Immonen Rises to Eminence at First Norwegian 9-Ball Challenge
The Norwegian 9-Ball Challenge, a first-time tournament, attracted several of the best players in the world including Tony Drago, Niels Feijen, Raj Hundal, Jasmin Ouschan and Marcus Chamat to Oslo, Norway, July 12-15. It was not surprising that two former World Pool Champions rose to the top, with Mika Immonen from Finland facing German Oliver Ortmann in the final. The pool powers that be were not on Ortmann’s side and Immonen was in top form, taking the title, 9-4.
The event took place at ElbowRoom, a posh poolroom in Oslo. The format divided the field into 16 groups in which a round-robin format was used. Almost half the field was dismissed by day three and a single-elimination format went into effect with the final 64.
Immonen took home $7,500 Euros for his efforts. Bronze medalists were Brian Beekers from Holland and Kurt Maflin from Norway.
Gene Nagy Dies at Age 59
Gene Nagy, legendary straight-pool player and longtime coach and mentor to many players including Jeanette Lee, passed away yesterday, July 13, at age 59.
Visitation will be held this Sunday, July 16, from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at:
Kearns Funeral Home
61-40 Woodhaven Blvd.
Rego Park, N.Y.
(718) 441-3300
Nagy died of emphysema and cancer of the lungs. He is survived by his aunt, Jean O’Brien, and many close friends and students.
Nagy was born Oct. 6, 1946 in New York. Before he became a highly respected pool player he was an accomplished musician. He started playing the trumpet at age 12 and attended the Juilliard School of Music at age 17.
Nagy didn’t start playing pool until he was 18 years old, and by the time he was 23, he was invited to his first professional tournament. His lifetime personal high run of 430 is topped officially only by Thomas Engert, Min-Wai Chin, and Willie Mosconi. He is also known for running 150 and out in the 1973 World Straight Pool Open against Allen Hopkins.
Luther Lassiter was quoted as saying of Nagy, “That man was born to play this game.”
Willie Mosconi commented on Nagy’s style, saying, “It was the finest I had ever seen balls taken from the table.”
By the late 1970s, Nagy had retired from competition, but continued to teach and mentor young players. Jeanette Lee, famous the world over as “The Black Widow” was one of his best students, and considered him a father.
Lee said of Nagy:
“Everything I know, I learned from him. He was my coach, my mentor, my friend, my father, my everything. Particularly for the first five years or so, when I first started playing pool.”
Lee met Nagy when she was 19, through her then boyfriend, at a New York poolhall.
“From really that day on, he played me everyday of my life until I moved away. The poolroom opened at 11 a.m., we got there at 10, had coffee, and played until they closed at 11 at night. He never kept score. He really taught me the love of the game to always stay a student.”
Lee credits all of her ability to Gene, as well as her character. She says that he taught humility by example. When she hit her first high run of 122, the very next inning, he ran 238.
“He’s the one who really gave me compassion and gave me humility. People probably wouldn’t call me that, but as a student of the game I am. What it came down to was, he just taught me to love pool for the love of the game, above and beyond any kind of competitiveness or materialism or glory you could take from it. That’s where my willingness to want to give back to this sport and do things for the growth of the game itself, comes from.”
Lee also dedicated her 2001 book, “The Black Widow’s Guide to Killer Pool” to Nagy.
“Yikes!” or “Whew…”: IPT North American Groupings Announced
“Yikes!” or “Whew…”: IPT North American Groupings Announced
Jul 14, 2006, 9:44 AM
Several top pool pros won’t be sleeping too soundly for the next week, now that they know the identities of their opponents in the first round of the International Pool Tour’s North American 8-Ball Open Championship.
Among those who might have trouble catching some “zees” are Karen Corr, Cory Deuel, Charles “Hillbilly” Bryant, and Kim Davenport. On the other hand, Allison Fisher and 13-year-old Austin Murphy look to be pretty well rested.
The $2 million, 200-player event — with a $350,000 first-place prize — kicks off Sunday, July 23, at the Venetian in Las Vegas, Nev.
The IPT announced the first-round groupings — composed of 40 sets of five players each — on Thursday. After round-robin play, the top three finishers in each group will proceed to the next round. Eliminated players from the first round will each receive $2,000.
The complete list of groupings is available at the IPT Web site: www.internationalpooltour.com.
However, we’ll point out a few of the more remarkable first-round matchups to get the inevitable debate and buzz started. In no particular order:
Group 20 — International Incident
A big-time pro is going home with $2,000 — and the lonely, agonizing plane ride could be transcontinental. The round’s toughest group is topped by former world 9-ball champions Mika Immonen (Finland) and Oliver Ortmann (Germany). They’re closely followed by tough-as-nails American Charles “Hillbilly” Bryant and the wily Gandy Valle from the Philippines. If “Gentleman” Jim Raney (USA) can make it out of this group, he deserves a $10,000 bonus.
Group 14 — Cakewalk
It’s dangerous to call any group a “gimme,” because there are so many relatively unknown international players in the IPT. You can bet there will be several surprises along the way. But Brit snooker and 9-ball ace Allison Fisher looks like a lock to get past group 14, populated by middling and/or obscure players Grady Matthews (USA), Andreja Klasovic (Serbia/Montenegro), Marko Lohtander (Finland), and Jeff Abernathy (USA).
Group 32 — Dogfight of the Sleepers
Fans might not know all these names, but one or two of these guys are sure to be around late in the event. The group features rough road player Steve Moore (USA), 2006 Derby City Master of the Table winner Jason Miller (USA), resurgent 9-ball pro Kim Davenport (USA), and Canadian aces Paul Potier and Tyler Edey.
Group 18 — Bloodbath
A top player is going to go down here. This one looks like the semifinals roster from a Reno Open, with multitalented Shannon Daulton (USA) facing off against Canadian stalwart (and, coincidentally, 2005 Reno Open winner) Ronnie Wiseman, former BD Player of the Year Cory Deuel (USA), Chicago 8-ball machine Ike Runnels, and sneaky veteran Pete Fusco (USA).
Group 2 — No Rest for the Invader
Ireland’s Karen Corr will have her work cut out for her against Holland’s top pro Niels Feijen, China’s no-nonsense Wei-Liu, underrated 8-baller Greg Hogue (USA) and Hall-of-Famer Ray Martin. But Corr went 4-1 in the first round of December’s IPT King of the Hill event, so look for her to pass with honors.
Group 5 — Let’s go, Austin!
Okay, we’re (unofficially) rooting for 13-year-old Austin Murphy, who is no slouch, by the way. He just won his second consecutive title at the BCA Junior Nationals, and he can hold his own against the big guys. He has an excellent chance to get out of his first-round group, where he will face Danny Basavich (USA), Hall-of-Famer Ewa Laurance (USA), and little-known qualifiers Sam Monday (USA) and Anthony Ginn (England).
Black Widow to Host ESPY Red Carpet Special
In a big step toward a potential career as a broadcaster and TV personality, billiard superstar Jeanette Lee will co-host the “2006 ESPY Awards Red Carpet Special,” airing at 8 p.m. EST, Sunday, July 16, on the ESPN2 network.
Lee will join ESPN sports anchor Stuart Scott on the proverbial red carpet and greet sports and entertainment luminaries as they enter the annual ESPY Awards, created and aired by sports broadcasting juggernaut ESPN.
“I’m very excited — I’m almost more excited about the gift bag,” 35-year-old Lee joked about the pricy swag showered on ESPY hosts.
Lee has expressed an interest in branching into broadcasting, and she received training for the ESPYs gig from top ESPN on-air coaches. The one-hour “Red Carpet” special “is a really good breakout,” she said, both for her resume and for bringing billiards more toward the mainstream.
The “2006 ESPY Awards” will follow the “Red Carpet Special” on ESPN at 9 p.m. EST.
Lovely Day for First-time Junior Nationals Winner
The 2006 Billiard Congress of America Junior Nationals would’ve been a re-run of last year if it weren’t for the debut of Elizabeth Lovely, who dethroned the defending champion in her division to join the three other defending champions in the winners’ circle.
The 9-ball event brought 94 of the nation’s brightest young pool players to Tucson, Ariz., where they competed in divisions of 14 and under and 19 and under.
In the 14 and Under Girls division, Lovely of Centerville, Ohio faced defending champion Chelsea Hardwick from Evansville, Ind. in the final. Both players felt the pressure to perform and the match was marred by nerves. Lovely took an early 2-0 lead, but Hardwick came back to take the lead at 3-2. That third game would be the last that Hardwick won as Lovely took the next three racks for the 5-3 victory and her first Junior Nationals title.
At age 13, Austin Murphy from Folson, Calif. has accolades well beyond his years including the 2005 Junior Nationals title and a spot on the International Pool Tour. Now he can add two-time winner of the Jr. Nationals, defending his title In the 14 and under Boy’s division. Murphy cruised through the winners’ side to meet Ryan Dunn from Hillsboro, Tenn. in the final. Murphy was cool and confident, controlling the table to the tune of a quick 4-0 lead. It was looking bleak for Dunn until Murphy finally made a mistake in the fifth rack and Dunn capitalized, getting on the scoreboard, 4-1. Murphy continued to commit uncharacteristic errors and Dunn caught up 5-5. He had the chance to sprint ahead and get to the hill first, but Dunn missed a 2-9 combo with the crowd on the edge of its seat. Murphy came back and ran the table to make the score 6-5. Dunn had another opportunity to reach the hill in rack 12, running his way through some difficult shots but a miss on the 6 marked his end as Murphy ran the last three balls to defend his 14 & Under Boys Title.
While both 14 & Under Division Matches were close until the end, the 19 & Under Division Matches were very one sided. The 19 and Under Girls division saw defending champion Anna Kostanian from Albuquerque, N.M. take on 2004 Champion Mary Rakin from Daly City, Calif. The competition looked even at first, with the score tied at 1-1, but Kostanian commanded the table and pounced on every miss from Rakin on her way to a 6-1 lead in the race-to-7 match. Rakin saw a short reprieve in the eighth rack as Kostanian missed the case 9-ball, but the match end after a Konstanian won a short safety battle and ran out for the 7-2 win.
In his 18 years, Justin Bergman of Fairview, Ill. has become a force to be reckoned with by players of any age. As defending champion of the Boys 19 and Under division, it didn’t look like he was going to allow Chad Palmer of Battle Creek, Mich., to come even one game closer to his title in the final. Bergman’s game was near flawless as he cruised to an 8-0 lead and kept Palmer grounded in his chair for the majority of the match. Palmer put together a nice runout in game 9 after a Bergman miss but a foul on the one ball in game 10 would be his end as Bergman confidently ran out the final rack for the 9-1 win.
BCA Junior Nationals Brings 97 Players to Arizona
The 2006 BCA Junior Nationals got under way on July 5 at the University of Arizona student union with a total of 97 hopefuls in four divisions.
The 18 & Under Boys Division has wooed back last year’s winner, 18-year-old Justin Bergman, who also won in 2003. In his last year of eligibility, he hopes to take home his third title with a repeat performance. Last year’s third-place finisher, Kevin Peterson, is anxious to decorate his trophy stand, however. He and Bergman will face off today, July 6.
There is also an impeachment campaign for the returning champion in the 14 & Under Boys Division. International Pool Tour player Austin Murphy, 13, is back and so is last year’s runner up Landon Shuffett. Shuffett dropped a match on Wednesday, but Murphy has dominated all of his matches so far in the event.
The 18 & Under Girls Division has a field of six players. Anna Kostanian won in 2005, after two years of runner-up finishes. She looked to be en route to a second straight title on the first day of play, going undefeated. The 2004 champion, Mary Rakin will serve as the last line of defense in their hot-seat match today.
The 14 & Under Girls Division also has a returning champion as Chelsea Hardwick looks for another title win in her division.
Corr Defends Title in Florida
Karen Corr was beaming upon winning her second consecutive Cuetec Cues Florida Classic, the fourth stop on the 2006 Women’s Professional Billiards Classic Tour held at the Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Fla. She defeated Allison Fisher in the final by a score of 7-4.
Corr came through the bracket unscathed, with wins over Liz Ford, 9-3, Dawn Hopkins, 9-2, Tracie Hines, 9-5, and Sarah Ellerby, 9-2, to land in the top 16. At that point, the format switched to single elimination and the players drew an opponent at random. Corr was matched with Gerda Hoftstatter, who she beat 9-4, to land in the semifinal against Jeanette Lee, while Fisher faced Monica Webb after a solid win over Tiffany Nelson, 9-4.
In the match against Lee, Corr pulled ahead 6-2, but Lee’s focus would not falter. She came back, 6-5, at which point Corr showed concern, but swiped back control for the 7-5 win.
In the other semifinal match, Webb was visibly frustrated by some bad rolls and soon fell behind in the match. She would have to settle for tied-for-third place, as Fisher won it, 7-3, to stage the ever-familiar face-off of the No. 1 and No. 2-ranked WPBA players.
As always, it was an intense match and both players often found themselves playing safe, but Corr came out on top, 7-4.
WPBA Florida Classic Starts Tomorrow
The Women’s Professional Billiard Association’s fourth stop on the Classic Tour, the Cuetec Cues Florida Open, begins tomorrow, June 29, at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla.
Last year No. 2-ranked Karen Corr defeated No. 1-ranked Allison Fisher, as well as Monica Webb and Ga-Young Kim to win her first title in 2005. Check out http://www.wpba.com/, which will have regular result updates, to see if she can defend her title.
Diliberto Goes Down in Boxing History
On Aug. 11, 2006, Danny Diliberto, famed professional pool player, will be inducted into the hall of fame for his other love: boxing. Under the training of the great Angelo Dundee, Diliberto’s career consisted of 14 wins, one draw, and no losses.
The organization recognizing Diliberto is called the New York Boxing Association, and will be inducting him into the Buffalo Boxing Hall of Fame. “This Hall of Fame is intended to honor the many western New York boxing legends,” said Jack Green, president of the New York Boxing Association and chairman of the selection committee. Former inductees include Monsignor Fanklin Kelliher, honored for vital role of boxing in the physical fitness program at his home for troubled boys, and George “Big Boy” Brackey, a heavyweight fighter who was active from 1934-1946.
Buddy Hall Makes Way For Understudy in IPT’s First Event
The International Pool Tour announced today that Hall-of-Famer Buddy Hall has withdrawn from the IPT North American 8-Ball Open Championship to be held July 27-30 at The Venetian-Las Vegas. Hall expressed regret for his withdrawal, citing personal reasons: “At this time, I will not physically be able to play the length of time needed to be competitive at the Venetian. I am getting better everyday, and I am very thankful for the IPT, and looking forward to my return at the next tournament!”
Hungarian Vilmos Foldes was chosen to fill Mr. Hall’s vacancy due to his two third-place finishes in the 2006 IPT Tour Card qualifying tournaments. Foldes will have the opportunity to earn points toward attaining a 2007 IPT Tour Card and was thrilled by the news. “I have dreamed of this day for pool and for me. I am very happy to be invited by Kevin [Trudeau] and Deno [Andrews]. I now will tell my father the good news,” he said.
Hall anticipates he’ll be ready to play by the next event, the IPT World 8-Ball Open Championship, which will be held Sept. 2-10 at the Hilton in Reno, Nevada.
The North American Open will consist of 200 players: 150 IPT Members and 50 players who qualify through 25 qualification events throughout North America and abroad. Qualification Tournament details for open tournaments, including dates and locations are listed on www.internationalpooltour.com.