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RESULT: FRANCE 8-1 CANADA, KOREA 5-8 CHINA
2.55pm: China are three balls from victory but Fu makes things tough going from the 6-ball to the 7-ball. But Li recovers the situation by slow-rolling the 7-ball into the side pocket and Fu puts China into the last 16. FINAL SCORE: KOREA 5-8 CHINA
2.45pm: This rack is one of the most tense of the competition so far with a number of top-class safety shots from both sides. Fu then nearly makes a risky 2-9 combination before his partner Li misses a red 3 attempt. Ga pots the same ball but leaves nothing easy for Yun. She goes airborne but the pink 4 stays out and that could be them out of the tournament.
2.41pm: An illegal break from Korea. They don't like it, but that's the way it is. It doesn't matter as Fu misses a one-ball. Korea seem to then have a tight safety but a huge slice of luck sees Li's next shot see the 1-ball cannon off the brown 7 into the hole.
2.39pm: A 4-8 combination from Yun paves the way for China to win another. They still trail 7-5 but are putting up a fighting performance.
2.37pm: Li uses a jump shot to clear the 2-ball and make contact with the 1-ball. But it is a disastrous outcome as he leaves an unmissable pot on.
2.36pm: An illegal break from China gives Korea a glimmer of hope.
2.35pm: A 3-5 carom from Fu helps the Chinese restore their three rack advantage and they have now moved to the hill with the scoreboard showing 7-4 in their favour.
2.32pm: Korea are still fighting and win their second rack in a row as Yun makes a fine shot to run the 9-ball down the side rail. However, China get an immediate chance as Ga's break shot sees the cue ball end up on the carpet.
2.20pm: But Korea claim their third rack of the match to reduce the deficit to 6-3.
2.10pm: China extend their lead and are now two from victory.
2.04pm: A dry break from Li He-wen gives Korea an opportunity but a horrendous error from Yun brings China back to the table. She tries to hide the cue ball behind the 8-ball while playing the 4-ball. However, no ball then touches a rail and China have ball-in-hand. They use it well and it is now 5-2.
1.59pm: Korea are forced to spend more time in their chair as China begin to take control of this match. Another flawless rack gives them a 4-2 advantage.
1.56pm: The Chinese duo make no mistake as they claim their third rack in a row to lead 3-2.
1.52pm: A fine break from Li gives China a perfect chance to take the lead for the first time in the match.
1.50pm: China ties the scores at 2-2. They get a bit fortunate as Li's shot on the 5-ball rattles around the pocket before it drops but it goes in and that's all that matters. 2-2.
1.47pm: Yun makes the first error from the Koreans in a failed pot on the black 8. China do the rest and win their first rack of the tournament.
1.44pm: The Korean ladies look surprised to be breaking in the next and thought it was alternate break. However, every match in this competition is on a winner breaks format and Korea have a great opportunity to make it 3-0.
1.36pm: A good attempt on a kick-shot from Ga Young Kim narrowly fails but leaves the 4-ball hanging over the pocket. China look on course to tie the score but Fu underhits a positional shot moving from the 7-ball to the 8-ball. Li plays safe but a table-length bank from Yun gives Ga the opportunity to make it 2-0 and she does.
1.26pm: It's a fine start for the Koreans as an error on the break leads to a fine 2-5 combination from Ga Young Kim before Yun Mi Lim makes the 9-ball.
1.23pm: The second match of the afternoon sees a bit of World Cup of Pool history as we have the first ever all-female side as the Korean duo of Ga Young Kim and Yun Mi Lim meet 2007 World Cup of Pool Champions - Fu Jianbo and Li Hewen from China.
QUOTES: VINCENT FACQUET (FRANCE): "We had a bit of luck but we also played well and had some good shots. When you're down 6-1, as Canada were, it is very difficult and the pressure can get to you, that's what happened when they missed the 9-ball but that's the way it goes."
1.16pm: That proves to be Canada's last shot in the 2009 PartyCasino.net World Cup of Pool. Facquet pots the winning ball, gives a thumbs up to the crowd as he and Cohen can reflect on a job well done. Final Score: FRANCE 8-1 CANADA
1.14pm: However, he is at fault again as a missed 4-6 combination brings France back in play, although Edey will point to the fact the buzzer, that indicates only 10 seconds of his allocated 40 is left, went off as he was in action.
1.13pm: An illegal break, as three balls are not pocketed or go over the headstring, give Canada the table and Edey makes a decent shot on the 2-ball as he looks to forget his error from the last rack.
1.11pm: Edey's miss on a straight-forward 9-ball draws gasps from the crowd and Cohen moves France to the hill with an opportunity they should not have had.
1.09pm: Cohen does Facquet no favours with a poor positional shot and Facquet's subsequent foul gives the Canadians ball-in-hand and an opportunity for their second rack of the match.
1.07pm: Cohen misses the 1-ball but gets lucky as the cue ball is left stuck behind the 2-ball. Edey's kick-shot connects with its target but still leaves it on for Facquet.
1.02pm: Legal break from Klatt but limited options for Edey, who pushes out.
12.58pm: Edey and Klatt finally get to spend some time in the table in the seventh as a France dry break gives them a chance. They take it as Edey sinks the 9-ball and they avoid the humiliation of a whitewash. 6-1.
12.56pm: No problems for Facquet or Cohen in the sixth. Flawless performance in the rack extends the lead to 6-0. The Canadian duo look heartbroken. It's a long way to come for a thrashing.
12.52pm: But the Canadians cannot capitalise as Edey misses on the 6-ball. However, Cohen, looking to bank it into the side, leaves it on and the North Americans have another chance. Klatt downs the 6-ball but watches as the cue ball follows into the pocket. France, with ball-in-hand, accept the gift and now lead 5-0.
12.50pm: Canada get a rare opportunity in the fifth after Facquet misses the 1-ball and Edey produces a fine long pot on the same ball. A knowledgeable Filipino crowd give the shot the applause it deserves.
12.47pm: Facquet secures the first golden break of the 2009 World Cup of Pool as the nine falls into the side pocket as a jubilant French pairing lead 4-0 and looking good for the last 16.
12.45pm: The German pairing of Ralf Souquet and Thorsten Hohmann, seen by many as potential tournament winners, are among the crowd soaking up some of the early atmosphere in the pool-mad Philippines. They're applauding as Cohen makes it 3-0. The France side are working well and now lead 3-0.
12.43pm: Klatt misses an attempt on the 1-ball and leaves France a chance, Facquet sinks the 1-ball, nicely rolls back for the 2-ball and they are off and running again.
12.41pm: Klatt looks at the shot, offers it back to the French and they are forced to play safe.
12.40pm: No luck on the break in the third and Facquet opts to push out.
12.38pm: The French are looking good as they run through the second rack to double their lead. Facquet again downs the 9-ball. 2-0
12.35pm: Vincent Facquet holds his nerve to cut in the 9-ball as the French take an early 1-0 lead.
12.30pm Hello and welcome to the SM North City Mall in Manila, Philippines for the first day of the 2009 PartyCasino.net World Cup of Pool. The opening match is between France v Canada. The French team is Stephan Cohen and Vincent Facquet, while Tyler Edey and Jason Klatt represent Canada.
