“The Lion” Roars His Way to the Top at the WPC

“The Lion” Roars His Way to the Top at the WPCBy InsidePOOL StaffIn an incredible final match of the World Pool Championships in Taiwan that encompassed 30 racks in all, Alex “The Lion” Pagulayan came back from a six-game deficit against hometown favorite Pei-Wei Chang to win 17-13. Pei-wei Chang was a relative unknown on the international scale but does have the honor of being the 2004 National Pro Tour Champion. Pagulayan, a Filipino player residing in Canada, was in last year’s final match at the World Pool Championship against Germany’s Thorsten Hohmann. The two competitors, less than a year apart in age at 25 and 26, respectively, surprised many when they arrived at the final match of this year’s World Pool Championships.Tournament Brackets for the 2004 World Pool Championship
After drawing first blood in the race to 17, Pagulayan dropped to the background as Chang took the next four games in a row. The Filipino only scored one more game before his opponent had put six racks between the two of them at 8-2. A scratch on the next break by Chang seemed to give Pagulayan the nudge he needed, and he was back in stroke, winning the next two racks convincingly. A jawed 1 ball bank by Pagulayan gave the table back to Chang, who won the next two games for an intimidating 10-4 lead. Undaunted, “The Lion” clawed his way back into the match. He brought the score to 10-6 after a missed combo by Chang, turning the table back over for Chang to reach 11-6 after a scratch. But an uncharacteristic miss by Chang on the 2 ball in the following rack put Pagulayan back in the saddle. The playful Filipino cleared that table and then broke and ran the next four racks to knot the score at 11 in an incredible comeback.A missed 2 ball by Pagulayan allowed Chang back to the table for the first time in five racks, and he showed no signs of taking the heat as he cleared the table and then broke and ran out to bring the score to 13-11. Chang then missed the 1 ball in the following rack, allowing “The Killer Pixie” to tie the score at 13. And then Pagulayan, after a failed safety attempt by Chang, regained the lead for the first time in the match since his capture of the very first rack, making it 14-13 in the race to 17.With the finish line firmly in his sights, Pagulayan broke and ran the next rack and then the next to reach the hill with Chang sitting glumly at 13. He ran the final rack after his amazing show of heart to achieve the 2004 World Champion title, as well at the $75,000 first place prize.Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news in the sport of billiards and pool.

Pool Balls and Billiard Balls at LOW PRICES!!!

About the Author:
Inside Pool Magazine publishes billiard news. Definitive Synergy creates pool and billiard management software.