Indonesians Break Pinoy Hearts

Posted by admin as Billiard News, World Cup of Pool

Indonesia 8-6 Philippines A

Taiwan 8 – 2 Japan

THERE WAS a big upset at Robinsons Place in Manila Wednesday night, as defending champions Efren Reyes and Francisco Bustamante (Philippines A) departed the PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool, beaten by the better side on the night.

There was a big upset at Robinsons Place in Manila Wednesday night, as defending champions Reyes and Bustamante (Philippines A) departed the PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool, beaten by the better side on the night.

For Ricky Yang and Mohammad Zulfikri of Indonesia, it was a great night as they went right into the lion’s den and performed well in front of an all-Filipino crowd in excess of 2,000.

8-6 was the scoreline and although the match contained plenty of nerves and errors, it was hard to beat as sporting entertainment. The crowd were on the edge of their seats throughout, willing their heroes who could not quite deliver the goods at the critical moments.

Kudos though to Yang and Zulfikri who looked under the cosh in the early stages but weathered the storm and stay in the match and share the racks at 3-3. The turning point for Indonesia may well have been when they broke and ran the seventh to take a 4-3 lead. It gave their self-belief a massive boost and they took the next to lead 5-3 after Bustamante erred under pressure.

The Filipinos weren’t finished though as they took the next two to level it as the Indonesians made mistakes. They took the next though and in the end Reyes and Bustamante played too many loose shots to hold off the Indonesians who held their collective nerve to grab the win.

“We played good at the beginning but we missed a couple of positions and we could do nothing,” said a disappointed Bustamante.

“They played good but we gave them two or three games. If we had played well it would’ve been easy to win 8-3 or 8-4 but we both missed and the plans changed.

“For me and Efren we are playing in our country and we have a lot of support but there’s a lot of pressure. It’s difficult enough and there’s a lot of pressure and as it’s only a race to eight anybody can win.

“They are good players but we would expect to beat them easily but as I said we missed a couple of balls. Dennis and Roberto have a chance to win and I hope they do as they’re the only Filipinos left.”

Earlier Taiwan, perennial PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool under-achievers, looked a real threat as they hammered Japan to become the first side through to the quarter-finals at the weekend.

Chang Jung-lin and Ko Pin-yi are seasoned at the highest level and delivered the type of relaxed performance that will put fear into the other team’s hearts. The Japanese team of Naoyuki Oi and Toru Kuribayashi are quality players themselves but had no answer to the Taiwanese firepower. It was a storming performance and they won the opening rack within 90 seconds courtesy of a 3/9 combo. Japan stayed with them in the early stages and trailed 3-2 at one stage.

It was one-way after that as the Taiwanese lads laughed and smiled their way around the table in stark contrast to some of their stone-faced predecessors. It was like an exhibition at times and this deadly duo now face either USA or Poland in the quarters.

“We enjoyed it today, and felt very comfortable at the table” said Chang, after the match.

“We will just take each match as it comes and try our very best. Ko is a great young player and we are looking forward to the next match on Saturday,” he added.

With 32 teams representing 31 countries – home nation Philippines has two sides in the competition – the World Cup of Pool sees the gathering of some of the most decorated stars of the pool firmament. The event is taking place at Robinsons Place, in Ermita, Manila.

With a total purse of $250,000, the winning pair split $60,000 between them while first round losers are guaranteed $1,500 each. All the action will be carried live on Solar Sports in

The Philippines and other broadcasters across the region.

Second Round Scores

Taiwan 8-2 Japan

Indonesia 8-6 Philippines A

First Round Scores

Russia 8–4 Canada

Indonesia 8-7 India

China 8–2 Belgium

Italy 8-6 Korea

Germany 8–4 Hong Kong

Philippines A 8-3 Thailand

England 8–7 Qatar

France 8-5 Australia

Japan 8–7 Slovenia

Poland 8-6 Malta

Taiwan 8–2 Malaysia

Philippines B 8-4 Croatia

Holland 8–3 Austria

Finland 8-2 Singapore

USA 8-7 Sweden

Spain 8-5 Vietnam

Spain Double World Cup Dream Lives on

Posted by admin as Billiard News, World Cup of Pool

USA 8–7 Sweden

Spain 8-5 Vietnam

2008 PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool winners, Team USA, made their way into the last 16 after coming through a life or death struggle against the Swedish pair of Marcus Chamat and Thomas Mehtala.

The American axis of Johnny Archer and Rodney Morris, currently ranked Nos. 1 & 2 on the US rankings, were big favourites in advance of the match, but Chamat has one of the biggest hearts in the game and Mehtala, making his big-time debut held his end up.

The USA made a fantastic start as they found themselves 4-1 up in the race to eight match and Sweden had it all to do.

2008 PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool winners, Team USA, made their way into the last 16 after coming through a life or death struggle against the Swedish pair of Chamat and Mehtala.

The Swedes though fight for it and won the next two before the Americans restored their two rack lead and that became three racks as they reached the hill at 7-4.

Chamat and the lowly ranked Mehtala though weren’t giving up without a fight and they took the next, and a great break set up the 13th rack to get them within a rack of America. There is drama in the next as both have goes at the 9 ball before Mehtala nailed it to force a decider.

With the break in their favor, Sweden was favorites but a dry break sowed the seeds of their downfall and the USA wrapped it up to squeak into the last 16.

“Every year I win the first match hill-hill; I think it’s been four out of five years where that’s happened so it’s nothing new,” said Morris.

“I’m just glad we won but I thought we played better all the way and when we had a chance we took it. I wasn’t nervous as I knew we were playing well so it was just a matter of getting the opportunity.

“We were the favourites and played better. The balls ran funnily in the second to last game as they missed twice and left us nothing on,” added the Rocket.

In the second match of the late afternoon session, the always dangerous Spain set up a last 16 clash with Philippines B as David Alcaide, partnered by the new European prodigy Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, looked good disposing of Vietnam.

The final score was 8-5 but it should have ended quicker as Spain labored it a bit when the finishing line was in sight. Alcaide has plenty of track record at this level but 18 year-old Sanchez Ruiz is already being talked about as a future great.

The match swung in the middle section when the Vietnamese pair of Luong Chi Dung and

Do Hoang Quan gifted them chance after chance and the Spaniards gratefully accepted. Despite a late rally for the Asians, it was Spain who crossed the line for victory.

With 32 teams representing 31 countries – home nation Philippines has two sides in the competition – the World Cup of Pool sees the gathering of some of the most decorated stars of the pool firmament. The event is taking place at Robinsons Place, in Ermita, Manila.

With a total purse of $250,000, the winning pair split $60,000 between them while first round losers are guaranteed $1,500 each. All the action will be carried live on Solar Sports in

Alcaide had a lot to celebrate about.

The Philippines and other broadcasters across the region.

First Round Scores

Russia 8–4 Canada

Indonesia 8-7 India

China 8–2 Belgium

Italy 8-6 Korea

Germany 8–4 Hong Kong

Philippines A 8-3 Thailand

England 8–7 Qatar

France 8-5 Australia

Japan 8–7 Slovenia

Poland 8-6 Malta

Taiwan 8–2 Malaysia

Philippines B 8-4 Croatia

Holland 8–3 Austria

Finland 8-2 Singapore

USA 8-7 Sweden

Spain 8-5 Vietnam

Notes: Matchroom Sport are one of the world’s leading producers of televised sport and are responsible for over 1,100 hours of original programming across a range of sports. Based in the UK and chaired by charismatic founder Barry Hearn, the World Cup of Pool is one of a stable of pool events that include the Mosconi Cup and the World Pool Masters.

The 2010 World Cup of Pool is sponsored by PartyPoker.net, the world’s leading online poker room. Tables are supplied by Brunswick Billiards, cloth by Iwan Simonis, Super Aramith balls by Saluc and the Official Cue is Predator.