A run out from Strickland took it to 3 - 2, but with no shot o­n the 1 ball in the next, he laid a snooker, which Efren escaped from but left the 1 ball available. Strickland ran out of position o­n black 8 but made the cut. Similarly he left the cue ball a little too close to the 9 but made it under pressure to go 3 - 3.

Strickland made a ball o­n break in the next, but left tough snooker for Reyes whose escape left the two ball o­n. Strickland ran out to take the rack and move into the lead for the first time at 4 - 3.

Two balls o­n the break and a nice shape o­n the 1 ball set Strickland up for yet another run out and he increased his lead to 5 - 3. It was more of the same in the next as he moved into a 6 - 3

However Strickland came out dry o­n the next to give Bata a chance to make amends and he had the opportunity to trap Strickland in a snooker. Earl's escape left the 3 ball o­n for Bata who ran out to move to 6 - 4 behind.

Reyes found himself snookered o­n the 1 ball after his next break. He pushed out and after an exchange of safeties, Strickland played a superb cross bank o­n the 1 ball to set up another great dish to get to the hill at 7 - 4.

Strickland appeared to be o­n his way to a scratch in the next as the cue ball rolled towards the top corner pocket but Earl intercepted it with his cue to give Efren ball in hand. Reyes nearly blew it as he snookered himself behind the 9 ball needing the 8 but a neat masse saw it home and a straight 9 completed the clearance  to leave Efren trailing 7 - 5.

Luck went Reyes way in the next when a clumsy double o­n the 3 ball saw it cannon off two other balls to drop in and from there he executed a very difficult run out to go to 7 - 6.

Three balls o­n his break left Reyes favourite for the rack but with no pot o­n the 3 ball, he left a snooker for Strickland. He was clumsy in his escape but Reyes missed the long pot o­n the red 3 to give Strickland the chance to clear the table and take the match.

After the match, Strickland spoke to www.worldpoolmasters.com; "It was a good match for TV and it is so gratifying to beat Efren as you know you've never beaten him until the last 9 ball has dropped.

"He ran the first 3 racks but I came back and that's what made it a good match. I thought I'd blown it but his missed his shape and I took advantage.

"It's going to be a long day if I am to get to the final but my game is sound; I just need to work o­n my break a little more. "

Tornado Blows Away El Nino

Tornado Tony Drago continued in his rich vein of pool form as he bounced home hero Nick van den Berg out of the 2003 pokerempire.com World Pool Masters after another speedy performance at the Hotel Zuiderduin, Egmond aan Zee, Holland.

Drago's 8 - 4 victory gives him a semi-final berth against tournament favourite Earl Strickland this evening, but after his heroics at last July's World Pool Championship when he reached the semi-final there are plenty of people in the pool world who are starting to consider the quick-fire Malteser as a serious contender.

Things looked ominous for the young Dutchman as he missed an easy 9 ball in the first to present the rack to Drago, but the Malteser scratched o­n the break to give it back to van den Berg and he ran out to level it.

The Dutchman broke and ran in the next to go into the lead but a dry break in the fourth game gave Drago a chance to clear and take the score to 2 - 2.

Drago let van den Berg back to the table in the next and he ran out to edge into the lead at 3 - 2. In the sixth rack, Nick made a ball o­n the break but with the 1 ball unavailable to pot, he laid a tough snooker for Drago who escaped but left the 1 ball o­n for van den Berg who proceeded to run the rack out and go 4 - 2.

With no shot o­n the 1 ball in the next, Nick played a poor safety to let Drago to the table and he didn't hang about to get back to 4 - 3. A break and run out by Tony in double quick time got it back to level and a big fluke o­n the o­n the 1 ball followed by a run out saw Drago go into the lead at 5 - 4.

Once Drago finds his touch he becomes unstoppable and he proceeded to break and run the next rack in less than a minute to go 6 - 4 into the lead.

van den Berg got back in the eleventh rack but he could o­nly make a deliberate foul. It wasn't tight enough and with ball in hand, Drago cleared to go to the hill.

The Malteser played a superb combo o­n the 1 / 6 which saw both balls drop leaving perfect position o­n the 2 ball. He made no mistake from there and took the match 8 - 4.

Despite beating up the local hero, Drago received a rapturous reception from the Dutch crowd who are really warming to his style and affable nature.

"Of course I enjoyed the game, he said, " The o­nly fear I have in 9 ball is when I don't break well, That lucky 1 ball probably changed the game in my favour but you make your own luck here. I was concentrating so hard I needed to be in the zone but the crowd was very fair.

" I've played Earl twice before; he beat me 7 - 6  and I beat him 5 - 4 both at Cardiff. The way we're both playing, it could be 8 - 7 in half an hour!"

Sure Shot Hsia Looking Ominous

In a prodigious performance at 2003 pokerempire.com World Pool Masters, Taiwanese hot shot Hui kai Hsia bombed out reigning World Champion Thorsten Hohmann (Germany) in double quick time to advance to a semi-final match against Alex Lely this evening.

Hohmann barely had a look in as he was blitzed 8 - 0 - the first white-wash of the tournament - and any punters who took Hsia at 18 / 1 at the start of the tournament look to have made a wise investment.

With a crunching break that always saw two, three or even four balls down, it was tough for the German to even get to the table as his Asian opponent ran out the racks.

The 28 year-old sports science teacher from Kaohsiung in Taiwan had travelled to Holland with his wife and hooked up with a few Taiwanese fans at the arena and he is starting to look like a runaway train here in Holland.

Hohmann's contribution to the match was minimal. He made a couple of early mistakes and when he scratched in the third rack, it was to be his last shot of the tournament.

From there Hsia broke and ran like a demon and in the seventh rack he made four balls off the break, potted the two and made a delightful 3 / 9 combo.

With the remaining 9 ball to be disposed of, Hohmann threw in the white towel which landed squarely in the middle of the table.

"I've been playing local games in Taiwan to keep myself in the best condition for tournaments and I'm really enjoying it here.

"The competitions in Europe are great; the organisation is good and the TV and crowds are great. I've never played Alex Lely before but I've watched him this week but I'm always confident.

"I've experienced it before against Tony Drago in Cardiff so I'm not worried about having a big crowd against me. I hope I can go o­nto win it." 

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