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Quarter Final - Saturday 20th July
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Francisco Bustamante (Phi) 11 - 8 Efren Reyes (Phi)
Ching-shun Yang (TPE) 11 - 2 Johnny Archer (USA)
Earl Strickland (USA) 11 - 3 Kunihiko Takahashi (Jap)
Takeshi Okumura (Jap) 11 - 5 Marcus Chamat (Swe)
The all-Filipino quarter-final clash on the TV Table today went the way of the highly-popular Francisco Bustamante as he came through in a tight struggle over Efren Reyes to take his place in tonight's first semi-final of the 2002 Hasseroder World Pool Championship. Despite the glorious sunshine, every seat was taken as the always knowledgeable CIA crowd settled down for what promised to be a high-quality feast of pool. For Bustamante it was his second match here after learning of the sad death of his baby daughter on Friday and the sympathy of the CIA crowd was always with him. Reyes drew first blood as he took the first two racks after a mistake from Busta but some quality shot-making enabled the Germany-based Francisco to level. Neither player managed to get away from the other as the racks went back and forth. At 8 - 7 ahead, Reyes, 48, managed to scratch and that was his last shot of the match. Bustamante took that rack and then broke and run the next three to rap up the match at 11 - 8 and secure a clash with Ching-shun Yang in the last four.
"I've played Efren a lot of times and it's always tough because on every shot you have to be so careful because one miss and you can be in trouble, said Django afterwards. "Today, though, his break didn't really work and he seemed to lose position a lot. Mine though was very good. It's different on the centre court table and I didn't break so hard at first but that didn't work so I went back to the hard break. "When Efren scratched at 8 - 7 I knew it was my last chance and I managed to clear up and make three break and runs for victory. "I've played Yang before; he beat me in the Japan Open about six or seven years ago. He's playing real good but I'm playing real good too. I practiced hard in the Philippines and played a lot of gambling matches. I've got a good chance tonight and I'm not scared of him at all. If I play my best I can win. "I've spoken to my wife and it is done now. I am going to play for my country and I hope I can win for the people in the Philippines."
Yang Class Continues
Ching-shun Yang of Taiwan is through to the semi-final of the2002 Hasseroder World Pool Championship after a very convincing 11 - 2 win over former two-time champion Johnny Archer of the USA. Yang has looked electrifying throughout the week but he will face his toughest test this evening on the TV Table when he faces a fired-up Francisco Bustamante for a place in Sunday evening's final. Yang lead 2 - 0 and then 4 -1 before Archer pulled it back to 4 - 2. Archer then missed on the 7-ball in the seventh rack and that was his last shot of the game. The 24 year-old from Kao Hsiung City, Taiwan, turned up the power to run out the next seven racks to take victory. We spoke to Yang directly after the match and asked how he felt after such a crushing win: "I was a bit nervous but as the game went on and it became easier, I felt quite smooth. "We both made mistakes. I was leading 4 - 1 and let him in to go 4 - 2 and then his error in the next rack was crucial. I have got Bustamante tonight and he is a strong opponent and I am very confident. "I understand that all my fellow countryman will be watching me tonight which will make me cautious but I am still aiming to do my best. "If I can win the Championship, it will be a great honour not only for me but for the whole Chinese Taipei team. It will also help the sport of pool at home and hopefully make it as strong as other sports. "It's my third time at Cardiff and I've reached the last sixteen both times before so I will value the opportunity of playing in the semi-final. Knowing that lots of people will be watching me at home will be a real driving force to succeed."
Gentleman Earl Does It Again
Earl Strickland the 1990 and '91 Champion went through to the semi-finals of the 2002 Hasseroder World Pool Champion after a controversial encounter with another former champion Kunihiko Takahashi of Japan.
Earl took the match 11 - 3 in a match that was marred by an outburst against his opponent and continued back-chat to supporters in the stands. An incident occurred when Strickland was trailing 3 - 2 and had Takahashi in a snooker. The 1998 Champion went to get his jump cue out when Strickland, who is known for his detestation of that particular implement, starting talking to him and said, according to referee Nigel Rees, 'Be a man.'
Takahashi, then returned his jump cue to the case and attepted to extract himself from the snooker by going off the rails. He failed and Earl's ball-in-hand enabled him to clear. Between racks Earl was involved in some exchanges with members of the audience which appeared to be ill-tempered. In fairness to Strickland, his play was of the highest quality as the cleared the racks away with precision and ease and the game ball was delicious 5 / 9 combination across the table which drew the applause he it deserved. After the match Earl didn't hold back, "I changed my shaft last night and it's now a lot more comfortable, I'm a different player. "People don't respect me. When Efren Reyes plays in America the crowd applaud him and never heckle him, yet one of his countrymen told me to shut up. "Now, when I'm playing, only the referee can tell me to shut up. Maybe the crowd have been drinking too much but foreign players in the USA are shown respect and I know I'm a rebel but I don't deserve that. "I know that in the semi-final Yang will break from the side because he breaks well from the side. But I want a shot clock put on Okumura - he plays like the slowest guy in the world - he takes three hours to watch 60 Minutes - and he'll try to take me out but if I run up eight racks in a row there's nothing he can do.
On Takahashi's jump shot: "I did the first jump shot on TV, in 1983, but I unchained a monster. I never knew then they'd bring in all sorts of cues. I think it's disrespectful to use those rubber tipped cues, a guy like Reyes can do a great snooker and someone just jumps out of it."
Okumura Grinds It Out
1993 WPA World Champion Takeshi Okumura of Japan is through to the semi-finals after a drawn out 11 - 5 win over Sweden's Marcus Chamat. Chamat was a quarter-finalist here last year but the cagey veteran from Tokyo had to much for him and kept him away from the table for too long. Okumura will now face Earl Strickland in a race-to-eleven semi-final match that promises potential Earl fireworks after Strickland accused Okumura of being the slowest player in the tournament in an earlier TV interview.
Referee Michaela Tabb will have her work cut out as Strickland attempts to reach his first World Championship final in eleven years.
