SJM at the 2022 International Open

[sjm]

What you didn't mention was that when he was down 10 to 9, Garcia dogged one of the easiest 10 balls in the entire tournament, a shot he'd usually make 999 out of 1000 tries. It was doubly shocking because he'd played so well up to that point. But you could see during his warmup strokes on that 10 ball that he was coming down with a serious case of the yips.

Yeah, that was shocker, as Garcia had played very well, especially in that rack.

Why did I fail to mention that shot? In fact, I didn't mention any shot from any 10-ball match played on that day.

 

[Monti]

What you didn't mention was that when he was down 10 to 9, Garcia dogged one of the easiest 10 balls in the entire tournament, a shot he'd usually make 999 out of 1000 tries. It was doubly shocking because he'd played so well up to that point. But you could see during his warmup strokes on that 10 ball that he was coming down with a serious case of the yips.

Do you have a link to that Garcia match/moment?

 

[heresy]

I was in the stands for 3 of Gorst's 10 ball matches. He was playing like a man possessed. Truly impressive showing.

 

[Fatboy]

Jayson brings an energy to pool that is good for our sport. He is passionate about competing, prepares hard and earns every ounce of success he enjoys.

I'm not telling you who to root for, but give credit where credit where is due, for Jayson is one of pool's most dynamic and exciting players. The feel in the arena was electric during his matches.

I happen to like him a lot. We have always had good laughs and fun the times we have spent together were ever that maybe. Mcup, Derby etc.

He does have energy and speaks his mind-which I respect. Maybe on camera he comes across differently I’m not sure.

While he takes pool very seriously, he doesn’t take himself seriously in a good fun way. Lots of laughs and humor.

He has personality and we NEED that in pro pool. He delivers.

Fatboy️

 

[ACL]

I happen to like him a lot. We have always had good laughs and fun the times we have spent together were ever that maybe. Mcup, Derby etc.

He does have energy and speaks his mind-which I respect. Maybe on camera he comes across differently I’m not sure.

While he takes pool very seriously, he doesn’t take himself seriously in a good fun way. Lots of laughs and humor.

He has personality and we NEED that in pro pool. He delivers.

Fatboy️

I am happy to read that someone outside of his home pool room knows him the way I/we do at US1. Your description is of him is probably the best I have read.

 

[sjm]

I am happy to read that someone outside of his home pool room knows him the way I/we do at US1. Your description is of him is probably the best I have read.

Thanks for chiming in. Once you get to know him, you like him.

 

[ACL]

Thanks for chiming in. Once you get to know him, you like him.

Exactly!

Quick aside, next time you talk to him, ask him about the 10 ball tournament he ran in January of '21 that he won while being the TD, tending bar, taking food orders, cooking, etc. Then remind him how he forgot my cheeseburger order...twice! lol I have never let him live it down.

 

[SEB]

Fedor's nationality cost him his spot, but only indirectly. It was the Russian ban that cost him the opportunity to play the Matchroom events in 2022, with the exception of the US Open, in which he came tied for 33rd. Similarly, the politics of the Ukrainian war made remaining in the US the smart move this year, and it's quite likely that he'd have had visa/travel issues had he traveled to Europe, so he might well have turned down the Mosconi spot if offered.

Surely, had Fedor played the full Matchroom schedule, he'd have been an automatic qualifier. I am of the opinion that if one doesn't play the Matchroom events, one is unworthy of participation in Matchroom Premier invitational event of the year, although the Earl pick demonstrates that Matchroom feels otherwise, as Earl has played in just one Matchroom event in the past two years.

The Russian ban did great harm to our sport this year, and this is just one more example. I really take no issue with Mark's avoidance of this subject.

Man, what kool-aid did Emily have you drink?

The Earl selection makes all of your points silly.

Also...The Mosconi Cup is in Vegas this year...no need to go to Europe and face visa issues for Fedor. Fedor ain't turning down a Mosconi cup...let's be real here.

And Mark not addressing it in the interview misses a gigantic media opportunity for the event and pool itself.

 

[sjm]

Man, what kool-aid did Emily have you drink?

The Earl selection makes all of your points silly.

Also...The Mosconi Cup is in Vegas this year...no need to go to Europe and face visa issues for Fedor. Fedor ain't turning down a Mosconi cup...let's be real here.

And Mark not addressing it in the interview misses a gigantic media opportunity for the event and pool itself.

The visa issue pertains to 2023, and I'm guessing it will limit Fedor's Matchroom event participation once again, but it's no more than a guess. Assuming he seeks asylum here, it's likely in his best interest to remain in the USA even in 2023.

Sorry if my silly points bothered you.

 

[Dead Money]

Exactly!

Quick aside, next time you talk to him, ask him about the 10 ball tournament he ran in January of '21 that he won while being the TD, tending bar, taking food orders, cooking, etc. Then remind him how he forgot my cheeseburger order...twice! lol I have never let him live it down.

Cheese burger cheese burger ....

 

[Dead Money]

I just experienced seven days at the International and I’ll file this trip report. I did not attend the one pocket, except for a bit at the end, so I’ll omit it.

Monday, October 31
The 9-ball and 10-ball began. I didn’t watch entire nine-ball matches, preferring to watch bits and pieces. I saw a) junior Kashton Keaton’s winning over Jesus Atencio, b) Amber Chen giving Al-Awadhi a tough test until a miscue erased her chances, c) Woodward needing his best to beat Candela, and d) Margaret Styer’s coming from behind to win over Pecelj. In 10-ball, Gorst offered the most impressive performance of the day, playing near perfect pool to whitewash Alcaide 11-1.

Tuesday, November 1
The 10-ball delivered, as four of the five races to 11 reached 9-9. Filler and JL Chang eked out close ones before Shaw ran over Corteza to complete the first round. In the first quarterfinal, Yapp was impressive in edging a solid Roland Garcia. The second quarterfinal, between JL Chang and Albin Ouschan was one for the ages. Albin must have been emotionally drained entering the match, having just survived a scare in the 9-ball against Hohmann. Chang’s play for the first half of the match was otherworldly, and he played to about .925 in earning a 6-3 lead, but Albin kept grinding and eked out the win.

In the 9- ball, Stage 1 continued. It was a memorable day in the tournament room filled with nail-biting matches. There were some huge comebacks, including Al Awadhi’s double hill win over Woodward, Grabe’s escape against Sanderson, Biado’s really from 8-4 down to Souto, Ku Lin Wu’s rally to top Morra, Mario He’s comeback vs Eberle and, as noted, Ouschan’s rally to beat Hohmann. Other hard-fought matches included a) Hsieh’s double hill win over Strickland, and b) relatively unknown Vietnamese player Nguyen playing well to beat Kaci.

The only negative on this day was the absence of a shot clock in 9-ball, which caused huge delays, and the evening session in 9-ball went until 2:00 AM.

Wednesday, November 2
The 9-ball delivered fewer good matches than Tuesday, but there were a few gems. One of the best was Oi’s double hill come from behind win over Grabe, A shocker was Majid’s win to eliminate Kaci. Sanderson had a great come from behind win over Al- Shaheen. One of the more memorable matches was 18-year-old Moritz Neuhausen’s convincing win over JL Chang. Tyler Styer played well and was among the remaining 48 players at day’s end.

It was all Fedor Gorst in the ten-ball, as he prevailed comfortably over both Ouschan and Filler to win the event, in which he beat four of the five Mosconi Cup Team Europe members (Alcaide, Shaw Ouschan, and Filler).

Thursday, November 3
Stage 1 was to end on this day. Kazakis put Ruiz on the loser’s side with a great come from behind win, but Ruiz managed to advance to the last sixteen anyway. Ouschan edged Alcaide in a double hill affair, and David then fell to Al-Yousef and was eliminated. Most of the favorites advanced to Stage 2, including Filler, Zielinski, Gorst Shaw and Ouschan. Both of the Ko brothers reached Stage 2, with Ko Pin Yi coming from 8-4 behind to top Robbie Capito. The Cinderella story was surely that of Jonas Souto, who reached Stage 2 at the expense of Naoyuki Oi.

Friday, November 4
Stage 2 began and the ones reaching the quarterfinals were Filler, Zielinski, He, Shaw, Souto, Ko Pin Yi, Gorst and Ouschan. The great match in the Round of 16 was Zielenski vs Ko Ping Chung, which came down to an electrifying safety battle in the double hill rack in which both played well. Zielinski won the race to the shot and ran out for victory.

It was on to the quarters, and Zielinski, after trailing 6-3 to Filler, won seven straight racks to reach the semis. Gorst continued to show otherworldly form to easily beat Ouschan, Shaw demolished Souto and Ko Pin Yi outdueled Mario He. The semifinals were set, with Zielinski vs Gorst and Shaw vs Ko Pin Yi.

Saturday, November 5
Four good stories were waiting to happen. Would Shaw add the International to his 2022 resume that included setting a 14.1 high run record? Was the Ko Pin Yi of 2015 back? Would Zielinski win his first major? Would Gorst achieve the unfathomable and win both the 10-ball and the 9-ball at the same International?

In the first semifinal, Zielinski’s play was superb and he outplayed an off-form Gorst to reach the final. Shaw was then brilliant in dismissing Ko Pin Yi to earn his spot in the final. Shaw’s outstanding play continued in the final, and he outgunned Zielinski to win the title.

The Hotel
I’ve never been terribly keen on the Sheraton Norfolk hotel, but it’s very suitable for this event, having a great ballroom.

The Equipment and the Officiating
There were area refs for each section of the arena. In the early rounds, a few of them seemed less than up to the task, and many players with whom I spoke were dissatisfied with the racks they were getting. By the later rounds, referees did a better job. The tables played well and seemed to play a little looser than those at the US Open last month, but they were certainly not loose.

The Break Rule
The break rule was nine on the spot with a break box. Unlike at the US Open 9-ball, alternate break was in effect, and this was to the liking of most of the pros with whom I spoke.

The Sparkling Play of the Women
Even in the absence of Kelly Fisher, the women’s contingent had to be reckoned with. Margaret Styer beat Aleksa Pecelj. Kristina Tkach gave Brandon Shuff all he could handle in a close loss. Pia Filler made eventual quarterfinalist Souto work hard for victory. Amber Chen gave Bader Al-Awadhi a stiff test, too. Women’s pro pool is in good hands.

The Basics of the Fan Experience
The tournament room was exceptional. Internet tracking of the scores on the digital pool website was OK, but the site was not always dependable. All streamed matches were played with a shot clock, and this was very much to my liking. There was a snack bar, but the choices were few and the food was not very good.

The BCA Hall of Fame Dinner
Friday night brought the BCA Hall of Fame dinner. Mike Panozzo has the hall of fame banquet down to a science and he presided with his usual excellence. He welcomed members of the BCA, congratulated the two inductees, and introduced the BCA Hall of Famers in attendance, including Pat Fleming, Kim Davenport, Nick Varner, Mike Massey, Darren Appleton, Ralf Souquet and Thorsten Hohmann.

Shane Tyree of the BCA made a brief presentation to Jayson Shaw in recognition of his world record 14.1 run in January, but then it was on to the inductions.

Jay Helfert spoke with eloquence about Dennis’ life story, in which Jay had played a major supporting role. Dennis, who came from humble beginnings, had been involved in menial jobs in the tuna fishing trade as a youth, but, thanks to his grandfather, found pool early in life. When he first came to the United States in 2006, he found instant success and pool became his full-time profession. The rest, as they say, is history.

Jay then introduced Dennis, who addressed the gathering live on video and spoke well for about five minutes with a central theme of gratitude for all those who had supported him on his long journey to pool superstardom.

Next, Mark Wilson introduced Jerry Briesath. Mark spoke well, but chose to be brief, quickly giving Jerry the stage to himself. Jerry, who spoke well, reminisced about how he got into pool instruction and about the many gratifying experiences he’d had. Although he had influenced many pros, he focused on his experiences teaching amateurs, and it was clear that this had been his true passion. Jerry called on the world of pool to support young people who want to get into pool urged the pool instruction profession to continue growing its associations with colleges and their students. Jerry still has dreams about what pool can be in America, and the attendees enjoyed sharing those dreams with him. Well said, Jerry.

The hall of fame dinner was a wonderful occasion and I’m so glad I attended.

How Did Pat Fleming Do With this Event?
Pat gave us a killer field, with 11 of the Top 13 based on Fargo in the field. The tournament room was great, with six tables on either side of the stream table and plenty of good seats from which to view any match. Scoreboards were large and could be seen easily from either side of the table, even at distance.

I loved the 16 player Stage 2 format. The pacing of the event was improved from a year ago, and the event built to the climax that attendees hope for, as nine of the top 20 based on Fargo made it to the round of 16.

In general, the production of this event was first rate and Pat Fleming and his team rose to the occasion.

The International Socially
As has been the case of late, I didn’t socialize much outside the tournament room, but even outside the tournament room, I did get some quality time with well-known pool figures Mike Sigel, Mike Massey, Bobby Chamberlain, Jayson Shaw, Elliot Sanderson, Darren Appleton, Imran Majid, Mario He, Max Lechner, Albin Ouschan, Jerry Briesath and Bob Jewett. Inside the tournament room, I caught up with dozens of pros. Among others with whom I managed to catch up briefly were Mike Page, Mike Shamos, Jay Helfert, Mike Panozzo, and Nick Varner.

Conclusion
So that’s about the size of it. Pat Fleming’s International Open delivered yet again.

Nice write up as usual sir. Thanks!

 

[SEB]

The visa issue pertains to 2023, and I'm guessing it will limit Fedor's Matchroom event participation once again, but it's no more than a guess. Assuming he seeks asylum here, it's likely in his best interest to remain in the USA even in 2023.

Sorry if my silly points bothered you.

I enjoyed your write up and many of your posts.

I'm just blown away that someone as involved in pool as yourself isn't seeing how big a deal this Fedor situation is. THE CAPTAIN'S DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE THEIR OWN PICKS....MATCHROOM DOES. That muddy's the water beyond belief and destroys some integrity in this gigantic marathon of a pool season we are all now following.

This is a very VERY big deal and everyone is just shrugging their shoulders and moving on because Matchroom is the best thing that's happened to pool in 30 years...but they deserve criticism for this. They do. Especially from someone as highly regarded as yourself.

 

[Bob Jewett]

... THE CAPTAIN'S DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE THEIR OWN PICKS....MATCHROOM DOES. ...

Matchroom says that the choice was up to JJ. Are they lying?

 

[jay helfert]

Matchroom says that the choice was up to JJ. Are they lying?

Funny thing is I'm not so sure this isn't a good choice this year. No one else really stands out and Earl is probably playing the best he has in several years. Ed Leddawi (Sandman) has something to do with that. Earl is 61 and in the shape of a healthy forty year old. He does a daily workout that most of us (including pro players) could not endure. His one problem remains dealing with his own inner demons. I had a brief chat with him this past week before he was picked. I told him that when he keeps his emotions in check he actually plays better. He was not happy with that remark, and answered "I have to respond when people are picking on me!" He used a different choice of words to describe "people" which I have omitted. I suggested to him that he ignore them and he told me that he couldn't do that. So there you go. Expect more of the same next month at the MC.

 

[skip100]

We all know how this is going to turn out. The Mosconi Cup, supposedly pool's premier event, will become a showcase for Earl's offensive and unsportsmanlike behavior interspersed by short bursts of good play. If the two were switched it would be one thing, but Earl's play will not be the main story and everyone knows it.

 

[sjm]

I enjoyed your write up and many of your posts.

I'm just blown away that someone as involved in pool as yourself isn't seeing how big a deal this Fedor situation is. THE CAPTAIN'S DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE THEIR OWN PICKS....MATCHROOM DOES. That muddy's the water beyond belief and destroys some integrity in this gigantic marathon of a pool season we are all now following.

This is a very VERY big deal and everyone is just shrugging their shoulders and moving on because Matchroom is the best thing that's happened to pool in 30 years...but they deserve criticism for this. They do. Especially from someone as highly regarded as yourself.

For years, I have assumed that Matchroom had a say in the choices, and I was fully prepared for this pick because of it. In fact, at the 20th Mosconi, played in 2013, Matchroom made all ten choices (5 USA and 5 Europe) and the result was the worst match in Mosconi history, with Europe winning 11-2.

There's nothing new here, and my only concern is that 2022, the year in which Matchroom's new tour was launched, was to be the year in which all selections would be based on merit in the Matchroom Invitationals.

For the first three (Premier League Pool in February, World Pool Masters in May, World Cup of Pool in June), the goal was met as, for the most part, invitations went according to ranking. At the Mosconi, the goal was not met, and while some will defend the Earl pick on the basis that he still plays well enough (and even I agree that he does), I will not.

I'm not thrilled with setting the precedent that one need not play in the Matchroom majors (World Pool Championship, UK Open, European Open, US Open) to earn a Mosconi Cup spot. Given that Matchroom did take this view, Fedor Gorst, who nobody thinks is not one of Europe's top five players, should have been selected.

The Earl pick is a marketing move, and there's little doubt that Matchroom will get higher ratings due to Earl's inclusion, but I want to go back to a world in which Matchroom supports players that support their events, rather than those that skip them.

At this point, however, the pick has been made and I'll root hard for Team USA.

 

[kling&allen]

Funny thing is I'm not so sure this isn't a good choice this year. No one else really stands out and Earl is probably playing the best he has in several years. Ed Leddawi (Sandman) has something to do with that. Earl is 61 and in the shape of a healthy forty year old. He does a daily workout that most of us (including pro players) could not endure. His one problem remains dealing with his own inner demons. I had a brief chat with him this past week before he was picked. I told him that when he keeps his emotions in check he actually plays better. He was not happy with that remark, and answered "I have to respond when people are picking on me!" He used a different choice of words to describe "people" which I have omitted. I suggested to him that he ignore them and he told me that he couldn't do that. So there you go. Expect more of the same next month at the MC.

Mike Page released some data supporting your view of Earl's stellar play this year:

 

[kling&allen]

Matchroom says that the choice was up to JJ. Are they lying?

Yes? Matchroom is an event promoter and its business is marketing stunts.

Matchroom's Hearn files $100M suit vs. J. Paul

Matchroom boxing promotoer Eddie Hearn has filed a $100 million defamation suit against Jake Paul who claims that Hearn paid off judges in recent high-profile bouts.

www.espn.com

Ebanie Bridges teases more bikini stunt after catching Hearn's eyes 'wandering'

Ebanie Bridges is known as the 'Blonde Bomber' in boxing, and is known for her bikini posing during weight-ins, prompting Matccroom boxing promoter Eddie Hearn to look the other way

www.dailystar.co.uk

Hopefully Matchroom doesn't require Earl to play in a bikini.

 

[SEB]

Matchroom says that the choice was up to JJ. Are they lying?

I believe that JJ picked Earl.

I don't believe that Alex L picked David Alcaide...Matchroom vetoed the Fedor pick. Because he basically said so on Doggin It.

I also don't believe it had anything to do with playing Matchroom events (this excuse makes no sense because of the Earl pick...remember that the International Open counts for points NEXT year. Not this one...and that was the ONLY Matchroom event he's played.). I believe it is simply because Fedor is Russian and Emily doesn't want the blowback from simpletons and woke keyboard warriors who think this kind of thing matters.

Because of the Earl pick, this is the only logical explanation left for keeping Fedor off the team.

 

[Stevexjfe]

For years, I have assumed that Matchroom had a say in the choices, and I was fully prepared for this pick because of it. In fact, at the 20th Mosconi, played in 2013, Matchroom made all ten choices (5 USA and 5 Europe) and the result was the worst match in Mosconi history, with Europe winning 11-2.

There's nothing new here, and my only concern is that 2022, the year in which Matchroom's new tour was launched, was to be the year in which all selections would be based on merit in the Matchroom Invitationals.

For the first three (Premier League Pool in February, World Pool Masters in May, World Cup of Pool in June), the goal was met as, for the most part, invitations went according to ranking. At the Mosconi, the goal was not met, and while some will defend the Earl pick on the basis that he still plays well enough (and even I agree that he does), I will not.

I'm not thrilled with setting the precedent that one need not play in the Matchroom majors (World Pool Championship, UK Open, European Open, US Open) to earn a Mosconi Cup spot. Given that Matchroom did take this view, Fedor Gorst, who nobody thinks is not one of Europe's top five players, should have been selected.

The Earl pick is a marketing move, and there's little doubt that Matchroom will get higher ratings due to Earl's inclusion, but I want to go back to a world in which Matchroom supports players that support their events, rather than those that skip them.

At this point, however, the pick has been made and I'll root hard for Team USA.

From what JJ talks about in the podcast, the Earl pick really doesn't sound like a marketing move.