Albin Ouschan of Austria in action against China's Li He Wen during their WPA World 9-Ball Championship quarter-final at Al Sadd Sports Club yesterday. PICTURE: Shaji

By Mikhil Bhat/Doha

Johann Chua’s dream run at the WPA World 9-Ball Championship came to an end even as yesterday’s 12-hour gruelling pool action weeded out 28 players at the Al Sadd Sports Club. The Filipino player lost 7-11 in the quarter-final to compatriot and fellow qualifier Elmer D Haya.

Chua was lucky to even get a spot at the event. The Filipino player had fallen short in last week’s qualifiers but with a player pulling out, he went against Japan’s Arita Hideaki in a race-to-5 playoff considering the two were tied in the qualifier point system. Chua made it to the second stage after winning that match 5-1.

Yesterday, however, compatriot Haya, who works as a house pro at a club in Abu Dhabi and had beaten world number four Lee Van Corteza in the first match of the second stage, ensured Chua found no relief whatsoever.

Haya’s semi-final opponent is Dutchman Neils Feijen, who dumped the last top ten player Carlo Biado out of the world championship. World number two Biado struggled with even the simplest of shots as Feijen completed a 11-7 victory.

American Shane van Boening lost his quarter-final to Taipei’s Chang Yu Lung 8-11. Yu Lung will go against Austria’s Albin Ouschan, who beat Li He Wen of China 11-8.

Earlier in the day, Qatar’s Waleed Majed impressed with his win over former world champion Darren Appleton 11-9 in the round of 32. However, his historic run was halted 8-11 in the round of 16 by Chua.

Majed created history of sorts by becoming the first Qatar player to make it to the round of 16 at the world championship. “I am hoping I am able to play even better in the future,” Majed said after the match.

Talking about the match, Majed said, “I wasn’t able break as well against Chua as I would have liked. In some cases I didn’t have a clear shot at the one ball and that created the problem.” Majed hopes to head to Dubai to participate in a tournament there soon.

Meanwhile, campaign of last year’s runner up Antonio Gabica also came to an end in the pre-quarters. While Gabica got past his Korean opponent Ryu Seung Woo in the afternoon, his evening round of 16 match against Ouschan went right down to the 21st frame.

With scores tied at 10-10, Gabica had a good chance of advancing considering it was his break. He even managed to pot three balls with his break but didn’t have a clear shot at the one ball with the five ball in between.

“I tried playing safe a couple of times after that and he (Ouschan) managed to finish it off. Luck was smiling at him today and I wasn’t able to win,” Gabica, who is based out of Qatar and works as a coach with the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation, said.

Gabica is ranked 15th in the world but did not play a tournament between last year’s final against eventual champion Thorsten Hohmann and this year’s edition. “But this year I am hoping to play a few other tournaments to get some much needed match practice. Let’s see how it goes,” he said.

Other players to fall yesterday were Austrian Mario He, Taipei’s Ko Pin Yi, 2005 world champion Wu Jiaqing and Nick van den Berg of the Netherlands.

Results

Quarter-finals: Chang Yu Lung (TPE) 11 - 8 Shane van Boening (USA); Elmer D Haya (PHL) 11 - 7 Johann Chua (PHL); Neils Feijen (NED) 11 - 7 Carlo Biado (PHL); Albin Ouschan (AUT) 11-8Li He Wen (CHN)

Round of 16: Elmer D. Haya (PHL) 11 - 8 Raymund Faraon (PHL); Johann Chua (PHL) 11 – 8 Waleed Majed (QAT); Neils Feijen (NED) 11 – 6 Mario He (AUT); Carlo Biado (PHL) 11 - 7 Ko Pin Yi (TPE); Chang Yu Lung (TPE) 11 -10 Wu Jiaqing (CHN); Shane Van Boening (USA) 11 - 5 Tohru Kuribayashi (JPN); Albin Ouschan (AUT) 11 -10 Antonio Gabica (PHL); Li He Wen (CHN) 11 - 7 Nick Van Den Berg (NED)

Round of 32: Wu Jiaqing (CHN) 11 - 10 Hsu Kai Lun (TPE); Chang Yu Lung (TPE) 11 - 6 Stephan Cohen (FRA); Shane Van Boening (USA) 11 – 4 Dang Jing Hu (CHN); Tohru Kuribayashi (JPN) 11 – 9 Nick Ekonomoupolos (GRE); Antonio Gabica (PHL) 11 - 6 Ryu Seung Woo (KOR); Albin Ouschan (AUT) 11 – 9 Roman Hybler (CZE); Li He Wen (CHN) 11 – 8 Mark Teutshcer (NED); Nick Van Den Berg (NED) 11 - 8 Ramiel Gallego (PHL); Raymund Faraon (PHL) 11 – 7 Wang Can (CHN); Elmer D. Haya (PHL) 11 – 8 Hijikata Hayato (JPN); Waleed Majed (QAT) 11 - 9 Darren Appleton (GBR); Johann Chua (PHL) 11 - 5 Konstantin Stepanov (RUS); Mario He (AUT) 11 - 10 Jeong Young Hwa (KOR); Neils Feijen (NED) 11 – 6 Radoslaw Babica (POL); Carlo Biado (PHL) 11 – 5 Jason Klatt (CAN); Ko Pin Yi (TPE) 11 – 10 Naoyuki Oi (JPN)