INTERNATIONAL SPEED POOL CHAMPIONSHIP
LUC SALVAS WINS 2010
INTERNATIONAL SPEED POOL CHAMPIONSHIP
The 2010 GREEN VALLEY RANCH BILLIARDS SHOOTOUT was held September 1 in Las Vegas. Luc Salvas defeated Bobby McGrath for the INTERNATIONAL SPEED POOL CHALLENGE crown and the $25,000 purse. Green Valley Ranch Resort was host to the event, which was taped for three 1-hour telecasts on ESPN.
The Fifrth Annual INTERNATIONAL SPEED POOL CHALLENGE drew an international lineup battling for the $25,000 winner-take-all prize. The action in Speed Pool is fast and furious (the speed of light compared to 9-ball) with two sets, twelve racks in each set, the first set Straight Pool and the second set 8-Ball. Players routinely run racks of fifteen balls in about 1-minute and the player with the lowest accumulated time for twelve racks wins the match.
Salvas of Canada and McGrath of the U.S.A. emerged from the pack as the top guns. In the Championship Match, Salvas took the first set by a score of 6:58 to 8:20, and McGrath rebounded to take the second set by 8:13 to 8:40. The players then went to a sudden death of one rack each, which Salvas won by only six seconds, .55 to 1:01. For the third time in the five year history of the event, Salvas captured the title and the $25,000 purse.
In semifinal action, Dave Pearson of England zipped past McGrath in the first set by scores of 6:36 to 7:35. McGrath then managed to take the second set by a mere one second, 8:21 to 8:22. The sudden death of one rack each enabled McGrath to emerge the victor by .58 to 1:35. The other semifinal saw Salvas defeat Thorsten Hohmann of Germany in the first set 6:24 to 6:42 and the second set by 9:27 to 9:35. The match was so close that a slim 26 seconds separated the players in the two sets.
The standing-room-only crowd gave Luc Salvas a rousing ovation at the conclusion of the Championship match. The winner’s trophy was presented by Green Valley Ranch Resort. The presentation brought another round of cheers from the audience.
In addition to the fine tournament site at Green Valley Ranch Resort, the event was sponsored by Fusion Billiard Tables, Aramith Tournament Balls, Simonis Cloth, Mueller Recreational Products, Executive Billiards Delta-13 Rack, AcCue Shot Target Practice Device and Silver Cup Chalk. The event was produced by Billiards International, Ltd.
