Fusco, Wei Withdraw from IPT North American Open

Fusco, Wei Withdraw from IPT North American OpenBeckley and Heuwagen ReplacementsBreaking NewsDue to "personal reasons" Mr. Pete Fusco has officially withdrawn from the IPT North American Open 8-Ball Championship. Fusco was very disappointed that he was not able to play in this event. He admitted that he "has practiced very hard for this event." Fusco plans to compete in the World Open.Fusco's replacement is Jeff Beckley, who was the third alternate on the waitlist to play in the North American Open. Beckley played in multiple IPT qualification tournaments. He had one third place finish in the NA Open qualification system, and played in four of the five weekends of the system. His high finish and multiple attempts placed him third on the alternate list and now on the tournament roster. Beckley was called just minutes ago and was told the news that he would be competing in the North American Open. His first reaction was "Are you kidding me?" He was very excited to hear the news. Beckley asked who he has replaced and expressed disappointment when he was told that it was Fusco.
The U.S. Government has rejected a travel visa for Liu Wei, so he has officially withdrawn from the IPT North American Open 8-Ball Championship. Wei was the winner of the qualification event held in Shanghai, China, just several weeks ago. Details about his VISA rejection are sketchy, but some points that were articulated from the Chinese Government stated that he has no significant ties to China in terms of wealth or marriage. Through his representative in China, Wei expressed sadness and disappointment in not being able to compete for China in this prestigious event.Wei's replacement is Lee Heuwagen, who was the second alternate on the waitlist to play in the North American Open. Heuwagen played in multiple IPT qualification tournaments. He was the second of only two players to place third in two North American Open qualifiers, a performance statistic that landed him in the number two spot on the alternate list. Heuwagen was called yesterday and told the news that he would be competing in the North American Open. He was very excited to hear the news, though he did state that he was disappointed for Liu Wei's unfortunate circumstance.The IPT North American Open 8-Ball Championship starts Sunday morning, July 23, 2006. Match times are 10am, 12:30pm, 3pm, 5:30pm, and 8pm (Pacific) daily. Up to the minute results, pictures, stories, and other information will be available on line at www.internationalpooltour.com. Web coverage for this $2,000,000 event will be unprecedented in the world of billiards. The winner of this event will receive an historic $350,000 first prize! Don't miss any of the action.Visit InsidePOOLmag.com for the latest news from the IPT North American Open.

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