It's England again as Appleton wins inaugural World Ten Ball Championship

Darren Appleton from England won the World Ten Ball Championship.

Appleton won a closely contested final against two-time world pool champion Chia-Ching Wu (Taiwan) 13-11. The Englishman lead 3-0, 6-1 and 10-5 before Wu climbed back into contention.

Recent straight pool world champion Niels Feijen (Netherlands) grabbed third place by beating local hero Demosthenes Pulpul 11-8 in the bronze match. This was the first time a bronze match has been contested in a world pool championship event. Previously both semi-final losers shared third place.

In the semi-finals Appleton overcame Feijen 11-9 while Wu defeated Pulpul 11-8.

Appleton, the previous world No.1 in English pool, received $100,000 for first place while Wu got $40,000 for finishing second.

This was the second major title for England in American pool. Last year Daryl Peach won the world 9-ball championship. This time Peach was ousted in the last 32 by another Englishman, Mark Gray.

Wu was aiming for a world championship triple after having won the 9-ball title in 2005 and the 8-ball title in 2006.

This was the first ever world championship in ten ball. There will be no 9-ball world championship this year as it has been postponed to 2009.

The event was dominated by the European and Asian contingent. There were eight Asians and six Europeans in the last 16. Shane Van Boening and Charlie Williams from USA were the only exceptions.

Appleton's ten ball success means Europeans now hold all major titles in pool. Ralf Souquet (Germany) is the reigning world 8-ball champion, Feijen won the 2008 World Straight Pool Championship and Peach is the 9-ball titlist.

The tournament was staged from 29 September to 5 October at the Philippine International Convention Center, Manila, Philippines.

See also:

• World Ten Ball Championship (Official site)
• World 10-Ball Championships (WPA)
• Rule, Britannia! (Billiards Digest)
• Appleton Wins World Ten Ball Championship (AzBilliards)
• Dynamite Blasts World 10-Ball Championship (Inside Pool Magazine)
• Appleton confirme la domination Européenne (Kozoom - French)
• Darren Appleton, nuevo campeón del mundo de Bola 10 (Billarnet - Spanish)
• 10 Ball World Championship in Manil/Philippines (Jasmin Ouschan)
• Darren “Dynamite“ Appleton is World Champion (Ralf Souquet)
• 5th in the World 10-Ball (Mika Immonen)
• And this is where it ends! 5th place World championships (Nick van den Berg)
• 3rd/4th place win over Pulpul (Niels Feijen)
• Appleton is WPA 10-ball king (Cebu Daily News)
• Appleton nips Wu for title; Pulpul 4th (Inquirer Sports)
• Appleton rules World 10-Ball tourney (The Manila Times)
• Appleton wins world 10-ball title (International Herald Tribune)
• Appleton makes history as 1st World Ten Ball champ (ABS-CBN News)
• England’s Appleton wins Ten-Ball worlds; RP’s Pulpul places 4th (GMA News)
• Darren Appleton Wins World 10 Ball Championships (Pool World Champs)
• Darren Appleton Wins $100,000 in World 10-Ball Championships! (Poolmag's 8-Ball Blog)
• A Quick Round-Up (CueSport TV)
• Appleton Beats Wu, Tops World Ten Ball (Billiards Philippines)
• The First Ever World 10 Ball Champion - Darren Appleton (Shir in the poolworld)
• Appleton gewinnt World 10-Ball Championships (billiardblog - German)
• Ten Ball Hits Home (AzBilliards)
• World Ten Ball, Chia Ching Wu and the WPA (roy d'fish)
  
• World Ten Ball Championship begins (Matchroom Sport Forums)
• World 10-Ball Championship (AzBilliards Forums)
• World Ten Ball Championships (Pro9.co.uk Forum)
• Darren Appleton (DarrenAppleton.com)
• Darren Appleton (Inside Pool Magazine>
  
• Darren Appleton (Pro9.co.uk Euro Pool Player Resource)
• Ten-ball (Wikipedia)
• World 10-Ball Championship (Sports 123)