Xiaoting Pan Goes on to FinalsCarolina Women’s billiard Classic

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Ga-Young Kim Advances to FinalsCarolina Women’s billiard Classic

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Turning Stone Reaches Top EightTurning Stone Classic
by Rick Davis

As Sunday afternoon arrives, the top eight remaining players will descend upon the Turning Stone Classic, all hungry for the championship title. Getting from the opening rounds to the final day has been a long road, and many top players did not endure the entire trip.

Xiaoting Pan
Xiaoting Pan has been dubbed 9-ball pool Queen by the press in Asia. Born in China February 25, 1982, she now resides in Shanghai, China and travels to the U.S. to play in WPBA events. She represented China in the Asian Games in December of 2006. In that same year, she was named the Women’s Professional billiard Association’s (WPBA) Rookie of the Year.
Pan was runner-up at the WPBA’s inaugural event in 2007, the Carolina Classic, but took her first tour win at the Great Lakes Classic later on, besting Sweden’s Helena Thornfeldt 7-2.
Pan lists the Chinese Athletes Education Foundation as a charity affiliate. She is sponsored by Xing Pai and Mengnui Dairy.

Ga Young Kim
Ga Young Kim was born in Seoul, Korea. She developed a strong passion for pool and ventured to the US to play pool professionally. In her first year, she made a huge splash on the Women’s Professional billiards Tour.
Ga-Young Kim, the “Little Devil Girl,” first arrived on the U.S. scene in 2003 and turned pro the following year. She was born January 13 in Seoul, Korea, and now resides in Incheon, Korea.
Kim’s titles include the 2004 World Championships and the 2004 U.S. Open. She plays with a Southwest custom cue and practices roughly 30 hours a week.