Last year it was Mike Lebron making the senior circuit's offering to the Elite Eight at the World Pool Championship in Cardiff, Wales. In 2000, 50-year-old Mexican Ismael "Morro" Paez has taken on the youngsters with even better results, topping 26-year-old Peter F. Nielsen of Denmark, 11-9, Saturday afternoon to move into Sunday's semifinals.

Paez trailed 4-1 early in the match, which then saw ties at 5-5, 7-7 and 8-8. Paez moved ahead 10-8, and when Nielsen jumped the cue ball off the table on the break at 10-9, Paez ran the requisite balls needed to close out the match. The win assured him of a $15,000 payday. The champion will earn $60,000 from the $250,000 prize fund.

"I need the money," joked Paez, born in Mazatlan, Mexico, but a longtime Los Angeles resident. "I have to pay off my credit cards." Paez, who was forced to shoot one critical shot with a fly perched on his nose, felt fortunate to win despite a dearth of practice time. "I didn't know what time I was supposed to play," he said. "Then a friend called me and told me I was starting in 15 minutes. I didn't have time to practice or eat. That's why I was playing more slow than usual. I had no onfidence."

"I didn't like the way I played," Paez continued. "But I will be more prepared tomorrow." Nielsen, two-time runnerup in the European Championships in 8-ball, bemoaned his bad luck after the match. "It was a great match," said Nielsen, who had posted impressive wins over Americans Jeremy Jones and Allen Hopkins, and Korean Shin-Young Park enroute to his $7,500 payday as losing quarterfinalist. "But I needed some rolls. Two fouls on break shots killed me." Paez will face the winner of the Earl Strickland vs. Rudolfo Luat, scheduled for later Saturday.

Quarterfinal Match No. 2 - July 8

Ismael Paez (MEX) def. Peter F. Nielsen (DEN) - 11-