Pool Masters Wins for Gomez, Williams and Kuribayashi

(May 16, 2010) - THERE WERE THREE further Round 3 matches at the Riviera Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas as the PartyPoker.netWorld Pool Masters reached its ultimate day. With play rising to a high standard, there were wins for Charlie Williams, Roberto Gomez and Toru Kuribayashi.

In the opening game, Scottish qualifier Jayson Shaw made a few too many mistakes for a player of Roberto Gomez's standard and the Filipino joins compatriot Dennis Orcollo in the quarter-finals. Shaw lost the initiative in the third game as he made an elementary error going from 6 to the 8, as he left the cue ball behind the 9 ball. That handed the rack to Gomez for 2-1 and another shocker, scratching when the run out was elementary. It was a choker for the young Scot as Gomez increased his lead to 3-1.

A run out in the next increased his lead, but Gomez tried a Bustamante-style 'behind the back' shot instead of using the bridge and completely miscued. He made contact with the 6 ball but failed to reach a rail. With ball in hand, Shaw took full advantage and he ran the next following a decent break to get to within one rack of Gomez at 4-3. A missed pink 4 down the rail, though down the rail, let the Filipino back in and he increased his lead to 5-3.

From there it was all Gomez as he took the last three racks to seal the win and move into the quarter-finals where he faces a tough one in Ralf Souquet. "I played good - maybe I would give myself seven or eight out of ten. My shot (behind the back that caused a ) it happened at exactly the same time as the shot clock warning bell ringing and I just hit it badly," said Gomez. "But I just forget about everything I had done wrong as it would destroy your game if you are thinking about your mistakes.

"He had a lot of chance but missed them and that gave me courage to grab the chances. Playing Ralf Souquet will be a great match and I have to prepare well. I've played him once in Taiwan and I won.

In the second match of the afternoon, Charlie Williams looked the business as he disposed of entertaining Japanese player Naoyuki Oi, coming from 4-1 down to win 8-5. Having been used to race to 9 matches in the first two rounds, Williams assumed that this match was race to 9 also and returned to his chair after potting what was the case 9 ball!

Referee Nigel Rees had to tell the American that he had indeed won the match, much to his pleasure. "That was a big win for me and I'm pleased to get in the last eight. Now I'm in the championship ring and it looks a bit easier," said Williams. "Oi is a very aggressive player so I knew he would come at me. I thought I had got here early enough to practice but I didn't so I hadn't hit one ball in practice today. The first shot I hit was actually in the game and it showed as I made some early mistakes but it's my fault as I should've been here at 2 pm.

"At 4-1 Oi was playing good but I didn't give up and just tried to work it back one frame at a time. Being 4-1 down it wasn't looking good at all but I figured out the break quicker that he did and that gave me some momentum.

"At the end I didn't know it was a race to eight. Nigel looked at me and someone jumped up and I thought I'd committed a foul!"

In the final match of the afternoon, Japanese qualifier Toru Kuribayashi looked a million dollars as he mastered the break superbly to record an 8-0 whitewash over England's Daryl Peach.

Making two and three balls at a time and leaving easy run outs, Kuribayashi left Peach seated for most of the match and the young Japanese looks a massive dark horse for the title.  He now plays Charlie Williams in the next round. "I played really well and I am really happy with my performance. If I keep playing like that then I know I can win the tournament," said the Japanese.

Play continues this evening. Saturday Afternoon - Results Roberto Gomez (PHI) 8-3 Jayson Shaw (SCO) Naoyuki Oi (JAP) 5-8 Charlie Williams (USA) Daryl Peach (ENG) 0-8 Toru Kuribayashi (JAP) Saturday Evening Matches Round Three Rodney Morris (USA) v Thomas Engert (GER) Oliver Ortmann (GER) v Thorsten Hohmann (GER) Quarter-Final Dennis Orcollo (PHI) v John Morra (CAN)