World 10-Ball lures toughest cast of players

MANILA, Philippines - The second World Ten-Ball Championship will feature 118 players from over 40 countries when it is held Nov. 25-30 in Manila, making it the biggest gathering of the world’s top pool players.

“It’s going to be the toughest tournament of the year,” said Yen Makabenta, chairman of Raya Sports, the organizer of the WTBC. “All the top players are competing, every major pool powerhouse in the world has a contingent, and all national and regional champions will be here.”

To complete the main draw of 128 players, the remaining 10 spots will be contested by over 130 players in the WTBC qualifiers slated Nov. 19-23 at the Star Billiards Center in Quezon City.  

Unlike last year, this year’s event will be an all-male affair with the female players having their own world 10-ball championship.

Leading the cast in next week’s blue-ribbon event are reigning world 10-ball champion Darren Appleton of Great Britain, current world No.1 Ralf Souquet of Germany, and newly crowned US Open champion and leading 2009 money winner Mika Immonen of Finland.

But a host of others will be out to foil their bid in the event offering a total prize money of $262,000, including ace players from Great Britain, Germany, the United States, Chinese-Taipei and the Philippines.

Aside from Appleton, Great Britain also boasts of 2007 world 9-ball champion Daryl Peach, Imran Majid, Scott Higgins, Craig Osborne, Karl Boyes, Jonni Fulcher, Ricardo Jones, Phil Burford and Chris Melling.

Souquet, 2008 world 8-ball champion and World Games gold medalist, leads the nine-man German contingent that includes former world champions Thorsten Hohmann and Oliver Ortmann, Thomas Engert, Marko Vogel, Christoph Reintjes, Ralf Mund, Klaus Zobrekis and Benjamin Heimmerer.