WPA Asian Nine-ball Tour explained

The WPA Asian Nine-ball Tour (also known as the Guinness Asian 9-Ball Tour or San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour for sponsorship reasons) was an annual series of nine-ball pool tournaments around East and Southeast Asia. The tour began in 2003, and is sanctioned by the World Pool-Billiard Association.

From 2003 to 2005, each leg had a field of 32 players and the total purse was US$50,000. In 2006, the number of players was reduced to 24 and total purse decreased to $40,000.

The winner in each leg of the tour receives a cash prize and points for the ranking for the yearly WPA World Nine-ball Championship.

San Miguel Beer and 188BET were the sponsor of the tournament prior to 2007, when this slot was taken over by Guinness.

Format

In each leg, the 24 players are divided into 8 groups having 3 players each. The players in a particular group play in round-robin where the one who's on top moves into the quarter finals.

From the group stages to the quarter finals, the matchers are race to 9. The semis and final matches are race to 11. Also in the semi-finals and finals, a player must win by at least 2 racks. This means he can 11–9. If the other player manages to makes 10-10, the match goes into extra racks, one of them will have to make 12-10 or 13–11 to win. The maximum extension is up to 13, so it is also a win for a player to score 13–12.

A shot clock of 45 seconds is used with one extension for each player per rack. Failing to shoot within the clock will fine the player US$50.

The "alternating " rule is enforced.

Starting in 2008, the final will be a race to 11 racks affair and the "at least 2 racks to win" rule has been scrapped.

Tournament results

San Miguel era

Year Location Winner Score Runner-up
2003 Yang Ching-shun 11-7 Warren Kiamco
Efren Reyes 11-2 Warren Kiamco
2004 Efren Reyes 11-4 Warren Kiamco
Efren Reyes 11-9 Chao Fong-pang
Yang Ching-shun 11-9 Hsia Hui-kai
Efren Reyes 12-10 Jeong Young Hwa
Lee Van Corteza 13-11 Francisco Bustamante
2005 Gandy Valle 11-9 Wu Jiaqing
(Jakarta) Efren Reyes 11-6 Yang Ching-shun
(Kaoshiung) Yang Ching-shun 11-3 Au Chi-wai
(Manila) Ronnie Alcano 11-6 Yang Ching-shun
2006 (Ho Chi Minh City) Efren Reyes 11-6 Li He-wen
(Bangkok) Ramil Gallego 11-8 Au Chi-wai
(Kaoshiung) Rodolfo Luat 11-7 Hsia Hui-kai
(Jakarta) Efren Reyes 11-6 Ricky Yang

Guinness era

Year Location Winner Score Runner-up
2007 (Jakarta) Chang Jung-lin 11-5
(Kaoshiung) Yang Ching-shun 11-6 Chao Fong-pang
(Genting Highlands) Chang Jung-lin 11-8 Dharminder Lilly
Yang Ching-shun 11-8 Ibrahim Bin Amir
(Shanghai) Yang Ching-shun 12-10 Ronnie Alcano
(Bali) Chang Jung-lin 11-8
2008 (Taipei) Chang Jung-lin 11-5 Joven Bustamante
(Penang) Chang Jung-lin 11-7 Wang Hung-hsiang
(Genting Highlands) Chang Jung-lin 11-6 Antonio Gabica
11-6 Dennis Orcollo
(Guangzhou) 11-9 http://www.gmanews.tv/story/121868/(Guinness-9-ball-Update)-Orcollo-wins-Guinness-9-ball-Guangzhou Wang Hung-hsiang
(Jakarta) Yang Ching-shun 11-9 Wu Jiaqing

Trivia

External links