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Niels Feijen Overcomes Challenge, Pockets $50,000
Aug 10, 2007, 12:45 PM

The International Challenge of Champions — held Aug. 8-9 at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn. — gathered eight of the world's greatest players in a winner-take-all, single elimination tournament. For Niels Feijen, that didn't seem like enough of pressure.

In the final, Feijen split two race-to-5 sets with Philippine national champion Lee Van Corteza to force a one-game sudden death playoff. Winning the lag, "The Terminator" took home the $50,000 purse without giving his opponent a chance at the table.

In the first round, Feijen bested U.S. Open champion John Schmidt, then breezed by Thorsten Hohmann to advance to the final. Van Corteza, meanwhile, beat Ralf Souquet before topping last year's champion, Johnny Archer.

In the final, Van Corteza looked all but unbeatable in the first set, easily taking it home, 5-1. Feijen, however, had no qualms with the odds stacked against him. He took the second set, 5-3, to force the sudden death playoff.

Calm and collected, Feijen ran out the $50,000 rack without much trouble, winning the International Challenge of Champions.