Immonen, Ouschan Named USBMA Players of the Year

Immonen, Ouschan Named USBMA Players of the Year

Finnish-born Mika Immonen, who won his second consescutive U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship title, the world 10-ball crown and the International Challenge of Champions, was the unanimous choice for male Player of the Year in voting conducted by the United States Billiard Media Association, the USBMA announced today. Immonen, 37, was named
on all 21 ballots turned in by members of the media group.

Jasmin Ouschan, of Austria, who won half of the Women’s Professional Billiard Association’s six Classic Tour events, was the USBMA’s choice
for woman Player of the Year. Immonen, who resides in New York City, enjoyed his best year ever as a pro, adding the Galveston World Classic 10-ball title and Qatar Open title to his 2009 haul. Overall, Immonen won five of the seven events that featured a top prize of more than $20,000. His 2009 winnings topped $230,000.

Immonen and Ouschan have been named the USBMA 2009 Player of the Year.

Meanwhile, Ouschan made her mark by winning the WPBA Great Lakes Classic, the WPBA Pacific Coast Classic and the WPBA Tour Championship. She also placed third in the women’s world 10-ball event and second to Allison Fisher at the World Games. Despite finishing second to Korea’s Ga Young Kim in the WPBA year-end points standings for 2009 (26,500 to 26,000), Ouschan picked up 12 votes for player of the year. Kim received four votes, while Karen Corr received two votes.

Free Download of January 2010 Issue of Billiards Magazine

January 2010 Issue of Inside POOL Magazine Available for Free Download

Jasmin Ouschan Wins WPBA Tour Championships

The January issue of Inside POOL Magazine, which again features Jasmin Ouschan on the cover, has been made available for free download at InsidePOOLmag.com. This month the download features new technology in online billiards magazine viewing such as enhanced clarity, full-screen videos, links to favorite web sites, flipping pages, zooming, emailing, sharing, and printing.

Ouschan on the cover of Inside POOL Magazine for January 2010 after winning the WPBA Tour Championship at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL.

Jasmin Ouschan graces the cover as she hoists her hardware from the WPBA Tour Championship at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL. Johnny Archer aces the Seminole Pro Tour Steve Mizerak event. Ruslan Chinakhov and Keng-Chun Lin snare the Junior World titles in Managua, Nicaragua. 16-year-old Sasha Lin claims the Women’s World Pool Championship in Shengyeng, China. Mika Immonen caps off his legendary year by claiming the World 10-Ball title in Manila, Philippines. Get pool lessons from Tom Simpson, Bob Henning and Matt Sherman. Learn trick shots from Jason Lynch. Receive the latest regional and world tour news.

Download the January 2010 issue of Inside POOL Magazine for Free

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About Inside POOL Magazine
Inside POOL Magazine launched in 2001 and, with pool player-based content and high impact photography, quickly became the largest magazine in the world for the sport of billiards. The official web site, InsidePOOLmag.com, followed shortly after and became one of the largest web sites in billiards. The web site features videos, image galleries, pool lessons, custom Pool Cue makers, online games, player profiles, tournament brackets, live streaming video, rules, product reviews, and the latest billiard news from around the world.

Webb Wins San Diego Billiards Event

Webb Scores San Diego Classic
Women’s Professional Billiard Tour San Diego Classic / Alpine, CA

By InsidePOOL Staff

Monica Webb won the Women’s Professional Billiard Tour’s (WPBA’s) San Diego Classic in the finals over Ga Young Kim, taking home her second first-place title in less than a year. The San Diego Classic was hosted by Viejas Casino in Alpine, CA, this past week.

In the semifinals, Webb earned an early lead over Jeanette Lee, though Lee did mark a game when Webb missed a key 2 ball. However, that was the only rack she was able to put under her belt. At 3-1 in her favor, Webb was able to pocket a 3-8 combo and run out from there, and some excellent safety play and a nice bank shot helped her to the hill. In the final rack, she pulled off a solid 5-9 combination to cement her place in the finals.

The second semifinal match between Kim and Gerda Hofstatter was more hotly contested. Kim took an early lead and never relinquished it. Though Hofstatter took the second rack, it was mainly Kim who shone in this match. Up 3-1, Kim watched as Hofstatter played an 8-9 combo to draw within a rack. However, after Hofstatter almost sank the 9 ball on her following break, Kim cleared the table to go up 4-2. Hofstatter answered with a solid bank on the 5 to run out and make it 4-3. Yet another combo on the 9 ball gave Kim the next rack, with Hofstatter replying by running out after Kim scratched on a 6-9 combo. Though Hofstatter broke and ran the next rack, Kim dealt one back to her by doing the same. In the final game, Kim was awarded ball in hand after Hofstatter scratched and cleared the table to advance to the finals.

Kim drew first blood in the final rack after Webb fouled, and she won the next game as well. Webb retaliated by capitalizing on an open shot after Kim attempted a jump, getting on the board. Things looked dismal for the Webb camp when Kim took the next two racks in a row, but Webb was unfazed, implementing two jump shots and a 3-8 combo to win the next rack. She scored the next two racks as well, tying the score at 4 apiece. Kim broke and ran the next rack, but Webb again was let back in after Kim missed the 7 ball in the next rack. When Kim came up dry on her next break, she cleared the table to reach the hill 6-5, and on her final break, she was able to dish up for the 7-5 victory and her second WPBA title.

Monica Webb won the WPBA’s San Diego Classic in the finals over Ga Young Kim, taking home her second first-place title in less than six months.

Results:
1st Monica Webb
2nd Ga Young Kim
3rd Jeanette Lee
Gerda Hofstatter
5th Kelly Fisher
Xiaoting Pan
Yu Ram Cha
Sarah Rousey
9th Kim Shaw
Helena Thornfeldt
Jennifer Chen
Tiffany Nelson-Crain
Karn Corr
Allison Fisher
Holly Sholes
Iris Ranola

Four Women Return in Billiard Event

Top Four Set to Square off in San Diego

Women’s Professional Billiard Association San Diego Classic / Alpine, CA

by InsidePOOL Staff

Saturday night’s matches have left only four standing at the Women’s Professional Billiard Association’s (WPBA’s) San Diego Classic to fight it out for top honors. The four-day event is hosted by the Viejas Casino in Alpine, CA, and will crown a winner Sunday.

Ga Young Kim recuperated from her second-round loss to Holly Sholes 9-7 to make a triumphant return to the final 16 in fine fashion. Once there, she decimated Iris Ranola 9-3 and then eliminated the WPBA’s former number-one player, Kelly Fisher, in a close match that ended in her favor 9-6. Kim will face off against Gerda “G-Force” Hofstatter.

Hofstatter is another who came back through the one-loss side—her first defeat came from Sarah Rousey, who bested her 9-4 in the third round. She returned to a hill-hill nail-biter with Allison Fisher, in which she advanced 9-8. From there she ousted Xiaoting Pan 9-5 and will play Kim in the semifinals.

Kim shot her way into the final four to join Webb, Lee, and Hofstatter.

In the other semifinal match, both contestants went undefeated through the field. After a 9-2 drubbing of Line Kjorsvik, Monica Webb eliminated Tifanny Nelson-Crain 9-4 in the final 16. Then, in the quarterfinals, she and Yu Ram Cha had a closely fought match that Webb won 9-7. Webb’s opponent in the semifinals will be Jeanette Lee.

After dealing blows to Tracie Hines, Tamara Rademakers, and Jennifer Chen, “The Black Widow” was faced with Kim Shaw in the final 16, whom she sent packing with a 9-7 victory. Then she eliminated Rousey by a stunning 9-2 margin in the quarterfinals.

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San Diego Classic Solidifies Final 16

WPBA San Diego Classic / Alpine, CA

by InsidePOOL Staff

The WPBA’s San Diego Classic has reached the final 16, single-elimination stage of their season’s first event. This tournament is being hosted by the Viejas Casino in Alpine, CA.

Defending champion Allison Fisher will be faced with Gerda Hofstatter in a featured Saturday evening match. Though she suffered a third-round loss to Sarah Rousey, Hofstatter fought back through the one-loss side, defeating Joanne Ashton 9-2, to return to the final 16.

Rousey will face off against Helena Thornfeldt, who lost a third-round, hill-hill match against Holly Sholes but eliminated Jasmin Ouschan 9-6 in the west side. Sholes will face off against Kelly Fisher in the next round after Fisher recovered from her second-round, hill-hill loss to Jennifer Chen.

Jeanette "The Black Widow" Lee is still going strong in th eSan Diego Classic.

Chen lost her next match to Jeanette Lee 9-5 but made a comeback to the final 16 after ousting Liz Ford 9-6. Her next match will be against Yu Ram Cha. Lee went unscathed through the winners’ bracket and will next play Kim Shaw.

After a forfeit to Iris Ranola earlier in the day, Karen Corr made a triumphant return to the event, besting Kim White 9-6. Her next match will be against Xiaoting Pan. Ranola will play Ga Young Kim, who was defeated 9-7 by Sholes and then rousted Vivian Villareal 9-2.

Monica Webb remains undefeated in the event and will face off against Tiffany Nelson-Crain in the next round. Nelson-Crain was sent west after her hill-hill battle against Allison Fisher, where she then bested Cristina De La Garza 9-2 to return to the final 16.

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