Damas World 8-Ball Championship into Day Two
Fujairah UAE Hosts World Class Billiards Event
by WPA Staff
After two days of play in Fujairah, the Damas World 8-Ball Championship has completed round one and begun round two. Already two billiard players, former champion Ronnie Alcano of the Philippines and Jianbu Fu of China, have already booked their spots in the final rounds.
Many others are less fortunate and still have a bit of road to travel. One has even already begun his plans for travel home. That unfortunate player, Carlos Talavera of Guatemala, fell first to Alcano 8-1 and then to Hanni Al Howry of the UAE 8-3.
All of the tension of this event is now focused on the one-loss side of the brackets. Those on this side of the board are faced with sudden death in every remaining match they play. Another loss sends them home. This list includes current world 9-ball champion Daryl Peach, who lost his first-round match when he won the 9-ball title in Manila and now must strive to equal that feat by winning all of his remaining matches to claim the crown.
Also hanging on by a single thread is Ronnie Wiseman of the USA, Francis Crevier of Canada, Chris Melling of Great Britain, former world champion Ralf Souquet of Germany (who lost to Jeff De Luna of the Philippines 8-6), Mosconi Cup team member Konstantin Stepanov of Russia, Hanni Al Howry of the UAE, Bruno Muratori of Italy, and Darren Appleton of Great Britain, who must now face Jovan Bustamante of the Philippines in one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament thus far.
More comfortably ensconced on the winners’ side with both barrels still loaded are many names expected to be there. We have already mentioned Alcano and Fu, the only two winners to have already completed two matches without a stain. Also still in the comfort zone are Gabriele Cimmino of Italy, Marcus Westin of Germany, Siu Wai Au of Hong Kong, Elvis Calasang of the Philippines, Naoyuki Oi of Japan (who is the player that sent Peach to the one-loss side), Bahram Lufty of Denmark, Rusian Chinahov of Russia, and Antonio Gabica of the Philippines.
They are joined by the only female competitor in this event, Jasmin Ouschan of Austria, who defeated Saleem Al Junabi of the UAE 8-5 to progress. Other players of note without a loss are former world champion Oliver Ortmann, who played brilliantly in his 8-0 drubbing of New Zealander Matt Edwards; Radislaw Babica of Poland; Marcus Chamat of Sweden; Corey Deuel of the USA (who destroyed Appleton of Great Britain 8-4); WPA world number-one-ranked Dennis Orcollo of the Philippines; former world champion Chia-Ching Wu of Taipei; Niels Feijen of the Netherlands; Satoshi Kawabata of Japan; and Roberto Gomez of the Philippines. Gomez was the runner-up to Peach in the World 9-Ball Championship this past year and now must face Shane Van Boening of the USA in what should be a great match to determine who must travel over to the left side of the brackets.
Results of Day Two:
Satoshi Kawabata (JPN) def Francis Crevier (CAN) 8-3
Fahad Mohammadi (QAT) def Farhad Shaverdi (IRI) 8-3
Roberto Gomez (PHI) del Craig Bouwer (RSA) 8-4
Shane Van Boening (USA) def Kaven Zarakani (IRI) 8-2
Naoyuki Oi (JPN) def Daryl Peach (GBR) 8-5
Bahram Lotfy (DEN) def Martin Larsen (DEN) 8-6
Ruslan Chinahov (RUS) def Aristidis Damoylakis (GRE) 8-6
Antonio Gabica (PHI) def Chris Melling (GBR) 8-2
Hung-Hsiang Wang (TPE) def Issa Al Bolushi (UAE) 8-6
Ibrahim Bin Amir (MAS) def Alan Cuartero (PHI) 8-4
Warren Kiamco (PHI) def Amine Ouahbi (MAR) 8-2
Jeff De Luna (PHI) def Ralf Souquet (GER) 8-6
Kasper Kristofferson (DEN) def Konstantin Stepanov 8-6
Jasmin Ouschan (AUT) def Saleem Al Junebi (UAE) 8-5
Marcus Chamat (SWE) def Joven Bustamante (PHI) 8-5
Corey Deuel (USA) def Darren Appleton (GBR) 8-4
Oliver Ortmann (GER) def Matt Edwards (NZL) 8-0
Radoslaw Babica (POL) def Omran Saleem (UAE) 8-3
Mark Gray (GBR) def Israel Rota (PHI) 8-4
Dennis Orcollo (PHI) def Mohammed Al Hosani (UAE) 8-4
Ronnie Alcano (PHI) def Haitao Liu (CHN) 8-6
Jianbo Fu (CHN) def Mohammed El Assal (EGY) 8-1
Hanni Al Howry (UAE) def Carlos Talavera (GUA) 8-3