MELLING BY A MILE! ENGLAND'S CHRIS MELLING STEAMROLLS CHINESETAIPEI'S HSU KAI LUN TO WIN THE CHINA OPEN 9-BALL Story and Photos by Ted Lerner (Shanghai, China)--Give Chris Melling an inch, and he takes a mile. That’s just how Chinese Taipei’s Hsu Kai Lun must feel right now, as the burly Englishman put on one of the most powerful displays of 9-ball pool seen in the professional game in some time, capturing the China Open in an all out rout, 11-3. Melling won $40,000 and, in the process, declared loud and clear that he will be a force to be reckoned with among an already strong heap of English and European pool players for the foreseeable future. “That’s the best I’ve ever played,” an ecstatic Melling said moments after lifting the trophy. “I knew I would win the match when I was up 6-2. I knew then it would be tough for him to come back. I was just playing too good.” It didn’t take long into the final race to 11, alternate break match to realize, though, that Hsu was in over his head on this day against the white hot Englishman. The two were all square after four racks but from there Melling got on his motorcycle and ran away with the match. In rack five, Melling made a very difficult pot on the one that opened up the rack and got him the lead. In the next frame he played a world class snooker off of Hsu’s safety that quickly led to another point. A minute later he was up 5-2 after a break and run out. From there, the fast playing Brit piled on the points, all the while taking on and converting daring shots that most players would be afraid to pull out of their bags. Hsu simply had no answer. Melling raced right to the finish line and the championship with a resounding 11-3 win. Coming on the heels of his quarter final finish in May’s World 10-ball championship in Manila, Melling is sure to crack the World Pool Association’s Top Ten rankings. The European number two is also looking very seriously at a spot on the coveted European Mosconi Cup team. With this extremely impressive performance in Shanghai this week, the 32
year old Brit appears to have a very bright future in pool. Listen to his attitude when he talks about playing in the pressure cooker that is the world of professional pool. “I didn’t feel nervous at all out there,” Melling said. “I love playing under pressure. I love the crowd and playing on TV. “I’m not saying I’m a great player. But there’s a difference between being a good player and being a great player. A good player can play well in the pool room and in small tournaments. Great players can win under pressure in an atmosphere like this. I’m just beside myself right now. Absolutely unbelievable."
FU XIAO FANG WINS
Story and Photo by Ted Lerner
(Shanghai, China)--Playing virtually mistake free 9-ball, and seemingly immune to the pressure, Fu Xiao Fang defeated fellow Chinese and defending champion Chen Siming 9-3 to capture the China Open championship Sunday afternoon in Shanghai. With her impressive victory, Fu won $30,000 and cemented her status as China’s best player. She has now won two major tournaments in the last year, including the World 9-ball championship held last September in Shenyang, China. In addition to stamping her class on the highly popular and competitive world of women’s pool in China, the victory now moves the 25 year old to the top of the world rankings. The match, played in front of several hundred people inside the Shanghai Pudong Yuanshen Stadium, and an estimated nationwide television viewing audience of over ten million people watching on China’s CCTV, was expected to be much closer. But the usually unflappable Chen made some uncharacteristic mistakes, all of which cost the 17 year old phenom dearly. Chen claims $15,000 for getting runner up and will now move down to the second spot in the WPA world rankings. To see all the stories from our extensive coverage of the 2011 China Open, please visit the official website of the World Pool Association: www. wpa-pool.com
July 2011 - Rackem Magazine 7