Sayginer and Cha Shoot Down Massey and Sakai

The KIA Motors Showdown, presented by Dragon Promotions, took place in Seoul, Korea to once and for all settle who ruled trickshots and all around play. Undisputed artistic carom champion Semih Sayginer would take on the winningest pool trickshot champion in history, Mike Massey. Korea’s #1 Woman’s Player Yu Ram Cha would take on Japanese starlet and Women’s Pro Tour #19 Miyuki Sakai.
First Cha would take on Sakai in a race to 10 points in three cushion billiards. Sakai at one point made a 4 point run and lead 6-2. Later she got to the hill 9-5 but Yu Ram made a great comeback to tie at 9-9. Both players got 2 chances each and Sakai missed the winning point by a couple millimeters. Cha made the final point on her third attempt. This win avenged Cha from her 7-6 loss in April to Sakai at the Queen of Carom event.

Mike Massey challenged Semih Sayginer to a game of 9-ball. Massey was in complete control and clearly on his game running out time and again to lead 4-1. Then a 9-ball skidded in his match winning shot. Sayginer won the game, and then broke the 9-ball next. Then broke and a missed shot by Massey gave Semih a run out to make it 4-4. Massey broke the last game in the alternate format and missed a combination on the 9-ball. Semih then seemingly missed the 2-ball badly, but the audience was fooled as he was really playing a 3 rail bank shot and made the 9-ball for the win!

Cha then defeated Sakai in the 8-ball and defeated her again in the 9-ball allowing Sakai only 1 game won in the two matches while Sayginer crushed Massey 20-9 in the 3Cushion match. In a superb show of sportsmanship, Massey asked a few times for Semih to coach him on the shots. And Sayginer obliged! Massey then proceeded to run 5 points in a row with Semih’s help, to the laughter of the audience and of course Massey and Semih.
The final of the event had Sayginer and Massey perform for a panel of judges in a 15 minute each performance. Semih performed on the carom table while Massey performed on the pool table. Both players pulled out all the stops and received perfect scores each. Sayginer and Massey gave encouraging support to each other during the other’s performance.

Semih is all class. Charismatic, hilarious, understanding, and super talented. Mike, well…he’s world class on and off the table. The billiard world is really lucky to have these two giants in our sport. said Charlie Williams, architect of the event.

Rocket Rodney Morris Named UPA Representative

Phoenix, Arizona
The United States Professional Poolplayers Association (UPA) recently made some administrative transitions to, in effect, renew the association and its presence in the pool community. One of those positive changes was to name Rocket Rodney Morris (arguably one of the most recognized male pool players internationally) as the individual to take over the role of UPA’s Lead Player Representative.
Mr. Morris replaces former representative Frank Alvarez, who is now president of the association. Rodney is quoted as saying, I believe in the UPA; I believe in its leadership and goals. At this stage in my career I want to do my part in giving back to the industry by representing player interests.
The UPA player representative serves as not only a representative to the association’s touring professionals but also for the organization on behalf of the players. Representatives also include world-class players Tony Robles and Tony Crosby.
If you would like to learn more about the association, their website is located at www.upatour.com (http://www.upatour.com/). To contact us directly with questions, please call 480-353-6747, or e-mail info@upatour.com (mailto:info@upatour.com).

Kressel Crowned King in Virginia

2007 Virginia State 9-ball Championships / Richmond, VA
Rarely do four-year-old tournaments have much tradition, but the Virginia State 9-ball Championships, presented by 5 Hour Energy Drink, already has more than its share. From the handmade trophies of local walnut off the family property of tournament director Joshua Dickerson to the list of prior champions, including legend Keith McCready, traditions abound.
Held July 28-29 at The Playing Field in Richmond, VA, this year’s tilt began with 64 players from across the state, all fighting for the chance to get a paid spot in this year’s U.S. Open 9-ball Championships. Last year’s champion Chris Loar and runner-up Eric Moore were prepared to defend their spots against a field that included regulars from the Planet pool 9-ball Tour, Larry Kressel, Brandon Shuff, Chris Bruner, Cary Dunn, Alan Duty, and Joe Russo.
The hot seat match between Kressel and Shuff was a seesaw affair. Kressel drew first blood and Shuff tied it up. A seesaw battle, filled with superb defensive play, saw the score reach double-hill. Shuff broke and made two balls but missed a tough shot on the 2 ball, and Kressel ran out for the hot seat.
Meanwhile, Moore and Newton battled to get to the final match of the one-loss bracket. This was another back-and-forth match that was neck and neck until Newton broke dry at 5-all. Moore took advantage of Newton’s miscues in the next two racks, and then he broke and ran the next two racks to win the match.
In the semifinal match between Moore and Shuff, a smooth run-out won Shuff the first rack. Yet another close match was enjoyed by the spectators, and though the players uncharacteristically missed a few shots, pretty soon the score reached 7-all. Shuff broke and ran out to reach the hill, and though Moore kicked and hit the 1 ball in the following rack, he left Shuff an out, which he took.
The final was a rematch of the hot seat match. The first rack was a long chess match as the players, both appearing nervous and tentative, had trouble getting started. But once they did, it was Kressel who held the 5-1 lead. However, Shuff didn’t get to be one of the top players in the mid-Atlantic area by lying down. He converted a table-length jump shot on the 8 ball to win the next rack and kick off a four-rack run. With the score knotted at 7, Kressel took the next two racks, and Shuff only collected one more rack before Kressel crossed the finish line with a break and run.
Kressel was thrilled to have gone through the field undefeated, and in a field as deep as this tournament has, he has a right to be proud of the accomplishment. With his first big regional event victory, he is poised to take the next step and represent Virginia at the U.S. Open 9-ball Championships in October.
Visit the VA State 9-ball image gallery (/gallery2/v/Pool+Tournaments/va_state_9-ball/)

Results:

1st
Larry Kressel

2nd
Brandon Shuff

3rd
Eric Moore

4th
John Newton

5-6th
Alan Duty

Chris Loar

7-8th
Cary Dunn

John Dagenhardt

9-12th
Joe Russo

Bob Tubbs

Curtis Coleman

Larry Averman

Nevel and Cole Rock the House

Viking 9-ball Tour / Atlanta, GA
by Rick Davis
The Viking cue 9-ball Tour got back in action over the July 28-29 weekend, where 117 players entered the combined divisions at Mr. Cues II in Atlanta, GA. The open division was owned by Larry “The Truth” Nevel, while the amateur division kept pace with Joseph Cole in control.
In the open division a wide range of competitors threw their hat in the ring. Between the WPBA pros, Seminole Florida Pro Tour regulars, and other Southern top guns, it was rough action all around. Late action on the winners’ side had Nevel cut down Justin Hall 9-4 in the hot seat match to earn a brief rest. On the one-loss side Tony “The Sniper” Crosby faced reigning Reno Open champion Richie Orem in the quarterfinals and got revenge from the previous day, where Orem sent Crosby west. This time around Crosby ended on top with the 7-5 score to eliminate Orem. Although Crosby was getting back in gear, Hall was eager to face Nevel again and crushed Crosby 7-4 to make that happen. In the finals Hall started strong with a 4-1 lead until Nevel took five racks to go up 6-4. Hall inched back with one more rack, but Nevel was back in command as he finished the set to claim the event.
In the amateur field Cole defeated Josh Louis 5-3 in the hot seat match as the remainder of the event would be nail-biters all around. On the one-loss side Travis Dorn slipped past David Shadden in the quarterfinals then sent Louis to the door as well in the semifinals, both matches going double-hill. In the finals it was Dorn versus the 18-year-old Cole, who has already picked up BumperNets of Birmingham, AL, as a sponsor, and once again a double-hill thriller unfolded. In the end Cole was king, taking the final match 5-4 to win the event undefeated.
Open Results:
1st Larry Nevel
2nd Justin Hall
3rd Tony Crosby
4th Richie Orem
5th Cliff Joyner
John Morra
7th Clint McCollough
Billy Tyler
9th Danny Turner
David Shadden
Louis Ulrich
Helena Thornfeldt
13th Tommy Kennedy
Jim Jennings
John Macias
Monica Webb
Amateur Results:
1st Joseph Cole
2nd Travis Dorn
3rd Josh Lewis
4th David Shadden
5th Jeff Hooks
Robert South
7th Jesse Middlebrook
Roger Lewis

Lloyd Scores Second Hunter Classics Tour Win

Hunter Classic Women’s Tour / Tulsa, OK
by Rick Davis
The Hunter Classics Tour held their sixth stop over the July 28-29 weekend where a talented 36-player field mixed things up at Magoo’s billiards in Tulsa, OK. In the end it came down to the battle of past champions until Heather Lloyd had completed her comeback capping off a great event.
Late action on the winners’ side saw Lloyd, winner of the tour’s second stop, met Leslie Anne Rogers, who had claimed two tour stops of her own this season. Both players carved a path through six matches to reach the hot seat match, as neither was lucky enough to draw one of the many byes. In the hot seat match Rogers took control early and skipped through 7-3.
On the one-loss side Amanda Lampert eliminated Michelle McDermott 7-5, while Julia Gabriel drilled Kim Pierce 7-1. In lightning fashion the quarterfinals blazed by as Gabriel knocked out Lampert 7-4; just as quickly Lloyd ousted Gabriel by the same score in the semifinals.
This brought Lloyd back to the finals for a rematch against Rogers, but it was an uphill climb with the true double-elimination format. Lloyd came out strong, taking the first set 7-3 and making it clear she was still in contention, and as the final set inched towards double-hill no one could pick a clear winner. At last the action climaxed with Lloyd taking the second set 7-6, winning the event and claiming her second tour win of the season.
Results:
1st Heather Lloyd
2nd Leslie Anne Rogers
3rd Julia Gabriel
4th Amanda Lampert
5th Kim Pierce
Michelle McDermott
7th Kathy Batson
Julie Stephenson