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Headstring News
Archer is the Champion of Champions
Aug 11, 2006, 10:27 AM
In the final of this year's winner-take-all $50,000 International Challenge of the Champions, the 2 ball created cartoon-like hijinks, running and hiding from competitors Thorsten Hohmann and Johnny Archer.
Archer eventually put that 2 ball in its place: the pocket, in the single-game tiebreaker, and ran out for the valuable victory.
Archer started the day on Thursday with a match against Marlon Manalo. Manalo took the first set, 5-3, but Archer fought back and won the second set, 5-1, to force a single-game tiebreaker. Archer had been in this same position on Wednesday when he won the lag and proceeded to break and run the tie-breaker rack to eliminate Alex Lely. Once again, Archer won the lag and went on to break and run the single rack to eliminate Manalo and earn Archer a spot in the finals.
Archer's opponent in the finals was IPT North American Open 8-Ball Champion Hohmann. Hohmann defeated defending champion Fong Pang Chao, 5-1 and 5-3, to earn his spot in the finals.
Hohmann came out strong in the finals against Archer and won the first set, 5-2. The next set was all-Archer as he came back and won the set, 5-1, to force yet another single game tie-breaker to determine the final winner.
Once again, Archer won the lag and made the 1 ball on the break, but the 2 ball began its hide-and-seek game. Archer could only see part of it, so he opted to push and Hohmann played him safe on the 2. Archer took an intentional foul on the, knowing that it was not playable even with ball in hand and Hohmann played another safe on the 2. Archer took on a tough shot that had him elevating his cue and trying to bank the 2 ball into a ball that was near a pocket but was not successful. Fortunately for him, Hohmann found himself dead hooked on the 2 after the balls stopped rolling. Hohmann failed to contact the 2 ball and Archer maneuvered his way through the final rack for the tournament win and $50,000 in prize money.
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