Semi Finals Results
Dennis Orcollo (PHI) 8 – 4 Fu Jianbo (CHN)
Ralf Souquet (GER) 8 – 7 Darren Appleton (ENG)
THE FINAL OF the 2011 PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters will be between two former champions as defending champ Dennis Orcollo of the Philippines takes on five-times winner Ralf Souquet after both came through their semi final matches at the SM Mall North in Quezon City, Manila.
Orcollo, who took this title in Las Vegas last year for the first time, looks to be unstoppable as he ran through China’s dangerous Fu Jianbo in front of a packed crowd. The Filipino’s break was the least successful part of his game yesterday but he adapted it to a slower action with a little more success.
In the other semi-final, Ralf Souquet recorded nothing less than a sensational comeback as he overturned a 7-4 deficit to glide past Darren Appleton and pip him on the finish line.
It was a game of two halves as they say; the first belonging to Appleton but more importantly the second to Souquet.
Watched by a host of pool stars in the in the crowd including Tony Drago, David Alcaide, Thorsten Hohmann and Chris Melling, Appleton left his opponent looking distinctly unhappy as he enjoyed the better luck and made the most of his opportunities to lead 6-1 and leave the German looking dead and buried.
Souquet gave himself a glimmer of hope, as he won the next three to get to 4-6, but Appleton took the next to reach the hill and breaking for the match, the onus was on him.
Souquet got to the table though and won the rack, and the next, to leave the match on the hill at 7-7. Souquet then completed a steel-nerved run out to take an excellent win and give himself a shot at yet another Masters title.
I'm overwhelmed. Being 6-2 down in winners' break and race to eight is a big deficit and you have to hope he makes mistakes.
"He played awesome and did everything right at the beginning of the match and I did everything wrong. He played perfectly and I was just hoping for a chance to let my game out but eventually, luckily, he gave me a chance to get back to the table,” said Souquet.
"You just have to believe in yourself and stay focused on playing the game. If you are at the table then he can't do anything and I knew as long I was at the table I had a chance.
"There will be history made no matter what as I'm aiming to become the first six-time winner and Dennis is hoping to be first back-to-back winner.
He will have to get through Orcollo though and a big part of the Filipino’s winning game is the ability to hit his stride very early in these short format matches and today was no exception as he flew out the traps, winning the lag and running out the first. A mistake from Fu allowed him to take the second and a couple more loose efforts from the Chinese saw Orcollo move into a 4-0 lead.
Fu won the fifth but Orcollo took the next two to move 6-1 ahead, but an illegal break from the Filipino gave Fu a chance and he took the eighth and then ran out the ninth to mount a comeback at 6-3 down.
They shared the next two which left Orcollo on the hill and he completed the victory to book his second consecutive PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters final.
"I used the soft break but I have to use more speed in the final. I was a bit nervous as I've never beaten him before. He has beaten me twice before so I had to be strong and play well,” said Orcollo.
"The crowd made a lot of noise but the only thing I can do is focus on the game and now I'm playing in the final so I'm happy."
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