# 2012 WPA World Nine-ball Championship

The 2012 WPA World Nine-ball Championship was a professional nine-ball pocket billiards (pool) championship, sanctioned by the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) and organised by Matchroom Sport. It was held from June 22 to 29 in Doha, Qatar, hosted by the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation. Qualifying tournaments were held from June 20 to 22, with the Al Sadd Sports Club hosting both qualifying and final tournaments.
British Darren Appleton won the championship defeating China's Li Hewen 13–12 in the final. It was Appleton's second world title after having won the 2008 10-ball World Championship and his first world title in 9-ball. Defending champion Yukio Akakariyama was defeated in the round of 32, by future champion Thorsten Hohmann. A total of US$276,000 in prize money was distributed for the tournament, with the World Champion receiving $40,000.

## Format

The 128 participating players were divided into 16 groups, in which they competed in a double elimination tournament against each other. The remaining 64 players in each group qualified for the final round played in the knockout system. The event was played under the alternating break format.

### Prize money

The event's prize money stayed similar to that of the previous years, with winner Darren Appleton winning $40,000.
| Position | Prize |
| First Place (champion) | $40,000 |
| Second Place (runner-up) | $20,000 |
| Third place (semi-finalist | $12,000 |
| Fifth place (quarter finalist) | $8,000 |
| Ninth place (loser in round of 16) | $5,000 |
| Seventeenth place (loser in round of 32) | $3,500 |
| Thirty Third (loser in round of 64) | $2,000 |

## Tournament summary

The event was played in the alternating break format. In the event's semi-finals, Li Hewen defeated Germany's Ralf Souquet, 11–6, whereas Darren Appleton defeated Japan's Naoyuki Ōi 11–7. In the final, Appleton would take a heavy lead, moving to 9–2 in front, and later 11–3 in a race to 13. Li would make a comeback, to 12–6, before Appleton had the opportunity to win the tournament with an open table in the 19th rack. Appleton would Snooker himself with just four balls left on the table, and Li would win the next 6 racks to make the tournament reach a decisive rack.
Appleton would win the decisive frame, jump up onto the table, lifting his cue above his head. Appleton commented after the event that he was thinking "I can't lose, he needs a miracle" and, that at 12–10, he "started feeling the heat."

## Finals

| Round of 64 | Round of 64 | Round of 32 | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | | Final | Final |
| Ralf Souquet | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Nick Malai | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Nick Malai | 4 | Ralf Souquet | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Jonny Martinez [de] | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Jonny Martinez [de] | 11 | Jonny Martinez [de] | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Takashi Uraoka | 8 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Takashi Uraoka | 8 | | | Ralf Souquet | 11 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Bruno Muratore [de] | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| Fu Che-wei | 11 | | | | | Bruno Muratore [de] | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| Andrea Klasovic | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Andrea Klasovic | 4 | Fu Che-wei | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Bruno Muratore [de] | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Jayson Shaw | 6 | Bruno Muratore [de] | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Bruno Muratore [de] | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Bruno Muratore [de] | 11 | | | | | | Ralf Souquet | 11 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Nick van den Berg | 9 | | | | | | |
| Aki Heiskanen [de] | 5 | | | | | | | | Nick van den Berg | 9 | | | | | | |
| Hsu Kai-lun [de] | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Hsu Kai-lun [de] | 11 | Hsu Kai-lun [de] | 8 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Dennis Orcollo | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Andrew Kong | 8 | Dennis Orcollo | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Dennis Orcollo | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Dennis Orcollo | 11 | | | Dennis Orcollo | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Nick van den Berg | 11 | | | | | | | | | |
| Nick van den Berg | 11 | | | | | Nick van den Berg | 11 | | | | | | | | | |
| Marlon Caneda | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Marlon Caneda | 6 | Nick van den Berg | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Han Haoxiang [de] | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Han Haoxiang [de] | 11 | Han Haoxiang [de] | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Israel Rota | 8 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Israel Rota | 8 | | | | | | | | | Ralf Souquet | 6 | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | Li Hewen | 11 | | | |
| Lee Van Corteza | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | Li Hewen | 11 | | | |
| Serge Das [de] | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Serge Das [de] | 4 | Lee Van Corteza | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Mika Immonen | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Tony Drago | 10 | Mika Immonen | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Mika Immonen | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Mika Immonen | 11 | | | Mika Immonen | 9 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Antonio Gabica | 11 | | | | | | | | | |
| Antonio Gabica | 11 | | | | | Antonio Gabica | 11 | | | | | | | | | |
| Mario He | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Mario He | 7 | Antonio Gabica | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Yang Ching-shun | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Vincent Facquet [de] | 4 | Yang Ching-shun | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Yang Ching-shun | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Yang Ching-shun | 11 | | | | | | Antonio Gabica | 10 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Li Hewen | 11 | | | | | | |
| Majed Alazmi | 8 | | | | | | | | Li Hewen | 11 | | | | | | |
| Khaled al-Mutairi | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Khaled al-Mutairi | 11 | Khaled al-Mutairi | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Omar Al-Shaheen | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Chang Yu-Lung | 10 | Omar Al-Shaheen | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Omar Al-Shaheen | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Omar Al-Shaheen | 11 | | | Omar Al-Shaheen | 9 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Li Hewen | 11 | | | | | | | | | |
| John Morra | 11 | | | | | Li Hewen | 11 | | | | | | | | | |
| Elvis Calasang | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Elvis Calasang | 7 | John Morra | 8 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Li Hewen | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Jason Klatt | 9 | Li Hewen | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Li Hewen | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Li Hewen | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | | Li Hewen | 12 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Darren Appleton | 13 |
| Carlo Biado | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Darren Appleton | 13 |
| Naoyuki Ōi | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Naoyuki Ōi | 11 | Naoyuki Ōi | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Chang Jung-Lin | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Chang Jung-Lin | 11 | Chang Jung-Lin | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Joven Alba | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Joven Alba | 2 | | | Naoyuki Ōi | 11 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Thorsten Hohmann | 9 | | | | | | | | | |
| Thorsten Hohmann | 11 | | | | | Thorsten Hohmann | 9 | | | | | | | | | |
| Badr al-Awadi | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Badr al-Awadi | 4 | Thorsten Hohmann | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Yukio Akakariyama | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Thomas Engert | 9 | Yukio Akakariyama | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Yukio Akakariyama | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Yukio Akakariyama | 11 | | | | | | Naoyuki Ōi | 11 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Karl Boyes | 9 | | | | | | |
| Karl Boyes | 11 | | | | | | | | Karl Boyes | 9 | | | | | | |
| Do The Kien | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Do The Kien | 9 | Karl Boyes | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Chao Fong-Pang | 8 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Francisco Bustamante | 6 | Chao Fong-Pang | 8 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Chao Fong-Pang | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Chao Fong-Pang | 11 | | | Karl Boyes | 11 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Dominic Jentsch | 10 | | | | | | | | | |
| Manuel Gama [de] | 6 | | | | | Dominic Jentsch | 10 | | | | | | | | | |
| Dominic Jentsch | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Dominic Jentsch | 11 | Dominic Jentsch | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Efren Reyes | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Efren Reyes | 11 | Efren Reyes | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Toh Lian Han [de] | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Toh Lian Han [de] | 6 | | | | | | | | | Naoyuki Ōi | 7 | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | Darren Appleton | 11 | | | |
| Roberto Gomez | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | Darren Appleton | 11 | | | |
| Liu Haitao | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Liu Haitao | 11 | Liu Haitao | 8 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | N. Ekonomopoulos | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N. Ekonomopoulos | 11 | N. Ekonomopoulos | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Ryu Seung-woo | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Ryu Seung-woo | 5 | | | N. Ekonomopoulos | 8 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Darren Appleton | 11 | | | | | | | | | |
| Matt Edwards | 11 | | | | | Darren Appleton | 11 | | | | | | | | | |
| Tōru Kuribayashi [de] | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Tōru Kuribayashi [de] | 7 | Matt Edwards | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Darren Appleton | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Darren Appleton | 11 | Darren Appleton | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Mateusz Śniegocki | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Mateusz Śniegocki | 5 | | | | | | Darren Appleton | 11 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Ko Pin-yi | 9 | | | | | | |
| Konstantin Stepanov | 11 | | | | | | | | Ko Pin-yi | 9 | | | | | | |
| Ryoji Hori | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Ryoji Hori | 5 | Konstantin Stepanov | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Jundel Mazon | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Ronato Alcano | 9 | Jundel Mazon | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Jundel Mazon | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Jundel Mazon | 11 | | | Jundel Mazon | 9 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Ko Pin-yi | 11 | | | | | | | | | |
| Daryl Peach | 9 | | | | | Ko Pin-yi | 11 | | | | | | | | | |
| Lo Li-wen [de] | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Lo Li-wen [de] | 11 | Lo Li-wen [de] | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Ko Pin-yi | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Ko Pin-yi | 11 | Ko Pin-yi | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Huidji See | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Grand Final

| Player | Lag | Rack | Rack | Rack | Rack | Rack | Rack | Rack | Rack | Rack | Rack | Rack | Rack | Rack | Rack | Rack | Rack | Rack | Rack | Rack | Rack | Rack | Rack | Rack | Rack | Rack | Racks won |
| Player | Lag | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | Racks won |
| Darren Appleton | • | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 13 |
| Li Hewen | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 12 |