Thorsten Hohmann was crowned 2005 888.com World Pool League Champion after an impressive 8-5 victory over Francisco Bustamante in the final at the NOT Building, Warsaw, Poland.
Hohmann proved himself to be the best player over the weekend's play - breaking and running out with supreme efficiency and showing the subtleties and cleverness of tactics that befit a world-class player.
Bustamante won the lag but didn't get too far with it - missing a 1-ball into the bottom left pocket and then, after being snookered by Hohmann, leaving the table open for the German to take the opener.
There was a question of a foul by Hohmann in rack two as no ball hit the rail after he banked the cue on to the yellow 1, but the replay showed the cue had shaved the 1 on its way through and referee Nigel Rees's decision not to award a foul was correct.
After the pair exchanged safety shots, Bustamante showed his class with a great pot on the 1-ball and went on to take the rack and level the match.
The Filipino took a scrappy third rack and then ran the next two to lead 4-1. He was put back in after pushing out in rack six though and fouled, before Hohmann hooked him again and Bustamante left the 2-ball on for Hohmann to pot and clear up.
He ran the next two to restore parity but then snookered himself on the 2-ball and Bustamante rose expectantly from his chair.
A bad miss on the 6-ball meant his visit was short and not so sweet and Hohmann took the lead for the first time since the opening rack.
After running rack ten, Hohmann looked well set to seal the match out, but he uncharacteristically tried a difficult 3/9 combination in the 11th when faced with few options, and missed the shot.
Bustamante dragged the game back in the balance but, having been put back in by Hohmann after pushing out in rack 12, he left the 1-ball on with a poor table-length bank attempt.
Hohmann cleared the table to re-gain the break and reach the hill. Then, appropriately with the manner in which he has played all tournament, the 2003 World Champion added another title to his roll of honour with a characteristically slick run-out.
