Taiwan 9 ball News.

Chinese Taipei 9-ball stars Yang Ching-shun and Liu Shin-mei have advanced without much of a challenge into the quarterfinals of the World Games men’s and women’s 9-ball tournament, but the “Little Monster,” Kuo Po-cheng, was knocked out in a tense match. Billiards, and especially the 9-ball game, is popular in the host country, and local fans are hopeful the event will generate several medals for the Chinese Taipei World Games team. Yang, a two-time Asian Games champion and semifinalist at the 2002 9-ball World Championships shot his way past Ivica Putnik of Croatia 11-2 to reach the quarterfinals of the men’s 9-ball event Thursday. Nicknamed the “son of pool,” the Kaohsiung native won the 2001 World Games 9-ball gold medal, and after missing the 2005 tournament felt he could not pass up returning to the event staged in his hometown. He was joined there by Sweden’s Marcus Chamat, nicknamed Napoleon, who reached the semifinals of the 9-Ball World Championships in 2004. Chamat defeated Alejandro Carvajal of Chile 11-8. On the women’s side, Chinese Taipei’s Liu, the 1999 world 9-ball champion, advanced to the quarterfinals with a 9-4 win over Japan’s Akio Otani, despite not being at her best. Liu struggled to a 5-4 lead before winning the final four games. She will now face the “Duchess of Doom,” Great Britain’s Allison Fisher, in what has to be the marquee match-up of the quarterfinals. Fisher, who has won four 9-ball world championships and was nominated in June to be inducted into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame, set up the showdown with a 9-3 win over Aspra Indurjeeth Panchoo of South Africa. Also reaching the final eight of the women’s draw was 2008 world 9-ball champion Lin Yuan-chun of Chinese Taipei, who brushed aside compatriot Tsai Pei-chen 9-2. In later matches, Kuo, the 2005 9-ball World Championship runner-up, was locked in a struggle the diminutive “Little Monster” stayed with American No. 1 Shane van Boening for much of the match before stumbling on the last rack to lose 11-10. But “Hitman” and 2003 9-ball world champion Thorsten Hohmann had no problem advancing, defeating Chi Dung Luong of Vietnam 11-4. Although Kuo lost, another local favorite Wy Yu-lun got the local crowd going with an upset of second seed Ricky Walden of Great Britain. Walden was the only player ranked in the top 20 in snooker entered in the World Games tournament. After players complained Wednesday that the venue felt like a freezer, the temperature at the Chung Cheng Martial Arts Stadium rose from 20 degrees to a still chilly 22 degrees. But Yang later said the cool temperature bothered him far less than a bout of nerves early in his match.

Filipina Amit is 9-Ball Pool World Champion

Filipina Amit is 9-Ball Pool World Champion

The 27 year old downed Liu, the 2006 Doha Asian Games gold medalist who reigned as world 9-ball queen in 1999 and 2004, with her superb shot-making to the delight of the appreciative weekend crowd.
The Philippines’ Rubilen Amit trounced two-time world titlist Liu Shin Mei of Chinese Taipei, 10-4 to rule the 2009 JBETpoker.net Women’s World 9-Ball Championship at The Block of the SM North Edsa in Quezon City. After she sank the final ball, Amit knelt in triumph, got up, hugged Liu and shook hands as confetti fell on them. She became the first 9-ball champion ever in the event, which was a recent addition to the sport. “Maraming salamat po, kayo ang ang nagpanalo sa akin (Thank you very much. I won because of you),” said Amit, who dedicated her triumph to her parents, patron Puyat Sports, and a certain “Tito Tolits” who recently passed away. The win by the pocket-sized Filipina earned her a whopping purse of $20,000 while Liu pocketed $9,000. She took the early initiative in the finals with a 6-3 lead. But Liu threatened, only to suffer a couple of miscues and allow the local favorite to take a 7-4 lead.

The crowd started to cheer loudly after Amit went ahead at 8-4 and louder when she sank a magical, double-rail shot on the No. 5 to reach the hill. It was all Amit in what proved to be the tournament’s final rack. It was Amit’s first international victory since falling short in the 2007 Amway World Women’s 9-Ball Championship in Chinese Taipei where she finished second.

“I didn’t expect to win. I only realized I won when I sank the final ball,” said Amit, a three-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist including a pair in the 2005 Manila Games. More importantly, Amit joined the ranks of countrymen Efren “Bata” Reyes, Alex “The Lion” Pagulayan and Ronnie Alcano, who have won world titles in 9-ball and 8-ball. Reyes, adored by many because of his skills and humble demeanor, won the 9-ball title in 1999 and 8-ball in 2004, Alcano the 9-ball and 8-ball titles in 2006 and 2007, respectively, and Pagulayan the 9-ball plum in 2004. “It feels great being in that company,” said Amit, who is now 2-1 in her head-to-head duel with Liu. Earlier, Amit broke out of a close game by hitting the shots that mattered most to overcome a tough Akimi Kajitani of Japan, 9-6, in the semifinals. Amit made it this far by trouncing a heavily favored Jeanette “The Black Widow” Lee of the United States in a nerve-wracking 9-8 hill-hill quarterfinal victory. Before that, the Cebu-born, Taguig-based Amit downed Julie Kelly of Ireland, 8-4, and Tan Hsiang Ling of Chinese Taipei, 8-3, in the first two rounds of the knockout phase also Friday. It was her eighth straight triumph since opening her campaign with a 1-5 setback to world No. 1 Kelly Fisher of England, who was booted out in the quarters by Liu in another hill-hill win, 9-8.

GOODNEWSPILIPINAS

All Pinoy 9 Ball Final Assures Gold.

Antonio Gabica came back from a shattering defeat to assure the Philippines of its first gold medal, forging an all-Filipino final with Jeffrey de Luna in the billiards 9-ball event in the 15th Doha Asian Games late Monday night. Gabica, who lost the gold in the 8-ball final, blasted Korean Jeoung Young Hwa, 11-5, in the semis to seal the title duel for the 9-ball gold with De Luna who earlier routed Taiwan’s Yang Ching Shun, 11-7, hours after he snatched a thrilling hill-hill duel over Yukio Akagariyama of Japan, 11-10, in the quarters.
The gold medal showdown further underscored the domination by the Filipinos in the sport after the triumphs of Bata Reyes and Django Bustamante in the inaugural World Cup, the win by Reyes in the IPT World 8-ball Open, and Ronnie Alcano’s recent win in the World 9-Ball Championship. It could also fuel the RP bets’ gold medal rush at the finish of the quadrennial meet. Rookie Joan Tipon put one over Athens Olympics silver medalist Worapoj Petchkoom in their tightly fought duel that was decided via tiebreak in the bantamweight division to join compatriot Violito Payla in the finals. Tipon fought back from three points down, blew a two-point lead, then prevailed in the end of the thrilling contest that ended in 13-all and needed a countback to give the Filipino fighter a passage to the final. “It was a hard-fought victory,” said Tipon. “I dedicate this victory to my country and my family. I will give my best to win (the gold).” The victory over the Athens Olympics silver medalist thus broke the Thais’ domination of the Filipinos in the sport and Tipon’s win avenged the defeat suffered earlier by fellow rookie Godfrey Castro, who bowed to a stylish Suban Pannon via RSC (referee stopped contest) in the third round in their semifinal showdown in the lightflyweight division. Castro settled for the bronze. Mamiit later teamed up with fellow Fil-Am Eric Taino and pulled off a pulsating three-setter over Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin and Murad Inoyatov to advance to the semifinals of the men’s doubles. Two wushu experts advanced to the quarterfinals of the sanshou division. World champion Rene Catalan defeated Hudarayov Utkir of Kyrgyzstan, 5-0,5-0, and Mark Eddiva outclassed Fedoseev Aleksey also of Kyrgyzstan, 5-0, 5-0.
The 20-year-old Cojuangco, who had 8 penalties Sunday, cleared her round Monday but Toni Leviste and Juan Ramon Lanza had 4 each and the Philippines wound up with 28 penalties to finish in sixth. Paola Zobel didn’t count with 31 and 20 penalties in the two-day event.