The Club Rack, a new traditional triangle wood rack, is now the Official Ball Rack of the U. S. Open 9-Ball Championships. The Club Rack features solid Ash wood construction and is professionally handcrafted for extreme durability and precision by Diamond Billiard Products, the maker of the Diamond pool tables.

For the past several years, there has been much debate regarding the use of a mechanical rack at the U. S. Open 9-Ball. Promoter Barry Behrman believes The Club Rack will be a favorite with the players, as well as the fans.

"The U. S. Open is built on quality and tradition, which are the same features we want in the equipment used during the tournament," says Behrman. "The best players deserve the best equipment. We have Diamond tables, Simonis cloth, Aramith balls, and now The Club Rack. It's a simple piece of equipment, but it's extremely precise in what it does for the game. Besides, it really looks good, it feels good and it will add a dynamic element back to the tournament that we've been missing for years, the sound of the balls throughout the tournament room being racked in a wood rack. It's pool like it ought to be."

The Club Rack brings with it rule changes for the event. Players will now rack their own and break from anywhere behind the head string, instead of the break box. The 9-Ball will no longer be racked on the spot, as it has been for the past several years due to the predictability of the break shot. Now, the 1-Ball will be racked on the spot as indicated by the traditional rules of play.

The Club Rack is larger than any other standard triangle on the market today. The interior length of each side is a full 12 inches, allowing more space between the end row of balls and the inside back of the rack. This extra space makes removal much easier. The Club Rack also comes with alignment notches on the back end to ensure perfect position on the table each and every time. The precise design and construction of The Club Rack leaves the balls firm and fixed.

A limited supply of Club Racks will be available at the U. S. Open 9-Ball. The Club Rack comes in three finish colors. For more information visit, TheClubRack.com.

U. S. Open 9-Ball Championship Expects Full Field of 256

The 2006 U. S. Open 9-Ball Championship, scheduled for September 25 – October 1, 2006, in Chesapeake, VA, will again feature a full field of 256 international players. With just 10 days until the event begins, player registration is at the highest level than any year in the previous 31-year history of the event.

"We’re getting player registrations from all around the world like never before," said Barry Behrman, US Open founder and promoter. "The TV distribution worldwide for the past several years, along with the WPA sanctioning, has created such a tremendous interest from international players that we’ll have a full field for sure. So, if you’re planning to play, this is the last chance, because it’s a first come first serve deal."

Unfortunately, a few heavy hitters will not be participating this year due to unavoidable scheduling conflicts with the World Pool League in Poland. Germany’s Ralf Souquet, the 2002 U. S. Open champion and fellow German Thorsten Hohmann, the 2004 runner up will be in Warsaw playing 9-Ball with the 2005 World Pool Champion Wu Chia Ching. 

"It’s unfortunate that these champions will not be participating in this year event," commented Behrman. "We were forced to change our previously scheduled dates due to another event and these players had already made commitments to the World Pool League. It’s regrettable, but we wish them luck."

To avoid any future scheduling conflicts, Behrman has scheduled and released the U. S. Open event dates through 2009. Visit www.usopen9ballchampionshps.com for these dates and event information, including players registration for this year.

"Our dates for the next 3 years are now scheduled and posted. We hope that all other promoters will honor these dates to avoid this situation again. When this happens, it’s the players that suffer more than anyone. But, the event must goes on, no one person is bigger than the game, player or otherwise."

The U. S. Open 9-Ball Championship will again be produced for TV distribution by Billiard Club network. U. S. regional broadcast markets for the event include, New York, Chicago, Detroit, Sacramento, New Orleans and Denver / Salt Lake City. National audiences can view the event through satellite distribution as well. International distribution includes Canada, Europe and Asia. Live Internet distribution is also set for this year’s event. For more information visit www.BilliardClub.net.

Reyes, 2 Indonesians Off To Semis

                                                                                                                  

 September 16, 2006, Jakarta Indonesia: Enigmatic Filipino billiard hero Efren "Bata" Reyes, remained untouchable here at the glamorous Mutiara Ballroom of the Gran Melia Jakarta Hotel after defeating Korean Jeong Young-Hwa, 9-6 in the quarters to gain a semifinals berth at the final leg of the 2006 San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour.

 

It was a light-hearted and pleasurable quarterfinal to witness as both players seemingly disregarded the pressure of competition and managed to joke around at the start of the match much to the delight of the audience.

 

However, when the score became tied at two racks a-piece, Reyes turned on his game face and managed to claim the next three racks with a run in the 5 ^th and 6^th  rack, boosted by a table rout on the 1ball miss by the Korean in the 4^th to have the edge and momentum against Jeong, 5-2.

 

From there, the two cue artists showcased their best pocketing skills as they traded rack runs until the match ended at 9-6 with the Filipino on top.

 

The Filipino Billiard hall of famer now waits in the semifinals together with Indonesian favorite Muhammad Zulfikri, who gained a semis berth after defeating Kaohsiung leg winner Rodolfo Luat in a thrilling come from behind victory, 9-8.  

 

Though it was a heart-breaking loss for the Filipino bet as Luat was leading early on in the match, the player known as "Boy Samson" accepted his defeat and bowed down with grace and admiration for the young Indonesian.

 

Another Indon, Ricky Yang, joins his compatriot in the semifinals after scoring a nail biting 9-6 upset over reigning world champion Wu Chia-Ching.

 

Although Yang lead the match by as much as 5 racks to 2, Wu never gave up, even getting to as close 6 racks to 7. However, with his game uncharacteristically riddled with errors, Wu succumbed to the pressure and allowed Yang to ultimately claim the match.

 

Completing the semifinals roster was Wang Hung-Hsiang, the lone Taiwanese survivor. Wang trumped Japanese Masaaki Tanaka, 9-4.

 

Meanwhile, Francisco "Django" Bustamante and Ramil "Bebeng" Gallego bowed out of the tournament after suffering losses in the group stage last Friday. Bustamante was defeated by Taiwanese Wang Hung Hsiang, 6-9, and by Chinaman Li He-Wen, 1-9. Gallego, on the other hand was decimated by Japanese Masaaki Tanaka, 1-9. Although Gallego won his second match against Indonesian Apsi Chaniago, 9-2, he lost out due to the points system of the tournament.

 

This marks the second time that Jakarta will host a leg of the San Miguel Asian 9-Ball. At this crucial final leg of 2006, the host country is represented by Ricky Yang, 2006 Kaohsiung semifinalist Muhammad Zulfikri, Dodong Alwi and Apsi Chaniago.   

 

The SemiFinals and Finals will be aired LIVE on STAR Sports starting at 12p.m. (Singapore time), September 17, 2006.

 

The Tour is the only ranking tour in Asia for players to qualify to the World Pool Championship.  The top ten finishers in the San Miguel Asian 9-ball Tour Order of Merit will automatically enter the 2006 World Pool Championship in November. Adding to the stakes will be a total tour prize money purse of $160,000 up for grabs in the four legs of the event.

 

The champion of each leg will earn the top prize of US$10,000 while the runner-up will settle for US$5,000.

 

This year promises to be more exciting as the tour will follow a new format. The main draw of 24 players will be divided into eight groups and they will compete in a single round robin format for the group stage with the top eight players advancing to the quarterfinals. The quarterfinals onwards will follow a single game knockout format. There will be alternate breaks with the group stage and quarterfinals following a race to 9, while the semifinals and the finals will be a race to 11. In the semis and finals, a player must win by two clear racks up to a maximum of race to 13.

 

For more information on the Tour, please check out www.asian9-balltour.com . For the latest schedules and program information on ESPN STAR Sports, catch us on the net at www.espnstar.com.

 

The San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour is sanctioned by the Asian Pocket Billiard Union and organized by ESPN STAR Sports' Event Management Group (EMG) and the All Indonesian Billiards Association. San Miguel Beer is the title sponsor for the Tour. Iwan Simonis and Aramith supply the official tablecloth and official balls respectively. Brunswick Metro is the official pool table. Gran Meliá Jakarta is the official hotel and venue. Bola Sports Tabloid is the official media.  STAR Sports is the official broadcaster.

2 Filipinos, 2 Taiwanese Make It To Quarters
                                                                                                                  

 September 16, 2006, Jakarta Indonesia: Filipino billiard icon, Efren "Bata" Reyes is such an astounding phenomenon to witness. Still riding on his IPT 8-ball victory high, he opened the defense of his Jakarta Asian Tour crown with a cool and calculated win over local bet Roy Apancho, 9-5 and an exhilarating victory against Taiwanese Yang Ching-Shun, 9-7. What is even more astounding is how he made the matches look beautifully simple.

 

Although Apancho took three of the first four racks of the match, with a bold attack on the Reyes safety on the 2 in the first rack and a rack run in the second and fourth to post an early advantage against the Filipino favorite, 3-1, Reyes remained calm and did not seem to mind having to struggle early on with his shots.

 

All it took for Reyes to heat up and find his groove was a foul by Apancho in the fifth rack. That started a 3 rack streak for the Filipino to shift the score to his favor, 4 racks to 3.

 

Still, the young Indonesian showed a lot of heart and courage and managed to stop Reyes' romp and tie the game at 4 racks a piece by taking the 8 th rack via a golden break. It was at this point-- at crucial moments that the magic of Reyes shines through. Capitalizing on a foul by the Indonesian on the 2 ball in the next rack, Reyes began another 3 rack run that saw him take a 3 rack advantage over his rival, 7-4.

 

Apancho managed to score only once more as Reyes proceeded to take the match and his first win of the group stage with his amazing pocketing skills, 9-5.

 

In his second match against Yang, the billiard legend wowed the crowd with incredible rail to rail shots that awed even the Asian masters of the sport.

 

Both cue artists, Yang and Reyes, started out the match interestingly by trading rack after rack with Yang having a slight advantage coming off the 7 th rack intermission,4-3. When the match resumed, Reyes bombed away with four straight racks of his own which began with a scratch off the break by Yang. A rack run by Reyes in the next, a miraculous rail kiss on the blue 2ball to the corner pocket in the tenth rack, a lovely 3 rail shot on the 6ball and a miscue by Yang on a 1 ball jump attempt in the 12 th rack saw the Reyes lead increase to 8-4 and the audience starstruck in admiration.

 

Yang actually managed to close the gap by taking the next three racks. But with Reyes already sitting on the hill, the daunting task proved too much for the Taiwanese as he finally succumbed to the Filipino, 7-9.   

 

Another Filipino, 2006 Kaohsiung leg winner Rodolfo Luat, enjoyed the privilege of moving on to the next round after posting opening round wins over his opponents. The player known as "Boy Samson" easily trumped his Thai opponent Amnuayporn Chotipong, 9-1 and triumphed over local player Dodong ALWI, 9-6.

 

Meanwhile, Francisco "Django" Bustamante and Ramil "Bebeng" Gallego bowed out of the tournament after suffering losses in the group stage. Bustamante was defeated by Taiwanese Wang Hung Hsiang, 6-9, and by Chinaman Li He-Wen, 1-9. Gallego, on the other hand was decimated by Japanese Masaaki Tanaka, 1-9. Although Gallego won his second match against Indonesian Apsi Chaniago, 9-2, he lost out due to the points system of the tournament.

 

The two Filipinos who qualified will be starting their bid for the semifinals today. Luat will begin the quarterfinal round at 0930am (local time) against Kaohsiung leg semifinalist Muhammad Zulfikri, who topped his group stage yesterday with wins over Patrick Ooi of Malaysia, 9-5, and a 9 rack to 3 victory over Lee Chen-Man of Hong Kong. Meanwhile, Reyes is set to challenge Korean Jeong Young-Hwa, who won over his group based on the points system after winning against Thai bet Tepwin Arrunath, 9-6, and losing to Chinese Xu Meng, 7-9.

 

The other players who advanced to the quarterfinals are two Taiwanese players, 2005 world pool champion Wu Chia Ching who is set to face Indonesian Ricky Yang and Wang Hung Hsiang who will be taking on Japanese Masaaki Tanaka.

 

This marks the second time that Jakarta will host a leg of the San Miguel Asian 9-Ball. At this crucial final leg of 2006, the host country is represented by Ricky Yang, 2006 Kaohsiung semifinalist Muhammad Zulfikri, Dodong Alwi and Apsi Chanigo.  

 

The quarterfinals will start at 09:30am (local time) today, September 16 and 11am for the SemiFinals and Finals on September 17.

 

The Tour is the only ranking tour in Asia for players to qualify to the World Pool Championship.  The top ten finishers in the San Miguel Asian 9-ball Tour Order of Merit will automatically enter the 2006 World Pool Championship in November. Adding to the stakes will be a total tour prize money purse of $160,000 up for grabs in the four legs of the event.

 

The champion of each leg will earn the top prize of US$10,000 while the runner-up will settle for US$5,000. Aside from Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok and Taiwan, the tour will also make a stop in Jakarta, Indonesia for its final leg.

 

This year promises to be more exciting as the tour will follow a new format. The main draw of 24 players will be divided into eight groups and they will compete in a single round robin format for the group stage with the top eight players advancing to the quarterfinals. The quarterfinals onwards will follow a single game knockout format. There will be alternate breaks with the group stage and quarterfinals following a race to 9, while the semifinals and the finals will be a race to 11. In the semis and finals, a player must win by two clear racks up to a maximum of race to 13.

 

For more information on the Tour, please check out www.asian9-balltour.com . For the latest schedules and program information on ESPN STAR Sports, catch us on the net at www.espnstar.com.

 

Reyes Off To Winning Start In Jakarta

                                                                                                                  

 September 15, 2006, Jakarta Indonesia: Filipino billiard icon, Efren "Bata" Reyes is such an astounding phenomenon to witness. Still riding on his IPT 8-ball victory high, he opened the defense of his Jakarta Asian Tour crown with a cool and calculated win over local bet Roy Apancho, 9-5. What is even more astounding is how he made the match look beautifully simple.

 

Although Apancho took three of the first four racks of the match, with a bold attack on the Reyes safety on the 2 in the first rack and a rack run in the second and fourth to post an early advantage against the Filipino favorite, 3-1, Reyes remained calm and did not seem to mind having to struggle early on with his shots.

 

All it took for Reyes to heat up and find his groove was a foul by Apancho in the fifth rack. That started a 3 rack streak for the Filipino to shift the score to his favor, 4 racks to 3.

 

Still, the young Indonesian showed a lot of heart and courage and managed to stop Reyes' romp and tie the game at 4 racks a piece by taking the 8 th rack via a golden break. It was at this point-- at crucial moments that the magic of Reyes shines through. Capitalizing on a foul by the Indonesian on the 2 ball in the next rack, Reyes began another 3 rack run that saw him take a 3 rack advantage over his rival, 7-4.

 

Apancho managed to score only once more as Reyes proceeded to take the match and his first win of the group stage with his amazing pocketing skills, 9-5.

 

Another Filipino, Rodolfo Luat enjoyed the cushion of having an opening round win. The player known as "Boy Samson" easily trumped his Thai opponent Amnuayporn Chotipong, 9-1.

 

Meanwhile, Francisco "Django" Bustamante, looking for his first Asian tour win, lost to Taiwanese Wang Hung-Hsiang, 6-9, in the opening round of the final leg of the 2006 San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour.

 

Bustamante, arrived in Jakarta Thursday afternoon confident that he will be performing at his best after showcasing an unrivaled hot-streak at the recently concluded IPT World 8-Ball Championship.

 

The former World pool runner up together with compatriot and Bangkok leg champion Ramil Gallego, then drew the earliest matches at 11:00am for the group stage during the players meeting on Thursday to start the Philippine campaign yesterday.

 

Although Bustamante won the lag, it was Wang who drew first blood as the Paranaque based cue artist had to push out in the opening rack with no clear shot on the yellow 1ball. But with a dry break from the Taiwanese in the very next rack, Bustamante easily evened the score with a rack run. From there, things were looking smooth for Bustamante as he took the third rack from Wang effortlessly. However, Ho Chi Minh leg semi finalist Wang had other plans in mind as he halted the confident stroke of the Filipino at the fourth rack.

 

With a rack run of his own and a foul by Bustamante in the fifth, Wang was able to score three straight racks to post an early advantage against the Pinoy favorite, 4-2.

 

The match proved to be an exhilarating start for the 9-ball competition as the two pool players then traded racks till the 14 th with neither player willing to give up an advantage as both knew a single mistake could mean a pivotal momentum shift.

 

But as luck would have it, the Filipino bet could not seem to find a way to shut down the sweet shooting Wang who apparently brought his A-game to the table.  With the score at 7-6, in favor of Wang, the lanky Taiwanese managed to clean out the remaining two racks to defeat Bustamante in the first round, 8-6.

 

Bustamante needed to triumph over his remaining group match against Chinese Li He-Wen to have a chance to qualify for the quarterfinals.

 

The three Filipinos are waiting to start their second matches as of press time. Reyes was going to clash with Taiwanese Yang Ching-Shun over in Group 2 while Kaohsiung leg winner Rodolfo Luat was going to battle local bet Dodong Alwi in Group 5.

 

Bangkok champion Ramil Gallego was the lone Filipino to bow out of the competition after suffering a humbling,1-9, loss to Japanese, Masaaki Tanaka.

 

This marks the second time that Jakarta will host a leg of the San Miguel Asian 9-Ball. At this crucial final leg of 2006, the host country is represented by Ricky Yang, 2006 Kaohsiung semifinalist Muhammad Zulfikri, Dodong Alwi and Apsi Chanigo.  

 

The quarterfinals will start at 09:30am (local time) today, September 16 and 11am for the SemiFinals and Finals on September 17.

 

The Tour is the only ranking tour in Asia for players to qualify to the World Pool Championship.  The top ten finishers in the San Miguel Asian 9-ball Tour Order of Merit will automatically enter the 2006 World Pool Championship in November. Adding to the stakes will be a total tour prize money purse of $160,000 up for grabs in the four legs of the event.

 

The champion of each leg will earn the top prize of US$10,000 while the runner-up will settle for US$5,000. Aside from Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok and Taiwan, the tour will also make a stop in Jakarta, Indonesia for its final leg.

 

This year promises to be more exciting as the tour will follow a new format. The main draw of 24 players will be divided into eight groups and they will compete in a single round robin format for the group stage with the top eight players advancing to the quarterfinals. The quarterfinals onwards will follow a single game knockout format. There will be alternate breaks with the group stage and quarterfinals following a race to 9, while the semifinals and the finals will be a race to 11. In the semis and finals, a player must win by two clear racks up to a maximum of race to 13.

 

For more information on the Tour, please check out www.asian9-balltour.com . For the latest schedules and program information on ESPN STAR Sports, catch us on the net at www.espnstar.com.

 

The San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour is sanctioned by the Asian Pocket Billiard Union and organized by ESPN STAR Sports' Event Management Group (EMG) .

from newspaper...

local billiard magazine, called "berita biliar". The magazine is printed 4000 copies monthly.  Language use is 90% Indonesia and 10% English.

2006 San Miguel Asian 9-ball Tour Cues Up For Dramatic End In Jakarta

 

STAR Sports to Bring Three Days of LIVE Action

                                                                                                                                 

September 05, 2006, Jakarta, Indonesia: STAR Sports continues it coverage of top-notch pool competition as the 2006 San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour makes its final stop at the island capital of Jakarta, Indonesia on September 15 - 17, 2006.

 

Following another Filipino victory at the previous leg in Kaohsiung courtesy of a sweet-shooting Rodolfo Luat, the Philippine contingent spearheaded by the enigmatic pool icon and defending Jakarta champion Efren Reyes, is hoping to lord it over the competition for a miraculous sweep of the Asian tour. However, with a solid cast of Asia's pool elite participating in every leg, a complete domination by a country of the annual nation-hopping event seems next to impossible to achieve.

 

Still, the concept of improbability is in jeopardy of being shattered. With victories by Efren Reyes, Ramil Gallego, and Luat in Vietnam, Bangkok, and Taiwan respectively, the opportunity to treat fans of the sport to a historical first sweep of the San Miguel Asian 9-ball tour has presented itself. 

 

However, the taste for glory is indeed contagious and there will be no doubt that Ricky Yang, and Muhammad Zulfikri who are fronting the local Indonesian resistance, together with reigning World Pool Champion Wu Chia-ching and an impressive cast of top Asian pool players from 12 countries, will be bringing their own bag of tricks to the pool table in order to emerge on top,   claim the last leg of the 2006 tour and hopefully earn enough qualifying points towards the  World Pool Championships in November.

 

Launched in February 2003, the San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour is Asia's only premier 9-ball tour featuring many of the best pool players Asia has produced such defending tour champion Yang Ching-Shun and teen-billiard phenom, Wu, both from Chinese Taipei, and Reyes along with former World Pool runner-up Francisco "Django" Bustamante, both from the Philippines.

 

Besides the stellar duo of Yang and Zulfikri, the host country is represented by Apsi Chaniago and Roy Apanco.

 

Competition will start at 1100hrs (local time) on September 15, 0930hrs on September 16 and 1100hrs on September 17. Admission to the competition venue is IDR100,000. Fans of the sport are invited to witness the 9-ball drama unfold at the Gran Meliá Jakarta hotel.

 

STAR Sports will be dedicating fifteen (15) hours of LIVE coverage for this fourth and final leg of the 2006 Asian Tour. The matches will be aired LIVE ( Singapore time) on September 15 at 1800- 2230hrs for the preliminaries, 1030-1630hrs for the Quarterfinals on September 16 and 1200-1630hrs for the Semifinals and the Final match on September 17.

 

The Tour is the only ranking tour in Asia for players to qualify to the World Pool Championship.  The top ten finishers in the San Miguel Asian 9-ball Tour Order of Merit will automatically enter the 2006 World Pool Championship in November. Adding to the stakes will be a total tour prize money purse of $160,000 up for grabs in the four legs of the event.

 

The champion of each leg will earn the top prize of US$10,000 while the runner-up will settle for US$5,000. Jakarta is the last stop for this year's Asian 9-ball tour. Prior to this current leg, the tour also held tournaments in Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok and Taiwan.

 

This year promises to be more exciting as the tour will follow a new format. The main draw of 24 players will be divided into eight groups and they will compete in a single round robin format for the group stage with the top eight players advancing to the quarterfinals. The quarterfinals onwards will follow a single game knockout format. There will be alternate breaks with the group stage and quarterfinals following a race to 9, while the semifinals and the finals will be a race to 11. In the semis and finals, a player must win by two clear racks up to a maximum of race to 13.

 

For more information on the Tour, please check out www.asian9-balltour.com. For the latest schedules and program information on ESPN STAR Sports, catch us on the net at www.espnstar.com.

 

The San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour is sanctioned by the Asian Pocket Billiard Union and organized by ESPN STAR Sports' Event Management Group (EMG) and the All Indonesian Billiards Association. San Miguel Beer is the title sponsor for the Tour. Iwan Simonis and Aramith supply the official tablecloth and official balls respectively. Brunswick Metro is the official pool table. Gran Meliá Jakarta is the official hotel and venue. Bola Sports Tabloid is the official media.   STAR Sports is the official broadcaster.