Feijen is Predator World 14.1 Straight Pool Champion
August 30, 2008
Feijen is Predator World 14.1 Straight Pool Champion
By Inside POOL staff
Niels "The Terminator" Feijen added the Predator World 14.1 Straight Pool Championship to his resume by beating Filipino billiards legend Francisco "Django" Bustamante in the finals, 200-11.
After six strenuous days filled with nothing but straight pool, Niels Feijen has come out on top of a 64-player field at the Predator World Straight Pool Championships. Hosted by the Hilton Hotel, this prestigious event brought the finest players in the world together to vie for this 14.1 title.
In the first semifinal match, Feijen and fellow countryman Nick Van Den Berg went head to head, with Van den Berg taking the early lead. However, Van den Berg suffered from nerves in this match—mainly because of the 30-second shot clock and the referee calling every ball—and couldn’t maintain his focus. Feijen, on the other hand, displayed superior composure while putting runs together, running 62 from the start and then 40 in the next inning. After Van den Berg’s final error, though, Feijen went 60 and out to advance to the finals 200-157.
The second semifinal match featured the veteran Francisco “Django” Bustamante versus Jasmin Ouschan, the young Austrian who burst onto the U.S. pool scene when she won the 2006 EnjoyPool.com 9-Ball Championships over Allison Fisher in the finals. For Ouschan to make it this far in a male-dominated tournament was not unheard of, as she tied for fifth place in the 2006 event. Like Van den Berg, she took an early lead but couldn’t pull away in time to escape the onslaught of Bustamante. Though Ouschan notched a 73-ball run, ultimately Bustamante who took the lead and ran with it without looking back to win 200-148.
View the Final 16 Single Elimination Brackets
View the Predator World Straight Pool Championship Final 32 Double Elimination brackets
View the Predator World 14.1 Straight Pool Round Robin Brackets online
View the Predator World 14.1 Straight Pool Final Round Robin Scores
All keyed up for the final match upon which a world championship title was hinged, Feijen and Bustamante went to work in the final race to 200. Bustamante missed a combo early on and missed a cut shot, and that was all it took—Feijen took the reins and kept methodically running out until he had won the final match by the stunning score of 200-11.
Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news in the sport of billiards and pool.
Final Four Set at Straight Pool Championships
August 30, 2008
Final Four Set at Straight Pool Championships
Predator Straight Pool Championships / East Brunswick, NJ
by Skip Maloney
The final four are set at the Predator Straight Pool Championships at the Hilton Hotel in East Brunswick, NJ. Niels Feijen will join Nick Van Den Berg, while the Philippines’ Francisco Bustamante and Jasmin Ouschan meet in a final single-elimination round of play on Saturday to determine the champion.
Bustamante was the first to make his way to the final four with an early evening 200-41 victory over Huidj See. The remaining matches played out simultaneously, with Feijen facing USA’s John Schmidt, Thorsten Hohmann versus Nick Van Den Berg and Jasmin Ouschan, continuing an unlikely streak of victories, playing the number-one-seed Oliver Ortmann.
Ahead by two balls at 184-182, Schmidt allowed a moment of pique to cost him the victory, not to mention some cold hard cash. After missing a shot that he presumed signaled victory for his opponent, Schmidt swept his stick across the table and conceded the match to Feijen. Van den Berg was next. He and Hohmann were rarely more than 20 or so balls apart until the score hovered in the area of the 120s, when Van den Berg took repeated command of the racks and finished it at 200-126.
View the Final 16 Single Elimination Brackets
View the Predator World Straight Pool Championship Final 32 Double Elimination brackets
View the Predator World 14.1 Straight Pool Round Robin Brackets online
View the Predator World 14.1 Straight Pool Final Round Robin Scores
Arguably the surprise of the tournament, Jasmin Ouschan, followed her 200-174 victory over Mika Immonen that advanced her into the final eight, with an impressive 200-133 victory over the number-one-seeded Oliver Ortmann that placed her among the final four. Ouschan did a lot of little things right, leading to a series of repeated mini-runs of 10 or 15 balls in the race to 200 that were offered to her by an increasingly frustrated Ortmann.
Ortmann stumbled repeatedly over the transition from one rack to the next, putting himself in a position for a good break but failing to make one. Ouschan stepped to the table, negotiated her mini-run, and just prior to a rack transition, missed and sat down. Ortmann stepped up, finished the rack, and then failed, for a variety of reasons, to capitalize on his own break chances; at one point, he smashed his stick on the table edge in frustration over a shot that he should have made. Ouschan took advantage of every opportunity, settling for small but consistent runs that eventually added up to 200.
Saturday’s action will commence with a noon match-up between Niels Feijen and Nick Van Den Berg, followed at 2:30 p.m. by Bustamante and Ouschan. The finals are scheduled to begin at 6:30.
Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news in the sport of billiards and pool.
Ouschan Defeats Immonen to Advance to Final Eight
August 29, 2008
Ouschan Defeats Immonen to Advance to Final Eight
Predator Straight Pool Championships / East Brunswick, NJ
by Skip Maloney
Action at the Predator Straight Pool Championships in East Brunswick, NJ, moved into the final round of eight early Friday evening with Oliver Ortmann, Francisco Bustamante, Huidji See, Niels Feijen, John Schmidt, Thorsten Hohmann, Nick Van Den Berg, and a surprise Jasmine Ouschan advancing out of the single-elimination round of 16.
Ortmann, who ousted Thomas Engert 200-42, was set to square off against Ouschan in Friday’s final session, leading to Saturday’s final four. Ouschan, who overcame some adversity in the round robin sessions of the tournament, reached the final eight by defeating frontrunner Mika Immonen 200-174.
Earlier in the day, Huidji See concluded Corey Deuel’s tournament run 200-96 and turned to face Francisco Bustamante, who’d advanced with a 200-137 defeat of Harriman. Niels Feijen defeated Ignacio Chavez 200-128 and earned a spot battling John “Mr. 403” Schmidt, who eliminated Mike Dechaine with a 200-144 victory.
The final pairing was to pit Thorsten Hohmann against Nick Van Den Berg. Hohmann had eliminated Ralf Souquet from further action with a 200-144 victory, as Van den Berg was concluding Dominic Jentsch’s day 200-38.
View the Final 16 Single Elimination Brackets
View the Predator World Straight Pool Championship Final 32 Double Elimination brackets
View the Predator World 14.1 Straight Pool Round Robin Brackets online
View the Predator World 14.1 Straight Pool Final Round Robin Scores
Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news in the sport of billiards and pool.
Defending Champ Ortmann Fallen but Not Out
August 29, 2008
Defending Champ Ortmann Fallen but Not Out
Predator World Straight Pool Championships / New Brunswick, NJ
Mika "The Iceman" Immonen is leading the pack at the Predator World 14.1 Straight Pool Championship in East Brunswick, NJ.
Sixteen players are still fighting for the prestigious Predator World Straight Pool Championship title in New Brunswick, NJ, at the Hilton Hotel. Held this week through Sunday, this event began with 64 of the world’s top 14.1 players and will end Sunday with one in the winner’s circle.
Eight players still stake out the winners’ bracket. Mika Immonen just felled U.S. 14.1 bastion John “Mr. 403” Schmidt 150-73 and will advance to play former world 9-ball champion Thorsten Hohmann, who just defeated fellow countryman Ralf “The Surgeon” Souquet 150-47.
Defending champion Oliver Ortmann fell to Mike Dechaine by a thin 150-140 margin and now will have to struggle through the one-loss side. Dechaine’s next opponent will be Niels “The Terminator” Feijen, fresh off a strong 150-10 victory over Ignacio Chavez.
Corey Deuel, recent Million Dollar 9-Ball Shootout champion, sent Raj Hundal to the west side 150-104 and will next play Francisco Bustamante, who just bested Danny Harriman 150-111. And German champion Thomas Engert advanced to the winners’-side final eight with a 150-50 win over Dominic Jentsch. Engert’s next opponent will be Dutch player Nick Van Den Berg, just off of a 150-103 win over Radislaw Babica.
View the Final 16 Single Elimination Brackets
View the Predator World Straight Pool Championship Final 32 Double Elimination brackets
On the one-loss side, there are also eight players. Schmidt is still alive, having just eliminated Hall of Famer Allen Hopkins 150-111. He will next play Souquet, who annihilated Russia’s Konstantin Stepanov 150-10. Ortmann is also still attempting to defend his title, having sent Mike “The Mouth” Sigel home 150-105. Ortmann’s next challenge will come in the form of Ignacio Chavez, who just ousted Steve Lipsky 150-2.
Danny Harriman of the U.S. is still hanging in there, having just defeated Dan Barouty 150-91. Huidji See of the Netherlands will be his next opponent. See just bested Hundal 150-70. And Jasmin Ouschan is still on the move. She recently eliminated Radislaw Babica 150-10 and will next play Jentsch, who just ousted Vincent Facquet 150-80.
| WIN | LOSS | Ball Count | Opp | ||
| 1 | Mika Immonen - FIN | 9 | 0 | 1000 | 339 |
| 2 | Nick Van Denberg - NED | 9 | 0 | 1000 | 427 |
| 3 | Niels Feijen - NED | 9 | 0 | 1000 | 432 |
| 4 | Francisco Bustamante - PHI | 8 | 1 | 967 | X |
| 5 | Mike Dechaine - USA | 7 | 2 | 983 | X |
| 6 | Corey Deuel - USA | 7 | 2 | 926 | X |
| 7 | Thorsten Hohmann - GER | 7 | 2 | 897 | X |
| 8 | Thomas Engert - GER | 7 | 2 | 868 | X |
| 9 | Oliver Ortmann - GER | 8 | 2 | 1000 | X |
| 10 | Ralph Souquet - GER | 8 | 2 | 1014 | X |
| 11 | Huidji See -NED | 7 | 3 | 1066 | X |
| 12 | John Schmidt - USA | 7 | 3 | 1061 | X |
| 13 | Danny Harriman - USA | 7 | 3 | 1009 | X |
| 14 | Ignacio Chavez - MEX | 7 | 3 | 909 | X |
| 15 | Dominic Jentsch - GER | 6 | 4 | 1007 | X |
| 16 | Jasmin Ouschan - AUT | 5 | 5 | 902 | X |
View the Predator World 14.1 Straight Pool Final 32 Elimination Brackets online
View the Predator World 14.1 Straight Pool Round Robin Brackets online
View the Predator World 14.1 Straight Pool Final Round Robin Scores
Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news in the sport of billiards and pool.
Allison Fisher Nominated for Sportswoman of the Year
August 29, 2008
Allison Fisher Nominated for Sportswoman of the Year
Allison "The Duchess of Doom" Fisher has been nominated for "Sportswoman of the Year" by the Women’s Sports Foundation. Voting will be important with many Olympic athletes also being nominated.
Women’s Professional Billiard Association (WPBA) superstar Allison Fisher has been nominated for “Sportswoman of the Year” award for her exemplary performance in billiards by Women’s Sports Foundation.
The selection process was not an easy task this year with the consideration of all the Olympic athletes, so this is a particularly high honor for Allison to be nominated among the individuals selected. Allison Fisher gathered more top honors to add to her already crowded collection.
In August of 2007 Fisher won her third consecutive Women’s Professional Billiard Association (WPBA) U.S. Open Championship, earning an unprecedented 50th WPBA title. Fisher came in second place at the WPBA Midwest Classic (October). In November of 2007 Fisher won her eighth WPBA National Championship in Lincoln City, Ore., solidifying her sixth consecutive Player of the Year award. Fisher started out 2008 on the same foot, winning the first WPBA event of the year, the San Diego Classic (April). She also placed third at the WPBA World 9-Ball Championship and won her second WPBA title of the year at the WPBA Great Lakes Classic times (June).
Fans can vote for Allison Fisher here
About the Women’s Sports Foundation
The Women’s Sports Foundation is an educational nonprofit (501(c)(3) charity) organization founded in 1974 by tennis legend Billie Jean King. Its mission is to advance the lives of girls and women through sports and physical activity.
One of the top five public grant-giving women’s funds in the United States, the Foundation distributes $10,000-20,000 per week from operating dollars to provide opportunities for socioeconomically underprivileged and inactive girls to participate in sports and physical activity.
The Foundation’s advocacy efforts have directly affected the amount of scholarship dollars supporting educational opportunities for female student-athletes in the United States. In 1972, women received only $100,000 but now receive $617 million a year.
About Allison Fisher
Allison Fisher is universally regarded as the most successful billiards player in history. Since winning her first world championship at age 17, she has amassed more world, national, and professional titles than any other sports star—male or female. Her personal achievements, industry contributions, and dedication to the less fortunate have transformed her into a true champion in sport and life, and her good natured elegance has endeared her to millions of fans around the world.
Allison was born in Cheshunt, England, on February 24, 1968. She began playing billiards at age seven and credits her parents, Peter and Christine, for enabling one of sports’ truly remarkable careers.
Today Allison dominates women’s cue-sports. She won 80 national and 11 world titles, and became a household name in Great Britain before moving to Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1995. Since immigrating to the United States, she has added 53 Women’s Professional Billiard Association (WPBA) “Classic Tour” titles and an unprecedented 21 international championships to her record.
Allison’s achievements are unmatched in any sport:
• More tournament wins than the combined totals of all her competitors, and nearly three times the titles
won by the second-ranked player
• The world’s top-ranked player for the last six years, 11 of the past 12 years in the WPBA, and for the
preceding 10 years while residing in England.
• The only person to win the National Championship eight times
• The only person to win the Tournament of Champions five times
• The only person to win the World Championship four times
• The only person to win the U.S. Open Championship four times (Allison is currently the reigning U.S.
Open Champion and has retained that title for three consecutive years)
• More “Player of Year” titles than any other sports star, extending her POY streak to six straight years, and
11 of the past 12 years.
A brief comparison
| Allison Fisher | Tiger Woods | Roger Federer | |
| Tour Wins | 165 | 89 | 55 |
| Majors Titles | 31 | 14 | 13 |
| Years Ranked #1 | 22 | 9 | 4 |
SOURCES: WPBA, PGA, ATP, AND ONLINE SPORTS PUBLICATIONS
A regular on cable network ESPN, Allison is one of the most recognized athletes on sports television.
Recently, a fan asked Allison about her longevity in the sport. She replied, “Billiards, like all sports, requires extensive technical knowledge combined with acute physical and emotional discipline. Nolan Ryan played major league baseball for 27 years. I hope to top his record. Right now, I’m playing my best pool ever, and I plan to compete as long as I’m performing this well.”
Allison has transformed the way billiards is played, viewed, and enjoyed. She believes her approach to training, called “body-centered practice,” can be applied to other sports such as golf and tennis.
Most important, Allison feels strongly that sports personalities should be held accountable for their life decisions and set good examples for children. She puts it this way: “If you give nothing back, who are you?”
