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Topic: INDUSTRY NEWS - November 2009

INDUSTRY NEWS - November 2009

Pro9 receives more news than we can fit on our front page, and not all news can take pride of place with our "featured article" status, and frankly some news is less relevant to the European market, so for a trial period, we will be presenting it here!

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2009 PartyPoker.net MOSCONI CUP

Varner Back to Steer the USA to Glory

MATCHROOM SPORT can announce that four-time Mosconi Cup winner Nick Varner will return as captain of Team American at this year’s event which takes place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas from 10-13 December.

Varner, 61, has successfully captained America to Mosconi Cup victory, initially as a player and then as non-playing skipper in 2003, when he inspired a famous last day comeback to secure victory.

‘The Kentucky Colonel’ made his debut in the competition in the winning side of 1997 and was also on the winner’s rostrum the following year and in 2001.

He was a member of the side that lost in the event’s last ever staging at the York Hall, Bethnal Green, London in 2002 but returned the following year in Las Vegas to lead his side to victory.

Overall, Varner carries an eight wins from 19 matches record and will have plenty of experience to draw on when the much-anticipated action gets underway on Thursday 10th December.

Varner was at the helm at last year’s disastrous attempt to win the Cup outright for the first time since 2005 when his team went down 11-5 in Malta to a powerful European side.

However, 12 months on, there are changes in the side with Oscar Dominguez making his debut after a great year and Corey Deuel returning to the fray for the first time since ’06.

Johnny Archer makes his 13th Mosconi appearance and Shane Van Boening returns, hoping to record his first ever Mosconi Cup triumph.

"I am very excited to be once again representing the USA in the Mosconi Cup this year. What a great team we have and I am proud to be a part of it once again,” said Varner.

“After last year, we are more determined than ever to keep the Cup here, and when we are done with them Team Europe they will have one long trip home, empty handed."

Live in its entirety on Sky Sports in the UK, the event features two five-man teams representing Europe and the USA doing battle in a series of singles and doubles matches. Now in its 16th year, the Americans hold a 10-5 lead with one tied match in 2006.

The remaining American player will be announced on Monday 16th November at the conclusion of the Mosconi Cup Idol vote which is currently taking place on the pages of www.matchroompool.com .

Tickets for the Mosconi Cup are available from:
http://www.ticketmaster.com/2009-Mosconi-Cup-tickets/artist/1334375

Or 1-800 745 300 or from the MGM Grand on 1-800 929 1111 or 702 891 7777.

TEAM U.S.A. DOWNS TEAM EUROPE IN THE WORLD CUP OF TRICK SHOTS

    The WORLD CUP OF TRICK SHOTS was held October 29 at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. Team U.S.A. claimed the title over Team Europe in the Fourth Annual international team competition in the sport of Trick Shots. The prize purse was $30,000 for the event, with $20,000 and Gold Medals to the winning team.

    Captain Andy Segal led Team U.S.A. to victory and the Gold Medal. Other Team U.S.A. members who were awarded the Gold Medal were Tom Rossman, Mike Massey and Bruce Barthelette. Silver Medalists from Team Europe included Captain Stefano Pelinga, Nick Nickolaidis, Luke Szywala, and Ralph Eckert. Their team also won $10,000.

    The format for World Cup consisted of eight artistic show shots by both teams in a match. Team members executed a challenge shot of their choice, and their opponents were required to duplicate the shot or lose a point. In the semifinals, with two members from each team, the players alternated shots in four player head-to-head matches, performing intricate trick shots meant to stymie their opponents. A sudden death tiebreaker to decide a match required an eight rail bank shot onto the face of a $100 bill. The Championship Finals match pitted all eight members of Team America and Team Europe in the wildest shootout of the year.

    The players on Team U.S.A. displayed their brilliance to emerge as the top trick shot artists in the world. The International Championship was poetry on green felt, with Team U.S.A. defeating Team Europe by a score of 20-17 to take the Gold Medals and $20,000. Team Europe, whose members were otherwise on their game, claimed Silver Medals and $10,000 second prize.

    In the first semifinal, Team U.S.A. players Rossman and Massey prevailed over Team Europe members Pelinga and Szywala by a score of 8-5. The other semifinal saw Team Europe artists Nikolaidis and Eckert slip past Team U.S.A. players Segal and Barthelette 7-4 in a tight match. The winning team in each semifinal carried a 1 point bonus forward into the final match.

    The finals, featuring alternate challenge shots by the eight players of both teams was a back-and forth seesaw with Team Europe struggling to narrow the score. Team U.S.A. steadily held a slight lead and finally closed out the Championship match by a score of 8-5. The overall score for the tournament was a down-to-the-wire victory of 20-17 for Team U.S.A.

    The standing-room-only crowd gave Team U.S.A. a rousing ovation at the conclusion of the Championship match. The Gold Medals and the team check were presented by Mohegan Sun and Fusion Billiard Tables. The presentations brought another round of cheers from the audience.

     In addition to the fine tournament site at Mohegan Sun, the event was sponsored by Fusion Billiard Tables, Aramith Tournament Billiard Balls, Simonis Cloth, Mueller Recreational Products, Executive Billiards Delta-13 Rack and Silver Cup Chalk. The WPA sanctioned event was produced by Billiards International, Ltd.

World Snooker Supports Tickets For Troops

World Snooker has shown its support for the new Tickets For Troops campaign by donating batches of tickets for major tournaments this season to British servicemen and women.

The scheme, launched this week, will see free tickets for a multitude of sporting and entertainment events handed out to soldiers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Troops need to pay just £1, which will be donated to charity, to use this independent service, which can be accessed at www.ticketsfortroops.org.uk



World Snooker has donated 250 tickets to all sessions of the Masters at Wembley Arena in January, 50 tickets to each session of the Welsh Open and at least 30 tickets per session to the first eight days of December’s UK Championship in Telford. More tickets will be donated to the Betfred.com World Snooker Championship in Sheffield in April.

All of these tournaments will give soldiers the chance to see the world’s best snooker players battling for the sport’s most-prized trophies.

Seven-times World Champion Stephen Hendry said: “This is a chance for us to say, in however small a way, ‘thank you’ to those who are protecting our safety. We look forward to seeing some of the soldiers attending tournaments and I’m sure all of the players will want to put on a good show for them.”

Another former World Champion, Peter Ebdon, added: “The soldiers out there do an incredible job and we should all be proud of them and do what we can to improve their lives when they come back. Tickets For Troops is the least we can do and I’m delighted that snooker is getting behind the campaign.”

Speaking at the launch of Tickets For Troops, Conservative party leader David Cameron said: “Servicemen and women are fighting, and dying, to keep us safe. They are fighting for us, so all of us should play our part. This scheme is tapping into a deep well of support from people who want to do more for our armed forces.”

Former England footballer Gary Lineker, a keen snooker player himself who has made century breaks, added: "I spent a few days out in Afghanistan recently and it was a humbling experience. The heat was well into the 40s and you wouldn't believe the grit and dust. This is a terrific idea and it’s important that we show respect for what the soldiers are doing out there and the sacrifice they have made.”

Welsh Open Snooker Returns To Newport

Defending champion Ali Carter is looking forward to reviving happy memories when snooker’s Welsh Open comes back to the Newport Centre in January.

The world’s best players, including Ronnie O’Sullivan, John Higgins, Stephen Hendry, Shaun Murphy, Neil Robertson, Mark Selby and home favourites Mark Williams and Matthew Stevens, will be competing for the trophy in the world ranking event, which runs from January 25 to 31, 2010.

Tickets are now on sale, for details call 01633 656 757. Online sales via See Tickets will be available shortly.

Carter enjoyed the best moment of his career at last season’s Welsh Open when he came from 5-2 down to beat Joe Swail 9-5 in the final and capture his first ranking title.

“It was a massive moment for me,” said the World No 5 from Tiptree in Essex. “It was a big relief to get a first ranking event under my belt. I’d had a great season up until that point but I lost three close matches in semi-finals, so to go all the way in Newport was a great way to lift the burden. I always knew I had the ability to win tournaments, it was a case of taking the pressure off myself and playing the game.”

The event drew bumper crowds to Newport, with over 1300 fans attending the final. “It made for a great atmosphere and helped bring the best out of the players,” added Carter. “Hopefully we’ll get a lot of support again this time and I can have a good run.”

The 30-year-old became a father for the first time just a few weeks ago, as partner Sarah gave birth to son Max. “He’s doing great, he’s healthy and putting on weight,” added the former Crucible finalist. “It definitely puts things into perspective and gives you more motivation to be successful.

“It does cause some disruption to your routine – instead of practicing from 10am to 4pm, you find yourself in the club doing a couple of hours at 10pm. But that can be a good thing because it stops it getting mundane.”

The world’s top 16 players are all automatically seeded through to the Newport Centre, and World No 26 Matthew Stevens has had his qualifying match held over to the venue to give fans the chance to see him in action.

The qualifying rounds of the Welsh Open run from January 19 to 22 at Pontin’s in Prestatyn, and will be available to watch live online at 110sport.tv.

DAVAO CITY ACE CORTEZA TOPS WORLD TEN BALL ELIMS; POCKETS P20,000

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO

DAVAO City ace Lee Vann “The Slayer” Corteza of the rising Negros Billiard Stable (NBS) defeated La Union pride Carlo “Cool” Biado of the star-studded Bugsy Promotion, 11-10, last Saturday to topped the just ended World Ten Ball qualification tournament at the famous Star Billiards Center in Grace Village, Quezon City.

Playing under the banner of sportsman/ businessman Jonathan Sy, Corteza, who is fresh from over-all 4th place strong finish in the 2009 US Open 9-ball championships last month in Chessapeake, Virginia, USA pockets the champion’s purse of P20,000 plus the slot in this year’s World Ten Ball Championships slated on November 25 to 30 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

Biado, on the other hand didn’t go home empty-handed after receiving P10,000 for reaching the finals plus a slot in the World Ten Ball Championships. He beat earlier Pinamalayan, Oriental ace Antonio “Nickoy” Lining, 9-8.

Rounding up to the top sixth finishers are 3rd place Lining, 4th place Ricky Zerna, 5th to 6th placers Ramil “Bebeng” Gallego and Victor Arpilleda.

Two World Championships in Next Two Weeks!

The World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) is ready with their partners to stage the final two championships for this year, the World 9-Ball Championship for women, and the World Ten Ball Championship for men

The women’s championship is being played in Shenyang, China and qualifying rounds commence on Monday 16th November. There are eight slots available for those trying to qualify, with the tournament proper commencing on Thursday 19th. The final will be played on Sunday 22nd.

The field this year is for 64 players, representing 23 countries, and features all of the world’s leading players including defending champion Lin Yuan-Chun of Chinese Taipei. Other players include Karen Corr, Kelly Fisher, Jasmin Ouschan, Kim Ga Young, China’s top player and 2007 world champion, Pan Xiaoting, and World Games gold medallist, Allison Fisher.

The following week will find the best male players from all over the globe descending on Manila to compete for the title of World Ten Ball Champion. England’s Darren Appleton will be back in Manila to defend the title that he won last year. Appleton will face strong opposition with all the top men players competing and anxious to win this prestigious championship. Players from more than 40 countries will compete, including world number one, Ralf Souquet of Germany, Mika Immonen of Finland, home-town favourites like Ronnie Alcano, Lee Van Corteza, and Dennis Orculo and recent Hall of Fame inductee Johnny Archer. In sum, 128 players will be in competition at the World Trade Centre in Manila, 25 – 30 November.

Many of the local Filipino players who missed out last year will be participating this year following a resolution between various groups representing players. The WPA are very pleased that the differences have been sorted out and congratulate all concerned parties for their efforts.

Pukka Pies Signs Up For UK Championship Snooker

World Snooker is pleased to announce Pukka Pies as the new title sponsor of snooker's UK Championship.

One of the sport’s premier events, the tournament, which runs from December 5 to 13 at the International Centre in Telford, will be known as the PUKKA PIES UK CHAMPIONSHIP. This follows an agreement, initially for one year, between World Snooker and the Leicester-based pie manufacturer.

Pukka Pies is a privately owned family business, founded in 1963. It employs 270 people and produces over 50 million pies and pasties per year at the most modern pie production facility in Europe, with a total emphasis on quality and hygiene.

World Snooker chairman Sir Rodney Walker said: "We're delighted to welcome Pukka Pies on board as title sponsor of the UK Championship. It's a famous and successful British brand, which makes it an appropriate sponsor for one of our biggest tournaments. Everyone at World Snooker and the players are looking forward to working closely with Pukka Pies to make this year’s tournament a great success."

Pukka Pies co managing director Tim Storer said: "Pukka Pies are proud and privileged to be forming a new sponsorship partnership with a sport which enjoys a huge audience and participation among people of all ages.

"This event is one of the highest profile events on the World Snooker calendar and as Britain's favourite manufacturer of branded pies there is a great synergy for us."

Five-times UK Champion Stephen Hendry said: “Snooker gets fantastic television exposure and viewing figures so we have a lot to offer sponsors. I’m delighted that we’ve got Pukka Pies on board for the UK Championship.”

Leicester's Mark Selby, the World No 7, added: "It's great news for snooker to have another big sponsor on board. The UK Championship is one of our best tournaments - all of the players are desperate to win it and it's up to us to make sure it's a brilliant event. As a Leicester man I'm also delighted to have a local company involved in snooker."

Shaun Murphy beat Marco Fu 10-9 in last year's dramatic UK Championship final, and he'll be defending his title against the likes of World No 1 Ronnie O'Sullivan, Betfred.com World Champion John Higgins, legend Stephen Hendry and Grand Prix winner Neil Robertson. The event, which has a history dating back to 1977 and has been won by many of snooker’s star names, will receive extensive television coverage from BBC Sport and Eurosport.

Tickets are still available, for details call 01952 561 700 or visit www.worldsnooker.com/uk

Essentially Group is World Snooker's new sponsorship partner. For further sponsorship opportunities, contact Nick Hoyle on 0207 820 7016.

Pukka Pies enjoy a diverse range of sporting partnerships encompassing football, netball, hockey and motorsport.

Pukka Pies are the sponsors of the official England Football Supporters Band and club sponsors of England's most successful ladies hockey team, Leicester Ladies.


Pic: Pukka Pies co managing director Tim Storer with Mark Selby

Marvellous Milkins

Robert Milkins described Pro Challenge Three as the best tournament he has won after beating Joe Jogia 5-3 in the final in Leicester.

Gloucester's World No 55 Milkins played superbly in the final at the Willie Thorne Snooker Centre, making two centuries and two other breaks over 50 as he got the better of local favourite Jogia. Both had sprung a surprise in the semi-finals earlier today as Milkins edged out rising star Judd Trump 5-4 and Jogia whitewashed in-form Ricky Walden 5-0.

After a slump in form which almost saw him drop off the professional circuit, quickfire potter Milkins now feels he is getting back to the form which saw him reach the 2002 UK Championship quarter-finals and 2005 Irish Masters semi-finals.

"I was a fool to myself for a while because I didn't work hard enough, but everything is turning around now," said 33-year-old Milkins after becoming the third winner in World Snooker's new Pro Challenge Series, after Stephen Maguire and Ken Doherty won the first two tournaments. "I've been practising hard for the last two years now. At first I didn't get the results, but since I got to the quarter-finals of the Bahrain Championship last year it's been going well."

Milkins, who also reached the last eight of the recent Grand Prix by beating top 16 players Ali Carter and Mark King, added: "Considering the field, this is definitely the best tournament I've won. These Pro Challenge Events are brilliant, they are great match practice and give extra chances to the players to earn money."

A superb break of 137 saw Milkins off to a fast start in the final, then Jogia levelled with a run of 55. Milkins regained the lead with a 92 and took control of frame four with a 55, only for Jogia to snatch it with a 55 clearance for 2-2. The next two were shared, Jogia making a 69 in the sixth, before Milkins knocked in a 118 to go 4-3 ahead, and he finished the job in a scrappy eighth.

"I played really well - I had scraped through my previous three matches so I was surprised at the standard I produced in the final," added Milkins. "This gives me a lot of confidence going into the Pukka Pies UK Championship qualifiers. A couple of years ago the other players must have been thinking I was a plum draw, but now hopefully they will see my results and it will put some fear into them."

Jogia, a former English Open champion, said: "I just missed one or two balls today but I've enjoyed the whole week and I played well. I think these Pro Challenge Events are fantastic and a lot of the players I've spoken to agree with that."

The fourth event out of seven in the Pro Challenge Series runs from January 4 to 6.

The Pukka Pies UK Championship qualifiers run from November 23 to 30 at Pontin's in Prestatyn and you can watch the action live online at www.110sport.tv

Final frame scores (Milkins first, breaks over 50 in brackets):

137 (137) - 0
15 - 67 (55)
92 (92) - 0
55 (55) - 60 (55)
78-0
0 - 70 (69)
126 (118 ) - 8
62-22

Century breaks:

Century breaks:
Ricky Walden 140, 105, 103, 102, 102, 100
Robert Milkins 137, 118
Simon Bedford 137
Craig Steadman 137
Jamie Cope 129
Stuart Bingham 125, 104
Judd Trump 123, 116, 102
Rod Lawler 121
Ken Doherty 120
Sam Baird 113, 103
Liu Song 113
Mark King 110
Matthew Couch 107
Joe Jogia 102

Mosconi Cup Poll: Last Chances to Vote

Morris Still Leads but it’s Getting Close

THERE are just four voting days left to go as the ‘Mosconi Cup Idol’ poll heads for the home straight and it is Hawaii’s Rodney Morris who still leads the way, although it is now getting close.

Charlie Williams (Florida) is maintaining his second place position and closing the gap on Morris, but the big movers have been Dennis Hatch and Stevie Moore.

These two have enjoyed big surges in popularity to move within range of the two leaders and with some concerted campaigning over the final days, they could see themselves in serious contention.

For Morris, though it is about hanging in there to seal his seventh PartyPoker.net Mosconi Cup appearance but with Williams less than 4% behind Morris in the vote, it could be a fifth Mosconi for the ‘Korean Dragon’.

Whoever it may be though, they will be joining Oscar Dominguez, Corey Deuel, Shane Van Boening and Johnny Archer when the two teams line up from 10-13 December at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas.

Taking place on www.matchroompool.com the ‘Idol’ poll has attracted thousands of voters over the first week and looks set to continue up till midnight UK time on Sunday 15th when the vote will close.

The results to date are:

Rodney Morris         23.04%
Charlie Williams         19.26%
Dennis Hatch             17.58%
Stevie Moore             16.32%
Charlie Bryant            9.72%
John Schmidt             8.16%
Shawn Putnam         3.09%
Kim Davenport         2.83%
(% figure equals the share of the total vote)
    
To vote, please go to the home page of www.matchroompool.com , click on the ‘Mosconi Cup Idol’ logo, tick your desired candidate and submit your vote. It’s as simple as that.

Live in its entirety on Sky Sports in the UK, the event features two five-man teams representing Europe and the USA doing battle in a series of singles and doubles matches. Now in its 16th year, the Americans hold a 10-4 lead with one tied match in 2006.

Tickets for the Mosconi Cup are available from:

www.ticketmaster.com/2009-Mosconi-Cup-tickets/artist/1334375

or 1-800 745 300 or from the MGM Grand on 1-800 929 1111 or 702 891 7777.

HATCH MOVES INTO THE LEAD IN MOSCONI CUP IDOL

DENNIS Hatch has leapt into the lead in Mosconi Cup Idol.

With only two and a half days of voting remaining, Hatch is now on course to be the final member of the American Mosconi Cup side.

However, three other players - long-time poll leader Rodney Morris, Charlie Williams and Stevie Moore - are all still in contention as every vote could prove critical.

Mosconi Cup veteran Morris has been leading since the start of the voting process but has now been overtaken after a late surge of popularity for Hatch.

Which ever player wins the vote will join Oscar Dominguez, Corey Deuel, Shane Van Boening and Johnny Archer in the American Mosconi Cup team that faces Europe from December 10 to 13 at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas.

Taking place on www.matchroompool.com the 'Idol' poll has attracted thousands of voters over the first week and looks set to continue up till midnight UK time on Sunday, November 15 when the vote will close.

The results to date are:
1. Dennis Hatch 22.13%
2. Rodney Morris 20.25%
3. Charlie Williams 19.37%
4. Stevie Moore 17.68%
5. Charlie Bryant 8.42%
6. John Schmidt 7.06%
7. Shawn Putnam 2.64%
8. Kim Davenport 2.45%
(% figure equals the share of the total vote)

To vote, please go to the home page of www.matchroompool.com, click on the 'Mosconi Cup Idol' logo on the right-hand side, tick your desired candidate and submit your vote. It's as simple as that.

Live in its entirety on Sky Sports in the UK, the event features two five-man teams representing Europe and the USA doing battle in a series of singles and doubles matches. Now in its 16th year, the Americans hold a 10-4 lead with one tied match in 2006.

Tickets for the Mosconi Cup are available from:
http://www.ticketmaster.com/2009-Mosconi-Cup-tickets/artist/1334375
or 1-800 745 300 or from the MGM Grand on 1-800 929 1111 or 702 891 7777.

Special Press Release:
Cue & A Promotion to Cover:
2009 Dr. Cue Classic Artistic Cup III & Cue-Dean-E Search Finals in Laurel MD!!

Ray Hansen, aka, “Bigtruck” will be in Laurel Maryland at The Bank Shot Bar & Grill to cover all the action at this year’s Dr. Cue Classic Artistic Cup III on November 20, 21, & 22. Ray will also be covering the exciting and magnetic Cue-Dean-E International Talent Search on the evening of November 21st.

Everyone is invited to attend these special Artistic Pool “Sport and Show” Events in person, but if you aren’t able to,
you will be able to enjoy all the action at www.ustream.tv/channel/drcue2009 . We are planning on broadcasting live if the bandwidth allows. If not, we will be recording and will broadcast at a later date.

SPECIAL BILLIARD INDUSTRY FIRST!!

The Cue-Dean-E International Talent Search Audition Finals is a billiard industry version of "America's Got Talent"
and will be a night to be remembered for all in attendance!!!!

If you have a sign on with Ustream, you will be able to interact with us at the event. Ustream sign on’s are free. Go
there now and go to the show page and select follow. www.ustream.tv/channel/drcue2009
By, Ray Hansen
Aka Bigtruck


2009 DR. CUE SIGNATURE ARTISTIC CUP III

November 20, 21, & 22 (Competition Rounds) – November 19 (Practice, Registration, and Forum)
Location: The Bank Shot Bar & Grill, 3249 Ft. Meade Road, Laurel, MD 20724

Note: Take Rte. 198 Exit (Laurel / Ft. Meade) – Go approx. 2 miles E. (toward Ft. Meade) on Rte. 198.
Rte. 198 is approx. 15 minutes South of B/W Airport on Baltimore / Washington Parkway.


IN SEARCH OF CUE-DEAN-“E”

(International Talent Search Audition Finals)
Saturday, November 21 – 7:00PM TO 10:00PM
Location and Directions – Same as above for Cup III

World Mixed Doubles Classic Comes to Nuvo City, Philippines!

For the first time ever some of the greatest men and women cueists will be paired up in the World Mixed Doubles Classic. The event will be held at Nuvo City in the Quezon City section of Manila, Philippines from December 1-3,2009. World Champions Efren "Bata" Reyes, Mika "Ice Man" Immonen, Rubilen Amit, Shane Van Boening, and Francisco "Django" Bustamante will be some of the headline stars. The event will feature six teams from different countries who will battle on the table in 10-Ball. ESPN Star Sports and ABS-CBN will be airing all 12 hours of the event live broadcasted throughout Asia and the Philippines. Dragon Promotions will be producing this fantastic new event with cooperation and support of Puyat Sports.



"This is the first time international men and women stars of the game have been brought together to play on teams. The players were all thrilled to join because not only will it be challenging and historic, but very fun!" said Cindy Lee, CEO of Dragon Promotions
    
Philippines will be represented by two teams in the event with "Django" Francisco Bustamante teamed up with Fil-Am beauty Shanelle Loraine. They will be facing other foreign partners in Team USA's US Open Champ Shane Van Boening and US Amateur Women's Champion Amy Chen, Team Japan's Hayato Hijikata and lovely Kaori Ebe. World #1 Mika Immonen has been red-hot in 2008-2009 and will be paired with Albania newbie Borana Andoni for Team Europe while Team Korea will be another powerhouse with top Korean American pro Charlie Williams paired with his student, Yu Ram Cha who finished 5th at this year's Women's World 10-Ball Championship in Manila.



    The #1 pick on paper will likely be Team Philippines Efren Reyes and Rubilen Amit. Reyes has been on a hot year as the veteran star weaved some of his old magic again with a string of victories in the pool world this year. More recently he just once again proved his teamwork magic in winning the World Cup of Pool just 2 months ago and now will team up with a Filipina to attempt to duplicate another team win for Philippines. Rubilen Amit, the darling champion and first ever Filipina World Champion of billiards, will be teamed up with the maestro "Bata" and the two World Champions will definitely be the team to watch.



     "We are very pleased to work with Dragon Promotions and help bring this event to the Philippines. Our players are excited and honored to join such a great event, and the Philippines will be well represented. This event will help carry the popularity of billiards even further here and in Asia" says Aristeo Puyat, President of Puyat Sports the long time management company of icons Efren Reyes, Francisco Bustamante, and Rubilen Amit.



The event will take place at the upscale Nuvo City complex in Quezon City section of Manila. Nuvo City is a master planned exclusive vertical city in the sky, comprised of residential and commercial towers. Nuvo City will be set upon a vibrant lifestyle retail center with all the amenities to live a stress -free existence in a world of convenience and fashionable lifestyle. Visit www.nuvo-city.ph

"Billiards, the sport of the Philippines. The sport of the people."

Please visit www.dragonpromotions.com

DJANGO” BUSTAMANTE IS CHAMP IN ALL JAPAN OPEN

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO

FRANCISCO “Django” Bustamante defeated compatriot Antonio “Nickoy” Lining, 11-7, in an all Filipino finals to win the championship of the 2009 All Japan 9-Ball Championship at the Hotel New Archaic Hall in Amagasaki-shi, Hyogo, Japan, on Sunday.

Bustamante, playing under the banner of sportsman/ businessman Aristeo “Putch” Puyat of Puyat Sports, the former world's top-ranked pool player, earned 2 Million Yen (roughly P800,000 or 22,316.00 USD). It was Bustamante’s second major championship since taking the PartyCasino.net World Cup of Pool title before a jampacked crowd at the SM North Edsa Mall last September after teaming up with fellow Puyat Sports ace Efren “Bata” Reyes.

“"Once again, congratulations Django (Francisco Bustamante). You have made every Filipino proud of your triumph," said RP billiards God Father Aristeo “Putch” Puyat.
To gain slots in the championship round, Bustamante defeated last year’s WPA World junior champion Ko Pin-yi of Chinese-Taipei, 11-8, and countryman Warren “Warrior” Kiamco, 11-9, in the semifinals.

According to Japan based and veteran campaigner Eduardo “Tisoy” Saracho, the Pasil, Cebu native Kiamco had a chance to tie the game at 10-all count, however the latter’s (Kiamco) failed to sank the No.1 ball in the 20th racks allowing Bustamante to escape a narrow 11-9 victory in their semi-final duel.

Kiamco, member of the rising Negros Billiard Stable of Businessman Jonathan Sy received 1 Million Yen (roughly P400,000), while Lining and Kuo Po Cheng of Chinese-Taipei earned 500,000 Yen (roughly P200,000) each.

The fierce international field included double world champions (WPA 9-ball and WPA 8-ball) Efren “Bata” Reyes and Ralf Souquet of Germany, former All Japan champion Lee Vann “The Slayer” Corteza, ex-WPA 9-ball runner-up Chang Pei WEi of Chinese-Taipei, Hijikata Hayato and Keisuke Hanawa of the host country, among others.

Marathon Man Walden Hopes For Telford Run

Ricky Walden is determined to qualify for snooker’s Pukka Pies UK Championship and continue his bid to break into the official top 16.

The 27-year-old from Flintshire is back into full-time practice having recently run in the New York Marathon, and has his sights set on his qualifying match at Pontin’s in Prestatyn on November 30. Victory would see him through to the International Centre in Telford next month to face Betfred.com World Champion John Higgins.

“I really want to qualify and get through to Telford. There’s a lot riding on the match in terms of the ranking points,” said Walden, who is officially ranked 20th but stands 13th on the provisional list and is bidding to break into the top 16 for the first time.

“It took me a while to recover from the Marathon because I had a few days in Las Vegas afterwards, but I’ve got my head down now and I’ll be living on the table until the UK qualifiers.”

Walden, last season’s Roewe Shanghai Masters champion, completed his first marathon in four hours 17 minutes, raising £1500 for Teenage Cancer Trust. “It was even more difficult than I thought it would be,” he said. “There was a point where I thought I wasn’t going to make it, but I managed to run all the way.

“At the end I felt very emotional, I couldn’t believe I had finished it. I was just delighted to show that I could do it as I am not a natural runner. I’m going to keep the fitness going by doing a lot of running and gym work, but I won’t be taking on another marathon for a while.”

At the recent Grand Prix in Glasgow, Walden suffered a set-back with a 5-4 first round defeat to Mark King. He led by 31 points on the brown in the deciding frame but gave away two fouls and his opponent stole the match on the final black.

“I was gutted for a few days after that, it was as low as I’ve been,” admitted Walden. “My head wasn’t right going into it and I was disappointed by the way I handled myself. I still managed to virtually win the match - but then somehow gave it away. But I’m not worried about it any more and the next tournament is the perfect time to bounce back.”

The Pukka Pies UK Championship qualifiers run from November 23 to 30 at Pontin’s in Prestatyn. Top players such as Jamie Cope, Liang Wenbo, Judd Trump, Ken Doherty, Steve Davis and John Parrott will all be aiming to book their place in Telford.

You can watch all the action live online at www.110sport.tv

The final stages of the Pukka Pies UK Championship run from December 5 to 13 at the International Centre in Telford, with the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan, John Higgins, Stephen Hendry and Neil Robertson competing for the title. For tickets call 01952 561 700 or visit www.worldsnooker.com/uk

Ouschan wins WPBA Nationals

Jasmin Ouschan notched her second straight and third overall WPBA Classic Tour Title at the WPBA National Tour Championship held November 12 - 15 at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

Ouschan was unbeaten moving into the final day of play and started Sunday with a TV Table match against Jeanette Lee. Lee, always a tough opponent, was in the drivers seat early with a 2-0 lead. Ouschan would fight back to tie the score at 4-4 and then went ahead 5-4 and 6-4 before Lee could win another game. Lee got back within one game at 6-5, but an Ouschan safety in the twelfth game led to ball in hand and Ouschan ran out for the 7-5 win.

The second semifinal match of the day saw #2 ranked Xiao Ting Pan taking on 2008 player of the year Kelly Fisher. On paper, this match looked to be in favor of Fisher as she had played dominating pool all week, while Pan had struggled in earlier matches. With that in mind, it was Pan who struck first and took an early 2-0 lead. Fisher would gamely fight back, but would be unable to close the gap in this match as Pan cruised to a 7-3 win and a spot in the finals.

Both Ouschan and Pan had a lot riding on this match. A Pan win would move her into first place on the WPBA Points list, while an Ouschan win would give her three titles this year and a frontrunner for player of the year. A close match was expected by all in attendance, but that was not meant to be on this day. While both players would break and run racks in this match, it was Ouschan who took advantage of Pan mistakes and scored a one-sided 7-2 win for the title. Ouschan's win also moved her ahead of Pan into second place on the WPBA points list.

IT'S THE HATCHETMAN FOR TEAM USA!

Dangerous Dennis Set for Mosconi Debut

AFTER 14 DAYS of voting and some tireless campaigning by all eight candidates, it is Dennis Hatch who will be donning the colours of Team USA for the first time in his career after coming through via the fans’ vote on Mosconi Cup Idol.

‘The Hatchetman’, 38, took the lead in the vote with a few days to go and increased it over the final weekend to win by just over 6% from Rodney Morris, and then Charlie Williams.

Hatch, from Buffalo, has dominated the Joss Northeast Tour in recent times and Las Vegas has proved a happy hunting ground for him when earlier this year he got the better of England’s Darren Appleton in their race-to-100 TAR Challenge Match.

There are many who feel that Hatch’s aggressive game and passionate character may be just the shot in the arm that Team USA needs to get their PartyPoker.net Mosconi Cup challenge back on a winning track.

‘This is unbelievable, I’ve got so many emotions running through me, tears, excitement and happiness’ said an overwhelmed Hatch when informed of the result.

‘This will be the best experience ever. I’ve always wanted to play on the Mosconi Cup and I feel we’ve got a good chance if we prepare. We’ve got to play hard and make sure that every game counts!’ he added.

Hatch now joins Oscar Dominguez, Corey Deuel, Shane Van Boening and Johnny Archer in what looks to be a strong American line up to face the Europeans from 10-13 December at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas.

Final result:
Dennis Hatch             26.31%
Rodney Morris         20.07%
Charlie Williams         19.54%
Stevie Moore             18.68%
Charlie Bryant                        6.42%
John Schmidt             5.51%
Shawn Putnam         1.79%
Kim Davenport         1.67%
(% figure equals the share of the total vote)

Live in its entirety on Sky Sports in the UK, the event features two five-man teams representing Europe and the USA doing battle in a series of singles and doubles matches. Now in its 16th year, the Americans hold a 10-4 lead with one tied match in 2006.

Tickets for the Mosconi Cup are available from:

http://www.ticketmaster.com/2009-Mosconi-Cup-tickets/artist/1334375
or 1-800 745 300 or from the MGM Grand on 1-800 929 1111 or 702 891 7777.

2ND WORLD TEN BALL ELIMS BEGINS TODAY AT THE FAMOUS STAR BILLIARDS CENTER

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO                            

MANILA,PHILIPPINES---EXPECTS world’s renowned pool masters are seeing in action in the second World Ten-Ball Championship (WTBC) qualifying round which unreels today,Thursday, Nov.19 to 23 at the famous Star Billiards Center,No.46 Joy Street in Grace Village, Quezon City.    

According to Florentino “Yen” Makabenta, chairman of Raya Sports, the organizer of the 2nd WTBC, to complete the main draw of 128 players, the remaining 10 spots will be contested by over 130 players in the WTBC qualifiers. The five-day (Nov. 19 to 23) qualification tournament is hosted by long-time billiards patron and Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) president Sebastian “Baste” Chua.

Roberto “Pinoy Superman”Gomez, who lost to Great Britain’s Daryl Peach in the finals of 2007 World Pool Championships at the Big Dome will vie for the remaining 10 spots along with 2006 Sydney WPA World Junior quarter-finalists Rene Mar “Revo” David and 2008 Reno WPA World Junior quarter-finalists Jonas Magpantay, among others local and foreign counterpart.

The WTBC Prize Fund has been increased from the original $253,000 to $262,000 with the champion getting the lion share of $60,000 while the runner-up gets $30,000. The 3rd and 4th will bring home $15,000 while the 5th to 8th placers will be receiving $7,500 each.

Ninth to 16th placers pocketed $4,000 each, 17th to 32nd placers went home $2,500 each while 33rd to 64th placers awaits $1,000 each.

Leading the Filipino charge in the tournament proper scheduled on November 25 to 30 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City are former double world champion (WPA 9-ball and 8-ball Champion) Ronato “Volcano” Alcano, 2009 Predator International 10-Ball champion Dennis “Robocop” Orcollo, 2008 WTBC semi-finalists Demosthenes Plong-Plong”Pulpul, 2006 World Pool Champion third placer Marlon “Marvelous” Manalo, 2006 Doha Asian Games 9-ball gold medalist Antonio “Ga-Ga” Gabica, 2007 Manny Pacquiao International 9-Ball Champion Jeffrey “The Bull” De Luna, 2008 WPA World Junior finalist Jerico Banares, 2009 All Japan 9-Ball Championship third placer Warren “Warrior”Kiamco, Southeast Asian Games multiple gold medallist Lee Vann “The Slayer” Corteza and Middle East pool instructor Allan “Surigao” Cuartero.

“I will do my very best for flag and country,” said the Mandaluyong ace Marlon “Marvelous”Manalo, who won numerous titles in the US circuit this year.

Slovenia, Greece and Norway are joining the world championship for the first time. The other players who have secured spots in the main draw of the WTBC are: Louis Condo and Ben Nunan (Australia), Mario He and Martin Kempter (Austria), Serge Das (Belgium), MB Alias (Brunei), Alain Martel, Raymond Cruz, Erik Hjorleifson, Adam Smith and Tyler Edey (Canada), Li Hewen, Fu Jianbo and Liu Haitao (China), Phil Stojanovic (Croatia), Roman Hybler (Czech Republic), Kasper Kristoffersen and Bahram Lofty (Denmark), Stephan Cohen and Vincent Facquet (France), Andreas Loukiadakis (Greece), Kenny Kwok (Hong Kong), I Alwi Alwi, Widi Harsoyo and Ricky Yang (Indonesia), Farhad Shahverdi (Iran), Fabio Petroni and Bruno Muratore (Italy), Ibrahim Bin Amir and Lee Poh Soon (Malaysia), Ignacio Chavez (Mexico), Vegar Kristiansen (Norway), Mateusz Sniegocki, Thomasz Kaplan, Mariusz Skoneczny and Radoslaw Babica (Poland), Basher Hussain, Abdulatef Fawal and Rashid Al Mari (Qatar), Konstantin Stepanov and Ruslan Chinakhov (Russia), Sandor Tot (Serbia), Tey Choon Kiat and Toh Lian Han (Singapore), Matjaz Erculj (Slovenia), Jason Theron and Alphonse Hoge (South Africa), David Alcaide and Rafael Guzman (Spain), Marcus Chamat (Sweden), Dimitri Jungo (Switzerland), Mehmet Cankurt and Ramazan Dincer (Turkey), Frailin Guanica and Jalal Youse (Venezuela) and Nguyen Anh Tuan (Vietnam).    


Leading the stellar cast in the only world men’s championship this year are reigning world 10-ball champion Darren Appleton of Great Britain, current world No.1 Ralf Souquet of Germany, and newly-crowned US Open champion and leading 2009 money winner Mika Immonen of Finland. But they will have plenty of challengers from every point of the globe.

Great Britain will strive to keep the world title with 10 players. Besides Appleton, the members of the British contingent are: 2007 world 9-ball champion Daryl Peach, Imran Majid, Scott Higgins, Craig Osborne, Karl Boyes, Jonni Fulcher, Ricardo Jones, Phil Burford and Chris Melling.

Souquet, 2008 world 8-ball champion and World Games gold medalist, leads the nine-man German contingent. The other players are: former world champions Thorsten Hohmann and Oliver Ortmann, Thomas Engert, Marko Vogel, Christoph Reintjes, Ralf Mund, Klaus Zobrekis and Benjamin Heimmerer.    

The US contingent of nine players is bannered by former US Open and Predator 10-ball champion Shane Van Boening, former world champion Johnny Archer, Corey Deuel, Stevie Moore, Charlie Bryant, Shaun Wilkie, Charlie Williams, Shawn Putnam and Oscar Dominguez.

Chinese-Taipei, a major powerhouse in Asia, is represented by nine formidable players: former two-time world 9-Ball champion Fong Pang Chao, money-game king Ching-Shun Yang, two-time world junior champion Pin-Yi Ko, Yu-Lung Chang, Po-Cheng Kuo, Tsung-Hua Cheng, Hui-chan Lu, Che-Wei Fu, and Hung-Hsiang Wang.

Host Philippines has, at this point, 11 player entries. They are led by Jeffrey De Luna (No. 7 in the world rankings), Demosthenes Pulpul (No, 8 ), former world no. 1 Dennis Orcullo, former double world champion Warren Kiamco, and noted international campaigners Lee Van Corteza and Marlon Manalo.

The other Filipino players who have earned seats are: Warren Kiamco, Antonio Gabica, Allan Cuartero, and Jerico Banares.

Five Japanese players are entered in the main draw – Hayato Hijikata, Yukio Akakariyama, Toru Kuribayashi, Naoyuki Ooi and Satoshi Kawabata.

Korea has four players in Young Hwa Jeong, Woong Dae Kim, Chul Mook Choi and Seung Woo Ryu.

China is represented by three international campaigners: Jian-Bo Fu, He-wen Li, and Hai-tao Liu.

Immonen will be joined by Markus Java in representing Finland. He is currently ranked third in the world.

Niels Feijen of the Netherlands, rated fourth in the world, will be joined by compatriots Nick Van Den Berg and Huidji See.

UPA'S LEAGUE OF CHAMPIONS HEADS EAST

Major League Pool
PHOENIX, AZ (November 18, 2009) - The United States Professional Poolplayers Association's (UPA) League of Champions has been a hot topic for the past few months growing leaps and bounds throughout the country. The latest movement sees the league heading east with its newest territories being formed in the great states of New York, Connecticut, and further south dipping down into Arkansas.

Heading up the three new leagues are: Thomas Wimler (CT); Roger Fresco (NY); and Robert Heinz (AR). Here are a few words from the Connecticut and Arkansas league operators regarding their newest regional acquisitions:

"As a new UPA league operator, I am very excited and look forward to the challenge ahead. The UPA offers the most accurate handicapping system, highest cash payouts, national ranking, and statistical data to help players improve their game. The CT-UPA is not only excited for the players in the region to become a part of the UPA in this manner, but dedicated to establishing teams throughout all of Connecticut to ensure more individuals have the opportunity to do so." Thomas Wimler, League Operator Connecticut To reach the CT-UPA, visit them on the web at www.connupa.com.

In Arkansas, League Operator Robert Heinz stated: "Since becoming a league operator for the UPA, I have been very impressed with how simple their system has been to use, the organization of the staff, and the UPA's willingness and efforts to help jump start my league. We have found that not only is recruiting players for the league easy due to the system in place, but the format is preferred over other league formats currently in play - it is a big hit for us!"

New York is currently in the infancy stages of its league. More information concerning this region can be found on the UPA website.

Keeping the ball rolling, the October monthly league drawing winner is Brian Stefl. Brian receives a new Poison AR4 cue from our official cue sponsor - Poison Cues and the Predator Group - and participates in the UPA metro Detroit league system under League Operator Shaun O'Dell. If you are in the Detroit area, visit the league's website www.upametrodetroit.com.

Looking to start your own league? The holidays are a great time to get started as the UPA is offering discounts on its territory licenses for new league operators. If you would like to learn more about the UPA organization as a whole or are interested in more information about becoming a League Operator, visit our website at www.upatour.com. To contact us directly with questions, please call (877) 788-7227 or email playupa@upatour.com.

RP hosts world’s biggest pool event (Friday)

MANILA, PHILIPPINES---The most anticipated sporting event for Filipinos after the Manny Pacquiao fight happens right here in the Philippines.

While the country continues to savor Pacquiao’s masterful conquest of Puerto Rican welterweight Miguel Cotto, the heavyweights of the pool world gather at the World Trade Center in Manila on Nov. 25-30 to compete in the World Ten Ball Championship (WTBC).

“What we have right here is the biggest event in billiards,” said Yen Makabenta, chairman of the organizing Raya Sports and chairman of the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP).

There’s hardly an argument with that.

The WTBC is the only pool event this year with a world title at stake. It is also the biggest in terms of participation counting the players in the qualifying tournaments here and abroad. The event is also the most generous with a prize fund of $262,000 broken down to the top 64 players.

The fact that the Filipinos have a fighting chance to go all the way makes the WTBC even more special for the country.

“All of our top guns are competing,” Makabenta said. “There’s a good chance that we’re going to have another Filipino world champion.”

But Makabenta is also the first to admit that tough roads await the locals in the main draw, noting that the best players from around the world are also coming.

Two-time world champion Ronnie Alcano and top-rated cue artists Marlon Manalo, Dennis Orcollo, Antonio “Gaga” Gabica, Lee Vann Corteza and Jeffrey “Jeff Bata” De Luna are set to lead the country’s charge against the visitors headed by defending champion Darren Appleton of England.

Also in the field are usual suspects Ralf Souquet and Thorsten Hohmann of Germany, Johnny Archer and Shane Van Boening of the United States, Wu Chia-ching and Yang Ching-shun of Taiwan, Mika Immonen of Finland and Marcus Chamat of Sweden.

MARLON BERNARDINO