JAKARTA—Yet again, Taiwan proved itself a powerhouse contender in the global billiards scene with rising star Ko Pin-Yi delivering a flawless display of pool to beat 2007 US Open 9-Ball champion Shane Van Boening, 10–4, to claim the Guinness World Series of Pool 10-Ball Challenge at the Mall Taman Anggrek here.
Ko’s stunning 8–6 upset of tournament top seed and World No. 1 Dennis Orcollo in the semifinals gave an early indication that Van Boening, who earlier trumped Indonesian Irsal Nasution, 8–4, was in for a tough match.
The American wasted no time in building a 2–0 cushion. Ko was able to bounce back with a break and run out in the 4th rack and capitalized on a foul on the 1 ball attempt by Van Boening in the 5th to tie the game at two racks each.
Unfortunately for Van Boening, his 22-year-old opponent was just starting to heat up. From the 5th frame, Ko turned the contest into a lopsided affair, breaking and running out three straight times while taking advantage of two straight dry breaks from the American to completely dominate by the 8th rack, 6–2.
In the 9th, a missed cut on the 1 ball corner pocket attempt from Ko came as a welcome reprieve for Van Boening who turned the error into a rack conversion to stop the Taiwanese’s run, 3–6.
Sensing the championship was within his grasp, Ko recovered immediately, turning his foe into a mere spectator. He allowed Van Boening to score one more time before cruising to the title. He bagged $41,000 while Van Boening settled for $11,000.
“I prepared really hard for this tournament. I think that helped me keep my emotions in check whenever I felt pressure in my matches. It proved to be the difference in my game this year,” said Ko.