“I am very happy to win this honor for China,” said an elated Jian-Bo Fu through his interpreter moments after capturing the 2008 International Challenge of Champions title. The pressure packed $50,000 winner-take-all event was held at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, August 13 and August 14. Fu, from Beijing, China, defeated Dennis Orcollo of the Philippines 5-1 and 5-2 in the final match, and was crowned the new “Champion of Champions.” The two semifinals and the Championship match were taped by ESPN for telecast beginning September 28.
“The pressure in the tournament is very hard,” said Fu. “No error is allowed when every player is a champion. The $50,000 is important, but the most wonderful thing is to return home as the Champion of Champions.”
Indeed, of the eight international champions in the event, Jian-Bo Fu had to fight his way through the quarterfinal round. In his first match, opposite Shane Van Boening, the 2007 Player of the Year, they split sets 5-1 and 5-0. Fu then won the one game tiebreaker. The Quarterfinal, Semifinal and Final matches require the winner to win two sets, race to 5 games each set. In the event of a tie, the pressure becomes intense with a one game sudden death shootout.
Fu, the 2007 World Cup Champion, next had to play Niels Feijen, the reigning Champion of Champions, in a semifinal match, which Fu won 5-2 and 5-2. His final match against Dennis Orcollo was a nail biter, featuring exquisite safety play. Known for his pinpoint accuracy, Fu closed out the Championship match by running the table with electrifying shots.
The Quarterfinal matches also brought cheers from the standing–room-only crowd. 2007 Asian Tour Champion Jung-Lin Chang defeated 2007 World Champion Daryl Peach 5-4 and 5-3 in the first round. Niels Feijen blitzed Korean Seung-Woo Ryu, the 2008 Grand Prix Champion, by a score of 5-2 and 5-2. Orcollo and Satoshi Kawabata, the Japan Billiards Association Champion, split sets 5-4 and 5-4. After winning the lag for break, Orcollo then performed a flawless run out to take the one game Sudden Death tiebreaker. Orcollo next took on Chang in the other semifinal match and handily zapped him 5-1 and 5-0.
The crowd gave Jian-Bo Fu a standing ovation when he won the final match. He raised his arms in victory and then accepted the highest single purse in international winner-take-all tournaments of $50,000. The trophy and the check were presented by Bob Yalen, Director of Sports at Mohegan Sun. The presentation brought another round of cheers from the audience.
The 2008 event was the eighteenth annual International Challenge of Champions and the twelfth to be held at Mohegan Sun. Bob Yalen, of Mohegan Sun, was delighted with the support displayed by the crowd of pool fans. “We will continue to host this event,” he said. “The crowds were even more than we anticipated, and the players were amazing. We are extremely pleased.”
In addition to the fine tournament site at Mohegan Sun, the event was sponsored by Aramith Super Pro Balls, Simonis Cloth, PoolDawg.com, L.E.A.N.I. Slate, AcCue Shot Training Device, Executive Billiards Delta 13 Rack and Silver Cup Chalk. The WPA sanctioned event was produced by Matt Braun and Bettiane Braun of Billiards International, Ltd.
International Challenge of Champions
Jian-Bo Fu of China Wins 2008 Challenge of Champions
Feijen Beats Corteza, Wins US$50,000 in 2007 International Challenge of Champions
Photo Cortesy of Rick Schmitz
Niels "The Terminator" Feijen of the Netherlands is this year's (2007) International Challenge of Champions winner and has taken home $50,000 for his effort.
Feijen, the No.1 player in Europe beat reigning Filipino National open champion and all Japan championship ruler Lee Vann "The Slayer" Corteza, (1-5), (5-3), (1) in the finals via a one rack tie breaker yesterday morning at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, USA.
Actually, the 28-year-old Davao City native, playing under the banner of Negros Billiard Stable, won the first match with a tremendous 5-1 victory. However, Feijen, winner the Derby City Classic 9-ball event took the 2nd match for a 5-3 victory to force a sudden death play off, race to 1 rack. Feijen won the opening lag and ran-out the match.
Earlier, Feijen beat John Schmidt (USA) in the quarters and Thorsten Hohmann ( Germany), in the semis, respectively to arrange a titular showdown with Corteza, winner over Ralf Souquet (Germany ) and Johnny Archer (USA), in order.
With the win, Feijen raises his total yearly winnings to $80,590 and climbs to No.1 in the 2007 Player Money list. At second place is Filipino Dennis Orcollo with US$55,650.
Corteza along with double world champion Ronato Alcano will compete in the US$12,000 top prize Turning Stone 9-ball event next week in Verona, New York .
The International Challenge of Champions is regarded as the supreme test of skill in professional billiards. The eight players are so evenly matched that any one player could beat the other seven on a given day. In addition, the tournament format is the most demanding test of 9-Ball skill in the sport. The matches are two sets, race to five games each set, with a 1-game sudden death tie-breaker in the event of tied sets. The 9-ball does not count on the break, and to win a game, the 9-ball is call shot. The caliber of competition is so intense that a single mistake invariably eliminates a player from any chance at the winner-take-all purse of US $50,000.
JOHNNY ARCHER CAPTURES 2006 CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS
Photo by Rick Schmitz
"This is the toughest tournament in the world," said an elated Johnny Archer moments after capturing the 2006 International Challenge of Champions title. The pressure packed $50,000 winner-take-all event was held at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, August 9 and August 10. Archer, from the USA, defeated Thorsten Hohmann of Germany in a one game Sudden Death in the final match, and was crowned the new "Champion of Champions." The two semifinals and the Championship match were taped by ESPN for telecast beginning October 5.
Archer was the first American since 1994 to win the International Challenge of Champions. "We may look cool out there, but the pressure is just incredible," he said. "There’s no margin for error when every player is a champion. One shot missed and you can lose $50,000! Your nerves are off the chart during the entire tournament."
Indeed, of the eight international champions in the event, Archer had to fight his way to the title. He defeated Euro Tour Champion Alex Lely in a quarterfinal round Sudden Death, after splitting sets 5-1 and 5-2. The Quarterfinal, Semifinal and Final matches require the winner to win two sets, race to 5 games each set. In the event of a tie, the pressure becomes intense with a one game Sudden Death shootout. Of the seven matches in the tournament, four went to Sudden Death to determine a winner.
Archer, a four-time World Champion, next had to play Philippine Champion Marlon Manalo in a semifinal match, which also went to Sudden Death after they split sets 5-3 and 5-1. His final match against Hohmann was a nail biter, featuring flawless run outs and exquisite safety play. Hohmann easily won the first set 5-2 after Archer failed to get out in four games on his own break. Hohmann then took the first game of set two, but came up dry on his own break in three games. Archer quickly rallied, ripping off five games in a row, to win the second set 5-1. Known for his pinpoint accuracy, Archer won the lag and after a gut-wrenching safety duel closed out the Championship match in a one game Sudden Death.
The Quarterfinal matches also brought cheers from the standing–room-only crowd. Marlon Manalo defeated Euro Tour Champion Niels Feijen in Sudden Death after they split sets 5-2 and 5-2. Fong-Pang Chao of Taiwan, the 2005 winner and defending Champion, narrowly ousted Ralf Souquet, the current World Pool Masters Champion, by a score of 5-1 and 5-4. Hohmann in a close match eliminated Skins Billiards Champion Santos Sambajon 5-2 and 5-3, then took on Chao in the other semifinal match. After battling back and forth, Hohmann emerged the winner 5-1 and 5-3.
The crowd gave Archer a standing ovation when he won the final match. He raised his arms in victory and then accepted the highest single purse in international winner-take-all tournaments of $50,000. The trophy and the check were presented by Bob Yalen, Director of Sports for Mohegan Sun, and Gregg Hovey, President and CEO of Olhausen Billiards. The presentation brought another round of cheers from the audience.
The 2006 event was the Sixteenth Annual International Challenge of Champions and the tenth to be held at the Mohegan Sun. Paul Munick, Senior Vice President of Mohegan Sun, was delighted with the support displayed by the crowd of pool fans. "We will continue to host this event," he said. "The crowds were even more than we anticipated, and the players were amazing. We are extremely pleased."
In addition to the fine tournament site at Mohegan Sun, the event was sponsored by Olhausen Billiards, Aramith Super Pro Balls, Simonis Cloth, Mueller Recreational Products, Ozone Billiards, Original Italian Slate, Liguria International and Silver Cup Chalk. The WPA sanctioned event was produced by Matt Braun and Bettiane Braun of Billiards International, Ltd.
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