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.