The sequence begins at 2:01:00 in this video, with a scratch on the 3 ball: Login to view embedded media
After Wu's safe on the 4, Felix intentionally fouls the 5 to freeze it on the 10. Felix on 2.
Wu can't make the 4 usefully, and shoots it down-table leaving the cue ball stuck behind the 9.
Felix fails to hit the 4, on three fouls now (?!?).
Wu pockets the 4, gets position on the 5 to shoot it up-table, leaving the cue ball frozen to the back of the 10.
As Wu approaches his seat, he seems to warn Felix that he is on two. The railbirds pipe up, saying WTF, or the equivalent in Chinese, and Wu says something to Felix and the ref gets involved. Felix hits the ball but Wu wins the rack. The commentators say WTF to each other after realizing what happened. They had a scorekeeper counting the three fouls.
The ref said something to Wu after the rack, but it's not clear what. The ref clearly missed giving the warning twice. Wu also missed the warning after Felix's intentional foul on the 5. But....
It may be that even though this was the final, and there was a time keeper, the referee was still acting in "area referee" mode and was supposed to approach the table only when called over. I saw Felix call her over a couple of times from her position off-camera. Other than that, she only appeared around the table to rack. Assuming she was an area referee:
Wu failed to notify Felix that he was on two fouls for the intentional on the 5 as Felix came to the table, shooting from the back of the nine. When Felix failed to hit the 4 from there, he was again on two fouls, as he had not been warned.
The railbirds shouldn't have started chirping, but they did no real harm.
It is not part of the job of an area referee to keep track of the foul count.
Fortunately, the whole sequence had no apparent effect on the outcome of the match.
I just went and hit balls at a place called Bay Shore Billiards in Long Island. If I lived around here, that would be my go-to spot! Several new Gold Crown VII tables, and the rest Diamonds. I even ran into Steve Kurtz and got to catch up a bit after not seeing him for probably 15 years! If you're ever around Long Island, check it out.
if it isnt handicapped fairly then anyone entering a tournament with 5 to 10 650 to 750 players in it has no chance at all of collecting. if he is less than that.
the whole idea of a tournament is so anyone can play and have a chance. other wise it isnt a tournament but a takeoff for the best players.
and a good t.d. can find a way to structure it so that all can have a chance to collect.
