The prize fund for this initial appearance and in 2011 in Qatar is $250,000 and will increase to $300,000 for both 2012 and 2013. Invitations will be done according to WPA rankings, and via the WPA members. Invitations will be done according to WPA rankings, and via the WPA members and should commence during the spring of 2010.

Teenager Liu Shasha of China defeated Ireland’s Karen Corr 9-5 to claim the title and set her career in motion in grand style. When the last day of the Kappa 2009 Women’s World 9-Ball Championship in Shengyang, China began there were four undefeated players all seeking the same prize. The two semi-final matches could not have been closer. First, Karen Corr defeated Fu Xiofang of China 9-8 to earn her berth in the final set. Then Liu Shasha edged her fellow Chinese citizen Pan Xiaotang by the same 9-8 margin to get her ticket punched for the honor of playing Corr in the finals.

Before the final match a playoff was held between Pan Xiaotang and Xiaofang to determine our third place finisher. Pan controlled this match throughout and took that spot with a very convincing 9-1 victory. Then a crowd of over 1,000 very excited fans took their seats to watch the final battle.

It appeared that Corr would walk away with the title. She was the master of the table early on and rarely gave Shasha a glimpse of daylight. At one point she led our race to nine games by the score of 5-1. Shasha was obviously nervous and off her game. But then, assuming that she had to be aggressive to have a chance at victory, she put her nerves down and began her march. She won the next game to make the score 5-2, then broke and ran five racks in a row to lead 7-5. The penultimate rack had a bit of back and forth but Shasha won that as well and then on the final break she made four balls on the snap and easily made the clearance to take her 6th break and run of the match and earn the gold!

This event has been advertised all year on the 2009 tournament diary along with all other events at the top of the main page on the following website www.rballsports.com.

Entry fee is £25 with all entries accepted and information received by calling 07917887147 or from the Rep of Ireland (0044) 7917887147.

NOTE:
Only players that pre-enters on or before Thursday 19th November will be notified of all details regarding this event.

Format:
9-Ball
Single Elimination (Straight Knockout)
Race to 9
Alternate Breaks
Handicap

Entries:
Entry Fee: £25 or 30 euros.
Any player not signed up for the Pro Tour can play in the Challenge Tour. All players must pre-enter on or before 29th October by calling Tour Director Ronnie Boyle on 07917887147 or from Rep of Ireland (0044) 7917887147 or by emailing irelandsamericancuesports@yahoo.co.uk.

Date: Saturday 10th October 2009

Venue: Planet Leisure, Fitz’s Boreen, Old
Mallow Road, Blackpool, Cork

Closing Date: All players are asked to pre-enter
on or before Thursday 8th October

Number of Tables: 12 World Championship Brunswick
American Pool Tables

Format: Straight knockout —– Race to 9 —–
Handicap Event

Entry Fee: £25 or 30 euros

Tel: 07917887147 or from Rep of Ireland (0044)
7917887147

Email: rbirish8ball@yahoo.co.uk

Website: www.rballsports.com

PLANET LEISURE:
This fabulous venue in Cork is a €20 Million facility and is the flagship
of the group which is the latest addition to the Leisure World and Peak Physique
family of centres.

The Planet Entertainment opened in November 2005 and includes
14 lanes of Ten Pin Bowling with its spider glow in the dark lanes.

It also has Cosmo’s, a 10000 square foot indoor play centre.

There is a fully licensed bar encompassing 12 World Championship
Brunswick American Pool Tables in the finest surroundings.

It also includes The Apollo diner and Galaxy Games.

Planet Health Club opened its doors in December 2005 and is one
of Cork’s most exclusive health clubs.

It offers its members the complete package from the finest gym
facilities to heated pool, outdoor hot tub, sauna and steam and beauty treatments.

The next round of Ireland’s 9-Ball Pro and Challenge Pool Tours takes place on Saturday 29th August 2009. The Pro event is open to Ireland’s 16 professionals, while the Challenge tour is open to everyone else. The Challenge tour gives a wide range of players a chance to progress in the sport and maybe win a prestigous event, without having to contend with professional players.

The next event takes place in Frames in Belfast, the home of the All Ireland Pool Championships. The Pro 9-ball pool event is up for grabs after it was announced that Paddy McLoughlin would not be competing.

All players that are interested in taking part (including any new players) are asked to contact the Tour Director, Ronnie Boyle, on (NI: 07917887147) (ROI: 00447917887147) or Email: rballsports@yahoo.co.uk, before 27th August.

]]> http://www.irishpool.com/next-pool-tournaments-saturday-29th-august/feed/ 0 http://www.irishpool.com/predator-international-10-ball-tour-is-coming-to-europe/ http://www.irishpool.com/predator-international-10-ball-tour-is-coming-to-europe/#comments Sun, 09 Aug 2009 23:01:06 +0000 admin http://www.irishpool.com/?p=21 After much anticipation, the Predator International 10-Ball Tour is coming to Europe. The first event will take place at the Sport Complex in Anadia, Portugal from September 10-12, 2009. With players from all over the world competing on 21 tables, this inaugural event promises to be the largest ever on European soil. The top two finishers will automatically qualify for the World 10 Ball Championship, scheduled for November 25-30, 2009 at the World Trade Center in Manila.

The event is sanctioned by the European Pocket Billiard Federation and WPA rules will govern all matches. Assuming 64 or more entrants, players will compete for a guaranteed prize fund of 50,000 euros (more than $70,000).

Predator’s tour web site, www.Predator10Ball.com, will stream live video, offer a video magazine and provide real-time scoring. In addition, ESPN STAR Asia and Eurosport International will air the final and semi-finals in high definition. The first channel reaches 150 million households throughout Asia while the latter represents the largest viewing audience in Europe with more than 116 million households. According to Karim Belhaj, CEO of Predator Group, “an estimated 500 million people will tune into this event.”

Predator Group’s partner, the multimedia Kozoom Corp. that also produces the Tour’s official web site, shares Mr. Belhaj’s enthusiasm. Xavier Carrer, states that “It is our goal to bring pool & billiards to the widest audience possible; it is an achievement in itself to see that this Tour has enough assets for Eurosport to show it on their main network.” Masterpool and Bilhares Carrinho have also been heavily involved in setting up the Anadia tour stop.

“This is a seminal event and we’re excited to see it take off,” says Belhaj. “We’re committed to promoting our sport, increasing interest in the game and making billiards more of a household word. This tour represents a giant step in that direction.”

Stay tuned to www.Predator10Ball.com for additional news and live-play coverage.

A young man from Co. Waterford called Jason Power produced a dazzling display at the weekend past (Saturday 25th July) to write himself into the history books on Ireland’s American 8 & 9 Ball Pool Tour becoming the youngest poolplayer in the seven year history of the All Ireland Open 9Ball Championships to be crowned champion at the age of 19 years-old.

Not only does Jason make history by coming the youngest player to be crowned All Ireland Open 9Ball Champion but the Co. Waterford cueist has also been inducted into Ireland’s Hall Of Fame on Ireland’s American 8 & 9 Ball Pool Tour, going alongside some fantastic champions on the roll of honours list that has secured the All Ireland title down through the years.

Jason who was playing in his first ever official ranking tournament on Ireland’s American 8 & 9 Ball Pool Tour at the weekend past stormed through a qualify field of players to be crowned champion overcoming the challenge from top Irish poolplayers enroute to the final he played the 2006 past champion Sam Gibson (Antrim) who he defeated in the last-16 on a 9-8 score-line with his other victories coming against Mark Hall (Fermanagh, last-32, 9-1), Sam Gibson (Antrim, last-16, 9-8), Paul Canavan (Antrim, ¼-finals, 9-8), Coilean Massey (Antrim, semi-finals, 9-2).

In the final itself he put in an awesome performance against highly ranked player Manny Byrne (Down) in the final getting over the winning line once again on a last rack decider to be crowned 2009 All Ireland Open 9Ball Pool Champion.

England’s Tony Burton who travels across the Irish sea each year to play in the annual All Ireland Open & Under-21 9-Ball Championships has added his name for the second time on the All Ireland Under-21 roll of honours list defeating the former 2007 European English 8Ball Champion Stephen Dempsey in a brilliant final with Tony getting over the line on a 9-7 victory to be crowned champion.

This young player has achieved other major success at junior level down through the years such as the northern & southern junior championship and twice runner-up in the British junior championship has now added another All Ireland Under-21 9Ball Championship title to his CV going alongside his 2007 victory when he defeated his friend Matt Lawrenson (England) 10-6 on that occasion a few years ago.

Tony, who is otherwise known as the Basildon Bomber overcame a host of top junior pool players from Ireland on route to victory in this years event which was one of the strongest field of players in the six year history of the tournament with the Basildon Bomber in top class form right from the start recording fantastic victories over the following top underage players listed below from the last-16 onwards to claim the title.