Seeds fall like dominoes at IPA World Pool Championships
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A few early bets went astray with a catalogue of shocks in the IPA World Pool Championships singles, doubles, and seniors.
Seeded players saw themselves decimated, and their long faces balanced out by an equal amount of very wide smiles as less fancied cuemen progressed to the last 32 of the Open, the last 16 of the Doubles, and Seniors and Ladies’ quarter-finals.
In the Open, out went Andrew Hughes (seeded 26), Kevin Barton (15), Mark Chung (18), Harry Irwin (19), Jason Hill (27), Josh Durant 25), Mark Farnsworth (16), Simon Ward (4), Billy Morton (29), Jimmy Carney (21), Dan Davy (9), Chris Rowlands (30), and Luke Sanges (31).
Unlucky thirteen struck as that many of the top 32 Professional players tearfully waving goodbye to their dreams for another year at least.
With his recent hot form, Farnsworth’s untimely exit will have cost others as well, having started the tournament as 4/1 favourite!
Although unseeded (thanks to his soon to end amateur status), the biggest shock perhaps came when defending World champion Jack Whelan was sent tumbling 2-0 in straight sets.
Friday afternoon belonged to Jon McAllister, who then took on snooker player Tom Ford on the live stream where he lost two sets to nil.
Ford is clearly enjoying his time on the smaller table and has rocketed up the betting to 6/1 joint second-favourite behind 2014 runner-up Clint l’Anson, who is as short as 3/1 to take his first World title.
In the doubles, l’Anson and Whelan also bowed, as well as strongly fancied pairing Farnsworth and Chris Bowron, who lost after a black ball shootout once the scores reached 6-6
This has opened up the betting once again, with Gareth Hibbott and Shields installed as the new 7/2 favourites, ahead of French pairing Christophe Lambert and Dumortier (4/1). Look out for Arfan Dad and Jason Twist (also 4/1), though.
In the Ladies’ draw, some quality pool was played with current Champion Deb Burnett through to the last 8 where she will face Salli Merola in what could be the tie of the round.
Others through to the quarter-finals and a sniff of first prize are Samantha Hurst, who will play Julia Betteridge; Shona Lucas, paired with Rachel Tucker; and Carol Vinyard, who will take on Terri Lapsley for a place in the semi-finals.
As for the Seniors, Twist is still in there fighting to retain his title and looks in good form this week. There are plenty of other top players in with a shout – Hibbott and Ronan McCarthy, for example – who will make sure he doesn’t get things all his own way.
Coral’s input and ability for match betting on the live stream has gone down well here and elsewhere, and helped to improve an event that is already the flagship of Pool.
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