Initially there was a little of this. Donny thought he had the edge and said so.
But I have to say, Donny has for the last year been if anything respectful of Siming as a person and Siming's game.
He lost three close sets all of which could easily have gone the other way.
I'm quite proud of him for stepping up. These two players and their behavior are good for the sport.
No nonsense. No funny business. No putting things in the mud. No whining about details of the conditions.
And graciousness in defeat and victory. Congratulations to Donny Mills and to Siming Chen.
And thank you for letting us be part of it.
Tap tap, I wish some of the fans could be as humble and, well, decent, as these two.
They both were true professionals.
This isn't some guy talking trash, saying he'll rob someone.
Nobody had the attitude that they were stealing or gonna horse**** anyone.
Donny just felt he's a bit underclocked in Fargo (and he might be)
and that Siming is a big overclocked (and she might be). So he made a calculated bet.
Afterwards, he wasn't salty, he shook hands, posed for pictures, was very gracious in the post-match interview.
He and Siming chatted for a minute about the crucial shot of the last rack. Donny and co. even took home
the match poster with her signature.
It's weird to me that people are waaaay more defensive and hostile about either player's skills,
than the players themselves.
As an aside, I loved the professional atmosphere and production values of this thing...
you go there and see this huge lighting rig, big TV-style camera, ref in uniform, multiple monitors and commentators and booth techs...
it feels like a the finals of a tournament and not just two dudes gambling in someone's basement.