Wu is already up 3-0. He looks very strong right now.
Pulpul is taking chances, but they are not paying off.
Mike
Pulpul is taking chances, but they are not paying off.
Mike
Watching Semi #1
- Thread starter azhousepro
- Start date
Rack 4.
Wu breaks dry, but no shot for Pulpul. Pulpul pushes to a dead bank and Wu fires it in. Wu leaves tough 2-ball and even tougher to get shape on 3. Locks Pulpul up with a safe. No jump shot. Has to kick. Pulpul hits 2 and leaves shot for Wu. Wu still has to negotiate the 3 which is tied up with the 8. Shoots the 2 and goes 3 rails to break out 3 with shape. Runs out for 4-0 lead.
Wu breaks dry, but no shot for Pulpul. Pulpul pushes to a dead bank and Wu fires it in. Wu leaves tough 2-ball and even tougher to get shape on 3. Locks Pulpul up with a safe. No jump shot. Has to kick. Pulpul hits 2 and leaves shot for Wu. Wu still has to negotiate the 3 which is tied up with the 8. Shoots the 2 and goes 3 rails to break out 3 with shape. Runs out for 4-0 lead.
Rack 5. Wu breaks them harder and still comes up dry. Leaves clear path to 1, but no real shot. Pulpul with good safe. Wu might have to jack up and spin to hit behind the 1 and hit it. Which he does. Might have left enough of the 1 to give Pulpul shot. Pulpul takes the shot and misses. Might not have had enough of it to make the ball. Wu still has 4/7 to deal with. Pulpul has his head in his hands and can't look. Wu navigates 4/7 with ease. Wu runs out. 5-0 Wu
6. Wu makes 2 balls, but scratches. This is Pulpul's first real chance to take control. Rack is wide open. Pulpul runs to 3-10 combo and makes it to a huge applause from the crowd.
5-1 Wu
5-1 Wu
Rack 7. Pulpul breaks dry and leaves 1 in the jaws of the corner. Table is a bit messy, but Wu has control now. Wu fires in the 1, but hits a ball coming around the table. Locks Pulpul up again. No easy kick on this one. Pulpul hits the 2 ball 2 rails. Leaves path to 2. Possible long cut down rail. Makes 2 ball. Runs to 7 and leaves touchy cut in corner with possible scratch in side. Misses 7 and leaves Pulpul an easy 7 with the rack wide open. Pulpul runs out for 5-2 but makes it look tough.
8. Pulpul makes 2 balls on the break. Has long straight 3-ball which he makes to get run started. 4/5/6 are a little touchy. Pulpul navigates them well. Pulpul runs out for 5-3.
9. Pulpul makes a ball on the break and has clear path to 2. Pulpul runs to bank on 4 ball. Misses bank, but leaves Wu the edge of the 4. Looks like he has enough of it to make the ball, but whitey will be rolling away from his 5 ball. Makes 4 ball and settles for tougher 5. Almost runs cue ball behind 9 but has shot. Wu goes for safety and leaves Pulpul kicking. Pulpul makes great 2 rail kick and leaves Wu in same predicament. Wu goes for the jump. Is only going for contact since he has no pocket. Wu hits 5, but leaves wide open shot for Pulpul. Pulpul runs out for 5-4.
10. Pulpul makes 1 ball and has shot on 2. Makes 2, but ran too far on 3. Tough cut. Makes 3 with shape on 4. Wu still looks cool in the chair. This rack looks over. Pulpul makes 8 and forces cue ball across the table for 9 down the rail. Misses the scratch by 2 inches max. Runs out for 5 all.
11. Pulpul makes 2 balls on the break but scratches. Wide open rack. Wu runs the rack to the 7-ball. Decides to go between the 9 and 10 for shape on the 8, which is maybe a foot out of the pocket. Leaves self half ball hooked. Goes to the jump cue. Hits ball but does not make it. Leaves straight in 8 for Pulpul. Pulpul takes first lead at 6-5.
12. Wu takes his break. Pulpul breaks dry. Leaves Wu a long 1 down the rail, with other balls tied up. Wu misses the 1 bad, but makes it in another pocket. Leaves Pulpul 1/4 ball hooked on 2. Pulpul gives it back to Wu and Wu goes to the jump cue. Very questionable decision. Wu decides to spin to hit 2 and plays safe. Possible bank on 2. Pulpul plays safe and leaves Wu rail to rail length of table, but full path to ball. Wu plays safe and gets a roll. Hit a call with the cue ball coming back down table and still got safe. Left edge of 2. Pulpul safe again. Wu is rail to rail and kicking. Can kick behind 2 though. Wu kicks behind 2 and hits it, but scratches in the corner off the 2. Pulpul eyes up 2-10 as 3-4 is tied up. Makes combo for 7-5 lead.
13. Pulpul breaks dry again. The power break is not working for him. Leaves shot on 1. Wu has got to regain control of this match before it gets out of hand. Goes to far after the 2 ball and leaves cue ball on rail for 3. Now has to negotiate a straight in 3 ball. Makes 3 and leaves long 4-ball. Still very doable. Makes 4 with shape on 5. Shape in 6 is a little tricky, but that is last real obstacle in this rack. Wu runs out for 7-6 down.
14. Wu makes two balls on break and has dead bank shot on 1. Makes bank and has shape on 2. Runs down to 7. Long shot with touchy shape on 8. Cinches 7-ball and leaves long thin shot on 8. Still should get out though. Perfect shot on 8. Straight in on 9. Runs out for 7 all.
15. Wu goes for a more controlled break and makes the last ball rolling. Has tough shot on 1. Makes one in side and almost scratches. Ends up with very tough 2-ball. Is maybe 4 inches away from 2 ball and off angle with 2 ball on the rail. Sizes up shot and plays safe. Leaves 2 ball a foot or so out of pocket, but Pulpul is 1/2 ball hooked. Jump is risky with 2 so close to rail. Goes for safe and leaves Wu full path to ball with no pocket. Another safety coming. Wu goes for strange shot. Think he called the carom on the nearby 5 ball, which does not go in. Leaves Pulpul tough 2 ball. Can see full ball, but difficult cut down rail if he goes for it. Pulpul is feeling frisky again and spears in a cross side bank with shape on 3. Still has to navigate 6-10 tie up. Makes 6 and leaves slightly off angle shot on 7. Pulpul absolutely hangs the 7. Wu calmly comes to table and makes last balls to regain lead at 8-7 and Pulpul is stunned.
16. Wu breaks in 2 balls, but leaves cue ball back on head rail. Plays safe on 2, but leaves window for Pulpul. Pulpul goes for safe and leaves 2 just outside of side pocket. Not sure it will go though. Wu doesn't like the looks of it. Wu goes for cross side bank and misses it badly. Leaves shot for Pulpul. Pulpul hits 3 very hard trying to get back to center of table but the shot was much harder than it had to be. 3 was hanging in jaws but he still missed it. Now Wu ends up on wrong side of 4 ball after hitting a ball. Goes 3 rails for shape on 5. In control now. That might be the mistake that ends Pulpul's tournament. Wu runs out for 9-7 lead.
17. Wu goes for harder break this time and breaks dry. Pulpul has full path to 1 ball. Plays safe. Leaves Wu 1 rail kick. Wu goes for controlled kick and leaves Pulpul full path to 1. Pulpul makes 1 but overruns 2 a little bit. Makes 2 and draws 3 rails for shape on 3. Rack is open now. Pulpul calms his nerves and runs rack for 9-8 down.
18. Pulpul makes a ball on the break, but 1 ball is tied up with 10 ball. Plays great safety, but 1 ball hits another ball and ends up in the jaws of the corner pocket. Wu is just a couple inches away from full blocking 2 ball, but 1 is easy. Clears 2 and makes 1. Shape on 2. Table still has two clusters though. 7/9 and 3/5. Leaves shot on 3 and navigates that cluster. 7/9 looks a bit tougher. Runs to 6 and plays great shot to draw back into cluster and open it up with shape. Still has to go around the table for shape on 8. Plays it very weak and leaves very tough 8-ball. Overcuts the 8 and it thinks about staying up, but jars and falls in. Overran 9 a little, but should not be a problem. Gets out to reach the hill at 10-8.
19. Wu breaks dry and Pulpul has a shot. A tough one, but a shot. Makes 1 and has shape on 2. Pulpul leaves tough angle on the 3 and missed it. Leaves Wu hooked but Wu jumps to make 3. Leaves bank on 4. Tough bank because he wanted to hit it hard to get shape on 5. Misses bank and leaves Pulpul straight in, length of the table, cue ball on rail and having to draw the ball to get shape on 5. Misses shot and leaves Wu hooked. Wu plays safe and leages Pulpul very tough thin cut. Pulpul overcuts it and leaves Wu the 5-ball 2/3 of a diamond out of the pocket. Still has to come back up table for 5. Wu jaws the ball and leaves it dead in the heart of the pocket. Wu looks stunned now. Pulpul must get out now. Makes the 4-ball and watches cue ball slowly rolling back towards the corner pocket. Entire crowd holds their breath as cue ball does not scratch. Pulpul then misses dead 5-7 combo. Took it for granted and might not get back to the table now. Last obstacle for Wu is shape from 7 to 8. No problem. Wu runs out for 11-8 win and a spot in the finals.