Virginian-Pilot


DATE: Sunday, September 14, 1997            TAG: 9709140217

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C13  EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MATTHEW DOLAN, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                        LENGTH:   62 lines




BILLIARDS TOURNEY DRAWS THE WORLD'S BEST PLAYERS THE 9-BALL EVENT IN CHESAPEAKE IS ONE OF THE SPORT'S MOST PRESTIGIOUS.

This year's annual U.S. Open Nine-Ball Championships starting Tuesday is truly open again.

After a split in the professional billiards world created two separate circuits and kept some players away in recent years, tournament promoter and founder Barry Behrman expects this year's unrestricted field of players to reach 180, double last year's turnout.

``Last year, some players weren't eligible,'' Behrman said, who has been running this premier pool tournament for 22 years. ``There was some bad blood.

``But this year, it's not restricted to the Tour only, which is good for the players and good for the game,'' he said of the Professional Cuesports Association's clash with the more established Professional Billiards Tour.

America's longest running nine-ball tournament for men will attract cue masters from all corners of the globe, including Russia, Australia, Japan and Canada, Behrman said.

The double-elimination tournament features matches of nine-ball, in which pool balls numbered one through nine must be pocketed in ascending order. A match, which normally lasts about 90 minutes, is won after a player wins 11 games.

The final day, with a trick shot competition, will be taped by Fox Sports television network for future broadcast.

Shari Stauch, executive editor of the monthly Pool & Billiards Magazine said the Open is known to attract the game's best players.

``Look for some of the Philipino players like Efren Reyes. They call him the Magician or the The Thrilla from Manilla,'' said Stauch, whose largely instructional magazine reaches some 20,000.

``They grow up playing something called Rotation using all 15 balls on a bigger table.'' she said. ``When they see us use smaller tables and less balls, they produce phenomenal games and they're hailed as heros.''

The Open - one of the most prestigious and lucrative tournaments in professional pool - is also returning to Chesapeake after a year's absence.

``We were in Chesapeake from 1991 through 1995,'' Behrman said of the matchups held in the Holiday Inn. But an increase in the number of players and fans pushed the tournament to the Virginia Beach Pavilion last year.

This month's opening of Chesapeake Conference Center, in the city's Greenbrier area, drew the tournament back to its larger facility, city and tournament officials said. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic

U.S. OPEN NINE-BALL

What: 22nd Annual 1997 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships

When: Tuesday, beginning at 7 p.m., through Sunday, Sept. 21.

Matinee matches begin at 11:30 a.m. and evening matches begin at 7

p.m.

Who: 180 professional-level competitors playing on 12 Brunswick

Gold Crown III tables and competing for $125,000 in prize money.

Event sponsored by Barry Behrman's Q-Master Billiards of Norfolk and

Virginia Beach's Brunswick Billiards and others.

Where: Chesapeake Conference Center

Tickets: Range from $10 for either an afternoon or an evening

session of three match periods to $130 for a VIP pass to all

sessions.

More info: call 853-8900 or 499-8900.



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