Hi folks!
It is Day One of the Predator WPA Men’s World 10-Ball Championship at the Rio in Las Vegas. There are 128 players, and we will go all the way down to One Champion!
The Ko Ping Chung vs. Skyler Woodward match is going on right now Mark White announced that it was a little late due to Chung having to get his break tip repaired. He was probably working on his breaks all day to ensure he would be ready for this match against Skyler Woodward.
Chung is on fire in this match! After Skyler won the roll, he got the table and scratched on the break, giving the table to Ko Ping Chung, making the score 1-0. Chung. Chung scratched on the second break but got the table back after Sky missed a shot on the 7, sending the table back to Chung. Ko Ping Chung has won the first three matches, with the fourth round going back and forth with offense /defense shots. Skyler won the 4th round, and now it seems like they are playing safeties trying to get the one-ball in a pocket or playing Snooker with the one ball.
This game is played a little differently than the Alfa Las Vegas Open Men’s 10 ball, where they changed the match format a bit and took out the sudden death after the second round of 4, so then it is 4, 4, then if each player wins a round, they go to another then the shoot out and if it goes to a sudden death round. Makes the game a little more exciting, I think. Predator announced on February 15 that this would be the new format.
In a Facebook post, Predator stated “New Format - PBS 2023
Applicable to the Alfa Las Vegas Open and upcoming Pro Billiard Series Events.
STAGE 1
▸ 2 sets, Race to 4 ▸ If the set score is tied at 1-1 after two sets, a shootout will
determine the winner.
STAGE 2
▸ 3 sets, Race to 4. A shootout will determine the winner if the set score is tied at 1-1 and the third set is tied at 3-3.” https://www.facebook.com/probilliardseries/posts/pfbid0puR242avpQAgZVZ7TVaCMgHY8a1eRP4b4csQ1pykaSf796tGZzCciVnLvyjfV8Tkl
In the WPA World Men’s 10-Ball, they are playing to eight. I don’t know if the cloth is a little different or what it seems like shots the players should be making; they are missing. Ko Ping Chung has his break down good except for the second round, but the rest of Chung's breaks have been good. Chung has a chance for an 8-10 combo and ran it a little too thin. Will Skyler make the eight? Yes, and now going for the 10, and the score is 3-2. With a time-out!
Mika Immonen is playing Duong Quoc Hoang and is up 5-1 at the moment. Looking at other scores for the day, Jeffrey De Luna is 5-0 against Andrew Kong Bu Hong, and Fedor Gorst is up 5-0 against Emil Andre Gangflot.
Returning to the game, the score is now 3-3 with the ball with Skyler. Skyler has a dry break turning the table over to Chung. Chung plays a safety shot. Chung makes a beautiful shot on the one ball. The table is pretty open now. The three ball goes down. Then the five and brings the cue ball back to hit the six, and now to the seven and the eight, the nine, and last but not least, the 10 taking the score to 4-3 Chung.
Looking at other scores, Mika Immonen is on the hill with Duong Quoc Hoang. Skyler scratches on a jump shot on the one ball. Giving the table back to Chung. Chung is rolling around the table, making beautiful shots. A 2-9 combo, then the two, and now a 3-8 combo! Just gliding through. Chung plays great safeties. Skyler just played a great safety on the three. And Chung scratches trying to bank on the three giving the table back to Skyler. I see that Skyler Woodward is playing with a piece of Taom V10! A little bit of pressure, and the score goes back to 4-4 with Skyler on the next break. While they are on a break, let's take a look at the scoreboard. Chung has the table and is playing beautifully, winning this game and taking the score to 5-4. It is Chung's break, and he makes the one ball. And he glides the two ball in slowly. Chung is going for the three-ball and he makes it. And now the five goes down. Then the six. A little pep in Chung's step as he sails the six in the hole and then the seven, eight, and nine, and brings the cue back to send the ten ball home! Beautiful, taking the score to 6-4. Ko Ping Chung is playing beautifully, opening his rack up, which will put him on the hill, but he misses the six giving the table back to Sky. If Sky is going to have a problem, it will be on the eight, but it goes straight down the rail and into the pocket. And Sky makes the rest of the shots taking the score to 6-5 still favoring Chung. Sky has a dry break giving the table to Chung. The table is set up like a drill almost. with three balls in a row and another three balls in a row, Chung is taking his time and making the pockets. What a great game to watch! With Chung on the hill, now 7-5!
They got a great human interest shot of Sky fist-bumping with his son Dax! Who was super excited to be watching his dad play pool!
Well, Chung leads with a dry break, and Sky knows that if he has any misses, it could cost him the game! Sky just missed the nine ball, and now the game goes to Ko Ping Chung! What a great match! Ko Ping Chung will go to the winner's side, and Sky must return on the one-loss side. Chung will play Edgie Geronimo tomorrow.
Jeffrey De Luna has won his match, Mika Immonen has won against Duong Quoc Hoang. And Fedor Gorst is 6-1 against Emil Andre Gangflot. Ko Pin Yi won his match earlier today against Ching Ting Tang with a score of 8-5. Ko pin Yi will play Petri Makkonen tomorrow. Shane Van Boening will be playing against Martin Daigle. I am seeing many names I am not familiar with. We have a lot of the regulars like Mario He, Aloysius Yapp, Sharik Sayed, Denis Grabe, Oscar Dominquez won against John Morra 8-3, and Eklent Kaci, who won his match 8-1. David Alcaide, FSR, Naoyuki Oi, Lian Han Toh won their matches, and Alex Pagulayan won his match against Wiktor Zielinski 8-1 today. Shane Wolford goes to the winners side also winning against Cedric Gonzales and will play Joshua Filler on Wednesday! The Tournament began with 128 players, and it will be exciting to see who the final 16 are! Joey Tate is playing right now against Satriadi and winning at the moment 6-5. Joey is putting up a good game with some great bank shots. But Satriadi is on the hill and about to send Tate to the one-loss side. Satriadi son the match 8-6. This was the last name of the night! It was a great Day One at the WPA World Men’s 10 Ball Championship! Onto Day Two!