Hohmann wins Lucasi 14.1 Event

Thorsten Hohmann has won the Lucasi Hybrid Invitational Classic 14.1 event.

Hohmann was relatively untested in the early stages of the event and cleared his first three matches with a bye followed by dominating wins over David Broxson and Tommy Najar. Those three wins earned him his spot in the final sixteen redraw.

A 150-85 win over Stevie Moore was followed by a 150-51 win over John Schmidt. David Grossman was next to fall to Hohmann, by the score of 150-26.

Hohmann's opponent in the finals, was a man not unfamilar with the game of straight pool, Mika Immonen.

The final race to 200 match saw Immonen come out of the gate strong and put together two 50 ball runs on his way to an early 112-3 lead. But 14.1 is all about long runs, and Hohmann took control with a 167 ball run of his own.

Both players tightened up a little as they neared the finish line, but in the end it was Hohmann with a 200-156 win and first place in the event.

Hohmann earned $2500 for first place, while Immonen settled for $1250. Dennis Orcollo and David Grossman tied for 3rd and pocketed $800 each.

32 players take center stage in Puerto Princesa Cup

PUERTO PRINCESA – Thirty-two tough competitors, including several double world champions, world and national youth titlists, and other veteran campaigners will take center stage today, Friday, in the opening of the Puerto Princesa Mayor's Cup, the second leg of the Philippine Pool Tour.

This bustling resort city, nicknamed "The City In The Forest" because of its lush vegetation, will host the three-day event to be held at the Puerto Princesa City Coliseum with all eyes focusing on the big guns and rising stars from Germany, Taiwan and the Philippines.

Two-time world champions Ralf Souquet and Thorsten Hohmann of Germany, Chia-Ching Wu and Jung-Lin Chang of Taiwan, and reigning world junior champion Ko Pin-Yi banner the field of invaders.

But they will be tested by the formidable field of Filipino players led by Antonio Gabica, winner of the first PPT leg last month, Marlon Manalo, and Jericho Banares, 2008 Philippine junior champion and a standout in the Mandaluyong Mayor's Cup.

Souquet, currently the biggest money earner among billiard players this year with $106,786, has his eyes set on the $10,000 top prize in this event organized by the Billiards and Snookers Congress of the Philippines and supported by San Miguel Beer and Puerto Princesa City Mayor Edward Hagedorn.

Hohmann, the 2003 World Pool titlist and winner of the IPT North American Open Championship, is also one of the favorites, along with Wu, the 2005 World 9- Ball and 8-Ball champion.

Thirteen pool players qualified for the Puerto Princesa leg Tuesday at the end of the elimination round. They were led by Ko Pin-Yi, power breaker Jeff de Luna and two-time national youth finalist Jordan Legaspi. The other players who advanced were Oliver Villafuerte, Wang Ming, Arturo Palma, Richard Alinsub, Jorge Dacer, Boots Augusto, Rocky Tullao, Edgar Acaba, Romeo Silvano and Raymund Faraon.

They join the 17 seeded players who earlier qualified for the main tournament by virtue of their performance in the Mandaluyong Cup and their standings in world pool rankings. They are: Souquet, Hohmann, Wu, Antonio Gabica, Marlon Manalo, Leonardo Andam, Jericho Bañares, Mario Tolentino, Leonardo Didal, Chien-Te Chung, Gerry Watson, Kenji Taguchi, Allan Soliman, Luis Saberdo, Junbert Ogang, Courtney Symons and Jung-Lin Chang.

Puerto Princesa will field two local bets – Jade Samson and Jonathan Corpuz – in the tournament. They won their spots by topping the qualifiers held in the Palawan capital.   

Ko, a Physical Education student in Taipei, who started playing competitive billiards at the age of 12, beat Roland Garcia, 9-7, for his third victory in the eliminations.

De Luna, who was relegated to the loser's bracket Tuesday following his loss to Jin Hu-Dang, 6-9, vented his ire on Resty Labastida, 9-1, to make the cut.

Legaspi crushed Dang, 9-6; Wang scuttled Rocky Tullao, 9-5; Dacer whipped Labastida, 9-4; Augusto nipped Romeo Silvano, 9-7; Alinsub edged Elvis Calasang, 9-8; Villafuerte outlasted Fu Jin-Bo, 9-7; and Palma squeaked past Chu Hung-Ming, 9-8.

In the loser's bracket, Tullao tripped Rollo, 9-8; Acaba defeated Silverio Tulabing, 9-7; and Silvano ripped Raymund Faraon, 9-4.

Faraon earned the last ticket to the Puerto Cup after defeating Tulabing in the playoff finals, 9-3.

Thorsten Hohmann

Personal Background

• Name: Thorsten Hohmann
• Known as: "the Hitman"
• Sex: Male
• Age: 28 years old
• Date of Birth: 14 July 1979
• Place of Birth: Fulda, Germany
• Country: Germany
• Nationality: German
• Hobbies: Playing pool
• Spouse: na
• Sports: Billiard

Achievements:

• 2003 WPA World Nine-ball Championship
• 2003 New Jersey 14.1 Championship
• 2005 BCA Open Nine-ball Championship
• 2005 Sudden Death Seven-ball
• 2005 World Pool League
• 2006 World 14.1 Championship
• 2006 IPT North American Open Eight-ball Championship

Trivia:

• Hohmann first made a name of himself in 2003 by winning the WPA World Nine-ball Championship at the expense of Alex Pagulayan, 17-10, becoming the third German to become World Champion after Oliver Ortmann (1995) and Ralf Souquet (1996). Months later, reached the finals of the World Pool League but lost to Rodney Morris, 8-3.

• In 2004, Hohmann signed on to be managed with US- and South Korea-based event promotions company Dragon Promotions. His management then transplanted the German-resident champion to Jacksonville, Florida, as a base of practice and preparation for US competitions. Hohmann then signed with Florida-based sponsors Lucasi Cues and Universal Smartshaft as their official representative and spokesperson. He remains a German citizen, but a US permanent resident. Thorsten has since been featured on the cover of many pool magazines.

• In 2004, Hohmann reached the finals of the US Open Nine-ball Championship. However, he was bested by Gabe Owen, 11-3.

• The year 2005 was his most successful to date as he dominated a number of tournaments, including the BCA Open Nine-ball Championship, the Sudden Death Seven-ball event and the World Pool League.

• In 2006, he won the inaugural World Straight Pool Championship by defeating Thomas Engert 200-80. Later, he defeated Marlon Manalo 8-7 to win the IPT North American Open Eight-ball Championship with a first prize of US$350K. The IPT prize set a record as the largest first prize ever won in a pool tournament at that time. However, Efren Reyes beat the record shortly afterwards winning US$500K in the 2006 IPT World Open Eight-ball Championship, the second major IPT event. But because IPT had financial difficulties, 200 players including Reyes were not able to collect their money thus Hohmann is still on record as the biggest purse winner in billiards history to actually get paid, as of early 2007.

• Hohmann won the 2005 USA Sportsman of the Year for Pocket Billiards as well as the 2005 Best Dressed Player. Pool & Billiard magazine made Thorsten the cover feature for 2007 and honored him as the 2006 Player of the Year. Thorsten spends most of his time traveling the world, but lives in New York City .

World 8-Ball Pool Championships Fujairah, UAE Day Three

Erik Hjorleifson and Jason Klatt are representing Canada at the World 8-Ball Championship. Both players have played their way to the next stage.

The field at the World 8-Ball Pool Championships in Fuijairah has now been reduced to thirty-two players. On this elimination day perhaps the most surprising exit from the tournament is that of Oliver Ortmann. Ortmann lost yesterday to Farhad Shaverdi of Iran (8-7) and was eliminated today by Joven Bustamnte of the Phillipines (8-3).

The players who successfully negotiated this first stage of the event include most of the familiar names. Those include Thorsten Hohmann (GER), Hui-Kai Hsia (TPE), Nick Van Den Berg (NED), Ronnie Alcano (PHI), Dennis Orcollo (PHI), Francisco Bustamante (PHI), Marcus Chamat (SWE), and Efren Reyes (PHI). A complete list follows this report.

But first, a day off and a little celebrating. Tomorrow will be void of competition as the players will take some time off and will all be treated to a desert safari, including camel rides and a desert barbecue. This will be followed by a taste of the Dubai nightlife before returning to Fujairah to resume play on Tuesday.

Our hosts here in Fujairah have gone out of the way to make the players comfortable. Each evening a meal is catered to the tournament site by the restaurant of the five-star Meridian Al Aqah Beach Resort that includes five main courses accompanied by side dishes, salads and a huge selection of desserts. The playing conditions in the brand-new Al Bustan Centre are excellent, well-lit with lots of room between the tables and each individual match is presided over by local referees who answer ultimately to the WPA Sports Director, Thomas Overbeck, who is on-site overseeing the action.

Following are the results of play on Sunday and the pairings for play on Tuesday.

Results From Day Three:

Darren Appleton (GBR) def Olaf Köster (GER) 8-3
Marcus Chamat (SWE) def Saleem Al Juneebi (UAE) 8-3
Ralf Souquet (GER) def Jobert Panga (PHI) 8-2
Hisashi Kusano (JPN) def Mohammed Asim (IND) 8-5
Fabio Petroni (ITA) def Joybe Vincente (PHI) 8-3
Efren Reyes (PHI) def Bashar Hussein (QAT) 8-5
Muhammed Benali (QAT) def Zbyniek Vaic (RSA) 8-2
Rizandro Arrieta (VEN) def Mubarak Al Juneebi (UAE) 8-6
Jason Klatt (CAN) def Kareem Al Gendi (EGY) 8-2
Naif Al Jeweni (KSA) def Thomas Damm (GER) 8-4
Thomas Engert (GER) def Günter Geisen (GER) 8-1
Mario Tolentino (PHI) def Nasser Al Mujebel (KUW) 8-3
Joven Bustamante (PHI) def Oliver Ortmann (GER) 8-3
Thorsten Hohmann (GER) def Henrik Asperup (DEN) 8-3
Kevin Becker (GER) def Alex Evreniadis (AUS) 8-4
Lee Vann Corteza (PHI) def Issa Al Boloshi (UAE) 8-1
Satoshi Kawabata (JPN) def Hani Al Howri (UAE) 8-1
Ben Nunan (AUS) def Joven Alba (PHI) 8-4
James Ortega (PHI) def Karl Boyes (GBR) 8-6
Ralf Souquet (GER) def Saleem Al Juneebi (UAE) 8-1
Muhammed Benali (QAT) def Bashar Hussein (QAT) 8-2
Joybe Vincente (PHI) def Rizandro Arrieta (VEN) 8-2
Hisashi Kusano (JPN) def Olaf Köster (GER) 8-4
Alexander Dremsizis (GER) def Aki Heiskanen (FIN) 8-6

Groups Announced For IPT World Open Championships

The International Pool Tour announces the official player groupings for the IPT World Open 8-Ball Championship. The tournament starts Sunday, September 3, 2006 at 10am in Reno, Nevada at the Grand Sierra Resort.

This historic event boasts the biggest prize fund in the history of the sport. $3,000,000 is the total prize purse, and the winner of the tournament will win an historic $500,000!

Here are the official groupings:

Group 1:

Hohmann, Thorsten
Moore, Steve
Jones, Loree Jon
Kiamco, Warren
Raney, Jim

Thorsten Hohmann Wins Pool's Biggest Prize

The most historic event in pool history has just concluded with Thorsten "The Hitman" Hohmann winning $350,000 for his double-hill victory over "Marvelous Marlon" Manalo.

Complete with Michael Buffer announcing his trademark phrase, modified for the occasion to "Let's get ready to rack 'em!" the IPT's first major event was an unqualified success. Two of the best players in the world performed in front of a wall-to-wall crowd, and the set was classy and striking. Manalo had chosen Jose Parica as he corner man, while Charlie Williams was in Hohmann's corner.

Empty breaks seemed to plague Manalo throughout the match, but the layouts were coming up pretty cut and dried. Both were playing fluidly - Manalo missed one combo attempt, and Hohmann rattled two balls, but everything came to a head when the score reached 6-all in the race to 8. Hohmann broke and popped the cue ball into the side pocket, and Manalo chose solids and ran out to reach the hill. However, he came up empty on his last break. Hohmann opted for stripes and played a perfect out, joining Manalo on the hill. The German showed no anxiety, just determination as he approached the table for the last time. He broke and made the 9 ball. With an easy layout, he had no trouble as he swiftly cleared the table, winning the final match 8-7. In doing so, he won the biggest prize in pool history, $350,000. Manalo earned $99,000 for his second-place finish.

Tour founder Kevin Trudeau presented Hohmann with the money in a silver briefcase, as well as an enormous silver trophy. Calmly, Hohmann made a short speech, thanking Trudeau first and then praising the audience, his friends, his corner man, and his sponsors.

"I wasn't nervous at all, the entire match," Hohmann reported. "I felt really confident, I had a good night's sleep, slept eight hours, and woke up still full of confidence because of yesterday. I just enjoyed the match. I could've won even higher - I wasn't nervous, I just took my eyes off the ball. Charlie [Williams] was there for me and said just do it, you've done it so many times this week, you can do it again. I had my chance, on that last run-out, my mom could've run out that last rack, it was so easy, so I'm thankful, and maybe it was my destiny."

The IPT's next major event will be held September 2-10 at the Grand Sierra Resort & Casino in Reno, NV. First place will award a stunning $500,000, with a total prize fun of $3,000,000.

It's Hohmann vs Manalo for biggest prize in pool history

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - German precision will meet Filipino steel in the final of the $2 million IPT North American 8-Ball Open on Sunday, as Thorsten Hohmann and Marlon Manalo battle for the history-making tournament?s $350,000 top prize.

Germany's Hohmann and Manalo of the Philippines rose to the top of the final round-robin stage of the tournament on Saturday night in the Venetian Hotel and Casino. Both posted records of 4-1 in the six-player bracket, besting foes Ralf Souquet, Efren Reyes, Dennis Orcollo and Evgeny Stalev.

"It's not over yet," said Manalo after coming back from a 6-2 deficit against Souquet in his fourth match, winning 8-6 and securing his spot in the final with a then-perfect 4-0 record.

Manalo then faced Hohmann in their fifth set of matches for the night. Hohmann needed to win in order to tally four victories and cement his spot in the final. In what was to be a preview of the championship match-up, Hohmann blistered Manalo, 8-1.

The winner of Sunday's race-to-8 final will skyrocket to the top of the IPT's rankings, this being the first event of the fledgling's tour's 2006 season. The winner will pocket $350,000, and the runner-up must settle for $99,000.

Hohmann, certainly the most fit of the final six, seemed to get stronger as the day wore on. The rest were visibly flagging, and missed balls and mental miscues were common.

"For next time, I will need to exercise more," said Orcollo of the Philippines, who finished third with three match wins, collecting a none-too-shabby $80,000.

Reyes and Souquet both had one win apiece by the last match of the night, putting them in the position of fighting for fourth and fifth place. In a painfully slow and often sloppy battle, Reyes squeaked out a hill-hill victory, 8-7, to take fourth and $65,000. Souquet settled for fifth and $50,000.

Stalev of Russia, the biggest surprise of the final six contenders, had trouble shaking off the debilitating effects of the previous five days of morning-to-night play. He finished sixth with a 1-4 record but happily accepted a $40,000 check, roughly $33,000 greater than his previous high-watermark for prize money.

The final will pit perfectionist Hohmann, a former world 9-ball champion and current world straight-pool champion, against rising star Manalo, whom many believe could be the heir to Reyes' throne as dominant Filipino in a country of pool giants.

As far as experience in big events and technical mastery of pool mechanics, 27-year-old Hohmann seems to have the edge. But 30-year-old Manalo had the best record in the Open, finishing the round-robin stages at 23-5 and winning 61 percent of the games played. Hohmann often found himself on the brink of elimination, only to pull through with gutty wins. His overall record was 21-7, with a games-won percentage of 57.3 percent.