2006 WPA Men's World Nine-ball Championship

The 2006 WPA Men's World Nine-ball Championship (billed as 2006 Philippines World Pool Championship locally) was the 17th annual international nine-ball pool tournament for men sanctioned by the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA). It was held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines from 4–12 November 2006. It was the first time the tournament has been held in the Philippines.

The tournament was sponsored by Matchroom Sport, which has sponsored the event since 1999. It included 128 participants from 40 WPA member countries, competing for US$400,000 in total prize money. The overall winner received a prize of US$100,000, the highest-ever payout for the tournament. Wu Chia-ching of Chinese Taipei entered the tournament as the defending champion.

The tournament was aired across Asia by ESPN Star Sports. Selected European countries (such as the United Kingdom) aired live portions.cite web|title="The World is Watching"|url=http://www.2006worldpool.com/tv.htm
accessdate=October 19|accessyear=2006]

Format

The tournament starts with a series of qualifiers. The purpose of this category system is to give all serious pool players in the world, the opportunity to compete in the World Pool Championship. This system has been devised using professional golf tours as a model and is a system that rewards achievement and ability. Wherever possible, emerging pool nations have been accommodated to give the event the geographical spread it has enjoyed in past years.

There are a couple of major difference between this system and past years when a straightforward quota has been awarded to various continental associations. The first is that this system is cross-bordered. That means that players from anywhere in the world can compete in events in other territories and qualify for the final stages of the World Pool Championship.

For example, if an American national decided to enter a Euro Tour event and was to win or come second, then that would give him a spot in the final 128. By the same token, if a European player won or came second in a UPA event in the US, then that too would gain him entrance.

The second major difference is that countries and or continents do not have a set allocation of players. This comes with rewarding success and achievement.

For the beginning of the tournament, the 128 competitors were divided into 32 groups of four players each. Each group was led by a seeded player, to ensure that the top-ranked players could not play each other until the single-elimination rounds begin.

In past years, only the preliminary rounds were played using an alternating Cuegloss|Break|break format, with later rounds allowing the winner to break. For this year's tournament, all rounds employed the alternate break format. The stated reason for the change was to reduce the risk of one player Cuegloss|Run the table|running the table.cite web|title="Format Change for the Men's World 9-Ball Championship announced"|url=http://www.wpa-pool.com/index.asp?content=localnews&newsid=56
accessdate=October 19|accessyear=2006]

Group play (November 4–7)

All matches are race-to-eight (first player to win eight racks wins), with each win worth two points. Each person in a group plays the other three members of the group. The top two in each group advance to the elimination rounds, for a total of 64 remaining players.cite web|title="Competition Format"|url=http://www.2006worldpool.com/Matches.htm
accessdate=October 19|accessyear=2006]

Day 5 (November 8)

The final 64 players are re-seeded based on their performance in the qualifying rounds. Group winners will be at the top of the bracket, and will compete against players at the bottom of the bracket. Player 1 will face Player 64, Player 2 will face Player 63, etc. All matches are race-to-ten.

Day 6 (November 9)

The final 32 players will compete in 16 matches, all race-to-ten.

Day 7 (November 10)

The final 16 players will compete in 8 matches, all race-to-eleven. Players making it to this round automatically receive a placement in the 2007 tournament.

Day 8 (November 11)

Four quarterfinal matches will be played (race-to-eleven), followed by a pair of race-to-eleven semifinal matches.

Day 9 (November 12)

The two finalists will meet in a race-to-seventeen match.

eedings

The 32 seeded players will lead their respective groups, and cannot face each other until the single elimination rounds begin.

Results and schedule

Qualifying tournament (October 28–November 1)

More than 100 players (representing 21 countries) competed in qualifying events to earn ten spots in the field of 128 competitors. Four additional spots became available when grouped players withdrew from the tournament.cite web|title="Five Through as WPC Qualifiers Wrap Up"|url=http://www.azbilliards.com/2000storya.cfm?storynum=3875
accessdate=November 3|accessyear=2006] The qualifiers began on October 28 in Quezon City. The Philippines was represented by 50 players, while Japan was represented by the second-largest contingent (18).

Group play (November 4–7)

Nine seeded players failed to advance past group play, most notably fourth seed Alex Pagulayan of the Philippines. Pagulayan won his first match, 8-2, against Gustavo Espinosa of Argentina, but lost by the same score in his second match to Li He-wen of China. That made his third and final match against Lee Kun-fang of Chinese Taipei a must-win. Pagulayan, who trailed 4-1 at one point, evened the match at 7-7. On the last rack, Lee ran the table to win the match, 8-7.cite web|title="Fourth Billiards Seed Pagulayan Crashes Out"|url=http://www.insidepoolmag.com/billiard-tour-news/fourth-billiards-seed-pagulayan-crashes-out/content/view/4035/76/
accessdate=November 8|accessyear=2006]

In total, three former champions (Pagulayan, Finland's Mika Immonen, and Kunihiko Takahashi of Japan) failed to advance past group play. Immonen tied two other players in Group 11 with four points, but was edged out of second place by Switzerland's Marco Tschudi (who won one more rack) and Spain's David Alcaide (who lost three fewer racks). Takahashi finished last in Group 29, scoring two points and losing a third-place tiebreaker with Australia's Chris Calabrese (who won one more rack).

Groupings

On October 13, 2006, the composition of the 32 four-man groups was announced. Each group is headed by a seeded player. The second player in each group is drawn randomly from a second group of 32 seeds. The final two players in each group were randomly selected from geographically based draw bags.cite web|title="2006 World Pool Championship Groups Announced"|url=http://www.2006worldpool.com/Newsarchives/article4.htm
accessdate=October 19|accessyear=2006]

Last 32 results

32TeamBracket-Compact
RD1= Round of 32
RD2= Round of 16
RD3= Quarter finals
RD4= Semi finals
RD5= Final
RD1-seed01=
RD1-team01=flagicon|PHI Ronato Alcano
RD1-score01=10
RD1-seed02=2
RD1-team02=flagicon|PHI Efren Reyes
RD1-score02=7
RD1-seed03=6
RD1-team03=flagicon|TPE Kuo Po-cheng
RD1-score03=10
RD1-seed04=5
RD1-team04=flagicon|PHI Marlon Manalo
RD1-score04=7
RD1-seed05=
RD1-team05=flagicon|GBR Pat Holtz
RD1-score05=10
RD1-seed06=
RD1-team06=flagicon|GBR Kevin Uzzell
RD1-score06=6
RD1-seed07=1
RD1-team07=flagicon|TPE Wu Chia-ching
RD1-score07=10
RD1-seed08=
RD1-team08=flagicon|TPE Wang Hung-hsiang
RD1-score08=3
RD1-seed09=
RD1-team09=flagicon|TPE Lee Kun-fang
RD1-score09=8
RD1-seed10=
RD1-team10=flagicon|PHI Jeff de Luna
RD1-score10=10
RD1-seed11=27
RD1-team11=flagicon|HUN Vilmos Foldes
RD1-score11=4
RD1-seed12=
RD1-team12=flagicon|VIE Luong Chi Dung
RD1-score12=10
RD1-seed13=9
RD1-team13=flagicon|GER Thomas Engert
RD1-score13=6
RD1-seed14=
RD1-team14=flagicon|SER Sandor Tot
RD1-score14=10
RD1-seed15=
RD1-team15=flagicon|CHN Li He-wen
RD1-score15=10
RD1-seed16=
RD1-team16=flagicon|PHI Rudy Morta
RD1-score16=8
RD1-seed17=
RD1-team17=flagicon|CAN Tyler Edey
RD1-score17=10
RD1-seed18=
RD1-team18=flagicon|INA Ricky Yang
RD1-score18=9
RD1-seed19=
RD1-team19=flagicon|TPE Liu Cheng-chuan
RD1-score19=10
RD1-seed20=
RD1-team20=flagicon|KOR Ryu Seong-woo
RD1-score20=6
RD1-seed21=7
RD1-team21=flagicon|GER Ralf Souquet
RD1-score21=10
RD1-seed22=14
RD1-team22=flagicon|TPE Yang Ching-shun
RD1-score22=8
RD1-seed23=
RD1-team23=flagicon|RUS K. Stepanov
RD1-score23=10
RD1-seed24=
RD1-team24=flagicon|SUI Marco Tschudi
RD1-score24=7
RD1-seed25=
RD1-team25=flagicon|PHI Lee Van Corteza
RD1-score25=8
RD1-seed26=
RD1-team26=flagicon|ESP David Alcaide
RD1-score26=10
RD1-seed27=
RD1-team27=flagicon|PHI Rodolfo Luat
RD1-score27=10
RD1-seed28=
RD1-team28=flagicon|INA Roy Apancho
RD1-score28=6
RD1-seed29=19
RD1-team29=flagicon|TPE Chao Fong-pang
RD1-score29=8
RD1-seed30=
RD1-team30=flagicon|TPE Fu Che-wei
RD1-score30=10
RD1-seed31=
RD1-team31=flagicon|GBR Steve Davis
RD1-score31=10
RD1-seed32=
RD1-team32=flagicon|PHI Jharome Pena
RD1-score32=8
RD2-seed01=
RD2-team01=flagicon|PHI Ronato Alcano
RD2-score01=11
RD2-seed02=6
RD2-team02=flagicon|TPE Kuo Po-cheng
RD2-score02=5
RD2-seed03=
RD2-team03=flagicon|GBR Pat Holtz
RD2-score03=6
RD2-seed04=1
RD2-team04=flagicon|TPE Wu Chia-ching
RD2-score04=11
RD2-seed05=
RD2-team05=flagicon|PHI Jeff de Luna
RD2-score05=6
RD2-seed06=
RD2-team06=flagicon|VIE Luong Chi Dung
RD2-score06=11
RD2-seed07=
RD2-team07=flagicon|SER Sandor Tot
RD2-score07=7
RD2-seed08=
RD2-team08=flagicon|CHN Li He-wen
RD2-score08=11
RD2-seed09=
RD2-team09=flagicon|CAN Tyler Edey
RD2-score09=6
RD2-seed10=
RD2-team10=flagicon|TPE Liu Cheng-chuan
RD2-score10=11
RD2-seed11=7
RD2-team11=flagicon|GER Ralf Souquet
RD2-score11=11
RD2-seed12=
RD2-team12=flagicon|RUS K. Stepanov
RD2-score12=4
RD2-seed13=
RD2-team13=flagicon|ESP David Alcaide
RD2-score13=10
RD2-seed14=
RD2-team14=flagicon|PHI Rodolfo Luat
RD2-score14=11
RD2-seed15=
RD2-team15=flagicon|TPE Fu Che-wei
RD2-score15=11
RD2-seed16=
RD2-team16=flagicon|GBR Steve Davis
RD2-score16=8
RD3-seed01=
RD3-team01=flagicon|PHI Ronato Alcano
RD3-score01=11
RD3-seed02=1
RD3-team02=flagicon|TPE Wu Chia-ching
RD3-score02=6
RD3-seed03=
RD3-team03=flagicon|VIE Luong Chi Dung
RD3-score03=7
RD3-seed04=
RD3-team04=flagicon|CHN Li He-wen
RD3-score04=11
RD3-seed05=
RD3-team05=flagicon|TPE Liu Cheng-chuan
RD3-score05=8
RD3-seed06=7
RD3-team06=flagicon|GER Ralf Souquet
RD3-score06=11
RD3-seed07=
RD3-team07=flagicon|PHI Rodolfo Luat
RD3-score07=7
RD3-seed08=
RD3-team08=flagicon|TPE Fu Che-wei
RD3-score08=11
RD4-seed01=
RD4-team01=flagicon|PHI Ronato Alcano
RD4-score01=11
RD4-seed02=
RD4-team02=flagicon|CHN Li He-wen
RD4-score02=8
RD4-seed03=7
RD4-team03=flagicon|GER Ralf Souquet
RD4-score03=11
RD4-seed04=
RD4-team04=flagicon|TPE Fu Che-wei
RD4-score04=10
RD5-seed01=
RD5-team01=flagicon|PHI Ronato Alcano
RD5-score01=17
RD5-seed02=7
RD5-team02=flagicon|GER Ralf Souquet
RD5-score02=11

ee also

*List of WPA World Nine-ball Champions

References

External links

* [http://www.worldpoolchampionship.com Official tournament home page]
* [http://www.matchroomsport.com/gallery.asp?catID=28 Pictures from the event]