Site News
Topic: *Industry News* Aug-Dec 2010

One for the Oldies, Daya Thrashes Hohmann at The World Tournament

Clifton, New Jersey- Two time World Champion Thorsten Hohmann got a surprise lashing from relatively unknown throwback player Dave Daya of Pennsylvania. Daya, 57 years old, ran 91 balls on the 29 year old Hohmann at the start of the match. This week 48 players worldwide are vying for the Predator World Tournament title in straight pool. This is the 70th edition of the event, making it the world's oldest tournament.

The World Tournament is being played on beautiful Brunswick Gold Crown tables and using Simonis Cloth. The event started play on October 6,2010 and ends on Columbus Day October 11th. The greatest straight pool players from around the world have arrived on USA's east coast again to New Jersey, and vying in this prestigious event to win the coveted title of World Straight Pool Champion. The event is co-sponsored by Amsterdam Billiard Club, Master Chalk, Aramith Balls, www.Ultimate10ball.com, and Accu-Stats.

Daya ran a 91 before missing, but Hohmann was not able to capitalize on the chance. The final score was 100 to 11 in favor of Daya. The crowd gave the older gentleman a strong round of applause.

"Not too bad for a old man", Daya chuckled.

"Honestly, I didn't like his patterns at all nor his choices. But he was very confident in his playing and he trusted his rhythm and that is a key element in straight pool. He shot well and deserves it", commented Hohmann afterwards. Thorsten is still in good shape in his group to qualify with three more matches to go.

Another notable upset was NYC's Jonathan Smith 100-86 win over last year's runner-up Mika Immonen. Taiwan's Lo Li Wen continues to impress with a solid performance over Dutch champion Nick Van Den Berg 100-52.

Hohmann Escapes Williams: Predator World Tournament Down to the Four Players

Thorsten Hohmann won by a mere 5 balls in his victory over Charlie Williams at the World Tournament

Clifton, New Jersey- Thorsten Hohmann of Germany withstood a late night comeback from USA's Charlie Williams to win 200 to 195 in a nailbiter match. Hohmann is two matches away from a third World Championship which would set a record for Europeans. The Predator World Tournament of 14.1 is produced by Dragon Promotions. This is the 70th edition of the event, making it the world's oldest tournament.

The World Tournament is being played on beautiful Brunswick Gold Crown tables and using Simonis Cloth. The event started play on October 6,2010 and ends on Columbus Day October 11th. The greatest straight pool players from around the world have arrived on USA's east coast again to New Jersey, and vying in this prestigious event to win the coveted title of World Straight Pool Champion. The event is co-sponsored by Amsterdam Billiard Club, Master Chalk, Aramith Balls, www.Ultimate10ball.com, and Accu-Stats.

Hohmann trailed Williams early on 60 to 22, but then came back with a 130 ball run to take the lead. Williams then came back with a 50 ball run, and then another 70 ball run to take back the lead before an easy miss left him needing 17 balls to win the match. The score was 183 in favor of Williams with Hohmann at 149. Hohmann then crusied his way to the final rack needing only 5 balls, but he hit the breakshot too hard and left himself a long shot on the 12ball. He missed and gave Williams one more chance. Williams ran a difficult table and the score stood 196 to 196. Williams had a tough breakshot, he made the ball but scratched. Hohmann had no shot so played an intentional foul, Williams made a great thin cut for a re-safe. Hohmann studied the table, and opted for a possible carom shot on the 6ball. He fired it in and got rewarded with an easy 3 balls to get to the semi-finals tomorrow.

"I blew it. I had chances to put him away at the end and I let him go", said Williams after the match. "But I can't complain. I never play straight pool and I just show up to a 14.1 event and start playing it. So it's more than I expected." Williams finishes 5th in the World Tournament in back to back years.

Johnny Archer was the only other USA player still in. He faced the great Oliver Ortmann. Both players missed many opportunities and the pressure seemed to weight heavy on both men. Archer had run four 100+ runs in the event thus far including a 174 high for the event. In the end, Ortmann missed a little less than Archer and won the match 200 to 151.

Mika Immonen continues his red hot run as he ran 100+ in both his matches today. Mika looks like the man to beat as he is in a very high straight pool gear. He won 200 to 58 over Li Lo Wen and 200 to 36 over Dave Daya.

Huidji See, former silver medalist, ended France's Stephan Cohen's reign as the defending champion. See will be entering his 2nd semi-finals at the World Tournament with his 200-110 victory.

Tomorrow Oliver Ortmann of Germany will face See of Netherlands and a classic match between Thorsten Hohmann vs Mika Immonen. Once again, no USA player will win the coveted title taken by the Europeans.

Crucible Tickets To Go On Sale!

Snooker fans be at the ready...tickets for the Betfred.com World Snooker Championship are to go on general sale on October 30.

World Snooker has changed the way that tickets are sold for the greatest snooker show on Earth, which runs from April 16 to May 2, 2011. Booking forms, postal and priority bookings are no longer in use. Instead, phone and online sales will be open to everyone from 9am on October 30.

Don't miss the unique, thrilling atmosphere of Sheffield's Crucible Theatre, and the best players on the planet battling for the coveted trophy and a top prize of £250,000.

BOOK YOUR SEATS BY CALLING 0844 6565 147 or visiting www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

A spokesman for World Snooker said: "We felt that the ticket buying process needed an update to make it much easier and fairer for everyone. We anticipate record sales with certain sessions to sell out very quickly, particularly the later rounds. All fans are advised to buy their tickets AS SOON AS POSSIBLE to avoid disappointment."

Neil Robertson became the first Australian to win the World title last season and he'll be defending his crown. The new world ranking system means that the top 16 to qualify automatically won't be confirmed until next February, but the likes of Rocket Ronnie O'Sullivan, Ali Carter, John Higgins, Mark Williams, Ding Junhui, Shaun Murphy and Mark Selby are likely to feature. The top 16 seeds will be joined by 16 more players who make it through the qualifying rounds.

Keep up to date on the latest news at www.worldsnooker.com

The Betfred.com World Snooker Championship is supported by Sheffield City Council and Welcome to Yorkshire.

Look out Ronnie, there's a new kid in town!

The draw for the inaugural Power Snooker event took place tonight (12th October) on ITV.com and it's thrown up a real challenge for teenage sensation Luca Brecel.

Belgian champion Luca, who is just 15 years old, will go head to head with his hero, and the man for whom the game of Power Snooker has put a smile back on his face, Ronnie O'Sullivan.

Commenting on the draw Luca Brecel said: "I was delighted to be one of the 8 players to get into Power Snooker, and to go head to head with Ronnie is fantastic. This is not traditional snooker, this is a real shoot out and I think I can beat Ronnie. Power Snooker is a young man's game!"

Ronnie O'Sullivan has had a lot of input into the Power Snooker game and feels it plays to his strengths. He said: "I was hoping to get one of the more well-known lads as I don't think Power Snooker will suit them. Luca is a real wildcard and I think he will be waiting to put me on my backside!

The rest of the draw will make for great viewing when it's broadcast live on ITV4 on 30th October. China's finest, Ding Junhui will take on the wildcard Jimmy White, Masters Champion Mark Selby is to play Ali Carter and there's a real champion shoot out with current world champion Neil Robertson drawing former world champion Shaun Murphy.

Organisers of Power Snooker are hoping for a big TV audience to match the crowd at the Indigo2.

Commenting, Rod Gunner chairman of Power Snooker said: "We have over 25 countries taking Power Snooker TV coverage, including Europe, Middle East, Far East and China, Latin America and Australasia, plus a big radio audience with Talksport, and a live audience of 2,000. This is a snooker revolution, so it really is a case of today London, tomorrow the world!"

Already being hailed as snooker’s answer to Twenty20 cricket, Power Snooker is the brand new innovative game which is set to revolutionise the world of snooker, bringing a fresh, exciting new concept and a whole new audience to the sport.

With spectacular theatrical lighting, the hottest music tracks and the Power Snooker players kitted out in designer outfits, accompanied by the stunning "Power Girls" and the fabulous female referees, Power Snooker will bring a fantastic new look to the sport.

The players will also be mic’d up throughout the event and the audience will be encouraged to interact with them, all adding to the overall atmosphere and glamour of the event.

Power Snooker is at the Indigo2 arena in London on 30th October. There are two sessions; the afternoon session is between 1 - 5pm and will include all eight players in the first round knock out. The evening session is between 6 – 10pm and will feature the two semi finals, 3rd and 4th play offs and concluding with the Grand Final.

For information or tickets visit www.powersnooker.com

Black Ball Triumph For Dale At PTC

Dominic Dale came from 54 points behind in the deciding frame to beat Martin Gould 4-3 in the final of Star Xing Pai Players Tour Championship event six at the World Snooker Academy in Sheffield.

Londoner Gould looked to have done enough when he made a break of 69 in the last frame, but Welshman Dale got the snookers he required before clearing from last red to black to steal victory.

Former Grand Prix and Roewe Shanghai Masters champion Dale, who has since slipped to 40th in the world, picks up 2,000 ranking points and £10,000 after becoming the eighth winner in eight PTC events so far this season. He now looks certain to finish in the top 24 of the money list and qualify for the grand finals in March.

Dale came from 2-1 down to lead 3-2 in the final before Gould levelled. In the decider, Gould looked to be cruising to victory until he missed a tricky penultimate red along a side cusion, leading 70-16. The turning point came when he failed to make thin contact on the last red, hitting the black and leaving a free ball. Dale laid another snooker and eventually cleared with 35 for victory 78-70.

"I had a chance to win 4-2 but twitched on an easy blue, so when it went 3-3 I felt under pressure," admitted 38-year-old Dale. "It was a bizarre final frame, when he was in the balls I thought the match was over.

"It means a lot to me, to win another trophy after a couple of bad seasons. And I've done it playing fantastic snooker - I beat Neil Robertson 4-1 earlier in the tournament with two centuries and two eighties, which was one of the best matches I've ever played."

Dale lives in Vienna but commutes regularly to the UK for tournaments. "I tend to practise on my own in Vienna but the PTCs have been wonderful for me because they give me match sharpness, and I find that once I am through the first round I get a spark going. As long as you have the right psychology, living abroad doesn't make a difference," he added.

"I've also been playing a lot at the South West Snooker Academy in Gloucester when I come over to the UK which has helped me - it's great to have that facility available and to feel part of a team there. Hopefully this win is the catalyst for me getting back up the rankings."

The next event, EPTC3, runs from next Friday to Sunday in Russelsheim, Germany.

BCN Balls & Leqi Cloth Official Equipment of the Yalin Women's World 10-Ball Championship
    
Manila, Philippines- BCN Balls and Leqi Cloth will be the Official Balls and Official Cloth used during the WPA sanctioned 2010 Yalin Women's World 10-Ball Championship. The Dragon Promotions produced event will take place October 23 starting with the Stage 1 Qualifier at Star Billiards Manila, the players meeting and press conference October 24, and then the main event October 25-29th,2010 taking place at Robinson's Galleria connected to the Crowne Plaza, host hotel of the event. Nuvo City Lifestyle Center will host the non-televised matches at their nearby event hall in Quezon City. 48 of the world's greatest women's players will attend the event to become the World Champion of 10-Ball. This year's event is title sponsored by Yalin Tables, the premier billiard table manufacturer in China.

Leqi Cloth and BCN Balls are both making their internationally debut at the Yalin World 10-Ball Championship. Both companies are divisions of Yalin Billiard Goods Co., Ltd based out of Jinan , China. Yalin is also the Official Table of the World Championship as well. Yalin has been a top quality producer of fine billiard products for 17 years.

"Yalin is quickly growing in the international Billiards Sector and we will do more internationally to further establish Yalin as a top brand in World’s billiards Industry. We are very excited about sponsoring the Women's World 10-Ball Championship, and this is just the beginning of our partnership with Dragon Promotions", said Eric Ding, CEO of Yalin Billiards.

Yalin has made a splash this year in the global market of the billiard world. Yalin is integrating with the world's big market brands with its exclusive partnership through Riley in Great Britain and Brunswick Billiards in the United States.

"China has definitely become a powerful force in the global market, and even in billiards it has been no different. We are very excited about our partnership with Yalin as they are in the forefront internationally of the Chinese manufacturers", said Cindy Lee, CEO of Dragon Promotions. Dragon Promotions has been promoting events in the Asia market for the past seven years.

Players in attendance include super stars World #1 Allison Fisher (ENG), European Champion Jasmin Ouschan (AUT), WPBA #1 Ga Young Kim(KOR), former #1 Karen Corr(IRE), Amway World Open Winner Yu Ram Cha (KOR), China Open Winner Tsai Pei Chen (TPE), All Japan Champion Han Yu (CHN), and Defending World 10-Ball Champion Rubilen Amit of the Philippines, the host country.

The World Championship will pay $75,000 in prize money with $20,000 going to the winner (1 million P). It will be the biggest sporting event for women in the Philippines in 2010.

The Yalin Women's World 10-Ball Championship is sponsored by BCN Balls, Leqi Cloth, Crown Plaza Galleria Ortigas, Magic 89.9, Philippines Star, Nuvo City, and Robinson's Galleria. The event will be airing on ABS-CBN and internationally on ESPN Star Sports. The event will be broadcasted live for all five days of the main event with 25 hours of broadcast television coverage. Www.Top147.com will also be giving it live daily coverage in China.
Stories, complete info and updates will be on www.WomensWorld10Ball.com and Brackets will be hosted by www.AZbilliards.com

With these global network and media partners the Yalin Women's World 10-Ball Championship will be the biggest and most watched women's billiard event in history.

Yalin Billiard Goods Co., Ltd., established in 1993, located in Jinan the Northern part of China, is specialized in the production of high quality billiard tables and accessories. In its 100,000 square meters facility, Jinan Yalin Billiards is one of the world's largest manufacturers of billiard tables and products in its. Yalin manufactures many kinds of billiard tables and its accessories including Snooker tables, American style pool tables and Russian pyramid style. Also other sporting games such as family billiard/tennis table; international standard tennis table for entertainment, and any customer designed tables. Yalin has received the highest marks internationally than any other Asian manufacturer and was selected by Brunswick Billiards as their sole exclusive partner in China. Yalin has exported high quality tables to over 70 countries including the United States, France, Canada, Russia, Japan, Singapore, Arabia, and more. Visit www.yalin.cn


Dragon Promotions is one of the leading producers of billiard programming in the world today. Dragon produces over 40 events a year airing on networks in the Philippines, USA, Korea, India, and Europe such as ABS-CBN, ESPN, MBC ESPN, XTM, XPORTS, and EuroSport. Events include The Women's World 10-Ball Championship, The World 14.1 Championship, The Predator International 10-Ball Championship, King & Queen of Carom, Empress Cup, Pro Pool Schools, Masters of Trickshot , World Junior 10-Ball Championships, Korea vs USA, World Mixed Doubles Classic and many more. Dragon also manages some of the world's best players including Mika Immonen, Allison Fisher, Shanelle Loraine, Mike Davis, Raj Hundal, Rodney Morris, Charlie Williams, and many more. Visit www.dragonpromotions.com or www.dragonpromotions.co.kr

Can Asia's Iron Grip on Women's Pool Break at Yalin Women's World Championship?
by Sally Lee

Manila, Philippines- Korea, China, Taiwan. Names that strike fear into players minds in the world of women's billiards. Even Philippines and Japan are not to be trifled with. For nearly a decade, Asian women have won every World Championship and nearly every major international championship. Next week, Asia will be the Empress to dethrone at the Yalin Women's World 10-Ball Championship. But can it be done?

The Dragon Promotions produced event will take place October 23 starting with the Stage 1 Qualifier at Star Billiards Manila, the players meeting and press conference October 24, and then the main event October 25-29th,2010 taking place at Robinson's Galleria connected to the Crowne Plaza, host hotel of the event. Nuvo City Lifestyle Center will host the non-televised matches at their nearby event hall in Quezon City. 48 of the world's greatest women's players will attend the event to become the World Champion of 10-Ball. This year's event is title sponsored by Yalin Tables, the premier billiard table manufacturer in China.

This year's Asia talent include 2x World Champion Ga Young Kim of Korea. Always a big threat, Kim finished #1 last year on the WPBA tour, the first Asian to do so. Taiwan's Tsai Pei Chen will be a toughie, with her win at the China Open last year she is one of the bright stars in Taiwan. Taiwan has long been regarded as having the strongest women in pool, with many countries sending their players there for training (including Korea's Ga Young Kim). Jennifer Chen and Tan Ho Yun will also be there for Taiwan. China's teenage sensation Han Yu will also be one to keep an eye on, she won the All Japan Championship at the ripe age of 16. And of course, the hometown hero will be defending champion Rubilen Amit, who improved on her previous silver medal in 2007.

Other notable tough women that will not be desirable draws include Japan's Akimi Kajitani, Korea's Yu Ram Cha, China's Zhou Doudou, and Philippines Iris Ranola.

America and Europe have had their successes in the United States and Europe. But only in fields where Asian players are few and far between. Most pro tournaments outside of Asia include only a fraction of Asian talent, and is missing the top stars from Asia who have been dominant.

In contrast, the international fields which have included the top Asian women stars have had their western counterparts demolished in usually the early rounds. Karen Corr and Allison Fisher have been the exceptions with finals appearances in recent times but no wins. In fact, Fisher was the last non-Asian World Champion back in 2001.

"No doubt it's going to be an uphill battle for the American and European women to win the World Championship. The Asian women just have an unmatched amount of discipline and resources to train. But that doesn't mean it's impossible. Just awful tough.", said Charlie Williams, top American pro and co-Founder of the women's World 10-Ball Championship. Williams has coached several top women in billiards.

The Yalin Women's World 10-Ball Championship is sponsored by BCN Balls, Leqi Cloth, Crown Plaza Galleria Ortigas, Magic 89.9, Philippines Star, Nuvo City, and Robinson's Galleria. The event will be airing on ABS-CBN and internationally on ESPN Star Sports. The event will be broadcasted live for all five days of the main event with 25 hours of broadcast television coverage. Www.Top147.com will also be giving it live daily coverage in China. Stories, complete info and updates will be on www.WomensWorld10Ball.com and Brackets will be hosted by www.AZbilliards.com

With these global network and media partners the Yalin Women's World 10-Ball Championship will be the biggest and most watched women's billiard event in history.

Yalin Billiard Goods Co., Ltd., established in 1993, located in Jinan the Northern part of China, is specialized in the production of high quality billiard tables and accessories. In its 100,000 square meters facility, Jinan Yalin Billiards is one of the world's largest manufacturers of billiard tables and products in its. Yalin manufactures many kinds of billiard tables and its accessories including Snooker tables, American style pool tables and Russian pyramid style. Also other sporting games such as family billiard/tennis table; international standard tennis table for entertainment, and any customer designed tables. Yalin has received the highest marks internationally than any other Asian manufacturer and was selected by Brunswick Billiards as their sole exclusive partner in China. Yalin has exported high quality tables to over 70 countries including the United States, France, Canada, Russia, Japan, Singapore, Arabia, and more. Visit www.yalin.cn

Samba Snooker! New Tournament In Brazil

World Snooker will be taking the sport to a brand new territory next year with the Brazilian Masters.

The tournament, announced at a press conference in London today, will run from September 14 to 17, 2011, at the Transamerica Expo Centre in São Paulo, Brazil.

It will be an invitation event featuring 12 of the top players in the world rankings plus four wild cards, with prize money of at least $200,000.

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: “This is a fantastic announcement for snooker as it will be the first ever professional tournament staged in Brazil. It will be an invitation event in year one but depending on its success we do have plans to make it a full world ranking tournament.

“Brazil is a country with a great love of sport and an incredible sporting heritage. Snooker is very popular there and we want to tap into that support. Breaking into South America is a huge step towards our ambition of making snooker a truly global sport. These are exciting times for us, with this the latest in a series of new tournaments.

“We look forward to working with the promoter in Brazil and building foundations there.”

Pablo Magalhães, Marketing Director of Publikimagem Projects and Marketing, the promoter of the event, said: "We believe that hosting an official event of World Snooker in Brazil will be the beginning of a new era of professional snooker in our country. We are very optimistic about the success of this first international tournament of professional snooker in South America. "

Marcílio Cavalcanti, Chairman of Snooker Brazil Association, added: "The realisation of the Brazil Masters in 2011 is being awaited with great anxiety for more than 20,000 players from Brazil, mainly because we will conduct national qualifying to categorise the two best players for the Brazil Masters. This event will change the concept of professional snooker in our country and in a few years we believe that we will have more Brazilian players in snooker’s world rankings."

Brazil’s top player Igor Figueiredo, who reached the final of the World Amateur Championship last year and is now playing his first season on the professional tour, said: "It's very exciting news that there will be a tournament in Brazil. Snooker is already popular in my homeland but there is potential for it to be much bigger. This event will bring snooker to the Brazilian fans and I know they will respond by welcoming the top players and creating a great atmosphere. Hopefully I can be successful on the main tour and provide an example for more Brazilian players to follow me."

The event will be straight knock-out, on one match table. The first two rounds will be best of seven frames, with the semis and final best of nine.


Pictured (left to right at today’s launch):
Mark Selby, Marcílio Cavalcanti, Barry Hearn, Pablo Magalhães and Shaun Murphy.

#1 World Ranked Allison Fisher Leads European Invasion at Yalin Women's World Championship
by Sally Lee

Taiwan's Pei Chen Tsai will be one of the big threats at the Yalin Women's World 10-Ball Championship
    
Manila, Philippines- Great Britain's Allison Fisher will lead the European forces invading Manila next week at the Yalin Women's World 10-Ball Championship. Spain, Italy, Germany, Norway, Ireland, Austria, Netherlands, and Switzerland will be represented for the Euro front. Fisher has long been regarded as not only the greatest player to ever come out of Europe, but perhaps the greatest women's player in history.

The Dragon Promotions produced event will take place October 23 starting with the Stage 1 Qualifier at Star Billiards Manila, the players meeting and press conference October 24, and then the main event October 25-29th,2010 taking place at Robinson's Galleria connected to the Crowne Plaza, host hotel of the event. Nuvo City Lifestyle Center will host the non-televised matches at their nearby event hall in Quezon City. 48 of the world's greatest women's players will attend the event to become the World Champion of 10-Ball. This year's event is title sponsored by Yalin Tables, the premier billiard table manufacturer in China.

Fisher was the last non-Asian player to win a women's World Championship back in 2001, and recently finished 2nd at this year's World 9-Ball. In a quick interview with The Duchess of Doom, which Fisher is known as to fans on tour, she reveals her thoughts on her recent resurgence.

How do you feel about your game?

"I'm playing the best pool of my life right now. I know I'm a veteran, but I'm still improving. I think my recent results show that, and I'm expecting myself to do even better than ever before. "

What have you been doing to change your game?

"That's a secret!"

Who's going to be your biggest challenges?

"Honestly, I have to say myself. The last two major championships, I made mistakes at the end but it could have easily went the other way. I don't feel that I got beat. That being said, of course the Asians are going to be tough since they've been dominating the World Championships the past few years. But I plan on changing that."

Other notable favorites for Europe will be Austria's Jasmin Ouschan who finished with a Bronze back in 2007 and Netherlands Tamara Rademakers.

Campbell The Champ At EPTC3

Marcus Campbell beat Liang Wenbo 4-0 in the final to win Euro Players Tour Championship event three in Russelsheim, Germany.

Dumbarton's 38-year-old Campbell picked up the 10,000 Euro top prize and now looks certain to finish in the top 24 of the Order of Merit and qualify for the grand finals in March. The Scot climbed into the top 32 of the world rankings (at No 32) for the first time in his career after reaching the semi-finals of PTC6 last week, and the 2,000 points he earned tonight is sure to move him further up the list.

A scrappy final saw Campbell win the first three frames despite a top break of just 32, as China's Liang saw his all-out attack approach frustrated. A run of 29 put Campbell in control of frame four, and though Liang hit back with a break of 41, Campbell eventually won the frame on the colours to become the ninth different winner in nine PTC events so far this season.

"I never missed much and I shut him out," said Campbell after the final. "It was the same for me throughout, I was just steady and didn't make many mistakes. I knew these events were winnable, but to do it is a different matter."

Best known for beating Stephen Hendry 9-0 at the 1998 UK Championship, Campbell later suffered a few lean years and dropped out of the world's top 50. But he insists he never considered quitting snooker. "I always kept the faith," he said. "I've always practised hard, and sometimes you get the rewards, sometimes you don't. Two years ago I switched clubs and started playing with the likes of Stephen Maguire, John Higgins and Graeme Dott, and that has made a big difference. Since then I've got the rewards - I'll keep punching away and hope to keep it up."

There were two maximum breaks during the early rounds of the tournament. On Friday Thailand's 16-year-old Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon becoming the youngest player ever to score an official 147, then on Saturday Mark Williams scored the second maximum of his career.

The next event is EPTC4 at the South West Snooker Academy in Gloucester from October 28 to 31.

Gunnell Ready To Battle Legends

Telford snooker ace Adrian Gunnell could play Jimmy White in his first qualifying match for the UK Championship – and if he makes it to the venue he’ll face another of his idols in Stephen Hendry.

The draw for snooker’s second-biggest ranking event will see Gunnell face crowd favourite White if the Whirlwind comes through his first match against Joe Delaney or Adam Wicheard.

If World No 48 Gunnell can win that game, he’ll face Joe Perry in the final qualifying round with the winner to go through to meet seven-times World Champion Hendry at the International Centre in Telford in December.

“It’s tough draw in the qualifiers, it could have been a lot easier for me,” said 38-year-old Gunnell, who has reached the last 16 of four ranking events during his 16-year career. “But if I can get to the venue and play Hendry in my home town, that would be beautiful, a dream come true for me.”

Gunnell had a disappointing 2009/10 season as he failed to qualify for the venue stages of a ranking event, but he now feels that his best form is not far away. “I’m still recovering from a bad couple of years, my form plummeted. I was going into matches hoping to play well and there was just nothing there,” he said.

“I went 18 months without practising hard enough, but in the last few weeks I have really got back into it and I’ve been working hard. My game is definitely coming back and I feel a lot happier. I won an big match against Marco Fu in the EPTC event in Belgium earlier this month which kept me in the top 48 and made sure I only have to win two matches to qualify for the UK. That’s given me a good base and I’m optimistic that I can make a big push now.”

The qualifiers run from November 23 to December 1 at the World Snooker Academy in Sheffield.
The main event then runs from December 4 to 12, featuring top stars including Ronnie O’Sullivan, Neil Robertson and defending champion Ding Junhui.

Tickets are now on sale and start at just £10 (£5 concessions). To book call 01952 561700 or visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

Day 1 of Yalin Women's World Championship
by Sally Lee

The ladies of the 2010 Yalin Women's World 10-Ball Championship

Manila, Philippines- 48 of the greatest women players in the world started Day 1 of the event. The event kicked off with a delicious lunch buffet for the press conference of the event at the elegant Nuvo City Lifestyle Center. Several members of the press were there to interview all the players.

The Dragon Promotions produced event will take place October 23 starting with the Stage 1 Qualifier at Star Billiards Manila, the players meeting and press conference October 24, and then the main event October 25-29th,2010 taking place at Robinson's Galleria connected to the Crowne Plaza, host hotel of the event. Nuvo City Lifestyle Center will host the non-televised matches at their nearby event hall in Quezon City. 48 of the world's greatest women's players will attend the event to become the World Champion of 10-Ball. This year's event is title sponsored by Yalin Tables, the premier billiard table manufacturer in China.

Allison Fisher started off her event right with an opening 6-2 win over Venezuela's Mirjana Grujicic on the live TV table. Fisher will be aiming for her third straight finals appearance at this event possibly.

"She played better than I expected, and I'd say she plays far better than the other South American women I've seen," said Fisher after the match who was impressed by Grujicic's game.

The Yalin World Championship TV arena at Robinson's Galleria

The biggest upset of the day was probably Karen Corr's 6-4 loss to China's Jia Li. Corr had led the match briefly at 4-3, but lost the last 3 racks. Kelly Fisher had a near loss when her opponent Charlene Chai of Singapore missed an easy 10-Ball to tie the match at 5-5. Jasmin Ouschan of Austria cruised through her first two matches .

China's Han Yu is looking good. The 17 year old wonder who won the All Japan Championship last year punished Julie Kelly of Ireland 6-1 and Japan's Keiko Yukawa 6-4. Korea's triple threat of Ga Young Kim, Yu Ram Cha, and Eun Ji Park all showed that Korea will be a force once again as all three players went undefeated.

Philippines started off well through defending champion Iris Ranola's sound 6-3 win over USA's Angel Paglia and Iris Ranola trampled China's Wu Jing 6-2 and also Canada's Veronique Menard.


All the players were interviewed each during the live press conference.

World Ladies Billiards & Snooker Association press release

WOMEN snooker stars Maria Catalano and Emma Bonney have been installed as favourites to land the East Anglian Championship on Saturday.

Cambridge Snooker Centre hosts the second leg on the World Ladies Billiards & Snooker Association circuit.

The draw takes place at 9.45am with play commencing at 10am. The format is a best-of-five straight knockout.

World number one Reanne Evans, now a professional, will be competing in World Snooker’s Players Tour Championship in Gloucester .

Catalano, 28, from Dudley, West Midlands, and Portsmouth ’s Bonney, 34, are both bidding for a first WLBSA snooker title since 2008.

A dark horse for the East Anglian Championship could be World Seniors champion June Banks, who will be making her first appearance outside of the World Championships for more than a year. Kent-based Banks was ranked number five at the end of the 2008/09 season but has now slipped to 21st.

Also among the 16-strong field are: Tina Owen Sevilton, who reached the semi-finals of last month’s UK Championship; World Junior Champion Hannah Jones, 14, who shocked many by making the last-four of the non-ranking Wytech Masters; and Eva Palmius, who has climbed to number six in the rankings.

The WLBSA is hosting six ranking events this season culminating in the World Championships in April.

East Anglian Championship
Saturday, October 30
Cambridge Snooker Centre
Coldhams Road
Cambridge
CB1 3EW
Tel: 01223 249661

East Anglian entries:

Maria Catalano
Emma Bonney
Chris Sharpe
Hannah Jones
Eva Palmius
Jan Hughes
Natascha Niermann
Naomi Clare
Gaye Jones
Marianne Williams
Vicky Carter
Jenny Poulter
Laura Alves
Tina Owen-Sevilton
June Banks
Martina Lumsden

Next snooker ranking event:

British Open sponsored by Pot Black Sports Bar
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Pot Black Sports Bar
Eastgate Street
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk
IP33 1YQ
Tel: 01284 704231


Emma Bonney - picture by Monique Limbos


Maria Catalano - picture by Monique Limbos

INTRODUCING THE POWER GIRLS!
Cue the revolution…..snooker gets sexed up

Sexy isn't a word usually associated with snooker, but Power Snooker is about to change all that. Power Snooker is the brand new game which is set to revolutionise the world of snooker, and bring a brand new audience to the sport.

It's a new game with new rules and a new look. Part of that look is the introduction of the Power Girls; three sexy stunners who will be on hand to escort the players to the playing table, and be around the stage to assist when needed.

The three girls were hand-picked from a bevy of beauties to be given the accolade of being the first Power Girls.

Rod Gunner, chairman of Power Snooker says: "We were very clear on what we were looking for. It was important the girls matched the Power Snooker brand criteria; Power Girls are sexy, sassy and very elegant, and these three fit the bill perfectly. We had to look through hundreds of images of gorgeous females until we found the ideal ones…..it's a tough job but someone's got to do it!"

The three Power Girls are 21 year old Peta Todd from Essex and 22 year old Hollie Peers from Manchester, both beautiful brunettes, along with glamorous blonde Danni Wells aged 19 from Coventry.

The Power Snooker audience will get to see the girls in the flesh at the inaugural Power Snooker event on 30th October at Indigo2 arena in London.

In addition to the girls, they can expect to see some exciting quick-fire games in this one-day tournament with world famous snooker players such as Ronnie O'Sullivan, Jimmy White, Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, Shaun Murphy, Ali Carter, Ding Junhui and Luca Brecel.

Already being hailed as snooker's answer to Twenty20 cricket, Power Snooker will have the players kitted out in designer outfits, while female referees Michaela Tabb and Patricia Murphy will keep the boys in line to ensure fair play.

The players will also be mic’d up throughout the event, which will make interesting viewing on live TV, and the audience will be encouraged to interact with them. There's going to be spectacular theatrical lighting and the hottest music tracks which will all add to the overall atmosphere and glamour of the event.

Power Snooker is at the Indigo2 arena in London on 30th October. There are two sessions; the afternoon session is between 1 - 5pm and will include all eight players in the first round knock out. The evening session is between 6 – 10pm and will feature the two semi finals, 3rd and 4th play offs and concluding with the Grand Final. The full 8 hour event will be broadcast live on ITV4 with regular updates on talkSPORT radio.

Tickets start at £20 and are available from www.ticketmaster.co.uk

For further information visit www.powersnooker.com

Strickland Endorses USA Pool League - Calling for a Pool “Revolution”

Earl “The Pearl” Strickland is one if not the most decorated U.S. player of his generation. Equally passionate about the sport, “the Pearl” and industry leader CueSports International (CSI) both agree it is time for a “revolution in pool” and that revolution is the USA Pool League (USAPL).

In his 27 years as a professional pool player Strickland’s record include 5 world championships, a record holding 5 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships, and participating on the U.S. Mosconi Cup Team 13 times. In the past several years Strickland has devoted much of his time to holding clinics and exhibitions, including from 2008 – 2010 as a member of Team CSI. For his extraordinary accomplishments Strickland was inducted in the BCA Hall of Fame in 2006. While a member of Team CSI, Strickland became more aware of the goals CSI has for the new USAPL.

Believing many of the issues commonly associated with national handicapped pool leagues should be addressed CSI launched the USAPL in late 2009. Some of the issues the USAPL is designed to tackle are “sandbagging” and the constricting policies of tight team handicap limits. Additionally, CSI believes all players should be allowed to enter national championships to test themselves should they choose and not rely on a pyramid of local and regional tournaments in order to be allowed to compete at the national level. This is a philosophy that “the Pearl” also believes – that all players should be allowed to play.

Strickland additionally endorses the USAPL because CSI set up the USAPL to give at least 50% of all monies collected back to the amateur league members on the local level and a sizable portion of CSI’s USAPL proceeds into developing more exposure and support of professional players. “The USAPL is a league that works on behalf of the players, not one where the players work for the league. CSI puts its money where its mouth is. This I can get behind”, said Strickland.

CSI is actively recruiting and screening prospective USAPL Managers. All USAPL Managers have free protected territories and use the LeagueSys online scoring and scheduling system. Currently there are active USAPL leagues in 11 U.S. states including: Missouri, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Alabama, Indiana, Oklahoma, Florida, Michigan, Colorado and Maryland with new leagues being organized and developed almost weekly all over the U.S.

CueSports International is dedicated to creating more choices for all players. CSI is the parent company of the BCA Pool League and the USA Pool League. CSI also produces independent events such as the U.S. Bar Table Championships, the Jay Swanson Memorial and the U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship. Visit www.playcsipool.com, www.playbca.com and www.playusapool.com for more information about CSI and its divisions.

Amit,Tsai & Ouschan Flawless So Far: Duchess & Cha In Danger at Yalin Women's World 10-Ball

Manila, Philippines- Day 2 of the round robin portion of the Yalin Women's World 10-Ball Championship is complete. Taiwan's Pei Chen Tsai and Austria's Jasmin Ouschan thus far have been untested. On the other hand, top favorites such as Allison Fisher are in a do or die situation to qualify. 48 players are still playing, but Day 3 will decide the fate of many in the group stage of the event. The Dragon Promotions produced event will see half the field eliminated today. The event takes place at Nuvo City Lifestyle Center with the televised portions at Robinson's Galleria.

Ouschan looking tough to beat

In Group 1, defending Women's World 10-Ball Champion Rubilen Amit of the Philippines is yet undefeated and will face her biggest challenge thus far in Taiwan's Pei Chen Tsai, who has only dropped 5 games total in 4 matches. Both players are undefeated and likely their match will decide the #1 spot in their group. Being #1 in a group will give a player a bye (skip a match) in the next stage of the event when the final 24 players goto single elimination tournament format. In Group 7, Jasmin Ouschan of Austria also is undefeated with 4 wins and only 7 total games lost.

The toughest group is likely Group 2, where the players have been beating each other with no clear best player. Everyone has a loss. The surprise is World #1 Duchess of Doom Allison Fisher who won her first match 6-2, but then dropped her next two matches and will be forced to win her next two matches to qualify. Even that is not a guarantee depending on the results of the other players. Fisher lost 6-4 against China's Doudou Zhou and a 6-5 loss to Japan's #1 Akimi Kajitani.

Another interesting group is #6. Several players in the group have 2 wins or more making this a tough group to call with only 3 of the 6 players being able to advance. A possible 4 way tie could take place. Korea's Yu Ram Cha won two matches before losing a 6-5 decision to China's Wu Jing. Cha has two tough matches coming with Iris Ranola and Amalia Matas, who both also have to wins. Jing is #1 as of now in the group with 3 wins and 1 loss.

World’s Top Snooker Stars To Compete In Masters

The best 16 players in the world will make up the field of snooker's most celebrated invitation event, The Masters, in January.

The tournament will feature the sport’s in-form players, as the new rolling ranking system gave the chance for all professionals to strive for a place in the top 16 ahead of the seeding cut-off point, which fell earlier this month.

A spokesman for World Snooker said: “The Masters is all about prestige, it’s an invitation event for the very best, and we’ve got all of the elite players in the line-up. To ensure that all the in-form players are there, if a player from outside the top 16 wins the UK Championship in December, we will award him a wild card entry into the tournament.

“It’s going to be a glorious eight days of snooker and the atmosphere at Wembley Arena is like no other venue. We’re urging all snooker fans, and those who want to find out what the sport is all about, to get their tickets booked for what is one of the most thrilling events on the sporting calendar.”

The tournament runs from January 9 to 16, 2011, at Wembley Arena, and as it stands the first round matches are:

Sunday January 9
1.30pm
Mark Selby v Mark King
7pm
Ali Carter v Peter Ebdon

Monday January 10
1.30pm
Mark Williams v Ding Junhui
7pm
John Higgins v Graeme Dott

Tuesday January 11
1.30pm
Ronnie O'Sullivan v Mark Allen
7pm
Stephen Maguire v Marco Fu

Wednesday January 12
2pm
Neil Robertson v Stephen Hendry
7pm
Shaun Murphy v Jamie Cope

The tournament is known for generating a fantastic atmosphere and fans are advised to book tickets early to make sure of their seats! Tickets start from just £10, representing superb value for one of the outstanding events on the sport calendar.

BOOK NOW by calling 0844 815 0815 (Disabled Booking Line: 020 8782 5629) or visiting www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

Wyldecrest To Sponsor World Seniors

World Snooker is delighted to announce Wyldecrest Park Homes as the title sponsor of next week's World Seniors Championship.

The new tournament, which will be called the Wyldecrest Park Homes World Seniors Championship, will feature many of the sport's legends, with seven former world champions in the line up.

Steve Davis, Dennis Taylor, Cliff Thorburn, Joe Johnson, John Parrott, Peter Ebdon, Ken Doherty, Nigel Bond and People's Champion Jimmy White will be battling for the £20,000 top prize in the event which runs from November 5 to 7 at the Cedar Court Hotel in Bradford.

Wyldecrest is one of England's largest mobile home park operators, priding itself on having high quality parks and giving residents a peaceful and stress free life.

Alfie Best, chairman of Wyldecrest, said: "We are very excited to be sponsoring such a prestigious event with so many famous players involved - many of whom are household names and idols for snooker fans. The tournament is a great fit for Wyldecrest and should give excellent exposure to our brand. We're all looking forward to what will be a brilliant three days in Bradford."

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: "We are very pleased to bring a new title sponsor on board in Wyldecrest. They have previously sponsored our Premier League Bowls event so we know about the quality of their operation.

"The World Seniors will be a fantastic event for anyone who loves snooker. There are some great characters involved so it will be a lot of fun, with the players all determined to land the top prize."

The event will be broadcast on Sky Sports, with seven one-hour programmes to be screened between December 20 and January 2. World Snooker are also in discussions for international broadcast.

The first day of the event, Friday November 5, includes an outstanding evening of entertainment with a Sportsman's Dinner, a charity auction hosted by Willie Thorne, comedy and music from Steve Womack and the chance to meet all of the players.

For ticket details see www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

The Experts Discuss Who Will be the Women's World 10-Ball Champion
by Sally Lee


Amit the home country favorite

Manila, Philippines- Four huge names in pool. Only one can be the World Champion of 10-Ball. Today Jasmin Ouschan takes on Kelly Fisher. Ga Young Kim will take on Rubilen Amit.

The Dragon Promotions produced event took place starting October 23 starting with the Stage 1 Qualifier at Star Billiards Manila, the players meeting and press conference October 24, and then the main event October 25-29th,2010 taking place at Robinson's Galleria connected to the Crowne Plaza, host hotel of the event. Nuvo City Lifestyle Center hosted the non-televised matches at their nearby event hall in Quezon City. 48 of the world's greatest women's players will attend the event to become the World Champion of 10-Ball. This year's event is title sponsored by Yalin Tables, the premier billiard table manufacturer in China.


Jasmin eyeing her first World Championship

4x World Champion Allison Fisher, 2x World Champion Thorsten Hohmann, ESPN/ABS-CBN Analyst Emille "BiBoy" Soriano, and professional player,coach and world renown promoter Charlie Williams discuss their picks and why.

"It's a really tough choice, but I'm going to lean towards Kelly"- Allison

"I like Ga Young and Rubilen. I think Asia's going to keep the title in Asia as they've done nearly the past decade." - Emille.

" Ga Young has the best all around game. She is going to be tough to beat"- Charlie


"I think England is due for a win"-chuckles Allison.

"If anyone is due, I think definitely Jasmin."- Thorsten

"Rubilen has all the support of the fans. It's going to boost her and be tough on her opponents"- Emille.

"Ga Young's record when getting to the final four in big events is really tremendous.Not to mention the only player here with two World Champion wins"- Charlie

"Jasmin's recent win in Atlanta has to be a confidence booster. It's big to come to an event with a win streak under you"- Thorsten

"With Darren Appleton's recent win in the US Open, I think that's a pretty good omen for Kelly that another Brit to win big a week later." -Allison

"Rubilen just seems to have the right amount of luck on her side"- Emille


Charlie Williams, coach and mentor to many top women and men pro players, gives his analysis on what players need to do in their matches:

Kim vs Amit

"Kim has the highest gear of the four ladies. If she gets confident, she will be unstoppable. So Amit has to make sure she keeps the score close at the beginning otherwise Ga Young could run away with it."

"Amit is very steady. She doesn't rattle. Kim tends to be more emotional, so if Amit can apply steady pressure and play more defensively this will help her."

Ouschan vs K.Fisher

"Ouschan is a rhythm player. Fisher will have to keep Ouschan from getting into her rhythm. But ironically Kelly is also a rhythm player. So I'm expecting an offensive battle more than a strategic one."

"Jasmin is the younger aggressor. Kelly shouldn't try to match her firepower, and instead should play more strategy."

"At the end of the day, any of these women can win this event, so it won't be a surprise in any result. They are all great."

Photos courtesy of Biboy Soriano

Snooker Legends are excited to announce 27 new tour dates for 2011

Thousands of snooker fans enjoyed last year’s tour, and the legends proved they can still play a bit delivering 20 centuries at our 18 events, including Jimmy’s magical 147 in Redhill.

We’re back at the Crucible, one week before the championships, but we’re also delighted to be taking snooker back to Goffs in Ireland. We know this is a venue close to the player’s hearts and many of our Legends believe created the best atmosphere for snooker anywhere in the world.

We’ve also honoured our pledge to come to Scotland and Northern Ireland, if you’ve ever wanted the chance to not only see these legends play, but mix and mingle and say hello, and get that all important photograph or signature, then Snooker Legends gives you that, plus a few laughs along the way.



The main core of players have all been signed up again. Jimmy White, Dennis Taylor, John Parrott, Cliff Thorburn, John Virgo and of course Michaela Tabb.

However we will be announcing some special surprise guests along the way, and we are delighted to announce the first of these... Canadian legend Kirk Stevens
Kirk will be our guest player at three events:-
The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield on Saturday April 9th.
The Waterfront , Belfast on Friday 27th May.
Goffs, Co Kildare on Sunday 29th May.

Kirk has not played in the UK in many years but remains one of the fans favourites from the golden era of the 1980s. Few will forget his semi-final with Jimmy White at the Crucible or his 147 at the Benson and Hedges Masters.

Kirk continues to play snooker in Canada, has recovered from alcohol and substance abuse, and we are proud to welcome him to our squad of Legends.

The Full 2011 tour dates are
Saturday 9th April The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield. Tel 0114 249 6000 (on sale 27th Nov)

Saturday 7th May The Harlequin Theatre, Redhill. Tel 01737 276500
Sunday 8th May The Charter Hall, Colchester. Tel 01206 282020
Friday 13th May King Georges Hall, Blackburn. Tel 0844 8471664
Saturday 14th May Victoria Hall, Stoke Tel 0844 871 7656
Monday 16th May Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury. Tel 0844 871 7607
Tuesday 17th May Hutton Leisure Centre, Weston Super Mare. Tel 01934 425900
Friday 20th May Broxbourne Civic Hall, Hoddesdon Tel 01992 441946
Saturday 21st May The Newport Centre, Newport. Tel 01633 656 757
Monday 23rd May The Assembly Rooms Derby, Tel 01332 255800
Tuesday 24th May Broadway Theatre, Lewisham Tel 020 8690 0002
Friday 27th May The Waterfront, Belfast. NI. Tel 028 9033 4455
Sunday 29th May Goffs, Co,Kildare Tel 0818719300        

Thursday 2nd June 2011 The Dome, Doncaster Tel 01302 370777
Tuesday 7th June South West Snooker Academy , Gloucs. Tel 01452 223214
Wednesday 8th June The Plymouth Pavilions, Plymouth. Tel 0845 1461460
Saturday 11th June The Albert Halls, Bolton Tel 01204 334400
Sunday 12th June Venue Cymru, Llandudno Tel 01492 872000
Monday 20th June The Brighton Centre, Brighton Tel 0844 8471515 VIP TICKETS 01273 292 695
Tuesday 21st June The Hexagon Theatre, Reading Tel 0118 960 6060
Wednesday 22nd June Fairfield Halls, Croydon Tel 020 8688 9291

Monday 4th July Penrith Leisure Centre, Penrith Tel 01768 863450
Tuesday 5th July Kelvin Hall Glasgow. Tel 0844 481 8898
Wednesday 6th July Eden Court Theatre, Inverness. Tel 01463 234234
Thursday 7th July A.E.C.C, Aberdeen Tel 08444 77 9000
Tuesday 12th July The Metrodome, Barnsley Tel 01226 730060
Wednesday 13th July The Auditorium, Grimsby. Tel 0844 847 2426

Our Vip experience guarantees every snooker fan a prime seat plus entry to the pre-event champagne reception where you receive a complimentary souvenier brochure and can meet all the legends, get your photographs, autographs and say hello. The VIP package represents a perfect Xmas present for any snooker fan.
Tickets for our tour will go on sale during November, please contact the theatres for details.

Finally I can confirm that we will be paying tribute at our legends events to our former team member Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins who sadly passed away earlier this year. Snooker Legends was created as a platform for players such like Alex to play again in front of his adoring fans, at some of the great snooker venues. We are so glad that he got the chance to go back to the Crucible one final time for what was sadly to be his final snooker match.
Any company wishing to discuss corporate hospitality or sponsorship should email info(at)snookerlegends.co.uk

...and don’t forget your first chance to see the Legends in 2011 will be on Saturday 5th Feb in Guernsey at the Beau Sejour Leisure Centre.

Snooker Legends logo and all content copyright © 2010 Snooker Legends. All rights reserved