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Rise of the upstarts

Rise of the upstarts Shock upsets send the big boys packing as the field at the 2014 World 9-ball Championship gets down to the final 32. By Ted Lerner/WPA Press Officer Photos Courtesy of Richard Walker (Doha, Qatar)–Pool’s next generation of superstars took a giant leap towards claiming their place in the sun today, producing a slew of shocking and unexpected results as the field at the 2014 World 9-ball Championship was cut in half from 64 players down to 32. It was an extraordinary day given over to unknown upstarts, newcomers, fearless young guns, and a few wily but unheralded veterans, all of  whom seemed to collectively state to pool’s elite that it was time for some new and different names to grab the headlines for a change. So how bad was it for pool’s biggest names?  Well, here’s a statistic that could come straight from the crime blotter; five former world 9-ball champions, and the defending champion Thorsten Hohmann all went down to defeat. Heavy favorites like the Philippines’ Dennis Orcollo and Lee […]

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Time for the Gold Rush in Doha

Time for the Gold Rush in Doha The 2014 WPA World 9-Ball Championship kicks off on Saturday with a power packed field eyeing pool’s ultimate pantheon. By Ted Lerner WPA Press Officer Photos Courtesy Richard Walker (Doha, Qatar)–There’s been a tangible buzz in the lobby of the Holiday Villa Hotel here in blazing hot Doha over the last two days. As the best pool players on the planet began to arrive for the 23rd running of the WPA World 9-ball Championship, and the hubbub and loud banter of players, their friends and officials have filled the place with life, you could sense that something special was starting to brew. Part of that expectation surely comes from the fact that pool’s best of the best only get a few chances a year to gather together and duke it out for big time glory. And that lack of marquee events means that when a major tournament does come around, it feels that much extra special. And when you talk about majors, well, it doesn’t get much bigger […]