Another former world champion, Johnny “The Scorpion” Archer, met German champion Thomas Engert in the second match.  “The Lean Machine” was in the lead the majority of the match, with neither player making a ball o­n the break every time.  Archer, who just won the Big Apple 9-Ball Challenge at Master Billiard in Queens, NY, a few days ago, had several significant errors throughout the match and saw Engert reach a 6-3 lead.  He was able to win two more games but missed a cut o­n the 5 ball in the last rack, and Engert ran out to win 7-5.

Yet another former world champ showed up for the third match.  Thorsten “The Hitman” Hohmann, who surprised the world with his victory last year at Cardiff over Alex Pagulayan, faced off with Australian player Phil Reilly.  Hohmann’s consistent, understated game soon put him ahead, while Reilly, despite two combos o­n the 9 ball, trailed in the match.  o­n the hill 6-3, Hohmann took advantage when Reilly scratched o­n the break and lined up the 1-9 in the side and drilled it for a 7-3 win.

The final match, between defending champion Francisco Bustamante and Japan’s number o­ne player, Hiroshi Takenaka, was a hard-fought battle.  Innumerable safeties and uncharacteristic misses littered this match, but after the two seesawed to 5 apiece, Takenaka took the hill first when Bustamante missed the 5 ball.  Takenaka’s next break set him up perfectly for the 2-9 carom that he needed in order to advance into the final four with a 7-5 victory.

Tomorrow will see o­ne winner crowned “Champion of Champions” and awarded $50,000.  The first semifinal match will be between Mika Immonen and Thorsten Hohmann, and the second semifinal match will be between Thomas Engert and Hiroshi Takenaka.

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