WPBA - Women's Professional Billiard Association

The Duchess Fends Off Corr for Top Spot

Just when it looked as though this would be the year that the duchess of the pool world might finally be dethroned, Allison Fisher closed out the 2006 Classic Tour schedule with back-to-back tournament victories and secured her No. 1 spot well into the New Year.

After struggling (by Duchess of Doom standards) with only one tournament championship win in 2006, Fisher found herself having a cancerous growth removed from under her eye just days before the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship in October.  Not sure whether she should compete in the event, and with Karen Corr right on her heels in the Player Rankings, Fisher decided to go to Albuquerque for the tournament.

Fisher shutout Caroline Pao 9-0 in her first match, and went on to defeat Helene Caukin, Laura Smith and Wendy Jans before finding herself in a hill-hill battle with Helena Thornfeldt.  Fisher would win the match and then defeat Vivian Villarreal in the semifinals. 

In the finals, Fisher met Kim Shaw who was having the best tournament of her WPBA career.  Shaw took an early 4-1 lead in the match, but Fisher stormed back to tie it at 4-all.  Fisher would go on to win the match 7-5.  The victory earned her $14,000, while Shaw won $8,600.  Villarreal and Monica Webb tied for 3rd Place and each received $5,700.

The Tour made its last stop of the year in Lincoln City, Oregon, for the WPBA Nationals.  While the event and venue had changed, nothing had changed in Fisher’s game since Albuquerque. 

She opened the tournament against recently crowned WPBA Rookie of the Year Xiaoting Pan, who had been somewhat of a spoiler for Fisher in ’06.  A 9-7 win over Pan would set the stage for another outstanding tournament run. 

Fisher would lose no more than two games to any of her next four opponents—including good friend Gerda Hofstatter.  In the semifinals, it was a “Battle of Fishers” with Kelly Fisher squaring off against the Duchess of Doom for a spot in the finals.  The Duchess won the match 7-5 and moved on to meet Ga-Young Kim in the finals.  The match went hill-hill before Fisher emerged victorious, going undefeated for her second consecutive tournament.

Fisher took home $14,000 in 1st Place prize money, with Kim receiving $8,600 as the Runner-up.  Kelly Fisher and Karen Corr tied for 3rd Place and both won $5,700.

The 2007 Classic Tour season begins in February in Rocky Mount, N.C.

Corr Has Her Sights Set on No. 1 in '06

Karen Corr won an astonishing six of seven WPBA Classic Tour titles in 2001.  In 2002 and 2003 that number dropped to a still impressive three each year.  The next year she won a respectable two titles and, in 2005, that number dwindled to just one.

Certainly many of the WPBA’s players would be happy to win a tournament or two a year, but for Corr it was a troubling decline for a player that once looked poised to knock the perennial No. 1 player in the world, Allison Fisher, from her perch.

This year, Corr has reemerged as a force on the Classic Tour—having won three of the five tour events this year, putting herself in prime position to finish the year as the No. 1-ranked player.

After starting 2006 off on the right foot with a victory in the Carolina Classic, Corr had a forgetful performance in the Great Lakes Classic, and then finished Runner-Up a month later in the San Diego Classic.

Hungry for another tournament title, Corr and the rest of the WPBA Tour hit the Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Fla., for the Florida Classic, June 28 – July 1.  For Corr, not only was she trying to win her second championship of the year, but she was also defending her only title of 2005—the Florida Classic. 

Corr went undefeated in the tournament with wins over Liz Ford, Dawn Hopkins, Tracie Hines, Sarah Ellerby and Gerda Hofstatter before matching up against Jeanette Lee in the Semifinal Round taped for television.  After some questionable officiating in the second game, the players were deadlocked at 5-5 before Corr finally put away the match 7-5 to advance to a showdown in the finals with Allison Fisher.  Similar to her match with Lee, Corr and Fisher were deadlocked at 4-4.  Corr then went on a tear, winning the next three games and the match 7-5 over Fisher.  The victory netted her $13,000 in 1st Place prize money.

A month later the tour traveled to the Par-A-Dice Hotel & Casino in Peoria, Ill., for the Midwest Classic.  For Corr, there would be no “home field advantage,” generally given to the defending champion. The Midwest Classic title had belonged to Allison Fisher—and ONLY Allison Fisher—since 2002.  But it was clear long before the final match that Fisher would not be repeating this year.  After reaching the Top 8, Fisher was ousted by young Chinese sensation Xiaoting Pan 9-7.  Corr meanwhile had dispatched Ramona Biddle, Julie Melman, Kim Shaw, Val Finnie and Jeanette Lee to square off against Kelly Fisher.  Corr’s hot streak continued with a 7-5 win over K. Fisher and another $13,000 pay day.

Next up for the WPBA is a stop in Albuquerque, N.M., for the U.S. Open Oct. 18 – 22 at the Sandia Casino.  For updates on the event, visit www.wpba.com.

Fisher Ends ’05 Right Where She Started – No. 1

The Duchess of Doom Allison Fisher capped off another stellar Tour season by retaining her No. 1 ranking for yet another year.  After a disappointing 4th Place finish in June at the Southeast Classic, Fisher was back at the top of her game in August when the Classic Tour made its annual stop in Peoria at the Par-a-dice Casino.

Fisher defeated Helena Thornfeldt in the finals for her fourth consecutive Midwest Classic title.  Jennifer Chen and Monica Webb tied for 3rd Place.

From there Fisher had her sights set on the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship in October.  Having not won the U.S. Open title since the turn of the millennium, Fisher was determined to bring the championship back from Albuquerque, N.M.  She did just that with a 7-6 victory over arch rival Karen Corr in the finals.  Monica Webb finished in 3rd Place.

In mid-November the tour headed North to the season-ending National 9-Ball Championship at the Chinook Winds Casino in Lincoln City, Oregon.  With a sizeable lead over No. 2-ranked Karen Corr, Fisher had a comfortable margin of error to retain the coveted top spot.

The National 9-Ball Championship would belong to Korean star Ga-Young Kim however.  Kim knocked Fisher from the tournament, then went on to defeat Monica Webb in the semifinals and Vivian Villarreal in the finals 7-6.  It was Kim’s first Classic Tour victory of the year.

Fisher finished in 4th Place, but high enough to ensure she’d retain a firm grasp on the No. 1-ranking heading in to 2006.

For more information on the WPBA, visit them online at www.wpba.com.

WPBA Super Team The American Poolplayers Association and the Women’s Professional Billiard Association (WPBA) have formed a strong alliance over the years. APA proudly sponsors many WPBA televised events airing on ESPN and ESPN2. APA’s affiliation with the WPBA has contributed greatly to the popularity of the sport of pool as a competitive and entertaining activity enjoyed by a growing number of pool enthusiasts! Now great pool action comes closer to home with the induction of the WPBA Super Team with Team Captain and APA spokeswoman—Allison Fisher! The APA and WPBA have teamed up to introduce the WPBA Super Team to broaden the promotion of pool, entertain APA members, and attract new poolplayers to our sport! The WPBA Super Team consists of several women pro players who are available to perform pool exhibitions for APA members in Local League areas nationwide. Check with your League Operator to find out if any of the women professionals from the WPBA Super Team are coming to your area! WPBA Super Team Professional Poolplayers: Megan Minerich has combined her outstanding talent and desire to become ranked in the Top 25 in the world in just over a year! Melissa Little began her pro career after winning the 1999 WPBA Amateur National Championship. She has posted several Top 5 and Top 10 finishes which boosted her ranking to No.18 in the world! Tiffany Nelson began her pro career at the age of 14; she recorded a Runner-Up finish in a pro event that same year, and is currently ranked No.19! Sarah Ellerby began her pro career in her native country, England, where she has accumulated more than 80 English pool and 9-Ball titles. She began her career in the U.S. by winning a series of qualifying tournaments to enter the WPBA tour. She has risen to No.12 in the world! Ewa Mataya Laurance has won the U.S. Open, WPBA Nationals, and World titles, and been named Player of the Year multiple times. Ewa began her pro career in 1981 and has since been seen on David Letterman, Regis and Kathy Lee, and featured in the New York Times, People, and Sports Illustrated. Vivian Villarreal has been voted by the pool industry as The Favorite Player to Watch Compete. Her dynamic personality has developed a huge following. Vivian has won 12 WPBA titles since turning pro in 1991. In 1992, she was named WPBA Player of the Year. She is currently ranked No.5 in the world! Allison Fisher, the captain of the WPBA Super Team is, appropriately, the world’s most successful player. To-date, Allison has won eleven World Snooker titles, four World 9-Ball titles, seven WPBA National Championships and U. S. Open Championships, and has earned more than 40 professional titles since joining the WPBA Classic Tour in September 1995. She has won more money and appeared on more televised matches than any player in history. Allison will be wearing the APA logo and encouraging players everywhere to compete weekly in an APA League. Allison has recently begun sharing the knowledge she has gained over the last 15+ years through a series of World Champion Pool Schools. APA members are encouraged to take advantage of the poolplaying instructional classes that Allison will conduct at the Riviera Hotel & Casino during the 2003 APA National Team Championships. The WPBA Super Team is an addition to APA’s current Fan Favorites Program, which also includes World Champion professional trick shot artist Tom “Dr. Cue” Rossman and renowned professional player Mike Massey. You can now experience the excitement of watching, meeting and interacting with a Pro in your local League area! Our group of Fan Favorites is sure to teach and entertain everyone.