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RESULTS: CHINA 8-3 FINLAND, GERMANY 8-4 FRANCE
IN A RE-RUN of the 2007 final, China repeated their victory over Team Finland by a comfortable 8-3 score line the SM Mall North Annex in Manila, in sharp contrast to the hill-hill 11-10 thriller in the final two years ago.
It was the same two teams contesting the match as at Rotterdam in '07 - Fu Jianbo and Li Hewen for China and Mika Immonen and Markus Juva for Finland.
The second match of the afternoon was an all-European clash between the heavily fancied German duo of Ralf Souquet and Thorsten Hohmann and French veterans Stephan Cohen and Vincent Facquet.
Both teams recorded heavy first round victories - 8-0 v Hong Kong and 8-1 v Canada respectively but the smart money was with the Germans.
We didn't perform the way we wanted. I missed two balls and Thorsten missed one and misjudged a few but it's a team event," said Souquet.
"We both have to improve, take the mistakes we made and try to make fewer in future. We were lucky that France gave a chance to comeback," he added.
MINUTE-BY-MINUTE BLOG
QUOTES: RALF SOUQUET (GERMANY): "We didn't perform the way we wanted. I missed two balls and Thorsten missed one and misjudged a few but it's a team event.
"We both have to improve, take the mistakes we made and try to make fewer in future. We were lucky that France gave a chance to comeback."
2.46pm: It looks like the game is up for France when Cohen misses the 4-ball but Souquet then does likewise and he seems furious with himself as he snatches the chalk off the table and heads back to his seat. Cohen aims to keep things interesting. But doesn't. He leaves the 9-ball hanging over the pocket as the last rack is absolutely gift wrapped with a big ribbon on. Hohmann can't miss and doesn't. Germany through. FINAL SCORE: GERMANY 8-4 FRANCE
2.44pm: Germany are on the hill now after claiming the 11th. Japan or Holland await the winners but there could still be a dramatic twist in the story as a dry break from the Germans gives the French what could be their last chance.
2.37pm: Both Souquet and Facquet miss pots at the 3-ball in the tenth but the second one proves crucial as Hohmann sinks the 9-ball. Germany lead 6-4 and that could well be the deciding moment of this match. They had not had a two-rack advantage before. They have that now.
2.32pm: Those who said Germany would be happier as The Kaiser and The Hitman take out the ninth rack and are in front for the first time since the opening rack.
2.26pm: Stephan Cohen scratches in the eighth rack and France take a rest as Germany make it 4-4. It would be a brave man to bet on the winner of this one!
2.22pm: France lose position and Germany are back in the running but Souquet makes a rare mistake by not pocketing the 6-ball and France retake the lead. 4-3 to the French.
2.20pm: Hohmann misses a pot on the 2-ball in the seventh before Facquet fouls on two separate occasions. Souquet locks up a tough safety so Cohen comes to the table knowing a foul here would give Germany the rack on the three-foul rule. However, the Frenchman not only makes contact with the 2-ball via a two-rail escape, he does better than that and downs it.
2.12pm: The Germans have worked well on and off the table this week as Hohmann is now sporting a trimmed hairstyle after having his locks shaved by Souquet yesterday. Part-time barber Souquet helps tie the scores and we're now three each.
2.09pm: A French miss on the 1-ball hands the initiative back to the third seeds and Germany bring the score back to 3-2 by claiming the fifth.
2.03pm: The fourth is over quickly as Germany don't get a look in. France run out the rack and lead 3-1. Could this be the shock of the tournament so far?
2pm: Both sides make errors in the third rack as Cohen, while using the rest, misses a pot at the red 3 before Hohmann scratches with his next shot. That enables France take the lead for the first time but there is a long way to go in this race to eight clash.
1.51pm: They do so as Cohen sinks the 9-ball. 1-1 here in Manila.
1.48pm But a Souquet foul in the second, when he cannot make contact with the 2-ball after being snookered, gives France a quick opportunity to equalise.
1.45pm: France are the last unseeded team in the competition but get off to a bad start as they lose the opening rack. A perfect safety by tactical genius Ralf Souquet leaves Facquet with a tricky two-rail escape. Unfortunately for him, he hits the 4-ball instead of the 2-ball and Germany use the ball in hand well to move 1-0 up.
1.40pm: The second match of the fourth day sees the German pairing of Ralf Souquet and Thorsten Hohmann, both former World Champions, meet Stephan Cohen and Vincent Facquet of France. Both sides cruised through the first round as Germany humbled Hong Kong 8-0, while France thrashed Canada 8-1.
1.27pm: Finland are praying for a miracle but it does not happen as China win the match to book a quarter-final encounter with defending champions USA. It means the winners of the last two events will meet in one of the quarter-finals on Saturday. FINAL SCORE: CHINA 8-3 FINLAND
1.25pm: Immonen leaves the 3-ball on and knows that could be their last shot in the competition as he slumps back to his seat.
1.22pm: China can see the finish line but have to wait before they can cross it as an illegal break gives Finland an opportunity they need to take to cling on to their tournament hopes.
1.18pm: Finland have an opportunity in the tenth after Fu misses the 1-ball but the next shot sees Immonen scratch. He looks furious with himself and his mood is not helped as China go on to win the rack and move to the hill. 7-3.
1.13pm: Li Hewen and Fu Jianbo have a fine record in the World Cup as they won in 2007 and reached the semi-finals last year. They look on course for a place in the quarter-finals this year as they win the ninth to go 6-3 ahead.
12.59pm: China are soon back at the table and the earlier controversy is forgotten about as China move two ahead.
12.52pm: There is some drama in the eighth rack as Immonen plays a kick shot off the rail and connects with the 1-ball. The Chinese players claim no ball then hits a rail but referee Cielo Lopez does not call a foul. All four players go to see head referee Michaela Tabb and television replays show that Lopez, who controversially awarded a foul against Italy in their match with Philippines B yesterday, was absolutely correct. The Chinese duo apologise to the referee and the Finland players for wasting their time and we're back in action.
12.48pm: China have a legal break but the turning point in the match could come when Fu attempts a safety on the 1-ball but it bounces back off the rail, kisses the cue ball and is left out in the open. Finland, after losing three racks in a row, accept the opportunity and win the rack but still trail by one. 4-3 to China.
12.44pm: Finland are forced to sit in their chairs and watch on helplessly as China run through another rack. It is now 4-2.
12.43pm: It's 3-2 to China. Finland have a brief opportunity but lose the table. Li Hewen pots the 9-ball.
12.39pm: China race through the second in quick time. Finland stay sitting down and it's now 2-2.
12.33pm: Li Hewen, a former World Championship semi-finalist, helps China claim the third. This could be a close one! Finland lead 2-1.
12.31pm: There is already a large crowd present at the venue and it's no surprise as some of the best players in the world are in action today.
12.27pm: These two nations (and all four players) met in an epic 2007 final when China claimed the cup by an 11-10 margin. Fans present at the SM North City Mall will be hoping for similar entertainment today.
12.24pm: China's team of Li Hewen and Fu Jianbo win the lag but push out after the break. Finland play safe and that is followed by a loose shot by China. Finland's Markus Juva and Mika Immonen move 1-0 ahead.
12.20pm: Welcome back to the SM North City Mall in Manila, Philippines. It's day four and we have six matches in the last 16 for you. The first session starts with a repeat of the 2007 final as China meet Finland before Germany and France meet in the second match.
