a one day 32 man field tournament. $4000 will be generously added to the warm-up by World Tournament head patron Dr.Michael Fedak and Amsterdam Billiard proprietor Greg Hunt. This event will be the prelude to the following day's big stage of the greatest straight pool tournament in the world. The Dragon Promotions & Dr.Michael Fedak produced event takes place on August 28- September 2, 2011 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

"Amsterdam Billiards loves the pros and we always give world class treatment to world class pros. That's why we are home to so many champions such as Mika Immonen, Tony Robles, Jennifer Barretta and frequent visitors like Thorsten Hohmann. We are honored to host this awesome warm-up event for the World Tournament of 14.1 and the fans and players will all have a blast", said Greg Hunt, owner of Amsterdam Billiard Club .

The format will be race to 125 single elimination. The first round will see the 16 amateurs take on one of the 16 invited pros. The finals will be one race to 150. Entry is only $75 and players may pay Amsterdam Billiards direct or contact worldstraightpoolchampionships@gmail.com

The Top 16 Pro Players Invited to the Warm-Up:

1. Johnny Archer USA
2. Rodney Morris USA
3. Mika Immonen FIN
4. Thorsten Hohmann GER
5. Charlie Williams USA
6. Erica Park KOR
7. Tony Robles USA
8. Oliver Ortmann GER
9. Ralf Eckert GER
10. Mike Davis USA
11. Stefan Cohen FR
12. Alex Pagulayan PHI
13. Niels Feijen NED
14. Kunihiko Takahashi JPN
15. John Schmidt USA
16. Allen Hopkins USA

Amsterdam Billiard Club has been one of the most famous and prestigious poolrooms in the history of pool for over 22 years. It has hosted many celebrities and been the home of billiard stars for decades. It's 11,000 sq ft. location has a full bar, serves food, and caters to dart players, pool leagues, and world champions. It is located at 110 East 11th Street New York, NY 10003-5302 (212) 995-0333 visit www.amsterdambilliardclub.com

Pool fans are also invited to join dinner with the world's greatest players at the 1st Annual 14.1 Straight Pool Hall of Fame.. This year's nominees on the ballot include Ray Martin, Dallas West,Nick Varner, Jerome Keough, Alfredo DeOro, and Willie Mosconi. To vote, please send in your choice at worldstraightpoolchampionships@gmail.com

One of the goals of the event is to honor the champions of 14.1 that have passed and honor those who are still living. The Straight Pool Hall of Fame goals are also to cover all the expenses of the living inductee to the event and the Hall of Famer's costs in playing in the event.

Fans can make donations to support the 14.1 Hall of Fame Inductee at www.dragonpromotions.com

In partnership with the support of Dr.Michael Fedak, Dragon Promotions will produce The World Tournament for the sixth straight year. This year's event will have the biggest payout in men's straight pool history with $20,000 going to the champion. The event is $35,000 added , boasting a total $70,000 in the prize fund for one prestigious straight pool tournament . Predator Cues will also be sponsoring the event for the sixth straight year and the luxurious Hyatt Regency in New Brunswick, NJ will host this year's event starting August 28 through September 2, 2011. All the greatest straight pool players from around the world will arrive at the birthplace of 14.1 to play for this coveted title and becoming the #1 Straight Pool Player on Earth.

Fans and players can attend the event and purchase tickets by going to www.dragonpromotions.com and make hotel reservations now at the Hyatt Regency by calling 732-873-1234 ask for "US Pool Players" Group and receive the tournament rate of $105 per night. Vendor spaces are also available, please contact dp.sally@gmail.com

The 2011 World Tournament is proudly co-sponsored by Amsterdam Billiards, Andy Cloth, Kamui and straight pool aficionados Bill Austin of UT, Dr.Louis Pannullo, Ralph Rubin of MD. Co-contributors Dennis Walsh and Bill Marapolous. For more information on player registration, sponsorship, or if you would like to submit a comment, please email worldstraightpoolchampionships@gmail.com or contact Dragon Promotions at 1-407-782-4978.

Pereira remains victorious over Willner

8-Ball competition on its way

Wednesday, 10 August 2011: Today, the 8-ball competition of the Dynamic European Seniors Championships 2011 has started.

In the winner’s qualification round, Manuel Pereira (POR) got the better of Frank Willner (GER) and won with 7:5. Willner versus Pereira was probably one of the toughest encounters that this championship could produce. They met in the winner’s qualification round with Willner having defeated Gijs van Helmond (NED) 7:4 and Paulo Costa (POR) 7:3 in the earlier rounds. Manuel Pereira had a walk-over in his first round and then sent Jean-Marie Disivisour (LUX) to the loser’s side with 7:1.

The match started as expected with both players showing high class 8-ball pool, not making any or just a few mistakes. That changed in the 4th rack. After both player made abnormal many mistakes, Willner succeeded in winning the rack with pocketing a ball with a nice jump shot, running out the rack to tie the match at 2:2. But then Willner started losing is concentration. He continued missing balls while Pereira played more focussed. No wonder, the Portuguese was able to take a 6:3 lead over Willner, putting himself on the hill.

In the 10th rack, everything looked like it would be the final rack of the match when Pereira missed his last object ball. Willner got to the table and won the next two racks, making the score 6:5 for Pereira. In the 12th rack, Willner had the break shot and made a ball on the break. The table was open and he had a great chance of tying the score at 6:6. But he missed an easy 6-ball for first shot and went to his chair totally frustrated. Pereira took advantage of that and won the rack, snatching the match with 7:5 from Willner. The German will now play in the loser’s qualification round and try to get among the best 32 players in 8-ball which will switch to single elimination format.

Other notable results include Reiner Wirsbitzki (GER) sending this week’s two-times bronze medallist Robert Sudic (CRO) to the loser’s side with 7:5. Christian Ederl (AUT) surprisingly defeated European Straight Pool Champion Stefano Bazzana (ITA) in a thriller match with a margin of 7:6. The match between yesterday’s semi-finalists Tomasz Malinowski (POL) and Jimmy Worung (NED) ended 7:3 in favour of Worung. The defending Champion David Plattner (SUI) lost to Werner Scheu (AUT) with 6:7.

Postponement of Future Stars of Snooker 2011 final

For Information:

Due to the current unrest across London and the UK, and in the interest of all concerned, management of Rileys have been advised to postpone the Future Stars of Snooker 2011 final which was due to take place at Rileys Victoria tomorrow (11th August)

A new date and further details will be released soon.

Karlsson eliminates Torres

Single elimination action in 8-ball has started

Wednesday, 10 August 2011: After the draw for the single elimination has been done, Kent Karlsson (SWE) faced Luis Torres (POR) in the first round of the final 32 players single elimination. Karlsson won with 7:3.

Initially, Torres was taking a 2:0 lead over Karlsson, playing two perfect racks in a row making no mistakes at all. In the 3rd rack, Torres scratched when he pocketed his final ball. That was the “go”-signal for Karlsson. The Swede now answered Torres’ performance by running two racks himself. Later on, the score was 3:3, Torres again scratched with the cue ball on his final object ball. Karlsson ran this rack. In the next rack, Torres missed his final object ball once more and allowed Karlsson to take a 5:3 lead. Being a bit frustrated, Torres took a time out. But he exceeded the 5-minute time frame he is given to return to the table.

The penalty for being late from the time out is loss of one rack. So the score was turned to 6:3 for Karlsson with him breaking again. He pocketed some balls, and then missed. Torres came to the table with a very angry attitude. He fired some balls in but missed again. Karlsson ran the rack, winning the match with 7:3. When he wanted to shake hands with his opponent, the Portuguese rejected that and left the arena without a word.

Other notable results include Reiner Wirsbitzki (GER) smashing Tomasz Malinowski (POL) with 7:1. Defending Champion David Plattner (SUI) won with 7:4 over Tom Eksell (SWE). Paulo Costa (POR) got creamed by Zoltan Kojsza (HUN) with 2:7. The most surprising result was Magnus Lindgren (SWE) defeating Henrique Correia (POR) with 7:6.

JanataWirsbitzki terminates Janata

8-ball to be continued tomorrow

Wednesday, 10 August 2011: In an exciting match of the last 16, Reiner Wirsbitzki defeated Jan Janata (CZE) with 7:5.

Things did not look too promising for Wirsbitzki in the beginning. Janata was holding a 2:0 and 3:1 lead. In the 5th rack, Wirsbitzki started pocketing balls but ran out of position which forced him to play a tough shot that he missed. Janata came to the table and he looked very self-convinced that he would run the rack. However, he also ran out of position on his last object ball and committed a foul. Wirsbitzki thanked for that and accepted the gift gratefully. The 6th rack was almost a repeat of the one before. Janata ran all his balls, got no position on the 8-ball and missed it.

Wirsbitzki played a great safety shot and forced Janata to commit another foul. Then he ran the rack, making the score 3:3. After these mistakes it was again Janata to get into gear better than the German. He snatched two more racks, extending his lead to 5:3. But then Wirsbitzki fought back. Suddenly he made no more errors, running three racks in a row. Being on the hill with a 6:5 lead now, Wirsbitzki broke the balls but none went into a pocket.

Janata got to the table, took the solids and once more missed the second last ball. Reiner Wirsbitzki got to the table and performed another perfect run out, winning the match 7:5. He will play Stefano Bazzana (ITA) in the quarter final which will be played tomorrow at 17:00 local time.

Other notable results include Stefano Bazzana (ITA) outscoring Ralf Kotewitsch (GER) with 7:3. Pascal Budo (BEL) handed a doughnut to Kent Karlsson (SWE), smashing him 7:0. Defending Champion David Plattner (SUI) was triumphant over Steve Lambrechts (BEL) with a clear 7:1 victory.

Trump Flies To PTC Victory

Judd Trump took just 41 minutes to beat Ding Junhui 4-0 in the final of the season's second Players Tour Championship event.

Bristol's 21-year-old Trump rattled in breaks of 81, 68 and 121 in taking the £10,000 top prize at the South West Snooker Academy in Gloucester.

Left-hander Trump won a PTC event last season as well as the China Open, then captured the imagination with his brilliant run to the World Championship final.

He started the current season slowly, losing in the first round of the Australian Goldfields Open, but is now back on track.

"I didn't play well up until the last 16 but then I beat Neil Robertson 4-3 on the last black and after that I found some form from somewhere," said Trump. "After that I felt as if it was meant to be, I went for my shots and sped up a bit. In the semis and final there was a good crowd and that gave me another lift.

"I didn't practise enough for the start of the season because I wanted to enjoy myself after what happened at the Crucible. It's a long, tough season and everyone wants to be beat me now. So it's nice to win another tournament because it makes my opponents fear me more.

"The PTCs carry good ranking points (2,000 to the winner) and it keeps me moving forward, plus I'm virtually guranteed to be in the Grand Finals now. It's exciting to have plenty of tournaments coming up and good to know I am in the final stages of all of them. It makes me want to work harder and look forward to the rest of the season."

In the semi-finals, Trump beat Fergal O'Brien 4-0 while Ding edged out fellow Chinese player Xiao Guodong 4-3. PTC1 winner Ronnie O'Sullivan lost 4-3 to O'Brien in the quarters.

The Players Tour Championship is a series of 12 short events, six in the UK and six in Europe. Players are listed in the Order of Merit depending on how much money they win. The top 24 at the end of the season qualify for the Grand Finals, providing they have played in three PTC and three EPTC events. The next event runs from August 17 to 21 in Sheffield.

Milliken backs expanding US pool tour

Billiard cloth manufacturer Milliken is to sponsor one of America’s biggest pool events, the five-tournament Seminole Pro Tour.

From its home state Florida, the tour now attracts players to competitions all over the US and at $137,000 this year’s schedule has the largest-ever prize money.

Milliken is providing the tour with its SuperPro pool cloth, which is becoming the choice of professional tournament organisers worldwide.

Marketing manager Stuart Gardiner said: “SuperPro continues to make an impact on the pool world. We think the Seminole Pro Tour is the best up-and-coming event in the US and are very excited to be part of it.”

In the US, Milliken is represented by cue sport distributor Sterling Gaming, whose general manager Matt Carter commented: “The tour continues to break new ground with live internet streaming, attracting the top players and the highest overall payout of any tournament in the US.”

The tour has also announced two additional sponsors in Fury cues and Grand Touring Vodka which, according to chief executive Paul Sacks, is scientifically proven the world’s smoothest.

Wallner celebrates comeback over Burcu

9-ball started today

Thursday, 11 August 2011: In the first winner’s round of the 9-ball competition of the Dynamic European Seniors Championships in Alvisse Parc Hotel, Luxembourg, Johann Wallner (AUT) made the running against Askin Burcu (TNC) and defeated him with 9:6 after a great comeback.

After 5 racks, Wallner was already 1:4 down to Burcu who seemed to play his best performance of the week so far. But suddenly the boot seemed to be on the other foot. After Wallner took another rack, Burcu went for a timeout in order to settle and get started again. But things got worse for the player from Turkish North Cyprus. He continuously missed shots and the ultimate downfall was missing two ball-in-hand situations in one rack!

On the contrary, Wallner grew stronger and played better from rack to rack though he also missed quite a few shots. As the match went along, Wallner took an 8:5 lead and was prepared for his victory celebration when he played a good safety shot for Burcu, hiding the cue ball behind the 7-ball while the 3-ball was the ball on. Burcu fired a shot over one rail and pocketed the 9-ball coincidentally! What a match! In the 15th rack, it looked like Buru could get even closer to Wallner but he missed an important shot on the 7-ball. Wallner used his routine and sunk the remaining three balls, winning the match deservedly with 9:6.

Other notable results include defending Champion Henrique Correia (POR) defeating Ralf Wack (GER) with a margin of 9:8. Reiner Wirsbitzki overcame his German teammate Thomas Damm with 9:6. Jacco Wieringa (NED) sent Heiko Müller (GER) to the loser’s side with a 9:7 victory over him. Johny Vanrijkel from Belgium could not get a foot on the floor against his opponent Werner Scheu (AUT), losing 1:7. In the All-Portuguese clash, Manuel Pereira remained victorious over Luis Torres with 9:5.

The 9-ball competition will be continues until 17:00 local time today. After that, the quarter finals of the 8-ball competition will start.

Wirsbitzki and Kojsza play the 8ball final

Budo and Plattner ousted in the semis

Thursday, 11 August 2011: The final match in the Dynamic European Seniors Championship in 8-ball will be fought out between Reiner Wirsbitzki (GER) and Zoltan Kojsza (HUN).
In his semi-final against Pascal Budo (BEL), Wirsbitzki seemed to be as focussed as can be. He stormed off with three racks without errors, getting a 3:0 lead over Budo.

In the 4th rack, Wirsbitzki misses the third ball of his group but leaves no real shot for his opponent. Budo tried to play a safety but it failed. Wirsbitzki continued with his strong performance and ran another rack, making the score 4:0 in his favour. Then Budo’s hopes were raised when Wirsbitzki remained dry on his break shot in the 5th rack and Budo ran the rack, sinking his last object ball with a kiss shot. But Wirsbitzki marched on following his way to glory. He ran another rack, making the score 5:1. Then Budo took a time out to regenerate some energy. He got back to the table and won a rack that was fiercely contested.

However, whatever Budo tried, Wirsbitzki seemed to have an answer for it. The German appeared to be unimpressed with Budo’s play and won another two racks, terminating Budo’s hopes for Gold. Wirsbitzki won the match with a clear 7:2 result and has earned a seat the final which will be played at 21:00 local time.

His opponent in the final will be Zoltan Kojsza. Kojsza crushed defending Champion David Plattner with the same result. The match started very slowly and the tournament director Arve Larsen had to put a shot clock on the match when the score was 2:0 after 40 minutes of play. Kojsza adjusted better to the changed conditions while Plattner failed to get used to it. 7:2 was the final result in favour of Kojsza.

WPBSA Launches Asian Academy

The WPBSA has opened a new Asian Snooker Academy in Bangkok, Thailand, to assist with the growth of snooker in the Far East.

It’s the first of a planned network of Academies in the UK and overseas which will underpin the professional game and boost the development of snooker at grass-roots level, supporting the work achieved by the WPBSA coaching programme which was launched last year.

In a two-tier structure, the Academies will be considered the Centres of Excellence, and this level of accreditation will only be granted to those locations which achieve the highest levels of training, development and facilities. At a lower level, snooker clubs will have the chance to become Accredited Centres by having official coaches in the club and a commitment to youth development.

The new Asian Academy is a joint initiative between the WPBSA and the Asian Confederation of Billiard Sports, supported by the Sports Authority of Thailand. Mr Kanokphand Chulakasem - Governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand - attended the official opening. The Academy will help develop snooker in over 28 Asian countries.

WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson said: “We’re delighted to open this fantastic new facility in Thailand, and we look forward to the growth of this programme, which will lead to more Academies committed to coaching and the development of our sport.

"The grass roots of snooker is vital to the future of the professional game so we must make sure there is the talent coming through in years to come. The planned network of Academies, alongside our coaching programme, will help us to achieve this goal.”

RALF SOUQUET, DANNY DILIBERTO EARN ENSHRINEMENT IN BILLIARD CONGRESS OF AMERICA HALL OF FAME

Broomfield, Colo., Aug. 12, 2011 - Versatility and longevity are the common threads that bind 2011 Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame inductees Ralf Souquet and Danny DiLiberto, who earned election into pool's hallowed halls in voting conducted by the United States Billiard Media Association. Souquet, 42, and DiLiberto, 76, will be formally inducted into Greatest Player wing of the BCA Hall of Fame on Oct. 20 during ceremonies at the Chesapeake Marriott in Chesapeake, Va.

Souquet, born in Eschweiler, Germany, has been a dominant player in Europe for more than 25 years, having won more than 40 German titles and 34 European Championship medals. But his record is nearly as impressive in top U.S. and international events. "The Kaiser," as Souquet is known, boasts world titles in both 9-ball (1996) and 8-ball (2004), a gold medal in 9-ball at the 2009 World Games, and is a four-time winner of the World Pool Masters. On American soil, Souquet owns a BCA U.S. Open 14.1 Championship crown (2000), a U.S. Open 9-Ball title (2002), a pair of BCA Open 9-Ball Championship titles, and has won the Derby City 9-ball crown three times.

"This is great news!" said Souquet, who had finished second in Hall of Fame voting to Francisco Bustamante in 2010. "It's a great honor. When you talk about the greatest players, like Archer and Strickland and Varner, they're all in the Hall of Fame. Being mentioned in the same list with those names is a great achievement."

Souquet becomes the seventh foreign-born player inducted into the BCA Hall of Fame.

"I'm also proud to be the first European male player in the Hall of Fame," Souquet added. "I think it's probably harder for a foreign player to be voted in, but it's nice that the American pool community believes that my overall game and approach to the sport has been positive. I must have done something right."

Born in Buffalo, N.Y., DiLiberto chose billiards ahead of boxing, bowling and baseball, all sports at which the multi-talented athlete excelled. In fact, DiLiberto boxed professionally and was undefeated as a professional fighter. Under the tutelage of famed trainer Angelo Dundee, and boxing under the name Danny Toriani, DiLiberto posted a 14-0-2 record, with 12 knockouts in the late '50s, until his oft-injured hands forced him to retire from the ring.

Boxing's loss was billiards' gain, as the colorful DiLiberto spent nearly 30 years near the top of the game. DiLiberto won numerous national-class tournaments in the '60s, but was at his peak in the 1970s when 14.1 was the game of champions in the pool world. After falling in the title match of the prestigious BCA U.S. Open 14.1 championship in both 1968 (to Joe Balsis) and 1972 (to Steve Mizerak), DiLiberto won the straight pool division at the 1972 Johnston City World All-Around Championships. DiLiberto then went on to defeat 9-ball division champ Billy Incardona and one-pocket division winner Larry "Boston Shorty" Johnson in a three-man playoff to earn the Johnston City All-Around crown.

DiLiberto's versatility at the table shown through in the '80s when he defeated Nick Varner in the title match to win the 1981 BCA National 8-Ball Championship, then won the '83 World One-Pocket title and the 1984 Classic Cup 9-Ball crown, giving him a major national title in the four major pool disciplines.

"I'm really choked up," DiLiberto said after being informed of the honor. "I really thought the Hall of Fame would wait until I was dead to vote for me. It's truly an honor. This makes my day, my month, my year!"

Voting was conducted by the USBMA Hall of Fame Board, which consists of USBMA members, elected At-Large members and living members of the BCA Hall of Fame. Induction in the Greatest Players category is awarded to the player named on the most ballots. A second player is elected if both players are named on more than 70 percent of the ballots. Souquet was named on 65 percent of the ballots. Karen Corr received votes on 56 percent of the ballots. No other eligible player was named on more than 25 percent of the ballots. To be eligible for consideration in the Greatest Player category, a player a) must be 40 years old by Jan. 1 of the year of their induction; b) must have a professional playing career of at least 10 years; and c) must have recorded significant achievements in U.S.-based events.

DiLiberto is the first player elected to the Greatest Player wing of the BCA Hall of Fame through recommendation of the Veterans Committee. The Veterans Committee, a committee elected by the USBMA, reviews the resumes of mid-20th century players unlikely to win election against contemporary stars, and players who failed to be elected through the general Greatest Players elections prior to turning 60 years of age. A player recommended by the Veterans Committee to the Hall of Fame Board must receive a simple majority of "Yes" votes from the board for election.

# # #

About Billiard Congress of America

Founded in 1948, the Billiard Congress of America is a non-profit trade organization dedicated to growing a united, prosperous and highly regarded billiard industry through BCA leadership. The BCA seeks to enhance the success of its members and promote the game of billiards though educational, marketing and promotional efforts, annual industry trade shows, tournaments and other programs designed to encourage billiards as a lifestyle and make pool everybody's game. For more information, visit bca-pool.com or call 303-243-5070.

Worung ousts Costa in a thriller

9-ball competition down to quarter finals

Friday, 12 August 2011: In a match that was characterised by many unforced errors, Jimmy Worung (NED) remained victorious over Paulo Costa (POR) with 9:7.

In the beginning of the match, both players seemed to be very focussed and ambitious to reach the quarter finals.

They played nearly without mistakes until the score was 3:2 for Worung. Then the long days took a toll on them both. They started missing relatively easy shots and made unforced errors that cost them both some racks. In the 7th and the 9th rack, Costa missed the 9-ball and left it hanging over the pocket for his opponent. He then took a time-out and went for some fresh air in order to recover a bit from that. But things seemed to go Worung’s way. He got on the hill, taking a comfortable 8:4 lead over Costa.

Suddenly a change could be notice in Costa’s game. He played as strong as he did in the beginning of the match and now forced Worung to play some mistakes. At the score of 8:7 for Worung, Costa broke the balls and had the 1-ball and the 6-ball going down. He went for a very thin cut on the 2-ball instead of playing a safety shot. That was his final mistake. Worung got to the table cleared it and fired the 8-ball on to the 9-ball and pocketed the winning ball for the match. 9:7 was the final result for Worung who will now play Berislav Silic from Croatia in the quarter finals.

Other notable results include Henrique Correia (POR) smashing Tom Eksell (SWE) with 9:1 in 41 minutes! Reiner Wirsbitzki (GER) was already 2:6 down to Thomas Radakovits (AUT) but he was able to turn the match and win with 9:7. Kent Karlsson (SWE) sent Thomas Damm (GER) home with 9:5.

Sudic is in the final

With an amazing performance, Robert Sudic makes it to the final match in 9-ball

Friday, 12 August 2011: Robert Sudic (CRO) terminated Antti Rantanen (FIN) with an amazing performance with 9:2.
It was a pretty one-sided match. The two reasons for that were that Rantanen made too many errors while Sudic played close to perfect. Having in mind that the senior players are in action here about a week, and having in mind that Sudic just overcame flu, his performance cannot be estimated high enough.

He made his first mistake when he missed a shot in 4th rack. Though he made the mistake, Sudic was still able to win the rack and extend his lead to 4:0. Rantanen seemed to play only minor walk-ons in this match. He was able to open his account and win his first rack when the score was 6:0. Sudic pocketed the 8-ball and the cue ball scratched into the side pocket.

After that, the Croatian continued with his one man show and made the score 8:1. In the 10th rack, Rantanen was able to break and run all balls, making the score 8:2. When Sudic broke the balls for the 11th rack, he made a ball on the break. Right after, he missed the 1-ball. Rantanen got to the table and played some shots. With the 4-ball still on the table, Rantanen was aiming at the 5-ball.

He had obviously overseen the 4-ball. It is a proof of great sportsmanship when Sudic told him “play the four!”. The audience applauded for such great behaviour from Sudic. Rantanen pocketed the upcoming balls but left the 8-ball hanging over the pocket. That was the end for him in the 9-ball competition. Sudic won deservedly with 9:2.

In the other semi-final, defending Champion Henrique Correia (POR) ousted Jimmy Worung (NED) in a thriller match with 9:8.

Team Netherlands surprises with victory over favourite Team Portugal

Team competition on at final day of EC

Saturday, 13 August 2011: In the team encounter between the squads of The Netherlands and Portugal, the Dutch players surprisingly came out on top with 3:0.
Gijs van Helmond (NED) had the quickest and easiest task, defeating Paulo Costa (POR) in 8-ball with 7:2.

At that time, Jacco Wieringa (NED) was leading 6:3 over Henrique Correia (POR) and Jimmy Worung (NED) was ahead 4:1 over Manuel Pereira (POR). Correia seemed to catch up and managed to tie the match at 8:8, making it a hill-hill thriller. At around the same time, Manuel Pereira committed a foul on table 24 that is not seen everyday. He aimed for a combination shot from the 8-ball on to the 10-ball in his 10-ball match against Jimmy Worung when he put his cue stick down to measure the angle of the shot. Worung called the referee and a foul was decided on Pereira. Rule 6.12 of the Rules of Play clearly indicates that this is forbidden. After a short discussion, Worung continued with ball in hand and made the score 5:1.

The match was continued suspense-packed. At a score of 6:3 for Worung, the Dutch player took a time-out. In that time, Wieringa managed to win the 17th rack in his 9-ball match with Correia, making the score 2:0 for the Dutch team. The match between Pereira and Worung was discontinued sine the team encounter was decided already. The Dutch team won with 3:0 and makes it to the semi-final while the Portuguese team has to go to the loser’s qualification round. Portugal will play Team Switzerland in that round.

In the other winner’s qualification match, Team Belgium sent Team Germany with 2:1 to the loser’s side. There the Germans will have to deal with the Swedish Team and find out who earns a spot in the semi-finals.

Team’s Final is Sweden v Portugal

Dutch team ousted by a margin

Saturday, 13 August 2011: The Swedish Team will play Team Portugal in the finals of the Dynamic European Seniors Championships. Sweden defeated The Netherlands with 2:1 while Portugal won over Belgium with 3:0.
The team match between The Netherlands and Sweden was full of excitement. It was again Gijs van Helmond (NED) to draw first blood over Tom Eksell (SWE), winning the 8-ball with 7:2. Magnus Lindgren (SWE) tied the score to 1:1 when he defeated Jimmy Worung (NED) with the same clear result in 10-ball.

The decision had to be found in the 9-ball match. Rene Peters (NED) was up against Kent Karlsson (SWE). The first racks, Karlsson left the far better impression on the spectator, gaining a comfortable 4:1 lead over Peeters. Before the 5th rack, Peeters went for a time-out. He must have used it in a very good way since he managed to win the next four racks, now leading 6:4 over Karlsson. But The Swede did not even think about giving in. He struck back and made the score 6:6. At that point in time, it was clear that this 9-ball encounter would decide the team match. Both players started playing a bit more careful. In the 15th rack when the score was 7:7, Karlsson suddenly missed a really easy 8-ball and gave Peeters the chance reach the hill before him. But it was Karlsson’s break coming up in the 16th rack. Karlsson seemed to be unimpressed and ran the rack, tying the match at 8:8. The 15th and final rack was a drama in itself.

Peeters broke the balls and pocketed the 1-ball and the 6-ball on the break shot. He tried to pocket the 2-bal over one rail but he missed, leaving everything wide open for Karlsson. The Swede made some balls and played bad position on the 7-ball which he missed. Peeters came to the table, made the 7-ball and left the 8-ball hanging over the pocket. The Dutch teammates who were really keeping their fingers crossed for Peeters let their shoulders down. They knew it was over now. Karlsson pocketed the 8-ball and the 9-bal and won the match 9:8 and the team encounter 2:1 for Sweden.

In the other semi-final match, the favoured Portuguese Team ousted Team Belgium quite clearly with 3:0. Henrique Correia defeated Pascal Budo in 10-ball with 7:4, Luis Torres won the 9-ball clearly with 9:5 over Steve Lambrechts and Manuel Pereira got the 8-ball match, winning 6:5.

Team Sweden will now play Team Portugal for the Gold Medal.

RILEYS SQUARE UP WITH NEW PARTNER FOR THE BIG KICK OFF

The nation's biggest chain of sports bars, Rileys has signed an exclusive partnership with digital sports betting leaders Blue Square Bet.

The partnership sees Blue Square Bet kick off the new football season as the exclusive sponsor of Rileys Fanzones.

Rileys now has forty (40) Fanzones spread across the UK, all with 3metre HD TV screens, great viewing area and bar, making the Blue Square Fanzones the 'must go' destination for football fans across the country this season.

Commenting on the exclusive Fanzone partnership Rileys CEO Maurice Kelly said: “We are delighted to be kicking off the new season with such a big signing; we continue to enhance and develop the sports viewing facilities at our clubs so Blue Square was an obvious choice of partner. I'm sure our customers will enjoy the partnership too, especially as it's supported by a free bet for all of them via their mobile!”

Blue Square offers a leading mobile web app which allows customers to bet on the move and currently delivers 35% of their sports bets.

This new partnership will see the introduction of not only the Blue Square Fanzones but also a host of cross-party marketing programmes for the attraction of new customers and to the benefit of existing customers from both major brands.

Blue Square's Marketing Director Phil Gates said: “Rileys is a great venue for sports fanatics and we were keen to work together to offer fans an interactive viewing and betting experience. With hundreds of markets available before and during all the big games customers will enjoy an enhanced match day experience.”

Rileys is the UK's leading chain of sports bars with snooker, pool, darts and Fanzones available to all members. There are 115 sports bars across the UK each offering the highest spec in cue sports and pro-quality darts zones. Fanzones were created with the sports fan in mind providing an area to watch your favourite sports in comfort.

To find your local Rileys visit www.rileys.co.uk or to place a bet with Blue Square visit www.bluesq.com

FILIPINO CUE MASTER LEE VANN CORTEZA WINS ASIAN INVITATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP; POCKETS $7,000
BY: MARLON BERNARDINO

FILIPINO cue master Lee Vann Corteza of the Philippines won the 3rd Golden Break 9 Ball Invitational Championship 2011 title Sunday at the Golden Break Snooker & Pool Club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The top player of Negros Billiards Stable and JSY Sports Corteza, also know as "The Slayer", pocketed the top prize of US $7,000 plus elegant trophy after defeating challenger Taiwanese cue wizard Ko Ping Chung with a score of 13-8 in the finals. Ping Chung settled for US$3,500 and the Runner Up trophy.

Corteza’s entry into the Finals was highlighted by a victory over Indonesian Riyan Setiawan, 11-1, in the Semi-Finals, while Ping Chung advanced to the hot seat via a win over his older brother, Ko Pin Yi, 11-7.

The Davao City native Corteza, earlier beat Dominic Ting of Malaysia, 10-5, in the round-of-32, Nguyen Anh Thuanh of Vietnam, 10-9, in the round-of-16 and Toh Lian Han of Singapore, 11-5, in the round-of-8, respectively.

“ I would like to thank Sir Jonathan Sy and coach Christopher Palses who always helping my local and international tournament alongside Kopiko and Energen,” said Corteza, currently ranked as No.8 in the world, and his dream to win the WPA World 9-Ball Title.

Corteza, whose stint here is supported by Kopiko and Energen was in total control throughout the Finals took a 3-0 lead before Ping Chung tied the match at 7-all count in the 14th racks. However, Corteza took six of the seven racks to enroute 13-8 victory.

NBS president Jonathan Sy lauded Corteza's latest feat in a separate interview: “He deserves this... I'm really happy for him. This proves once again that the Filipino can be at par with the world's best cue artists.” "World 9-ball title na lamang ang kulang," added Sy, also the chairman of National Collegiate Billiards League (NCBL) and co-founder of Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP).

The tournament is participated by contestants from Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Taiwan, China, Japan, Korea, India, Vietnam and Hong Kong.

Other top Filipinos who competed in the tournament were Antonio "Nikoy" Lining and Rodolfo "Boy Samson" Luat.

Woollaston Wins First Pro Title at PTC3

World No 60 Ben Woollaston surprised Graeme Dott 4-2 in the final to win snooker's Players Tour Championship event three in Sheffield.

Former World Champion Dott had beaten the likes of Ronnie O'Sullivan, John Higgins and Stephen Hendry to reach the final, but could not stop inspired Leicester cueman Woollaston winning his first professional title.

The 24-year-old is a former European Under-19 Champion but has never been past the last 32 of a full ranking event.

Woollaston won the first frame of the final with a break of 70, then in the second Larkhall's Dott got the snooker he needed on the last red and cleared for 1-1. Another tight frame went the way of Dott, but Woollaston dominated the last three frames, taking them with top runs of 42, 43 and 50.

"I think this shows the strength in depth on the Tour, no result surprises me these days," said Woollaston after collecting a cheque for £10,000 and receiving 2,000 ranking points.


"Hopefully I am starting to fulfil my potential now. I'm guaranteed to be in the PTC finals now and my target for the season is to get into the top 48 and qualify for a few venues.

"I didn't play a bad match in the tournament, the only time I was worried was in the quarter-finals when I was 2-0 down to Alan McManus. I came back to win that 4-3, and in the final against Graeme I did well to recover from 2-1 down."

Woollaston believes that his improved form is a result of his settled personal life as he recently married Tatiana, a referee from Belarus, and she is moving to England permanently tomorrow.

"I'll see her for the first time in two months, and that gave me extra inspiration today because I felt as if I had nothing to lose," he said. "I wanted to win it for her. We've not had a honeymoon yet so the money will help with that."

The Players Tour Championship is a series of 12 short events, with the top 24 on the final Order of Merit to qualify for the Grand Finals, providing they play in at least three in the UK and three in Europe. The next event is PTC4, the Paul Hunter Classic, next week in Furth, Germany. All PTC events are streamed on www.liveworldsnooker.tv


Results (last 16 onwards)

Last 16
Ben Woollaston 4-0 Ken Doherty
Alan McManus 4-1 Joe Jogia
Anthony McGill 4-1 Michael Holt
Stephen Lee 4-1 Stephen Maguire
Marcus Campbell 4-2 Mark Selby
Barry Hawkins 4-1 Xiao Guodong
Jamie Jones 4-3 Matthew Selt
Graeme Dott 4-2 John Higgins

Quarter-finals
Ben Woollaston 4-3 Alan McManus
Anthony McGill 4-2 Stephen Lee
Marcus Campbell 0-4 Barry Hawkins
Jamie Jones 0-4 Graeme Dott

Semi-finals
Ben Woollaston 4-0 Anthony McGill
Barry Hawkins 1-4 Graeme Dott

Final
Graeme Dott 2-4 Ben Woollaston

Inside Pool Magazine Live Streaming & Coverage of The 71st World Tournament of 14.1

New Brunswick, New Jersey - Inside Pool Magazine will be the Official On-Site Media Partner of the 71st World Tournament. The popular magazine and website www.InsidePoolmag.com will give fans around the world an opportunity to watch the events live online during their extensive coverage of the event. This will be Inside Pool's premiere appearance on the stage of the biggest straight pool tournament in the world at the Dragon Promotions & Dr.Michael Fedak produced event. It all takes place on August 28- September 2, 2011 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The most recognised and artistic 14.1 masters alive will air online with Oliver Ortmann, Johnny Archer, Thorsten Hohmann, Niels Feijen, Allen Hopkins, Stefan Cohen, and Ray "Cool Cat" Martin taking it to the felt.

"We're honored and proud to be part of this historic world event. We love straight pool and feel that with all of the talent present, this event promises to be a huge success", said JR Calvert, Founder & President of Inside Pool Magazine.

"Inside Pool has become a top news medium in a relatively short amount of time. Billiard enthusiasts have come to enjoy Inside Pool's magazine, website, videos, and live coverage of events in a multi-media billiard experience", commented Cindy Lee, CEO of Dragon Promotions.

Fans are encouraged to watch the event live in this never to be forgotten straight pool experience. But if you cannot, don't fret as Inside Pool will have extensive coverage with brackets, updated match scores, and LIVE STREAMING ! Starting August 30th fans can view marquee matches online at www.insidepoolmag.com/live-streaming-billiards

For the sixth straight year, Dragon Promotions will produce the 71st Annual World Tournament of Straight Pool . In partnership with the support of Dr.Michael Fedak, this year's event will have the biggest payout in straight pool history with $20,000 going to the champion. The event is $35,000 added , boasting a total $70,000 in the prize fund. Predator Cues will also be sponsoring the event for the sixth straight year at the luxurious Hyatt Regency in New Brunswick, NJ. Once again the greatest straight pool players from around the world will arrive on USA's east coast again to attend this prestigious event. Their common goal will be to play for the coveted World Tournament of 14.1 title and be recognized as the #1 Straight Pool Player on Earth. The World Tournament is the oldest tournament in history that still exists today. Invented by Jerome Keough and shortly after recognized as the official game of billiards. The first World 14.1 Tournament was held in 1911 and won by Alfredo DeOro. In its history due to war and economics, the World Championships had 29 tournaments that did not take place including a 15 year gap between 1990-2005 until Dragon Promotions revived the game and the World Tournament in 2006.

Three time World 14.1 Champion Ray "Cool Cat" Martin and 14.1 Continuous inventor Jerome Keogh will also be the very first inductees into the 1st Annual Straight Pool Hall of Fame. The ceremony will take place August 31,2011 at 5pm during a dinner banquet at the Hyatt Regency Hotel during the 71st World Tournament of 14.1. Guest speakers at the dinner banquet will include former World Champions and veteran peers of Ray's such as Allen Hopkins and Earl Herring. The 14.1 Hall of Fame events will also include video presentations by NYCGrind.com's Jerry Tarantola and funded by Dr.Louis Pannullo. Charlie Williams will MC the evening's festivites. Inside Pool Magazine will also be covering the events live on site. Tickets must be purchased by August 27th and can be done live at the event or at Amsterdam Billiards in NYC or Sandcastle Billiards in NJ. Week passes to the World Tournament include one banquet ticket. Get the event special 40% discounted room at the Hyatt Regency by calling 732-873-1234 ask for "US Pool Players" Group and receive the tournament rate of $105 per night. Online purchases for the dinner and also tickets can be purchased at www.DragonPromotions.com .


The 2011 World Tournament is proudly co-sponsored by Predator Cues, Olhausen Tables, Amsterdam Billiards, Andy Cloth, Aramith Balls, Kamui, Pool & Billiard Magazine, Sandcastle Billiards and straight pool aficionados Bill Austin of UT, Dr.Louis Pannullo, Ralph Rubin of MD. Co-contributors Dennis Walsh, Dr.James Heller, Charles Eames, Mark Snodgrass, and Bill Marapolous. For more information on player registration, sponsorship, or if you would like to submit a comment, please email worldstraightpoolchampionships@gmail.com or contact Dragon Promotions at 1-407-782-4978.