Canadian Billiards Team Moves into Final Eight

Canadian Billiards Team Moves into Final Eight
The Canadian billiard team Alain Martel and Edwin montal won the first match of the fourth day to book their place in the quarter-finals of the 2007 PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool. They had luck on their side with a number of fortunate rolls and the scorleine of 8-2 was harsh on their Korean opponents.
Canada won the lag and Alain Martel cracked home the break shot. With no shot on the 1 ball, though, his partner Edwin Montal elected to push out. The Koreans put them back in and Montal played a tidy safety.
A poor safe from Kim left the 1 ball on for Canada but the run broke down when Martel missed an easy 4 ball into the centre pocket.
The Korean pair of Ryu Seung-woo and Kim Woong-dae took full advantage to win the opener.
The Koreans missed themselves in the next, attempting a dangerous combination on the 1/9 and Montal and Martel completed the run out to level things.
Martel played a tight safety on the 2 ball following the break and the Koreans escaped with a decent jump shot. The blue 2 was out in the open for Team Canada though.
They grabbed the chance and as they cleared the table to take the lead.
With two balls down from the break shot, the Canadians had every opportunity to increase their lead. Martel played a great shot to pot the 3 ball and gain shape on the 5 but missed the 6 ball as he tried to do too much with the white.
Kim potted a tough 6 ball but with the 7 ball tight on the top rail even the safety option for his team mate was difficult.
Martel banked the 7 to give his team mate a tough 8 ball into a blind pocket but he made it to leave an elementary 9 ball for Martel.
Safety play took precedence in the fifth game before Rye played a miraculous if fortuitous shot as he kicked at the 2 ball off two rails, pocketed it into the centre pocket and gained perfect position on the 3 ball.
From that stroke of luck, they ran out to reduce the deficit to 3-2.
A good break shot from Kim left nothing on but he took on a another kick on the two which went straight into the pocket. Unfortunately the cue ball also went in.
With ball in hand the Canadians re-established their two rack lead.
The break shot saw a ball go down and the remainder spread invitingly around the table. Montal though twitched as he tried to force it into the centre pocket. An outrageous slice of luck saw it cannon back into the corner pocket.
With nerves creeping in, Montal over ran the white going from 8 to 9 but Martel made a great shot to take the rack and increase the lead to 5 – 2.
Martel was looking in great shape and made up for his team mate’s nerves. However, there was even more good luck for Team Canada as Martel tried to force the 8 ball to get onto the 9 but it rattled the jaws only to roll across table and drop into the opposite bag.
Montal deposited the 9 ball to give his team a four rack lead at 6-2.
There was a ball in hand opportunity in the next and Canada made no mistake, assisted by some good fortune, to reach the hill at 7-2.
Yet more good fortune for the Canadians in the next as Martel missed the 1 ball but saw the cue ball lock up behind the 2 ball.
Kim missed the basic one rail escape and with another ball in hand the Canadian pair of Alain Martel and Edwin Montal completed the run out for a comfortable 8-2 victory.