By Ted Lerner
(Beijing, China)–While the atmosphere here in sultry Beijing amongst pool’s elite has certainly been cordial and relaxed, on the table the heavyweights of the pool world were in no mood for gift giving as all the favorites cruised to emphatic victories on Day 2 of the 2012 World Pool Team Championships.
Surprises in the group stages were as hard to come by as a schoolyard full of blondes in China’s sprawling and teeming capital. Great Britain, China 1 and 2, the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan all won their matches for the second straight day and ensured their places in the single elimination round of 16 which begins tomorrow. Germany finally got a win and is looking strong for a place in the final 16. South Korea won again and is probably the leading dark horse in the 24 team competition.
Things will surely explode with tension and drama once the second and third tier teams will be eliminated after today and the big guns get pointed at one another. And with $80,000 going to the winning team, plus plenty of national pride, clearly this $300,000 event is just winding up.
The nation vs. nation format on offer at the Tongzhou Luhe High School, in the Tongzhou district of Beijing is certainly built for fan-friendly showdowns. Obviously the Philippines vs. Estonia doesn’t exactly get the heart racing. But when the Philippines is staring across the table from Great Britain, you have the makings of all-time classics. And that’s because of the format which assures plenty of drama.
In each match between two countries, the teams play each other in a set of six matches, all alternate break; two races in 8 ball, two in 9-ball and two in 10-ball. One 8-ball match is men’s scotch doubles, race to 6. The other 8-ball match is a men’s singles, race to 6. In 9-ball, the teams compete in a women’s singles, race to 8, and a men’s singles race to 8. In 10-ball, the teams play one mixed doubles match(scotch doubles), race to 7, and one men’s singles match race to 7. The female player must play in the 10-ball mixed doubles match, and a 9-ball match. No player is permitted to play more than two matches per session.
Based on makeup and results so far, Great Britain is the odds on favorite to win the event. The Brits, loaded with the likes of current World 9-ball Champions, Darren Appleton, Kelly Fisher and 2007 champion Daryl Peach, have yet to be touched. On Day 2 they delivered their second straight goose egg to their opponent, blanking a game but outgunned Indian squad, 6-0.
China 1 is also one of the favorites here as the team is stacked with talent. On Day 2, Li He Wen and Fu Jianbo, who have twice won the scotch doubles World Cup of Pool, teamed up for the second straight day for an eight ball doubles win as part of China’s 4-2 win over Malaysia.
China 2 has a few names not that well known outside of China but they are nonetheless very strong. Males Dang Jinhu, Dai Yong and Han Haoxiang, teamed up with famous female stars Liu Shasha and Chen Siming to blank Singapore 6-0.
The Philippines,with the great Efren Reyes, and Francisco Bustamante, Dennis Orcullo and Rubilen Amit had no trouble in manhandling Estonia, winning 5-1.
Chinese Taipei, with Chang Jung Lin, Ko Pin Yi, Fu Che Wei and Chieh Yu Chou were dealt a relatively light draw and they’ve made the most of it as they blanked Norway 6-0. After shutting out Mongolia on day 1, the Taiwanese are assured of a seeded spot in the elimination round.
Japan won for the second straight day, beating Vietnam 4-2. Germany, with Ralf Souquet, Thorsten Hohmann, Oliver Ortmann, Dominique Jentsch and Jasmin Michel bounced back from their tie with Norway with a 6-0 spanking of Mongolia.
The 2012 World Pool Team Championship continues on Day 3 with the last of the group stage matches. 16 teams will qualify for the single elimination stage which begins on July 4. The finals will take place on July 6th.
*The World Pool and Billiard Association(WPA) is the governing body of the sport of pocket billiards.
Sanctioned by the WPA, The Multi-Ball Games Administrative Center of General Administration of Sport, Chinese Billiard and Snooker Federation, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sport, Beijing Sports Federation.
Results from Day 2, Group Stages
Winner gets 3 points, loser none, tie gets 1 point.
The top 2 teams in each group advance to final 16. The 4 best 3rd place teams also advance
Group A
Indonesia 6 – 0 Croatia
Philippines 5 – 1 Estonia
Total Points after two rounds
Philippines 6, Indonesia 3, Croatia 3, Estonia 0
Group B
Canada 4 – 2 Finland
China 1 4 – 2 Malaysia
Total Points after two rounds
China 1- 6, Canada 3, Finland 3, Malaysia 0
Group C
Australia 3 – 3 Hong Kong
China 2 6 – 0 Singapore
Total Points after two rounds
China 2- 6, Hong Kong 2, Singapore 1, Australia 1
Group D
Poland 3 – 3 Sweden
Japan 4 – 2 Vietnam
Total Points after two rounds
Japan 6, Sweden 2, Poland 1, Vietnam 1
Group E
South Korea 5 – 1 South Africa
Great Britain 6 – 0 India
Total Points after two rounds
Great Britain 6, South Korea 6, South Africa 0, India 0
Group F
Germany 6 – 0 Mongolia
Chinese Taipei 6 – 0 Norway
Total Points after two rounds
Chinese Taipei 6, Germany 4, Norway 1, Mongolia
Scheduled Matches for Day 3, last day of the Group Stage
Estonia vs. Indonesia
Philippines vs. Croatia
Malaysia vs. Canada
China 1 vs. Finland
Singapore vs. Australia
China 2 vs. Hong Kong
Vietnam vs. Poland
Japan vs. Sweden
India vs. South Africa
Norway vs. Mongolia
Great Britain vs. South Korea
Chinese Taipei vs. Germany
Results from Day 1, Group Stages
Winner gets 3 points, loser none, tie gets 1 point
Prize Money
Winning Team: $80,000
Runner Up: $40,000
Semi-finalist: $20,000
5-8: $12,000
9-16: $7500
17-24: $4000
Teams
Group A
Philippines- Efren Reyes, Francisco Bustamante, Dennis Orcullo, Rubilen Amit
Croatia- Ivica Putnik, Bozo Primic, Carlo Calmatin Zrinka Antonijevic
Estonia- Erki Erm, Joonas Saska, Mark Magi, Anna Grintosuk
Indonesia- Ricky Wang, Isral Afrinneza Nasution, Muhammad Zulfikri, Amand Rahayu
Group B
China 1- Li He Wen, Fu Jianbo, Liu Haitao, Fu Xiaofang, Pan Xiao Ting
Finland- Peter Makkonen, Aki Heiskanen, Abbas Al-Marayati, Marika Pokkijoki
Canada- Jason Klatt, John Morra, Erik Hjorleifson, Brittany Bryant
Malaysia- Ibrahim Amir, Patrick Ooi, Moh Keen Hoo, Klaudia Djajalie
Group C
China 2- Dang Jinhu, Dai Yong, Han Haoxiang, Liu Shasha, Chen Siming
Hong Kong- Kenny Kwok, Lee Chenman, Andrew Kong, Ellen Cheung, Ruby Cheung
Singapore- Sharik Aslam Sayed, Toh Lian Han, Aloysius Yapp, Lum Wai Keong, Ann Koh Seng
Australia- David Rothall, Louis Condo, Robby Foldvari, Lyndall Hulley
Group D
Japan- Yukio Akagariyama, Toru Kuribayashi, Naoyuki Oi, Chihiro Kawahara
Sweden- Marcus Chamat, Tomas Larsson, Andreas Gerwen, Carline Roos
Vietnam- Do The Kien, Nguyen Anh Tuan, Nguyen Manh Tung, Doan Thi Ngoc Le
Poland- Mateusz Sniegocki, Radoslaw Babica, Tomasz Kaplan, Oliwia Czuprynska
Group E
Great Britain- Darren Appleton, Daryl Peach, Chris Melling, Mark Gray, Kelly Fisher
South Korea- Lee Wansu, Ryu Seungwoo, Hwang Yong, Kim Ga Young
India– Alok Kumar, Sundeep Gulati, Syed Habib, Neena Praveen
South Africa- Dave Van Den Berg, Dino Nair, Nickie Erasmus, Nicola Roussouw
Group F
Chinese Taipei- Chang Jung Lin, Fu Che Wei, Ko Pin Yi, Chieh Yu Chou
Germany- Oliver Ortmann, Thorsten Hohmann, Ralf Souquet, Jasmin Michel
Norway– Roger Rasmussen, Mats Schjetne, Matey Ullah, Ine Helvik
Mongolia- L. Munkbold, L. Delgerdalai, T. Amarjargal, B. Uyanga, A. Batkhuu
