Immonen's reserved demeanor turned to elation in an instant.

Only four players made the round-robin cut of the 2001 Admiral World Pool Championship in Cardiff, Wales, with a perfect 7-0 record. Ralf Souquet was one of them. On the other hand, Mika Immonen squeaked into the Round of 64 with a 4-3 record in round-robin play. However, when the two players met in the final match worth $65,000, Immonen was the perfect player.

Immonen won the final six racks to bring the World Pool-Billiard Association World Championship title back to Europe for the first time since Souquet last won it in 1996. The Finnish 9-ball star who now makes New York City his home then broke down into tears.

"I felt sick when I went up to 15, then 16..." said Immonen after the match, "I just can't believe it. This will pick up the interest in pool a lot in Finland, and I'm proud of that. I'll go to sleep smiling."