Pro9 - Europe's No.1 Pool Player Resource

2014 WPA World 9-Ball Championships
Qatar Billiards & Snooker Federation
Al Sadd Sports Club
Al Sadd Street
Sport Roundabout
Doha
Qatar
www.qbsf.qa - facebook - live stream - group results
www.wpa-pool.com - Twitter - facebook
www.kozoom.com

Monday - Friday 16 - 27 June 2014

Photos Courtesy of Richard Walker
Darren Appleton, Mika Immonen and Thorsten Hohmann get taken to the limit before advancing to the Final 64 of the 2014 World 9-ball Championship in Doha.

For Darren Appleton, the plan today was simple. Quietly take care of business against Taiwan teenager Lin Cheng Chieh in their race to 9 match, and ensure a spot in the Final 64 knockout stage of the 2014 World 9-ball Championship, which begins here in Doha on Wednesday morning. That�s the money rounds, where guys of Appleton�s world class level make it all happen, where his run to a second World 9-ball championship would begin. The group stage? Well, that�s nothing more than a potential morass, a necessary evil where you try to get out of with your two wins as quickly as possible.

But right from the very beginning today nothing went Appleton�s way. The mop-top teen couldn�t miss and the Englishman quickly found himself down 7-1, a near impossible gap to overcome in an alternate break match. As he watched his plan fall apart, Appleton dejectedly knew he would have to come back tomorrow for another group stage match, one that could potentially dash all his high hopes for greatness this year.

But then slowly and surely, the 2012 World 9-ball champion clawed his way back. He soon narrowed the gap to two, then tied it at 7, as Lin wilted under serious heat from one of the world�s top pool players. Eventually the match went to the cliff with Appleton outfoxing the lad at the wire, 9-8.

Instead of the dreaded Judgement Day match in the group stage tomorrow, Appleton had made it through to the Final 64. As he packed up his cue, the change in his demeanor was priceless. 40 minutes earlier he cut a lonely, depressed figure in his chair. Now he was jacked to the gills, as if he�d been struck by an energizing bolt of lightning.

�The first part of the match he played unbelievable, perfect pool,� Appleton said. �I�m already thinking about how I�m going to go practice my break later for tomorrow�s match because I�m sure I�m going to lose this one. But when I got it back to 7-5 I just started grinding it out. The last rack was serious pressure and my arm was shaking. Now I�m in the last 64, I�m in the money rounds. This is when it all starts. This makes me a dangerous player now because winning this match in the way I did is a big confidence boost.�

Share this article on FaceBook

"Read More..." for the details.