MIKA IMMONEN - FINLAND

Age - 32
Based - New York, USA
Nickname - Iceman
Hobbies - Cross training, reading, movies and friends
Cue Used - Mezz
Achievements - 2001 World Pool Champion. 2005 UPA Atlanta Open. 2004 Philippines Open Champion. 2003 On Cue Invitational Champion. 2003 LG Flatron Challenge winner in Manila. Winner of inaugural Euro Tour event 1992. Taipei Peace Cup Champion 1996.

Over the past 17 years the youthful Immonen has worked hard to establish himself as one of the world’s leading players since winning the inaugural Euro Tour event in May 1992.

Truly an international player, Immonen lives on the east coast of America and competes in equal measures in the USA, Europe and Asia. The Finn had a great 2004, winning two majors in the Philippines but the first half of 2005 has been more of a holding six months. A high spot was a quarter final finish at July’s World Pool Championship where he eventually fell to Manalo.

En route he staged a prodigious come-back win over Kunihiko Takahashi in the last 32, as he overhauled an 8 – 2 deficit to run a 10 – 8 victor. The pinnacle of Immonen’s career came in 2001, when he won the World Pool Championship in Cardiff after playing perfect pool for a week, closely followed by Team Europe’s Mosconi Cup triumph the following year.

Consistently one of the best players in the world over the past five years, Immonen is due a good run in the Masters.