CHINA'S CHEN SIMING NAMED 2011 WPA WOMEN'S PLAYER OF THE YEAR

ORCULLO LEADS MEN'S RACE WITH ONE EVENT TO GO

China's Chen Siming wins WPA Player of the Year honors.

(Courtesy World Pool and Billiard Association) -- Chen Siming, the 17-year-old pool prodigy from China, has been named the World Pool and Billiard Association (WPA) women’s player of the year for 2011.

Chen won the WPA’s top individual honor by beating out fellow Chinese Fu Xiaofang, who came in second. England’s Kelly Fisher, who recently won the Women’s World 10-Ball Championship in Manila, came in third.

The WPA Player of the Year honors are based on the total number of ranking points each player accumulates throughout the calendar year. In 2011, the women competed in six different WPA ranking events.  Players receive points based on their order of finish in each event.  The amount of ranking points available in each event varies, depending on the size of the field and prize fund.

Chen had a stellar all-around year and managed to accumulate 2,144 ranking points, far ahead of Fu with 1,627, and Fisher with 1,546.  The teenage sensation won the Philippine Open 10-ball championship in March.  She then took the runner up spot to Fu at the China Open in Shanghai. Her biggest point haul, however, came in September at the Women’s World 9-ball Championship in Shenyang, China where she took second to winner Bi Zhu Qing.   

For winning the WPA Player of the Year award, Chen will receive a trophy and a beautiful Tag Heuer watch.  

Dennis Orcollo leads among the men.

On the men’s side, the WPA Player of the Year winner has yet to be determined as there is still one more ranking event to be played, the All Japan Championship, in mid-November. However, the Philippines’ Dennis Orcullo is the current favorite to capture to top honors as he currently sits in the top spot. Orcullo, who captured the World 8-ball Championship in Fujairah, UAE earlier this year, holds 2,510 ranking points. His nearest rival is Japan’s Yukio Akagariyama with 2,287 points. England’s Darren Appleton, who recently won his second straight U.S. Open title, is currently in third place with 2,126 points.

The men’s Player of the Year award is based on points won in 8 separate ranking events over the course of 2011. 

For the complete rankings for both men and women, please Click Here