Japan Redeems: Heartbreaks & Triumph for Liu at Women's World 10-Ball Heats!

Aug 20, 2012

Taiwan's Shin Mei Liu had a soul testing 2 days at the Qualifiers for the World Championship in ManilaManila, Philippines- Japan finally ended it's dry streak of 3 qualifiers where none of its 8 members scoring a single spot into the Yalin Women's World 10-Ball Championship. In the final qualifier, both Kimura Maki and Junko Tsuchiya defeated their foreign foes to take the final 2 spots into the main stage of the World Championship. However there was one final sudden death qualifier held due to the unexpected cancellation of one of the main event's entrants. This proved to be the saving grace for one special player at the end of the late night.
The most dramatic moment of the World Championship so far took place in the final match between Japan's Tsuchiya and Taiwan's former 2x World Champion Shin Mei Liu. Liu had played in 3 qualifying heats already and lost in 2 finals. This was now her 3rd finals. Tsuchiya was the underdog but leapt to an amazing 5-0 lead in the race to 7 games. Even more incredibly, Liu broke and ran 6 consecutive racks to take the lead back 6-5. Somehow Tsuchiya managed to tie the match at 6-6 pushing it to a nailbiting final game. With needing only the final 3 balls on the table, Liu seemingly had it in the bag when she abruptly missed an easy 8-Ball. Looking doomed, Liu sat down while Tsuchiya seemed to have the case game when she made the 8-Ball and then left herself out of position on the 9-ball. She missed the 9-ball and a ray of hope came to Liu. Liu had no offensive shot, so she opted for a safety behind the 10-ball which was laying perfect for that shot. She made a great safety, but unexpectedly she accidentally made the 9-ball! Because she did not call the pocket intended, the inning ended and Tsuchiya was given another turn and she was left with a very easy 10-ball for the win. Heartbreak!
Liu had lost now in 3 finals, and in the last in an unfortunate spectacular fashion. But she had one last chance, to win the final one spot opened by the fortunes of fate from a no-show player. It was already midnite, and she had played since 10:00am. Somehow, she mustered the courage and energy that must come from her past experience as World Champion. Liu finally delivered the winning 10-Ball over Japan's Li Jia in the finals, Liu's fourth finals in 2 days.
"We really pitied her. She had the best record in the tournament and came so close three times. If she would've lost the fourth, I couldn't even imagine the pain she would feel", said Emille Soriano, sports analyst for ABS-CBN Sports, the event TV broadcaster.
"I'm really glad Shin Mei got it at the end. You can't help but root for her at that point. Liu also got the silver here in the 2009 World 10-Ball, so she has a good game and a shot. She definitely more than earned her spot this time", said Cindy Lee, CEO of Dragon Promotions.
The heats were open to any woman willing to take a shot at the world's biggest title in lady's billiards. Players from China, Japan, Taiwan, and Philippines will be the dominant forces in the Stage 1 field fighting their way into Stage 2 to become one of the elite 48 players of the Yalin Women's World 10-Ball Championship. The matches started yesterday in the qualifying heats to enter the star studded field of over 20 countries from Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Australia, and Asia.
The Dragon Promotions produced 4th Annual Yalin Women's World 10-Ball Championship is the most followed women's event of the year. In the host country of the Philippines, it is the biggest female sporting event of the country. The event is supported by Asian table mammoth Yalin Billiards, advanced cue engineer OB Cues, long lasting Championship Tour Edition Cloth, top playing Aramith Balls, and #1 TV network broadcaster ABS-CBN. This year's edition will take place August 20th-24th once again at Robinson's Galleria Mall, which has now become synonymous for creating the dynamic atmosphere of the coveted championship. Robinson's Galleria is connected to the host hotel Crowne Plaza Galleria. An elite 48 world class pros and international women superstars will attend the event to fight it out. With the one goal in mind: to become the World Champion of 10-Ball.
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The Yalin Women's World 10-Ball Championship is additionally sponsored by ABS-CBN Sports, Robinson's Galleria, Star Billiards, OB Cues, Championship Cloth, Aramith Balls, and Crowne Plaza Galleria Ortigas. With massive media and global networks covering the Yalin Women's World 10-Ball Championship, it will continue as still the biggest and most watched women's billiard event in the world.