Wu-Chia Ching Wins the 40th All Japan Championships 2007!

Wu-Chia Ching, one of Taiwan’s billiards masters and the 2005 World Pool Champion, beat 1999 World Pool Champion and Filipino pool legend Efren Bata Reyes, aka The Magician, 11-6, in the quarter finals of the 40th All Japan Championships 2007 at the Hotel New Archaic Hall in Amagasaki-shi, Hyogo prefecture, Japan.

Acknowledged as one of the greatest pool players of all time, Efren Bata Reyes was the best finisher among the Filipino pool players in the just concluded billiards competition. The Magician, who comes from the Puyat Sports stable, received JPY250,000 for his last eight standing along with 2004 World Pool Championship runner-up Pei Wei-chang, Japan’s M. Tanaka, and 2004 World Pool Champion Mika Immonen, aka The Iceman. Filipino pool players Lee Vann Corteza and Warren Kiamco, who come from the Negros Billiard Stable, both received JPY125,000 for making it to the last 16.

Wu Chia-Ching massacred Japan’s T. Kuribayashi at 11-3 in the finals to snatch the top prize of JPY2,000,000. Wu Chia-Ching is just 18 years old! And I kid you not! Some of the great pool players who were trounced by Wu Chia-Ching include the 2006 All Japan Champion Filipino Lee Vann Corteza, 11-6 (last 16); Japan’s H. Hijikata, 11-1, (last 4), and T. Kuribayashi, 11-3, (finals).

Taiwan’s Shu-Han Chang won the women's crown of the 40th All Japan Championships 2007 by beating Japan’s A. Otani, 9-5.

Taiwanese Chia-Ching Wu and Shu-Han Chang Win All Japan

Efren "Bata" Reyes, acknowledged as one of the greatest pool players of all time, bowed to eventual winner and fellow World Pool Champion Chia-Ching Wu of Taiwan, 11-6, in the quarter-final round but still wound up as the best Filipino finisher in the just concluded 40th All Japan Championships 2007 at the Hotel New Archaic Hall in Amagasaki-shi, Hyogo, Japan on Sunday.

The 53-year-old Reyes, prize fighter of RP billiards patron Aristeo "Putch" Puyat of Puyat Sports didn't go home empty handed as he received JPY250,000 after making it to the last eight along with 2001 WPC winner Mika "The Iceman" Immonen of Finland, 2004 WPC runner-up Pei Wei-chang of Taiwan and M. Tanaka of Japan who also lost their quarter-final matches.

The 18-year-old Wu, who took the WPC crown in 2005 Taiwan edition stopped the giant killing ways of T. Kuribayashi of Japan, 11-3, in the finals to pocket the top prize of JPY2,000,000.

On the way to the finals, Wu trounced last year's All Japan Champion Filipino Lee Vann Corteza, 11-6 (last 16), Reyes, 11-6 (last 8), H. Hijikata of Japan, 11-1, (last 4), then toppled Kuribayashi, 11-3, (finals).

Kuribayashi, who received the runner-up prize of JPY1,000,000, defeated two-time Asian Games 9-ball gold medalist Ching Shun Yang of Taiwan, 11-9 (last 16), compatriot Tanaka, 11-10 (last 8), 1996 WPC winner Ralf Souquet of Germany, 11-10 (last 4) before yielding to Wu, 11-3 (finals).

Corteza and Warren Kiamco from Negros Billiard Stable of Jonathan Sy, both received JPY125,000 for making it to the last 16. However, two other Filipino pool sharks, Francisco "Django" Bustamante and Ramil "Bebeng" Gallego failed to advance in the money round.

Meanwhile, Shu-Han Chang completed the Taiwanese domination after she bagged the women's crown by beating A. Otani of Japan, 9-5, in the championships round.

Chang also bested reigning Amway World Women's Champion Xiao Ting-pan of China, 9-7 in the quarter-final round then subdued Han Yu also from China, 9-6, in the semi-final round before crushing Otani, 9-5, in the finals

Wu Chia-ching

Personal Background

• Name: Wu Chia-ching
• Known as: "Taisun" ("Little Genius")
• Sex: Male
• Age: 18 years old
• Date of Birth: February 9, 1989
• Place of Birth: Taiwan
• Country: Taiwan
• Nationality: Taiwanese
• Hobbies: Playing pool
• Spouse: na
• Sports: Billiard

Achievements:

• 2002 Taiwan National Youth, Champion
• 2002 Taiwan National Pro Tour, third place
• 2004 WPA Juniors World Nine-Ball Championship, 2nd place
• 2005 WPA Men's World Nine-Ball Champion
• 2005 WPA World Eight-ball Champion
• 2005 WPA Asian Nine-ball Tour, Singapore Leg, runner-Up
• 2006 WPA Asian Nine-ball Tour, 4th place
• 2006 World Pool Masters Tournament, semi-finalist
• 2006 World Nine-ball Championship, quarter-finalist

Trivia:

• Raised by his grandmother since the age of 2, Wu began playing eight-ball the age of 10 at his family-run pool hall. When he became serious about pool, his grandmother shuttle him from one competition venue to another on her scooter.

• In 2005, after only six years of playing, Wu became the youngest player (at 16 years, 5 months old) ever to win the WPA World Nine-ball Championship. He was the top seed at the 2006 Men's Championship, but lost in the quarter-final round to Ronato Alcano of the Philippines.

• Wu also won the 2005 WPA World Eight-ball Championship, making him the first person to hold the World Nine-ball and Eight-ball WPA titles in the same year. Previously, he was the runner-up at the 2004 Juniors Nine-ball World Championship.

• In 2006, he lost 27kg thanks to a diet of congee, vegetables and meat, along with a daily jog of 2km to 4km.