After a day off for some sightseeing and a banquet dinner, the players at the Damas World 8-Ball Championship returned to the tables today. The first round of single-elimination play just ended..

This afternoon at the Expo Center in Fujeirah, United Arab Emirates, 32 players began play in race-to-10 matches.

World 9-ball champion Daryl Peach posted an awkward number early, dispatching Fahad Mohammadi of Qatar, 10-0. Looking to simultaneously hold both world 8-ball and 9-ball titles, Peach will face Ronnie Alcano, the reigning champion.

Shane Van Boening, the only American still alive, handled Liu Haitao of China, 8-3, in his first match of the day. Van Boening's quarterfinal match against Italy's Bruno Muratore just got underway.

The final 16 is heavily populated by Europeans. Niels Feijen of Holland, Swede Marcus Chamat, and Germans Ralf Souquet and Marcus Westen are all in top form as they get set for quarterfinal play.