TAIWANESE sensation Ko Pin-Yi crushed American Shane “The South Dakota Kid” Van Boening, 10-4, in the finals to rule the 2011 Guinness World Series of Pool Championship 10-Ball Challenge in Jakarta, Indonesia last Sunday.
The former WPA World Junior champion, one of the Taiwan’s most talented players, bagged $41,000 in the event sanctioned by the Asian Pocket Billiard Union (APBU) and organized by ESPN STAR Sports’ Event Management Group (EMG).
Van Boening, the 2007 US Open ruler won $11,000.
‘I prepared really hard for this tournament. Through all that training, I think that helped me keep my emotions in check whenever I felt pressure in my matches. And that proved to be the difference in my game this year. I’m very excited to tell my friends and my parents back home about my win,” Ko said in a post-match interview with ESPN.
Two straight dry-breaks from the American gave Ko a, 6-2 lead and the young Taiwanese was never threatened the rest of the way.
On the road to the finals, Ko upset tournament top-seed and world No. 1 Dennis Orcollo of the Philippines, 8-6, in the semifinals while Van Boening dumped Indonesian Irsal Nasution, 8-4 in their Finals 4 match-up. /Correspondent MARLON BERNARDINO