Former world pool champion Mika Immonen tries to avenge his suddendeath, one-rack playoff loss to Efren "Bata" Reyes in the finals of the winner-take-all $50,000 Challenge of Champions in Connecticut recently while US Open titlist Corey Deuel seeks to avenge his loss to Francisco "Django" Bustamante in the Manila World 9-Ball Challenge last May.
The four masters will play a single round robin with each match a best-of-three sets affair . Each set is a race-to-five-racks battle. At the end of the round robin, the No. 1 player goes up against the No. 3 and the No. 2 against the No. 4 in the semifinals which will also be a best-of-three.
The winners will clash in a best-of-five finals while the losers clash in a best-of-three duel for third.
Immonen and Deuel said they’re eager to return to the Philippines "to get a feel of the local playing conditions and to practice with some of the great local players."