Archer on American Mosconi Cup Team Complete

Matchroom Sport has announced that Jeremy Jones and Earl Strickland have been chosen to fill the final two spots in the American line-up at the 2008 PartyCasino.com Mosconi Cup.

The pair will join Shane Van Boening, Johnny Archer and Rodney Morris on the American side, which was upset by the Europeans last year in Las Vegas. The only change from 2007 team is the substitution of Jones for Corey Deuel.

The American team not be lacking in experience, with Strickland making his 13th appearance and Archer his 12th. All in all, the five Americans have a total of 35 appearances at the yearly Ryder Cup-style event.

Van Boening is by far the greenest member of Team USA, though he may also be the most feared. In his Mosconi Cup debut last year, the 25-year-old South Dakotan won three of his five matches.

Though Strickland has struggled in international singles events, he has always been a force at the Mosconi Cup. Of the 61 player to compete in the event, Strickland has the best record, winning a staggering 37 of his 56 matches.

“I’m a more intelligent player than most of these guys. I’m working hard and I think I’m close to being back to my very best," he said. "The Mosconi Cup is my kind of tournament, and I’m looking forward to doing my best for the U.S.A. in Malta.”

Looking to win a second straight Cup for the first time in the event's 15th year, Team Europe will consist of Ralf Souquet, Mark Gray, Tony Drago, Niels Feijen and Mika Immonen.

Eight Billiard Players Return for U.S. Open including Archer

Only eight players are still alive at the 33rd Annual U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships, held this week in Chesapeake, VA.

Friday’s elimination rounds began with Lee Van Corteza sending 22-year-old Oscar Dominguez home 11-6, while fellow countryman Warren Kiamco ousted Tony Chohan 11-3. Also, Donnie Mills continued his winning ways, eliminating Canada’s Tyler Edey 11-8, with Corey “Cash Money” Deuel defeating Larry Nevel 11-7.

The 1 p.m. round featured winners’-bracket matches. Reigning 9-ball champion Daryl Peach went up against Johnny Archer in one of the event’s lengthiest matches, 4 hours and 40 minutes. It was close throughout, going to 9-all. Peach almost scratched on the break, but Archer cleared that table to take the hill. Archer jumped the cue ball off the table on his next break, but Peach hooked himself on the 4 ball and was forced to jump, almost making the 9. With only five balls left on the table, Archer cleared the table easily for the 11-9 win.

Rodney Morris had a tight match against Thorsten Hohmann. The score went all the way to 10-9 in Morris’ favor when he scratched on the break and screamed. Hohmann cleared to make it hill-hill and then engaged Morris in a lengthy safety battle on the 1 ball. Finally Hohmann left Morris a shot, and Morris jacked up and fired in the 1 ball to clear the remainder of the balls for the 11-10 win.

Mika Immonen grabbed an early lead in his match against Jose Parica and never relinquished it, winning 11-8. In the last winners’-side match, Francisco Bustamante never seemed to show up in his match against Ronnie Alcano. At one point he was down 9-4 but managed to take two racks before Alcano won their match 11-6.

In the 3 p.m. elimination rounds, Corey Deuel demonstrated serious prowess over Francisco Bustamante. Though Bustamante had few errors, they were important ones, while Deuel didn’t always make his position but made some excellent shots to win 11-7.

Hohmann finally ended Donnie Mills’ run at the title after defeating him 11-9, while Corteza sent fellow Filipino Parica home 11-5. Additionally, Kiamco dealt Peach an 11-3 defeat in their elimination match.

In the evening rounds, winners’-bracket matches will be Johnny Archer versus Mika Immonen, and Rodney Morris versus Ronnie Alcano. In the one-loss side, Thorsten Hohmann will play Corey Deuel, while Warren Kiamco plays Lee Van Corteza.

Foreign cue artists main draw in World 10-Ball

Organizers of the World 10-Ball Championships are banking on a host of foreign cue artists to be the main draw in the week-long tournament, which will be missing the country’s top pool players.

A total of 128 players will vie for the $400,000 purse at stake, $100,000 of which goes to the champion of the tournament slated from September 29 to October 5 at the Philippine International Convention Center.

Raya Sports and Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) president Yen Makabenta said former Asian snooker champion Marlon Manalo and 2006 Doha Asian Games gold medalist Antonio Gabica will lead the country’s campaign against reigning World 9-Ball champion Daryl Peach of Great Britain, former titlists Ralf Souquet and Thomas Engert of Germany, Chinese-Taipei’s Wu Chia-Ching and Americans Johnny Archer and Shane Van Boening.

Jeffrey de Luna, Elvis Calasang, Elmer Kalaquian, Jerico Banares and Mario Tolentino will also carry the Philippine colors in the tournament.

The tournament will have 128 players divided into 16 groups in the winner's-break elimination format. The top four from each group will advance into the 64-man knockout stage.

A winner-take-all match for third place will be played on October 5 while the title match between the top two cue artists begins at 5pm.

Philippine Vice President Noli De Castro will be the tournament’s guest of honor during the opening ceremony on September 29 at the PICC.

Cash-rich World 10-Ball set at PICC

Its all systems go for the 2008 World 10-Ball Championships with no less than Vice President Noli de Castro as guest of honor in the inaugural opening at the Philippine International Convention Center on Sept. 29.

De Castro will grace the opening rites at 9:30 a.m. including the ceremonial breaks, which will formally usher the group stage elimination of the competition.

A total of 128 players from all over the world representing 40 countries will be vying for the total purse of $400,000 with $100,000 going to the champion.

“This is going to be the biggest international billiards tournament in the country since I believe the World 9-Ball Championship has been postponed for next year. Mabibigat ang mga darating na players dito,” said Raya Sports president Yen Makabenta.

Makabenta mentioned the likes of reigning world 9-ball champion Daryl Peach of Great Britain, former titlists Ralf Souquet and Thomas Engert of Germany, Chinese-Taipei’s Wu-Chia-Ching and Americans Johnny Archer and Shane Van Boening as among the top picks in the tourney.

The host country will be bannered by former Asian snooker champion Marlon Manalo, Doha Asian Games gold medalist Antonio Gabica, Jeffrey de Luna, Elvis Calasang, Elmer Kalaquian, Jerico Banares and Mario Tolentino.

However, organizers are still uncertain if the country’s celebrated cue artists can join the competition.

“It would be good if everybody would take part. But if they don’t we can’t do anything about it,” added Makabenta obviously referring to big guns Efren “Bata” Reyes, Francisco “Django” Bustamante, Ronato Alcano and Alex Pagulayan, who comprised the breakaway group that boycotted the BSCP.

In the absence of some of the country’s bests, Makabenta said it’s just anybody’s game.

The tournament will group the players into 16, seeing action in the winner’s break elimination, with the top four from each group advancing into the 64-man knockout stage.

A winner-take-all match for third place will be played during the final day, preceding the championship game that begins at 5 p.m.

Turning Stone Gets Rolling

One day into the Turning Stone Classic XI, the contingent of WPBA stars must be feeling pretty good in upstate New York. Karen Corr, Liz Ford and Joanne Ashton all won their first-round matches.

The seventh-ranked player on the Classic Tour posted the biggest upset of the day, beating Corey Deuel in dramatic fashion. Kelly faced an 8-6 deficit against Deuel, who snapped off the Allen Hopkins 9-Ball Shootout last week. But Deuel was a little sloppy with a safety, and that's all Kelly needed. She cleaned up that rack then took the next two for the win.

As recent history suggests, Johnny Archer will be the man to beat when the bracket narrows. He has won three of the last four Turning Stone events, including February's final over Jeremy Sossei.

Archer easily advanced into the second round, routing Pete Bowman, 9-2. He will face Tony Crosby in one of the most anticipated second-round matches.

Other big-time matches in round two include Mika Immonen against Jose Parica, Mike Davis facing Raj Hundal, and Ernesto Dominguez meeting Francisco Bustamante.

Action at the Turning Stone Classic held at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino, will run through the weekend, with the final scheduled for Sunday evening.

Archer at Accu-Stats 14.1 Invitational

After a weak start at the Accu-Stats 14.1 Straight-Pool Invitational, John Schmidt found his mojo on Saturday with a scorching run of 169 against Johnny Archer, putting him in line for a $1,000 high-run bonus.

The double-round-robin event, broadcast live via Internet pay-per-view, wraps up on Sunday with four hourly matches starting at 3 p.m., EST. Thorsten Hohmann of Germany holds an almost insurmountable lead on the field, so far undefeated at 6-0.

The event’s unique format pits five players — Schmidt, Archer, Hohmann, Ralf Souquet and Jose Parica — in race-to-60 straight-pool sets. However, winners are allowed to continue their runs in hopes of scoring bonuses and player-spotlight videos produced by event host Accu-Stats Video Productions.

Schmidt lost his first several matches of the event, which began on Thursday, Sept. 4, at Comet Billiards in Parsippany, N.J. But he kept practicing on side tables and finally broke out against Archer on Saturday. He ran 60-and-out and then continued his run in a rhythm that commentator Danny Diliberto compared to free-stroking “Machine Gun” Lou Butera. At 169, he understroked a key ball, ending his streak.

Parica, holding a 4-2 record, is the only player with a shot at matching Hohmann, in which case there will be a 9 p.m. playoff.

Accu-Stats Makes PPV Broadcast Debut

Long the number one resource for archived footage of some of the greatest matches in the history of pool, Accu-Stats is trying its hand at live pay-per-view Internet broadcasts.

The Accu-Stats Invitational 14.1 Tournament will begin Thursday evening at Comet Billiards in Parsippany, N.J. A five-player field of Johnny Archer, John Schmidt, Ralf Souquet, Jose Parica and Thorsten Hohmann will play a full double round robin. Each match will be a race-to-60, with the winner having a shot at running 100-plus balls for bonus money.

The tournament will begin tonight at 7 p.m. (EST). There will be one evening session on Friday, an afternoon and evening session on Saturday, and a final Sunday session at 3 p.m. Billy Incardona and Danny DiLiberto will be the Accu-Stats commentators.