FEIJEN BEATS CORTEZA WINS US$50,000
IN INT'L CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS
NEILS "The Terminator" Feijen of the Netherlands wins this year's International Challenge of Champions taking home the top prize of US$50,000 for his effort.
Feijen, the European No.1 player beat reigning national open champion and all Japan championship ruler Lee Vann "The Slayer" Corteza, (1-5), (5-3), (1) in the finals via a one rack tie breaker yesterday morning at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, USA.
Actually, the 28-year-old Davao City native playing under the banner of Negros Billiard Stable won the first match with a tremendous 5-1 victory. However, Feijen, winner of the Derby City Classic 9-ball event, took the 2nd match with a 5-3 victory to force a 1-rack sudden death play off. Feijen won the opening lag and run-out the match.
" Sayang kinapos na naman si Van-Van (Corteza), sabi niya ay na mintis niya ang 8-ball sa 2nd match kung naipasok niya 'yun eh ay hindi na aabot sa tie break si Fejien, kanya yung momentum ng larong yun." said NBS president Jonathan "Bacolod" Sy in an interview yesterday morning.
Earlier, Feijen beat John Schmidt (USA) in the quarters and Thorsten Hohmann (Germany), in the semis, respectively to arrange a titular showdown with Corteza, winner over Ralf Souquet (Germany) and Johnny Archer (USA), in that order.
With the win, Feijen raised his total winnings to US$ 80,590 to climb at No.1 in the 2007 Player Money list. At second place is Filipino Dennis Orcollo with US$55,650.
Meanwhile, Corteza along with double world champion Ronato Alcano will compete in the US$12,000 top prize Turning Stone 9-ball event today in Verona, New York .
The International Challenge of Champions is regarded as the supreme test of skill in professional billiards. The eight players are so evenly matched that any one player could beat the other seven on a given day. In addition, the tournament format is the most demanding test of 9-Ball skill in the sport. The matches are two sets, race to five games each set, with a 1-game sudden death tie-breaker in the event of tied sets. The 9-ball does not count on the break, and to win a game, the 9-ball is call shot. The caliber of competition is so intense that a single mistake invariably eliminates a player from any chance at the winner-take-all purse of US $50,000.
SMB RP 9-BALL OPEN START TODAY IN DAVAO
MORE than 100 pool wizards will converge today, Saturday and Sunday for the second leg of the 4th annual San Miguel Beer Philippine 9-ball Open at the NCCC Mall B3 in Davao City .
According to Puyat Sports’ event manager Ish Caparras and tournament director Rolly Vicente, they are hoping to surpass last year's turnout of entries that reached 130 players.
Last week, a total of 51cue artists participated in the first leg of this tournament held at the Paeng's Skybowl, Robinson's Galleria in Mandaluyong City.
Ricky Zerna, Russian Petiza and Panfilo Damuag of Negros Billiard Stable (NBS) garnered a 1-2-3 finish in the first leg last Sunday while 2006 Kuwait 9-ball open champion Jundel Mazon of newly-formed Bronco stable won the fourth and last berths to advance in the Grand Finale on September 14 to 16.
Caparras added that other qualifying legs set on Aug. 18-19 at the Celebrity Billiards and Bar (Bacolod City ), Aug. 25-26 at Puyat Sports@Baguio Center Mall (Baguio City ) and Sept. 1-2 at the AMF-Puyat Commonwealth Lanes, Ever Gotesco Comonwealth (Q.C).
The 2007 SMB Philippine 9-Ball Open is the joint initiative of Puyat Sports and Solar Sports, brain child of Philippine Billiard Godfather Aristeo "Putch" Puyat, with the continued patronage of San Miguel Beer which offers a total pot prize of Php1.35 million where the champion gets the lion’s share of Php500,000 while the runner-up receives Php250,000. Semi-finalists will grab Php100,000 each. The fifth to 32nd placers are also assured of cash prizes.
Only the top four players in each of the five elimination tourneys will qualify for the 32-man main draw on September 14 to 16, 2007. Every registered player will get one free case of SMB Pale Pilsen.
Caparras said that seeded in the main draw are two-time defending champion Francisco "Django" Bustamante, Leonardo "Dodong" Didal, Mike "Choke" Takayama, Carlo "Cool" Biado, Ronato "Volcano" Alcano, Marlon "Marvelous" Manalo, Lee Vann "The Slayer" Corteza, Efren "Bata" Reyes, Alex "The Lion" Pagulayan and Jose "Amang" Parica.
BENJIE GUEVARRA WINS LOCAL 9-BALL TOURNEY
A FORMER snooker specialist turned professional billiard player won the second leg of the winner take-all 9-ball matches.
Benjie Guevarra, the 1999 Asian Snooker Championships 3rd placer disposed of veteran campaigner NBS ace Godofredo "Boy Cotabato" Ducanes, 11-8, in the finals to emerge-over all champion late Thursday at the Bowling Inn in Taft Avenue late Thursday.
Guevarra, member of the newly-formed Bronco stable of Conrado Poblete, was cold in the opening match allowing Ducanes to take a 4-1 commanding lead in this race-to-11, winner's break format. The tournament attracted 22 players.
Poblete, Bronco chief head is a prominent Filipino business man in New York, USA and a close friend of NCFP president Prospero Pichay Jr. and Bugsy boss Perry Mariano.
"Matamlay 'yung naging panimula ko.Nakabawi ako sa mga sumunod na racks." Said Guevarra, who took home the top prize of Php42,000, in the event jointly organized by Ish Caparras and Rolando Vicente of Puyat Sports.
Guevarra, a former snooker double silver medalist in the Southeast Asian Games got his groove by clustering three straight racks to tie the game at 5 all.
The two warriors again tied the game at 6 all, 7 all to 8 all in the next racks. From then, Guevarra never looked back by winning the next three racks for an 11-8 victory.
Other members of the Bronco stable are 2006 Kuwait 9-ball Open champion Jundel Mazon, Jomar de Ocampo and 13-years-old Jonas Magpantay, nephew of Mindoro second district representative Boy Umali.
Earlier in the tournament, Guevarra beat Florencio Banar, 11-6, Jech-Jech Limen 11-6, Jomar de Ocampo, 11-6, Elmer Kalaquian, 11-6, to reach the finals against Ducanes.
In the first leg, NBS stalwart Ricky Zerna beat John Rebong, 11-9, to bag the championship trophy plus the top prize of Php60,000.
Meanwhile, Ducanes takes on Bugsy bet Joven Bustamante today, 5:00pm at the Star Paper Billiard hall in Joy St. Quezon City for the slot in this year's World Pool Championships according to Raya Sports president and BSCP chairman Yen Makabenta. This 9-ball event will be using a race-to-13, alternate breaks format.
(Reports from MARLON BERNARDINO)
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