-It’s rack your own.

Game 1: Souquet breaks clean with controlled cue ball and pockets 2 balls. Table is clean and open but he bumped the 2 while pocketing one and plays saftey with cue ball behind 6.

Corteza pulls “cue behind your back, leaning backward with one foot balance” kick but table is relatively open… Souquet lets Corteza back to the table failing to pocket the 2. Corteza makes it look easy and is first on the board.

1-0 Corteza
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Game 2: Souquet and Corteza are exchanging safety battles and couple of missed opportunities. Both players seem a little nervous… Souquet over draws to get a shape on 4 ball which is on foot rail and sinks cue ball into the corner pocket. Ball in hand for Corteza and he should be fine from 7-10.
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Keep reading the reports by clicking the ‘more’ link below………
2-1 Corteza.

Game 3: Souquet runs out methodically and catches up 2-1 Corteza.
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Game 4:

Sorry, I got distracted and didn’t see what happened at break, but Corteza is running out but misses 7. Souquet calmly runs out last 4 balls to tie the score at 2-2.
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Game 5: Souquet pockets a ball on the break. Running out and shooting straight.

3-2 Souquet
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Corteza picks up game 6, score is tied at 3-3
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Game 7: Corteza breaks dry, but not a clean shot at 1. Upon careful selection, Souquet pushes out and Corteza hides the cue ball behind 2 and leaving 1 7 foot away. Souquest misses 2 rail kick and Corteza is gifted with a ball in hand. Quickly lines up 1/10 and leads 4-3.
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Game 8: Another dry yet safe break…and Souquet pushes out again. Corteza makes a combo but hooks him self for leave. Now Ralf with ball in hand.. wow, I turned my head to order a beer and Corteza is back on the table running out! 5-3 Corteza.
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Can you believe it? another dry break for Corteza, except Souquet has an open shot at one. 7 and 8 looks to be a problem, but in attempt to break it out after shooting the 4, Souquet only makes it nastier! 7 ball did give him problem and Corteza is back on the table with 4 balls… Another game to Corteza. 6-3 Corteza
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Corteza is stunned, just starring at the table after he comes up with another dry break on game 10.

Souquet combos 1/6 and the 6 ball stops short at the pocket for 2 seconds and barely falls in. Tries to safe the 1, but it’s clearly visible and makable. It’s 2 ball that give him the trouble and Ralf is back on the table and looking determined to run out this time and he does.

6-4 Corteza
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Corteza picks up game 12 leading 7-4 and makes a ball on the break and pumps his fists but misses 1 and lets Ralf on the table. It looks pretty much of connect the dots from this end.
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Wow, Ralf misses pretty simple cut on 3 and gives up the table. Right now, I can count for only 1 break and run. I think they should be loose by now but then again, they are playing 1 race to $10,000.

Corteza runs out and score is 8-4 Corteza.
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Game 13: Dry break and I am going on potty break    So did the players.
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Sorry, connectivity problem.

8-6 Corteza
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Corteza makes a smooth run and leads 9-6.
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Game 16: Corteza pockets 8 ball on the break and on the way to clear the rack but the 3 ball didn’t let him. Ralf banks 3 and clips 10 which helped it into the pocket. 5 to 6 is a little tricky so Ralf is pacing around the table and comes to the short side for leave. With 6 gone 3 balls remainin to close out the game and he does

9-7 Corteza
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Corteza looking pretty comfortable running out the next game and finishes early with carom from 5 to 10. Score is 10-7 Corteza.
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Sorry, I keep loosing connection…

It’s 12-9 Corteza and Ralf is on the table and shot a safety for 1. Cut ball is completely barried behind the 7 ball and Corteza kicks 2 rails and fails to make a contact. Ralf with a ball in hand carefully maps out the table for a run walking from this end to the next. Ralf starts with 1 ball and carefully runs out the rack, earning a clap or two. Came up funny on 6 and is facing an extreme cut to side and barely misses. Once again giving the table to Corteza with last few balls. This must be boosting Corteza tremendously…he runs out and the score is 13 to 9 Corteza.
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Corteza pockets a ball on his break and is rewarded with an open shot to 1but ops for a safety. Overall look of table is nasty… 5/9 is tied up and so is 2/6. Ralf tries to thin the one but completely misses and giving Corteza ball in hand. Looks like Corteza tried to break the 2/6 with the cue ball in hand, but misses the break out and is forced to play another safe. Starring at an open 2 ball for few minutes, Ralf fires it into the pocket, but alas, gets the cue ball barried behind the problemetic 5/9 cluster. Ralf kick out with an extreme reverse to cut the angle and contacts with a safe result. 3 ball is now in open but 6 ball blocks it’s pocket but Ralf caroms it with an ease!
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Still wondering what Ralf would do wth 5/9 cluster… tried for a safety, but not this time… once again, corteza back on the table with last 4 balls to win the game. 14-9 Corteza.

Ralf looks calm but I can see a bit of fluster on his color and looking down on the floor.
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Corteza breaks for the win and almost made the 10 in the corner…

Even though a ball was pocketed, 1 ball is hiding behind the 4. Corteza pushes but cue ball is behind the 9. Ralf gives back the turn to Corteza and but after not being able to make anything happen other than a good hit on 1 Ralf is back on the table. Table is wide open with no problem with the layout. Ralf shoots combo for 7-10.

14-10 Corteza.
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Ralf pounds the break but nothing on the break. 1 ball is haning in the pocket but 5 ball blocks it’s path and Corteza kicks 1 in… Misses 2 ball badly. Ralf takes charge and pockets 2, 3, 4…and finishes the rack to trail 14-11.
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Ralf breaks dry, open shot at one and no cluster… Corteza should be able to finish out the set here to win the 10G.

Ball by ball Corteza is nearing to win the First Fatboy 10 Ball Challenge at Derby City Classic.

But he misses 5 ball in the side which hits both picks and hides behind the 7. Ralf should be red hot! but not showing any emotions. Just circling the table looking for an opening…
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Ralf fails to execute the safety on 5 and Corteza easily pockets it. Only 6 balls with the DCC 09 Bank Champion!
Corteza is first Fatboy Challenge 10 Ball Champion!!!! 15-11

I enjoyed sweating the Souquet-Bustamante match with JoeyA and Lou Figeroa.

A dazzling shot played by Souquet against Bustamante was this one. Note that the four ball is frozen to the bottom rail. The position paths available are scarce and are filled with possible obstructions if missed even barely. The gist of the position was this, though I certainly don’t remember all the details. Finally, the speed control that was needed was particularly challenging:

Photos from the Fatboy 10-Ball 20k Challenge HERE.

Mika is super solid as well, and plays with total confidence. He just overwhelms the balls and makes them do his bidding. He is in control of the table at all times. Francisco is the money man. You can sense his hunger to win. He just wants to mop you up if you’re his opponent. He pounces on every opportunity and makes you pay.

Lee Van is simply one more in the long line of filipino champions. He has a shot for every situation, and executes it to perfection. The filipino background in rotation equips them to handle anything that comes up on the table. They are not fazed by having to shoot an awkward combination or tricky billiard.

All are in the money now, guaranteed $2,500 each. Tomorrow the matches are worth another $2,500 minimum.
I had a quick bite with Fatboy after the matches. I told him I was going online, and he said to tell everyone hi.

I lost my first One Pocket match 3-2. All three of my matches have been 3-2. I played Bob M??? from Conneticut, an old friend of Lisciotti’s. He plays pretty good, and my game is pretty ragged. I feel like I suck. I’m so unhappy with my game. I need to practice but I never do.

I just got back to my room after watching the end of Souquet’s win over Reyes. Here’s a shot by Souquet that I found particularly impressive. It occurred while Souquet trailed early in the match and needed to make something happen. To clarify, the cut on the one was so thin that the scratch back across the table was an issue. Souquet cut it thin and played remakable three rail shape with inside english into a small position zone to get to the two, setting up a critical runout. I’m guessing at where most of the balls were, but the ones that mattered in this position were the one, the two and the three obstructing balls that made the position path so difficult to accomplish. Three different scratches had to be avoided on this shot, and if Souquet missed his position line long, he would have probably hooked himself.

Morra’s match with Van Corteza was an interesting one. This was a somewhat choppy match, and the Van Corteza that dismissed Van Boening easily on Saturday night wasn’t the one that showed up for thi match. When Van Corteza missed a relatively simple ten ball that would have made it 3-3, Morra hit him with three racks for a 6-2 lead. At 7-3, Van Corteza crapped in the ten ball to pull within 7-4, but at 7-5, Van Corteza made two errors, one of which left Morra a relatively easy carom chance to make the ten ball. When Morra hit it very poorly, the momentum of the match shifted dramatically, with Van Corteza grabbing a seemingly safe 12-8 lead. Surpirsing many onlookers, Morra fought the good fight to pull within 13-12, and he had an opportunity to tie it at 13-13 if he could execute a fairly tricky carom on the six ball, but he wasn’t up to it, and the miss sealed his fate, with Van Corteza advancing.

Stevie Moore 6  v Mika Immonen 15
Busta 15 v Appleton 3
Efren 9 v Souquet 15
Corteza 15  v Morra 12

From Sunnyday:  Souquet makes 4 balls off the break including the 10 ball, per rule 10spots back up and he runs our effortlessly. Final 4 tomorrow are Mika, Corteza, Busty and Souquet.Good nite everyone. My phone is out of juice.

Morra led 6-1 early on, later trailed  7-12.

$10,000 first. $5,000 second. $2,500 for 3rd & 4th.

That’s all for now…. will update more later.

Could be one to watch for the overall!

Darren Appleton over Rafael Martinez 15-11
Efren Reyes over Parica 15-11
Ralf Souquet over Marcus Chamat 15-12
Lee Van Corteza over Shane Van Boening 15-9
Francisco Bustamante over Hennesse 15-7
Mika Immonen over Hillbilly Charlie Bryant 15-11
Stevie Moore over Corey Duel 15-7
Morra over Dechaine 15-11
The eight winners play again tonite at Midnite. The brackets look just like what you see above. Ralf vs. Efren etc. Winners tonite are guaranteed $2,500.

Highlights last night – Francisco played a fantastic match, nearly flawless. Lee Van may have been the second most impressive (he’s got Shane’s number). Mika and Charley had a real battle, so did Darren and Rafael (who still makes the most spectacular shots of anyone). Jose and Efren match was also hard fought (still battling for supremacy after three decades+). Matches all lasted two and half hours or more. Ralf vs. Marcus the longest, over three and a half hours. Corey may have played the worst match, totally out of synch, miss miss miss.

Interesting, not one hill-hill match. 15-12 was the closest. They’ll be closer tonite, my prediction.

One final comment – Maybe the best display of pool talent in one room, all playing at the same time, ever assembled! The place was packed and they were hanging off the walls trying to see. I had trouble finding a seat.
~ Jay Helfert

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Email me at info@ this domain with any details or post it to that AZB forum thread.