Thomas Engert will meet countryman Thorsten Hohmann in a $50,000 winner-takes-all shoutout in the finale of the 2004 International Challenge of Champions at the Mohegan Sun Hotel in Uncasville, Conn. Engert dispatched luckless Hiroshi Takenaka in straight sets, 5-2, 5-3, to reach the title match in the international eight-player event.
Struggling to make balls on the break, Takenaka repeatedly turned over open tables to Engert in their semifinal tilt The 32-year-old, ranked No. 1 in Japan, did manage to hold a 3-2 lead in the second set, but Engert responded with two flawless run-outs to regain command of the match.
Engert, 38, and Hohmann, 25, have met numerous times in Europe in the past two years, with the pair splitting title-match battles at the 2004 European Championships. Hohmann emerged victorious over Engert in the Euro 8-ball final, while Engert prevailed in the 14.1 title match.
