The 2000 World Pool League
The Matches
Date
Time Match
Fri Nov 10 2.00 pm Ralf Souquet v
Radoslaw Babica
Niels Feijen
v Steve Knight
Jim Rempe v
Francisco Bustamante
Fri Nov 10 7.00 pm Niels Feijen v Radoslaw
Babica
Steve Knight
v Francisco Bustamante
Ralf Souquet
v Jim Rempe
Sat Nov 11 2.00 pm Francisco Bustamante v
Radoslaw Babica
Steve Knight
v Jim Rempe
Niels Feijen
v Ralf Souquet
Sat Nov 11 7.00 pm Steve Knight v Radoslaw Babica
Ralf Souquet
v Francisco Bustamante
Niels Feijen
v Jim Rempe
Sun Nov 12 2.00 pm Steve Knight v Ralf Souquet
Niels Feijen
v Francisco Bustamante
Jim Rempe v
Radoslaw Babica
| Final Ranking | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
| Ralf Souquet | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 29 | 21 | 8 |
| Jim Rempe | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 28 | 22 | 7 |
| Steve Knight | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 28 | 22 | 5 |
| Francisco Bustamante | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 27 | 4 |
| Radoslaw Babica | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 27 | 4 |
| Niels Feijen | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 19 | 31 | 2 |
Results
6 - 4
1 - 9
4 - 6
4 - 6
7 - 3
5 - 5
7 - 3
3 - 7
4 - 6
4 - 6
7 - 3
4 - 6
5 - 5
6 - 4
6 - 4
Sun Nov 12 8.00 pm Ralf Souquet - Francisco Bustamante 3 - 7
Jim Rempe -
Steve Knight5
- 7
Final (race to 7)
Steve Knight (Eng) 7 - 1 Francisco Bustamante
(Phi)
UK Number 1, Steve Knight, collected his first major international trophy
tonight here in Warsaw as he ran out a 7 - 1 winner over Filipino ace
Francisco Bustamante to take the Victor Chandler World Pool League. It was
a mammoth achievement for 27 year-old Knight who trousered a cheque for
US$12.000 and will surely see his international stock rise.
Coming off a draining semi-final win over Jim Rempe, it would not have
been a surprise to have seen Knight wilt under the pressure of a sold out
500 seat arena. However, just 40 minutes later he was lofting aside the
trophy after brushing aside the challenge of the fearsome Filipino.
Operating on a winner breaks basis, Knight raced ahead and once again any
chances Bustamante had were squandered. Many of the racks were tight and
Steve had to work hard to keep control of the cue ball. Eventually,
though, after some tense moments he pushed in an 8 - 9 combo to seal
victory.
" That was my first televised title and I am absolutely over the
moon. You could say that it was out of my hands to get to get through to
the last four so I was delighted when I got that far.
" In the semi-final I was really feeling the heat against Jim but I
got a chance to get going near the end and I did and I won. In the final I
felt a lot more relaxed; I felt I'd already ahchieved something amazing by
coming back against Rempe in the semi, but anyone who watched the
final would have seen that it went my way rather than Francisco's. I took
my chances, though, and got the job done.
" I felt I had a chance to win my first major title in the Masters in
August, but Souquet did me but now I've proved that I can win big titles
against big-name players. The next big one is the Mosconi Cup next month
and, belive me, I am really up for it."
Bustamante takes home the runners-up cheque for US$7.000.
More Info On: www.matchroomsport.com