China arrives on the Worlds Stage in not only the Beijing Olympics but in the Wolfs Den???

As the action of the Olympics heats up… it is cool to reflect back on another recent accomplishment for China… JIAN-LIN FU getting the gold at the the Challenge of Champions in earning $50,000 for first.

China has arrived on the worlds stage in 2008 in a very big way. The amazing Birds-nest stadium seemed to electrify the amazing Bejing skyline with the energy and electricity of the 2008 Olympics crowd and athletes. On a different note, here in the US, at Mohegan Sun Casino JIAN-LIN FU made China proud by winning the Challenge of Champions.

The Challenge of Champions took place in the Wolfs Den, in Uncasville Connecticut which was the battlefield of the fierce warriors that battled it out. This location was more gritty less glamorous than the twisted metal architectural wonder that is the stage set for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but was also a platform for a world class international field.

While Beijing’s Birdsnest stadium where the Olympics is being held seats 90K + people, the Wolfs den served as an intimate setting for the World Class Professional Pool players to try to make their country proud.

In the final match JIAN-LIN FU was impressive in earning wins in consecutive sets 5-1, 5-2. Dennis Orcollo is a Filipino sensation which is quickly becomming one of pool worlds most popular players.

Contributing Writer Geoff Conway broke down the semi final match in the detail that only a “Pool Junkie” would to ensure that NYCgrind.com’s readers could experience the semi-final matches before waiting to see the Semi Finals on ESPN.

Please read the breakdown from Mr. Conway for his unique perspective on all the Semi Final Action.

CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS SEMI-FINALS

DENNIS ORCOLLO    VS     JUNG-LIN CHANG

FIRST SET:

Dennis wins lag, breaks and runs out first rack easily to score 1-0.

Chang comes up dry on the break, and Dennis runs out another easy rack. Score 2-0

Dennis breaks 3rd rack, and runs out again like a well-oiled machine. Score 3-0.

Chang makes two balls on the break, the wing ball dropping almost every time for all players. Chang then misses the 3-ball, leaving Dennis a fairly easy cross bank, which he uncharacteristically missed, but broke up the 5 and 6 balls, which were on the top short rail.

Chang then missed the 3 ball, but only left Dennis a long bank, which he missed. Chang finally made the  3 ball, and ran out the rack. Score 3-1.

Dennis breaks rack 5, making the 3 ball, and again makes an easy run out. Score 4-1.

Chang makes the 1 ball on the break, but is left with the 2 ballstuck on the side of the 7 ball, and the 6 ball sitting almost in the top corner pocket. He tries to tickle the side of the 2 ball and play a safe. Unfortunately he leaves Dennis a2-6 combo in the corner. Dennis licks his lips, and runs out another rack. Score 5-1.

First rack to Dennis who appeared to be unbeatable at this point. I would point out though that Chang was very unlucky with his leaves after the break, or alternately, maybe could improve his break. Take your pick!

SCORE FIRST SET:         
DENNIS ORCOLLO  (5)  JUNG-LIN CHANG   (1)

SECOND SET:

Chang breaks the first rack of the second set, making one ball, but leaving himself no shot. He pushes and Dennis gives it back to him. Chang tries to cut the into the top corner pocket, misses, but plays it on the “pro side” and leaves the cue ball on the bottom cushion. Dennis plays a great safe, then Chang plays an equally great safe. Dennis then lucks in the 1-ball, then plays safe behind the 5-ball. Chang fouls. Dennis makes the 2 ball but leaves himself a difficult cut on the 3-ball on the side rail. He makes the 3, and runs out. Score 1-0 to Dennis.

Dennis who was breaking a little too soft during his Wednesday matches, was breaking a tad harder today, making the wing ball, and spreading the balls better.

Dennis broke the second rack, making the 4-ball, and ran out with precision shooting. Score 2-0.

Chang broke the third game making a ball, but once again leaving himself hooked with the 1 hidden behind the 2-ball. Dennis makes an impossible cut into the corner, but hooks himself. He elected to jump, missed, and left Chang an easy run out, with an easy cut on the 2 ball to run out. Unfortunately, it was not to be–he misses and left Dennis to mop up another rack. Score 3-0.

Dennis makes the 6 ball on the break, and pushes to Chang, who gives it back. Dennis makes a great kick safe, which Chang kicks at and makes a sloppy 8 ball.. He makes the 1 ball next, but slow rolls the 2-ball along the top rail towards the top corner pocket, with the ball stopping suddenly in the jaw of the pocket.

The referee took a look at the pocket before Dennis mopped up, as did the technician in charge of the pocket cameras. My feeling is that it hit something in the jaw of the pocket, but nothing was said. I do not think it would have made any difference to the outcome of the match though, which bore resemblance to a clinic instead of a challenge of champions. Score 4-0.

Chang breaks the last rack, although he does not know it is the last rack at this point. He makes the 6-ball and gets bad on the seven, needing a little angle to either break up the 8 and 9 balls or try to get position for a combo into the bottom corner.

He left himself a hard cut on the 8 into the corner, which looked, from where I was standing, like maybe he had half a pocket to play the 8 into. The combo was the shot, which in retrospect I am sure he wished he had tried.
The 8-ball just brushed the side of the nine, leaving Dennis another gift. Score 5-0.

Dennis was never pressed in this match, and came out the winner of this lopsided match.

I am told that Chang is a great player, and has the wins to prove it, but unfortunately he didn’t bring his ‘A’ game to the table on this day.

SCORE SECOND SET:      
DENNIS ORCOLLO   (5)   JUNG-LIN CHANG (0)

NIELS FEIJEN   VS   JIAN BO FU

FIRST SET:

Niels made the perfect lag, resting the cue ball against the end rail. He makes the 4 and the 8 on the break, then cuts the 1-ball into the corner pocket, only to scratch in the bottom pocket. This bad luck is an early showing of the way this game is going turn out. Fu makes one ball, then misses the next ball, leaving Niels safe. Niels kicks at the 5-ball with no luck, leaving Fu a bank on the 5, to get on the 6. Fu runs out.  Score 1-0 to Fu.

Fu makes the 5-ball on the break in the second game, but has no shot, so he plays safe. Niels tries a long kick at the 1-ball, misses. Fu plays a safe, and Niels kicks at it off the log rail. Fu plays a bad safe, and Niels plays a great safe to get ball in hand. Niels runs out easily. Score 1-1

Niels breaks the third rack, and again makes the 5-ball, but has no shot. He attempts hard cut on the 1-ball, misses, but slops in the 3 ball. Having no shot, he plays a foul by locking up the 5 and 6 on the side rail. Fu tried to carom of the side of the 5-ball to hit the 8 into the bottom pocket. He hits it perfectly, but not with enough speed. He leaves the 8 ball in the jaws. Niels mops up. Score 1-2.

Fu makes a really good break and makes three balls. Leaving a hard cut on the 3 ball, followed by an easy layout. He takes an extension, and cuts the 3 in, and lands perfect on the four ball. He then proceeds to run out the remaining balls. Score 2-2

Niels breaks the fourth rack makes the 4-ball, yet again has no shot. Pushes to Fu, who caroms of the side of the 1 ball, and leave Niels almost safe. Niels plays  a great shot to make the 1 ball, then proceeds to miss the 2 ball.. Fu makes the 2 ball, but get jammed behind the 7 ball. However, in keeping with the luck he was having, Fu plays of the rail to hit the side of the 3ball, and rolls towards the bottom pocket. Guess what?! The cue ball leaves Niels pocket safe in the corner pocket.

Niels kicks at the 3 and misses. Fu takes ball in hand, giving himself an angle to get around the table for his next shot. You won’t believe it, but he misses the 3 in the side pocket, but makes it in the opposite side pocket! He then runs out. Score 3-2 to Fu.

At this point, the referee comes over to Niels and takes his belt and laces from him. I could see from his body language that he was rather peeved, to put it mildly.

Fu makes a great break dropping 4 balls, then proceeds to run out the rack. Score 4-2

Niels breaks and makes a ball, but the 2-ball is jammed on the side rail. Niels leaves Fu safe. Fu jumps and just about hits the object ball, leaving Niels  a long 2/3 combo, which he makes. Plays Fu safe. Fu jumps again badly just hitting the side of the ball, and leaves Niels a hard 2. Niels misses the 2 ball. Fu ju jumps on his mistake and runs out to a 5-2 victory in the first set. Score 5-2 to Fu.

SCORE FIRST SET:      
JIAN-BO FU  (5)     NIELS FEIJEN  (2)

Niels continues his bad luck when he breaks the first game of the second set and makes a ball, but ends up jammed behind the 7-ball. He pushes, and Fu jumps again (badly) yet leaves Niels a hard cut on the 1-ball. Niels makes it, but gets jammed again.

He hits the edge to leave a safe, but comes up short. Leaving Fu a hard cut uptown, which he not only makes, but lands perfect on the 3-ball, and runs out. Niels is really frustrated at this point. Score 1-0 to Fu.

Fu breaks the second game, making nothing, but once again leaing Niels no shot. Niels pushes and gets it back, then plays good safe. Fu plays a masse and over-cuts the 2-ball leaving the 2 at the bottom rail and the cue ball on the same rail with Niels hooked. He attempts a long kick to make the 2, but the cue ball follows into the same pocket. Ball in hand to Fu, who runs out a difficult rack. Score 2-0 to Fu.

Niels breaks with same old story, makes one ball and has no shot. He plays a great safe, locking the cue ball on the back of the seven. Fu jumps again (badly) yet leaves Niels jammed behind the 5-ball. Niels misses the kick and Fu runs out one more time. Score 3-0 to Fu.

Fu breaks and makes the 4 ball, then pushes, and gets it back. Makes the five and plays a good safe, but leaves a sliver of the 1 ball showing. Niels attempts a safe, which doesn’t quite come off. A mistake that cost him the rack. Score 4-0 to Fu.

Niels makes the 4 and 7 balls on the break, but again no shot. He pushes and Fu takes it, but scratches. Niels runs out to receive an ovation from the sympathetic crowd. Score 4-1 to Fu.

Fu makes the 4 and 8 on the break, then has a hard cut on the short rail for the 1-ball. He leaves the ball sitting in the pocket for Niels. He runs out to the seven and gets straight on it, but manages to find some angle from somewhere, and spins it of the rail downtown. It goes a bit too far and leaves a difficult cut on the 8-ball into the corner. Niels elects to play the bank to get position. Makes it and gets perfect on the 9. Another ovation from the gallery. Score 4-2 to Fu.

To summarize, Fu was not playing startling pool, and Niels was having lousy luck. So when he got it back to 4-2 I think everybody was rooting for last year’s winner to rally and come up with the win.

However, when Niels came up dry on the break, I think we all realized that the writing was on the wall (or should I say, wall of China) that Niels was not going to repeat. Fu plays a safe, but leaves a sliver showing again. Niels plays a bad safe. Fu has another go at jumping, and misses the pocket by a mile, but leaves Niels to have to attempt a safe, which he fails at.

Fu makes a fine cut on the 1-ball, then makes the 2, but gets out of position on the 3-ball. He takes an extension
over this shot, and makes it, to run out the set. Score 5-2.

SCORE SECOND SET:        
JIAN-LIN FU  (5)   NIELS FEIJEN  (2)

In the final match it was all JIAN-LIN FU as between DENNIS ORCOLLO vs JIAN-LIN FU, who delighted the crowd with
winning consecutive sets to capture the title of 2008 Challenge of Champions winner, earning him the adoration of Chinese pool players everywhere along with a hefty first prize of $50K.