NEWS  January 13, 2008    Derby City Classic – Third 9-Ball title in Louisville



Ralf - Francisco
 

My trip to Louisville via Chicago started well, since I was upgraded, together with the four players of the BSV Aschheim (Michael, Mario who is now also called Mary, Max and Gerhard) from Economy to Business Class. After a few delays in Chicago, I finally arrived in Louisville, but I was too tired to shoot a few balls.

The next day, the 10th edition of the Derby City Classic started once more in the Executive West Hotel. This event which has grown up to become a major tournament is more and more popular amongst players and spectators.
 

Traditionally, the first discipline to be played was 9-Ball Banks, and with 457 competitors, last year’s all time record was not fully reached. The matches were played in races to 3 with winner break. I was not exactly lucky in the draw, since I had to play John Grim (USA), a real Bankpool specialist from Louisville. I started well and took a 2-0 lead. Then, I missed a few opportunities and my opponent leveled the score, but finally I won the match 3-2. Although this had been a good start, my next opponent Vincent Vaughn (USA) put my feet back on the ground. He fully deserved to win 3-1 and I had to pull my buyback option. These tournaments are always played in single KO format, however with the possibility to buy another spot in the field after the first defeat. This comes down to some sort of double KO bracket, with the difference, that winners and losers continue to play each other. My third opponent was the US player Scott Cohen, who scared me a lot at the beginning. After trailing 0-2, I could come back to 2-2, but finally lost 2-3 and my adventure in 9-Ball Banks was already terminated in round three.

This discipline went to Larry Price, runner-up was Sylver Ochoa and the third place went to Shawn Putnam (all USA).


Ralf

Now started the 14-1 Challenge. Paying a starting fee, each competitor has 12 tries to shoot one or several high series. In my third try, I shot a 92 series and was qualified fort he final round of the best 8 players.

The highest series: 1. Mika Immonen (FIN) 147, 2. Fabio Petroni (ITA) 140, 3. Niels Feijen (NED) 130, 4. Corey Deuel (USA) 107, 5. John Schmidt (USA) 100, 6. Thorsten Hohmann (GER) 98, 7. Ralf Souquet (GER) 92, 8. Darren Appleton (GBR) 73
While the Bankpool was about to be finished, the second main discipline started, One Pocket with 390 competitors. The matches were again played in races to 3, but with alternating break. In round one, my opponent was Kenny Weatherly (USA), whom I already had the pleasure to play two years earlier. At the time, he had to resign after the first rack due to a medical condition. This time, he played through the entire match (it lasted 3 hours), but finally lost again 1-3. My second opponent was Steve Dunkley (USA), to whom I trailed first 0-1 and 1-2 but then I could win 3-2. After I upset Derek Pogirski (USA) in round three 3-0, I was already considered as the new One Pocket expert. However, I can clearly state that this is not the case – I still have to learn a real lot about this fame. Nevertheless, I also won my next match against Brad Ragon (USA) 3-0. In round 5, I had to play Donald Gentry (USA), an after having trailed 0-2, I struggled hard to finally 3-2. But then, in round 6, I finally lost to the former Camel Tour player Ron Castanzio (USA) and after this 1-3 defeat, I could operate my buy in. In the next round the draw made me play my revenge against Ron Castanzio. After some stupid mistakes, I was trailing 0-2 again, but this time, I had a come-back. After more than 4 hours playing time, at 4:35 a.m., I pocketed the match point to win 3-2. My reward was a match a few hours later against Shannon Daulton (USA). Daulton, who is not only considered by me as one of the best One Pocket players in the world, was stunned, because I played One Pocket as in an educational video tape. Alone the first leg lasted for more than 90 minutes and was a fierce tactical battle. I won the second leg after a perfect entry shot by pocketing all 8 balls in a row and the big surprise was about to happen. In leg three, I ought to have finished the match, when I had ball in hand in the head field, but then, my lack of experience in this discipline became evident. I missed and lost the leg. Leg four was somehow a copy of the second leg. I ran out the 8 balls and surprisingly upset Daulton, who lost his first match. Now, I was in round 9 and among the best 17 players. My next opponent was Ryan Stone (USA). But I had ran empty my batteries and my game was all but inspired. My opponent played very well and clever and losing 0-3, I finished, together with Thorsten Hohmann and five more players, on a shared 10th rank.


Matchball

While the third Master Of The Table discipline 9-Ball had started, we also had to play the final round of the 14-1 competition. In normal tournament format, I now played second seeded Fabio Petroni in a single race to 150 points. After eight hours of permanent playing One Pocket and 9-Ball, I needed a break before this quarter-final. But a fire alarm broke out and all hotel guests had to evacuate the premises. After an hour waiting and standing around, the alarm was cancelled and the tournament resumed. Now, during my match against Petroni, I was not able anymore to focus on my game and felt very tired. I lost, playing not well at all, 40-150.

In the final, Darren Appleton upset Niels Feijen 150-98.

In the 9-ball competition, I already had played and won my first match against Paul Song (Atlanta, USA) 7-3. In round two, the draw made us play for the second time and the result was exactly the same. While my game had seen ups and downs the previous day, I started well into the day and won my match on high scores. In round three, my opponent was Randy Morris (USA), who happened to be too nervous to become a threat. I won 7-0 and had the match under full control. The next day, I had to play the US player Demetrius Jelatis and I had a hard time. I played a few bad positions and was trailing 1-4. Then, I woke up and finally started to play billiards, winning the match 7-4. In round 5, I was opposed to Larry Nevel (USA), whom I had already played at the US Open. Nevel, who might have been distracted by his upcoming One Pocket Match against Bustamante (PHI), made a few mistakes and let me take a 5-0 lead. Then, I made a mistake when playing on the 7 ball and Nevel came back to 2-5. I finally won 7-2, the same result than in my next match against Brian White (USA).

On the last tournament day, I played in round 7 against Louis Ulrich (USA). I played very well and won 7-0. Now, it came to the clash against the currently perhaps best player in the world, US Open champion Shane Van Boening. When I won my fourth consecutive rack, there was no applause in the crowd and I found this somewhat strange. I continued my focussed play and finally deserved to win 7-1. I then met an old fellow, Mark Tadd (USA), against whom I had already back in 1991. At the beginning, I made a few mistakes due to a lack of concentration, but then I found my normal game strength and finally won 7-3.

In round 10, I was once more opposed to Shane Van Boening and the match was played on the TV table. However, the revenge did not take place. I also won this match 7-3 and had entered round 11 against Ryan Stone, who had beaten me in the One Pocket competition. Butt his time, I was the top ranked player and I fully assumed this role. I won with a solid performance 7-4 and entered round 12, where only 3 players remained without any defeat. I was lucky to draw the walk-through and so it came to another clash between Francisco Bustamante (PHI) and John Schmidt (USA), and the US player win 7-5 after already trailing 0-4.

Bustamante made his buy in and this time, he was the lucky man to walk through. So, in round 13, I had to play against John Schmidt. Both players committed a lot of mistakes, but I finally managed to win 7-6. Now, Schmidt made his buy-in, but the Philippine player was lucky again and had another walk-through in round 14. So, I played once more against John Schmidt and the result was almost the same. This time, I won 7-5 and had entered fort he third time the final in the 9 Ball competition of the Derby City Classic.

I really wanted to win this match and took a fast 2-0 lead. But a bad position in the third rack was the beginning of a solitary cruise of Bustamante. He won rack after rack and I returned only once to the table to play a safety shot. I lost 2-7 and now, I could operate my buy in. It was already 2:15 a.m. and my 9th match of the day. I tried to collect myself fort he last time and tried to push away my headache which lasted already for more than 6 hours. Bustamante was in an easy mood, since he had already won the World All Around title. He started where he had stopped earlier and I had a bad feeling about what was to come. In rack two, he had no position upon the break and had to play a Push Out. I made use of this opportunity and the match turned around. Just like Bustamante in the first match, I ran out a few tables and around 3:30 a.m., I had won 7-2 and my third title in 9 Ball at the Derby City Classic.

In the overall ranking, I finished third behind Francisco Bustamante and Gabe Owen (USA).  

YouTube video:
- last game
- award ceremony