Sunday, April 27, 2008 Soquet beats Alcano for world 8-ball title
GERMANY’s Ralf Souquet foiled Ronnie Alcano’s bid of becoming the first cue artist in 17 years to defend a world title when he beat the former double world champion in their final showdown of the World 8-Ball Championship in United Arab Emirates.
Souquet, who won the World 9-Ball in 1996, took advantage of two dry breaks by Alcano and quickly pulled ahead for a 3-0 lead and stretched it to five after rack 11 at 8-3.
Alcano, who got back on the table after Souquet’s dry break, managed to fight back at 5-8 before narrowing the deficit to 8-9.
Alcano broke and ran the next rack to get back within one rack, but Souquet answered with a break-and-run of his own for a two-rack cushion at 11-9.
Still, Alcano refused to give up and seemed on his way to coming within one until he missed his shot on the nine ball in the 21st frame.
Souquet ran out, and then broke and ran the next rack to seal the game at 13-9 and the $60,000 top purse. Alcano settled for $20,000.
It was also a fitting revenge for Soquet as he ended Alcano’s reign as world champion. The German lost the World Pool Championship 9-ball crown to Alcano in Manila in 2006.
With his recent victory, Souquet became just the fourth cue artist to have won both the World 9-ball and 8-ball titles.
Pool legend and 1999 WPC champion Efren “Bata” Reyes, who did not join this year’s event, was the first to do so after winning the inaugural 8-ball crown in 2004 before Taiwanese teen sensation Wu Chia-Ching achieved the feat in 2006. (NSM from PR)
