Appelton trough Mosconi Cup

TO BE sure, Matchroom Sport-produced events, like the recent World Pool Masters in Las Vegas, are the envy of all professional pool players. From the emotion-flamed Mosconi Cup, to the World Cup, the World 9-Ball Championship and World Masters, lucky participants continuously brag about the rock star treatment, healthy paydays and international television exposure that comes with an invite to a Matchroom competition.

Conversely, those players on the outside looking in often spend their time pleading their case, posturing and politicking for a seat at the TV table.

Just ask Englishman Darren Appleton, who thought his march to the World 10-Ball Championship in October had cemented his spot on Europe’s 2008 Mosconi Cup squad.

“I was sick last year when I didn’t make the Mosconi Cup team,” remembered the 33-year-old English 8-Ball transplant. “I had already won the Derby City straight-pool title, a EuroTour title [the Italy Open] and was moving up the rankings.”

So despondent was Appleton at the omission that he couldn’t even bring himself to watch the event as it was broadcast live throughout the United Kingdom in December. (His European brethren thrashed the Americans in Malta for their second consecutive Mosconi Cup victory.)

In the end, though, the snubbing simply steeled Appleton’s resolve.

“I decided that I was willing to wait my turn,” he said. “But it gave me even more commitment to make sure it was impossible for me to be left out this year.”

While Appleton will still have to perform with consistency throughout 2009 to earn spots in the World Cup of Pool (a two-man team event) and Mosconi Cup (Matchroom has already announced that there will be no World Pool Championship in 2009), his win in the recent World Pool Masters should go a long way toward inclusion in both.

The diminutive Brit outlasted a formidable field of 16 handpicked champions, including four members of Europe’s 2008 Mosconi Cup squad, to hoist the World Masters trophy and snag the $20,000 top prize in his first ever Matchroom appearance.

“We all want to play in Matchroom events,” said Appleton after outlasting Holland’s rejuvenated Nick van den Berg, 8-4, in the title match. “To win in my first appearance is unbelievable. My goal is to be in the Mosconi Cup. Hopefully, this helped my chances.”

Storie by Mike Panozzo 

Valley Forge 8-Ball Champions Crowned

Allen Hopkins did it again with his Valley Forge 8-Ball Bar Box Championships, a multi-level pool extravaganza that crowned winners in four different divisions. The summertime event was held June 19-21 at the Valley Forge Convention Center in King of Prussia, PA.

With 184 players in the open division, the action was fast and furious. The single-elimination format saw the event wind down to its final 16 by Sunday morning, and the final 32 places were paid. Notable players competing were Joey Testa, Shaun Wilkie, Scott Tollefson, Matt Krah, Josh Brothers, and Mike Miller. Dave Daya, a Pennsylvania resident and a regional champion, went all the way through to the winner’s circle, besting Joey Testa in the semifinals 8-4 to face off against Miller in the final match.

Four King of Prussia Champions Crowned
Valley Forge 8-Ball Bar Box Championships / King of Prussia, PA

by InsidePOOL Staff

USA News

69th Predator World Straight Pool Championship

The greatest straight pool players from around the world will arrive on USA's east coast Invented by Jerome Keough and shortly after recognized as the official game of billiards, the first World 14.1 Championship was held in 1911, won by Alfredo DeOro. In its history due to war and economics, the World 14.1 Championship had 29 tournaments that did not take place including a 15 year gap between 1990-2005 until Dragon Promotions revived the game and the World Tournament in 2006. That also became the first year a non-American won the event, Germany's Thorsten Hohmann...

  14.1 stars including Thorsten Hohmann, John Schmidt, Ralf Souquet, Danny Harriman, Tony Robles, Mika Immonen and defending champion Niels Fiejen are just a few of the powerful list of world beaters who will compete. Qualifiers thus far will be held at Drexeline Billiards in PA, Amsterdam Billiards in NY, and Comet Billiards in NJ. To host a qualifier or play, contact Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist gegen Spambots geschützt! Sie müssen JavaScript aktivieren, damit Sie sie sehen können.  

The format for the event will be the same as the past three years. 64 players divided into 8 groups of 8 players in round robin brackets playing races to 100. The top 32 players will advance to a double elimination tournament races to 150. The top 16 players will then advance to a single elimination race to 200 points. Half of the field will earn prize money with the champion winning $11,500. The champion will also have his/her name inscribed on the World 14.1 Champion's Cup alongside the names of previous winners such as Steve Mizerak, Mike Sigel, Willie Mosconi, Thorsten Hohmann and Oliver Ortmann.  

August 23, the night before the event kicks off, Comet Billiards will host a special sponsor / pro team match tournament for the patron sponsors of the event. Billiard aficionado Stu Mattana of NYC and long time billiard supporter Harold Siegel of NYC are two of this year's generous patrons of the Predator World 14.1 Championship. Their contributions are helping keeping the event going.