The epitome of the word legend. Team West will be injected with iconic blood as Ewa Mataya Laurance will don the role of Captain as her Team West gears up for Team Asia in the AM8.com Queens Cup. Ewa, born in the Nordic country of Sweden, is known on tour as the "Striking Viking" with countless international wins including the World Championship and US Open. With 37 years in the sport, Ewa will be a huge factor to the attitude of Team West. The greatest rivalry in women's billiards is about to ignite. On April 16-18th, 2015 the second installment of the AM8.com Queens Cup will feature champions vs champions as the best women from Asia will take on the best in the West! Last year, Team Asia had a dominating performance over Team West during the 3 days of competition. This year the USA & Europe will be looking to even the score. The AM8.com Queens Cup will be hosted by the award winning Resorts World Manila Casino & Hotel and sponsored by Andy Cloth , Aramith Balls, and Viking Cue. The Queens Cup is a Dragon Promotions production.
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"Ewa is a great selection as captain for Team West. She has so much experience in the sport and I like that she is not afraid to take control and make decisions. Plus she knows how to handle anything that comes at them with all her years in the industry", said Tony Robles, veteran men's pro player.
"Ewa did an awesome job playing for Europe in the World Trickshot Team competition. She knows how to lead and is always the consummate professional ", says Shari Stauch, former veteran pro on tour & publisher for Pool & Billiard Magazine.
"Ewa's mantle of 'Leading Lady of Billiards' is so fitting. She's been one of the people I looked up to as a kid growing up and she is one of the classiest people in our sport. I can't think of anyone better to captain the Americans and Europeans on the team in the defining event of ladies pool", said Charlie Williams, Executive Producer of the Queens Cup.
"I was really glad when I heard Ewa was chosen for our team. She has been playing as good as I've ever seen", said Jennifer Barretta, Ewa's teammate for Manila.
"I'm very excited to play in the AM8.com Queens Cup to play for Team West. America has been my home for most of my career and it's great to be able to represent both USA and my Swedish heritage", said Ewa. "Being selected as the captain of Team West is a thrill and I really feel that we have a extremely solid team that may surprise people ."
When asked on her Queens Cup predictions, she replied, "Asia is full of talented young players of course, but I think our team has a lot more experience. Plus we have Jennifer Barretta who is a notorious student of the game and she will be handy in the 10-Ball matches and preparations."
The Queens Cup will showcase the rivalry between the Asians and their western counterparts in Europe and USA, very similar to the Ryder Cup in golf or Davis Cup in tennis. Elite professional ladies from their respective countries and continents are selected onto two sides representing the East and West. The event will last 3 days in a 10-Ball format that will conclude when one team reaches 10 match wins. Style of play will include singles, doubles, triples, and 4-on-4. Captains will be put to the test to create the best strategy in partnerships and chemistry of match-ups. If the matches go 9 to 9 hill-hill, a final 4-on-4 play will set the scene for the dramatic conclusion.
Ewa Mataya Laurance was born in Gävle, Sweden and has graced the cover of New York Times magazine which impacted the entire sport helping to change the image of the sport from a seedy, men's dominated game to a professional sport of elegance and class. She has been the longest sponsored player in history of Brunswick Billiards for over 20 years. In 2012 Ewa shocked the world by a flashback comeback defeating the top 3 player son tour in back to back fashion which were Jasmin Ouschan (Austria), Ga Young Kim (Korea) and toppled Allison Fisher (UK) in the finals. Ewa still maintains a top 5 USA ranking and is looked up to by generations of players, men & women, as an exemplary role model. Ewa is also a sports writer with her own monthly feature in Pool & Billiard magazine, as well as a sports commentator for ESPN. In 2004, she was inducted into the Billiard's America's Hall of Fame. She has been nicknamed "The Leading Lady of Billiards" and the "Striking Viking".
The AM8.com Queens Cup brings a level of excitement and pressure never before seen in women's billiards. On April 16th, The Empresses of Pool Battle for Glory.
