Category: Features

There are times when a specific player makes such tremendous contributions to the game of pool and the billiard community, that they deserve a special award.  That is why Phoenix TAP, which has served the Phoenix area for the past nine years, is taking this opportunity to give its, first ever, “œPlayer of the year” award to Jerry Hartnett.

Olson, Miller, Thorpe and Reynolds reign

The Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) crowned four winners in the 2011 BEF Junior National 9-Ball Championships. Over 100 junior pocket billiard players gathered in the Huskies Den at Northern Illinois University on July 6-10 to compete for the title in 4 divisions. In the 18-and-under boys’ division, Danny Olson of Broomfield, CO, prevailed, while Briana Miller of Allentown, PA, steam-rolled through the18-and-under girls’ division. Billy Thorpe of Dayton, OH, thrived in the 14-and-under boys’ division and Taylor Reynolds of Waterville, ME, won her first title in the 14-and-under girls’ division.

ABP Pro Players Not Attending the 2011 US Open 9-Ball Championship
From ABP General Attorney Dennis Walsh

Chicago, Illinois- It is with regret that the general professional body of the Association of Billiard Professionals will not be attending the 2011 US Open 9-Ball Championship promoted by Mr.Barry Behrman. Nor will these ABP pros attend the Masters 10-Ball or any event promoted by Mr.Behrman because of monies owed to players and lack of secure funds of prize money before each of his events.

One of the goals of the Association of Billiards Professionals is to provide a platform where touring professionals can pursue the sport they love as a full time career and achieve reasonable financial success. To that end discussions have been ongoing since last year with representatives of the US Open and representatives of the ABP.

Repeated attempts by the ABP organization to obtain guarantees that the prize money will be in place have been refused and therefore it is with regret that the Association and its members have decided to neither support nor attend the 2011 US Open 9-Ball Championship. Notwithstanding the Association’s deep respect for Barry Behrman for his contribution to pool these many years, the players simply cannot commit their time and their expenses for an uncertain payday.

Barry Behrman has issued an exclusive statement to AzBilliards regarding the recently announced boycott of the US Open 9-Ball Championship. Read on!!

Players from around the world are flocking to the ABP eager to join for a common cause. Philippines, England, Spain, Holland, Germany, Sweden, Malta, Canada and the USA have already united together. Now the newest addition to the ABP family includes the legends of the game. Three BCA Hall of Famers Nick Varner, Buddy Hall and Mike Sigel have given their full support to the association. In addition, former top ranked CJ Wiley, who has joined back into the pro circuit, has also come aboard as well. These well respected icons of the game have been around for many years, playing in events all over the world. Their insight, knowledge, and mere presence adds great value to the ABP as a whole. The ABP welcomes these newest members to the group and we are proud to have their support.

John Hennessee winner of Summer Classic II

and Midnight Madness

Story and Photo by Ted Lerner

(Doha, Qatar)””With a super cool demeanor and a red hot stroke, Yukio Akagariyama of Japan won the 2011 World 9-ball Championship, defeating the Philippines Ronnie Alcano in a tense and scintillating finals match on Friday night, 13-11.

Akagariyama won the title with a brilliant display of pressure packed 9-ball before a cheering partisan crowd of close to 1500 people, most of them Filipinos, at the Al Sadd Sports Club in Doha, Qatar.

The victory capped what has been a tremendous recent surge for the 36 year old. Back in May Akagariyama made it to the semi-finals of the World 10-ball Championship in Manila. Then in early June, he placed 5th at the China Open in Shanghai.

In Doha Akagariyama played solid and steady all week. But he also had moments when mistakes crept into his game, especially late in matches during the knockout stages, when the pressure became too much to bear. But always the 36 year old from Nagano quietly sucked it up, and got right back down to business and made it across the finish line. It’s exactly what happened on Friday night.

Story and Photo by Ted Lerner

(Doha, Qatar)–There was plenty of heartbreak and lots of relief as well inside the spectacularly appointed Al Sadd Sports Club in Doha, Qatar Sunday  as  Day 2 of the 2011 World 9-ball championship has now been completed.

32 players saw their dreams of glory crash out , while 32 others got a much welcome reprieve as all of the matches on the losers side of each group bracket took place.  The field of 128 players from over 40 countries around the world has now been trimmed to 96.

The final two sessions of the day saw several dramatic and pressure packed matches  as players desperately  tried to hang on to their dreams of moving on in the most prestigious pool tournament in the world. One trend that was clear is that the talent level across the globe is growing exponentially, especially in the Middle East. Guys you’d expect to win handily were be taken to the limit by unknowns from countries not normally considered pool breeding grounds.

The Philippines Roberto Gomez came into his match with Jordan’s Almed Naeem Ali as a massive favorite but quickly found himself in a dogfight for survival with the boyish looking 19 year old. The pair were tied at 7 and Gomez had the all clear for the lead but blew a shot on the 7 ball. Ali stepped up and cleared to go up 8-7 in the race to 9 and got himself a big cheer from the nice crowd on hand. Ali then broke for the win but  got robbed when the cue ball got knocked  in.  Gomez looked confused and was clearly under pressure and eventually gave the table back with a poor safety. Ali was heading for the biggest win in Jordanian pool history when he scratched with just three balls on the table. After Gomez tied the match, the Filipino broke and ran for the lucky escape, leaving the youngster from Amman devastated.

POOL’S ELITE PLAYERS ALL LOOK TOUGH AS DAY 1 AT THE WORLD 9-BALL CHAMPIONSHIP COMES TO A CLOSE IN DOHA

Story and Photo by Ted Lerner

(Doha, Qatar)–Over the years pool fans have become accustomed to the opening stages of the World 9-ball championship producing major upsets, with unheralded newcomers  shocking world class players and sending them reeling over to the precarious losers side of their group brackets.  From there the top player is pushed into a do or die situation with every shot carrying the weight of shame and embarrassment if he doesn’t produce.

The storyline that emerged loud and clear last night at the Al Sadd Sports Club in Doha, Qatar, however, was a completely different one. Many of pools big guns were in action in the final two sessions on day 1 and none were even close to being touched or threatened. World 10-ball champion Huidji See, former World 10-ball hampion Darren Appleton, former double world champion Wu Chia Ching, former double world champion Ralf Souquet, former World 9-ball champion Thorsten Hohmann, former US open champion Shane Van Boening, former world 8-ball champion Karl Boyes, Beijing Open winner Chang Jung Lin all romped to victory while barely breaking a sweat.

It could be said that part of the reason for the easy victories by pool’s elite was that the level of competition in the early stages of a 128 man field doesn’t always stack up. And it is true that perhaps more than half the field assembled in Doha has no chance at all to win pool’s most prestigious title. Perhaps only 40 to 50 players have any real chance to raise the trophy on Sunday.