128 players from all over the world competed at this year’s BCA Open 9-Ball Championships at the Riviera Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
This tournament, in spite of the designation “Open”, is not open to everybody, but the players have to qualify via the rankings of their continental federations. My first opponent was I. Paez from Mexico who lives in Los Angeles. Throughout the match, „Morro“ could not really put me in danger. My very good opening match ended with a fully deserved 11-4. The second match against the World All Around Champion of this year’s Derby City Classic, L. Nevel, was much tighter. After trailing 0-2, I could equal the match and until 8-8 it went back and forth. The changing break was certainly a reason for this, but strange enough, from 2-2, nobody managed to clear a rack and systematically, the racks went to the player who did not break. Finally, at a score of 8-8, I shot a 9 break. This broke the resistance of my opponent and my 11-8 allowed me to enter the next round against T. Robles. This match was very much played on an equal level, too. In spite of my 8-4 lead, the match became tighter because I missed a few shots and twice, I made the wrong choice. Instead of a safety shot, I attacked and wasn’t compensated for this attitude. At the score of 11-9, I came back into the match and so remained in the winners bracket. In round 4, the next clash against J. Wetch. After a two years break from the U. S. Pro Tour, he came back last year and played stronger than ever. But the match was not as tight as expected, because I played almost without committing any mistakes and my opponent committed too many mistakes to make it an open match. From 4-4 the match went my way and the final score of 11-5 was fully justified. Only few had expected my next opponent at his level of the competition. G. Breedlove, husband of female superstar J. Lee, had received a wild card allowing him to play a great event. The friendly former professional played a very good tournament and was the decisive obstacle for many of the top players (such as O. Ortmann, F. Hernandez, C. Deuel, R. Morris). Perhaps he had to struggle too hard in his previous matches or he could not stand the tournament pressure anymore, but my 11-4 was easier than expected. Without too much resistance, I entered the final of the winners bracket against F. Bustamante. The match was almost typical for this almost classical clash. A well playing „Bustl“ scored, also with a little bit of luck, and was already leading 10-5. Then, he made two mistakes and I could come back to 10-10. Bustamante had the break and made 5 balls. But he could only make the 4 ball with a bank shot and finally chose a double option. He missed the bank shot and left me a safety. After serious thinking, I took the jump shot and made the shot. But I did not get the required position on the 6 ball as I had hoped, and I found myself back with a difficult safety. Using my left hand, I wanted to play a rail shot and, if I didn’t make the ball, leave a safety. Unfortunately, I hit the ball to thick and not well enough, so that Bustamante had an easy rack to finish and he entered the final 11-10. In the losers bracket, my Mosconi Cup team mate M. Immonen (FIN) had won against J. Archer. The match, broadcast by ESPN, was played in a race to only 7. Two mistakes by the man from Finland and a good game on my side lead to a 7-1 success and I entered the final. Now it was time for revenge. I approached the match with a very positive attitude and rapidly took a 5-2 lead. With my decision for an attack ball, I made the player from the Philippines come back into the match. At 6-4 I had the first chance to win the match. But a thin 3 ball stopped my plans. After another mistake at 6-5, Bustamante could equal at 6-6. Very much to the pleasure of the 600 spectators, it came to a real showdown. After the break, I could make two balls, but had no chance to clear the rack. I decided to play a safety shot but missed it. Bustamante tried to make the 2 ball via a long combination over the 5 ball, but completely missed the shot and I came back to the table. I could make the remaining balls and won, for the first time, the BCA Open 9-Ball Championships with a final score of 7-6.
In the women competition, defending champion C. Korr won the final against A. Fisher 7-1. Third place went to H. Thörnfeldt, another player from Europe living in the USA. The only German player in this competition, double European Champion S. Ordner, did not find her top form and finished with only one victory and two defeats on the 33rd rank.