Crack World 10-Ball field plunges into action today

THE BIGGEST names in the game agree it’s going to be a wide-open race when the $250,000 (about P11 million) 2011 World 10-Ball championship gets off the ground at noon today at the World Trade Center.

With 128 of the globe’s best in the fold, the top guns predict a tight, exciting battle for the $60,000 champion’s prize in the six-day event.

Mika Immonen, the cool and calculating Finn, will defend the title he won in 2009 at the expense of Filipino Lee Van Corteza.

The tournament, which took a break last year due to a bad economy, is returning with its biggest prize pot ever and the most talent-laden field even with the absence of local aces Efren “Bata” Reyes, Francisco “Django” Bustamante and Alex Pagulayan.

“This is the toughest tournament we’ve ever had on record,” World Pool-Billiards Association president Ian Anderson said during yesterday’s formal launch.

“I really can’t say just one or two names,” recent Philippine Open winner Thorsten Hohmann of Germany said of the tournament favorites. “There are dozens of players here capable of winning. All the great names are here and all are playing well.

“I am really motivated to do well here,” added the well-built former World No. 1.

The draw was held late last night with the 128 players to be divided into 16 groups of eight players each who will play a single double-elimination round robin.

The top four players from each group will advance to the round of 64 which will be a knockout play until the final match.

Antonio Lining, the 48-year-old Filipino currently ranked No. 1 in the world, said that skill and a great amount of luck are needed to triumph in such a talented field.

“You can come into the tournament playing your best, but if the breaks don’t fall your way, you’ll ultimately end up short,” said Lining.

The event will be telecast live over TV5. Tickets to the venue are moderately priced.