|
ORTMANN UBER ALLES
by
Kirstin Pires
Thursday,
July 13,
7:35
PM CST
Capitalizing on a Bustamante
break gone bad, Oliver Ortmann sunk a neat billiard shot on the 2
- 9 to win the $50,000 Challenge of Champions in a one-game sudden
death finale. Ortmann
took the first of two race-to-five sets 5-4, then Bustamante came
back to win set two, 5-4, forcing the tie.
After winning the new lag by a hair, Bustamante attempted a soft
break, cautious after 3 scratches on the break. The balls moved
out sluggishly, and Ortmann took the table first sliding the 1 up
the rail, and then delighting a
standing-room-only crowd with the billiard on the 2 into the 9. Ortmann
now is now the first two time champion, and avenges last year's
loss at the hands of Bustamante. Oh, and he takes home the $50,000
check.
About this Tournament
The 10th version of the $50,000 International Challenge of
Champions got underway Wednesday at the Mohegan Sun Casino in
Uncasville, Conn. The annual ESPN-broadcast 9-ball contest will
test the nerves of eight players from around the world, among them
three previous Challenge winners.
Making the trip to the Indian casino tucked in the forested hills
of coastal Connecticut are defending Champion Francisco Bustamante,
Kiel, German; '98 Challenge winner Kun-Fang Lee, Taipei, Taiwan;
'97 Challenge winner and '99 runner-up Oliver Ortmann, Oberhaching,
Germany; Canadian ace Luc Salvas, Valleyfield, Quebec; dark horses
Fabio Petroni, Rome, Italy and Leon Hogg, Croyden Park, Australia;
and two world-class players who, along with Ortmann, hold the
dubious distinction of finishing second at this unforgiving event:
'92 runner-up Johnny Archer, Marietta, Ga., and '98 runner-up
Kunihiko Takahashi, Toyama, Japan.
But in the winner-take-all Challenge of Champions, second place
leaves with the same payday as last place. The short-race,
single-elimination format leaves no room for error, and with
alternating breaks, called 9 ball and a 30-second shot clock, the
players are under tremendous pressure to perform flawlessly.
The entire field will be travel-weary, as all but Lee (who
traveled from Taiwan) competed in the Cardiff, Wales World
Championship completed Sunday.
The first round of play is a race to 7; semi and final matches
will be two races to five, with a sudden death one-game
tie-breaker. The modified rules include alternating break,
30-second shot clock, 9 ball called, 9-on-the-break is spotted.
|
