The Future's Now

MAYBE IT was fitting that Ouschan's year ended with a highlight, because the start of 2009 was hardly a bright spot. At the back end of 2008, she was unable to compete in December's WPBA Tour Championships while she served a one-event suspension for an unexcused absence at the Pacific Coast Classic the previous month.

Instead of the WPBA's event in Oregon, Ouschan chose to compete in the concurrent (and mostly male) World 10-Ball Championship in the Philippines. Invited by the WPA, Ouschan applied for a waiver from the WPBA to play in the 10-ball event months before the impending scheduling conflict, but her request was denied.

Even after the suspension was levied, Ouschan (along with coach Michael Neumann) was often confused in her dealings with the WPA and WPBA. While the conversations spilled into January 2009, the affair grew into something of a dark cloud hanging over Ouschan.

"I felt a little left alone at that point, because nobody gave me clear answers," Ouschan said. "But it definitely motivated me for the season."

When the 2009 season began at April's San Diego Classic, Ouschan struggled to find a comfort zone. She was eliminated just before the single-elimination round, settling for 17th. But at the very next event, the Great Lakes Classic, while still jet-lagged from an Asian excursion for the Philippine and China Opens, Ouschan made a statement with a massive comeback in the first round of single-elimination. Trailing Pam Cimarelli, 8-4, just one 9 ball from ninth place, Ouschan took the next five racks to advance. From there, she dominated three of the tour's best - Kim, Karen Corr and Kelly Fisher - to secure her first title since the suspension.

After a pair of ninth-place finishes at the U.S. Open and Colorado Classic, Ouschan rediscovered her winning ways. She went undefeated at the Classic Tour's final two stops, locking up the titles with a pair of final-match victories over Xiaoting Pan.

Still, on the international front - with all five WPA-sanctioned events held in Asia - Ouschan failed to convert WPBA success into world titles. Outside of the Philippine Open (curiously included in the women's rankings despite only six female competitors), the four women-only events were won by four different players, all of whom reside predominantly in Asia (so excluding WPBA stars such as Pan and Kim). Ouschan posted a pair of strong showings (fifth at the China Open and third at the Women's World 10-Ball). But just weeks after her win at the WPBA Tour Championship, she stumbled at the Women's World 9-Ball Championship, crashing out in the first round ofknockout play with a 9-8 loss to China's 14-year-old Goa Meng.

"Asian and American tournaments are very different, because of the different equipment, the different mentality, the different food and all that sutff," she said. "I found my rhythm at the WPBA tournaments. ... I'll just keep trying new things. It's a matter of experience."

And once she finds that rhythm, watch out, because her high gear isn't in question. Ouschan was a perfect 9-0 for the year in Classic Tour quarterfinal, semifinal and final matches. Rather, she has to get comfortable as fast as possible, so she can get in position to make a late-round run to a title.

"This year, we had a lot of new experiences," she said. "I think it will be a good 2010 in Asia. I learned a lot this year."

And for next season, as the reigning Player of the Year, Ouschan again points to consistency - and the continued development of such - as the key to staying on top.

"We're all good at making balls; we're all good when it comes to position; the question is, when you're not in the flow, how well can you play?" she said. "That's something I really want to work on."

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