US Edge Swedes in Thriller

by Paul · September 9, 2010

9th September

Spain Double World Cup Dream Lives on

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.

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 favour, Sweden was favourites 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 laboured 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

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

Luke Riches, Matchroom Sport: luke.riches@matchroom.com

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.