2023 World Cup of Pool (WCOP) 27June-2July, Spain (Winner $60K per team)
- Thread starter spartan
- Start date
Yeah
Pressuring your parter to shoot something they good at with 5 seconds to go isn't great.
All these guys know how they'd play anything. Just let the weaker player shoot.
Seems these 4 semifinalists are fated to meet. They are the 4 most successful in WCOP history. Philippines and China won it 3x while Austria and Germany would it 2x
According to odds, very little to separate them in semis. It is just touch and go, who has best hairday and form, who has break down.
But I have feeling the eventual champion is the winner of 2nd favorites semifinal between China v Germany. They just have that little extra animal instinct, that will to win. Wu or Filler could make the difference in the final
According to odds, very little to separate them in semis. It is just touch and go, who has best hairday and form, who has break down.
But I have feeling the eventual champion is the winner of 2nd favorites semifinal between China v Germany. They just have that little extra animal instinct, that will to win. Wu or Filler could make the difference in the final
China looked unconvincing in the 1st round, and they still did not persuade me they are capable of going all the way. Not only it is Wang Can (reads close to "One Tsan", if anybody cares - MR commentary gang is definitely not one of those) who is prone to occasional mistakes in Chinese duo, I was hoping to see Wu much more in-form.
To me, Philippines are the team to beat at this moment. As I posted pre-tournament, I did not see them overcoming Ko brothers in that part of the bracket. Four semifinalists in my forecast were PHI/TPE, Vietnam, Germany and China. I placed an outright bet on all four teams, giving preference to Taipei over Philippines.
Well, Ko's made immense attempt at pulling me (and them
) through, but Little Ko ran out of gas on the "blue two" at double hill situation 
Happy for the Pinoys and will be rooting them to lift the trophy. That said, gonna cheer for Germany as well, were they to win two more matches. Winning WCOP with different partners would be a unique achievement - by Joshua. (Christoph Reintjes was by his side in 2021 in Milton Keynes)
Oh and how I loved it when JJ called it "purple four" during PHI vs TPE quaterfinal! Shows he still got that mind of a real pool player, despite having spent so much time in the booth already, looking at these silly colors. Okay, he immediately corrected himself with his famous "excuse me".
Could anyone take some time to edit all those instances out of past MR events and make a video to send to their head office? Maybe then they finally understand something?
To me, Philippines are the team to beat at this moment. As I posted pre-tournament, I did not see them overcoming Ko brothers in that part of the bracket. Four semifinalists in my forecast were PHI/TPE, Vietnam, Germany and China. I placed an outright bet on all four teams, giving preference to Taipei over Philippines.
Well, Ko's made immense attempt at pulling me (and them
) through, but Little Ko ran out of gas on the "blue two" at double hill situation Happy for the Pinoys and will be rooting them to lift the trophy. That said, gonna cheer for Germany as well, were they to win two more matches. Winning WCOP with different partners would be a unique achievement - by Joshua. (Christoph Reintjes was by his side in 2021 in Milton Keynes)
Oh and how I loved it when JJ called it "purple four" during PHI vs TPE quaterfinal!
Shows he still got that mind of a real pool player, despite having spent so much time in the booth already, looking at these silly colors. Okay, he immediately corrected himself with his famous "excuse me".Could anyone take some time to edit all those instances out of past MR events and make a video to send to their head office? Maybe then they finally understand something?
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Seems these 4 semifinalists are fated to meet. They are the 4 most successful in WCOP history. Philippines and China won it 3x while Austria and Germany would it 2x
According to odds, very little to separate them in semis. It is just touch and go, who has best hairday and form, who has break down.
But I have feeling the eventual champion is the winner of 2nd favorites semifinal between China v Germany. They just have that little extra animal instinct, that will to win. Wu or Filler could make the difference in the final
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i think here they got the first one right but not germany v china. germany is simply looking way more solid than china, who limped to the semis aided by japans mistakes.
If you are saying Germany is favourite over China, the odds actually say that. And odds also saying Austria is slight favorite over Philippines.
Yes if we look at rear view mirror, Philippines was in top form and China (especially Wu) was very sub-par.
I am not betting man but it was simple rear view mirror analysis , I would be a betting man. Form has ebb and flow.
Yes Philippines were in top form yesterday but what are chances they can repeat 3rd top performance after Spain A and Taiwan? On the other hand, the other 3 teams have not beaten big name teams yet- they have not hit top form yet.
Plus table conditions change and are tougher near the end. Yesterday, we saw break fest in first quarterfinal but in last 2 quarterfinals , there were few good breaks , table played tougher.
If Philippines do not break fest like yesterday vs Austria , they will be underdog cos the crafty Austria will grind and slowly strangle them with superior post-break game.
Can this new Philippines pair (especially Aranas) perform under immense pressure like the steely Austria ?
We will see. Hope we get to see high quality semis and final
Finally made it out of bed and made my morning coffee and it's 2-2 in the first semifinal.China looked unconvincing in the 1st round, and they still did not persuade me they are capable of going all the way. Not only it is Wang Can (reads close to "One Tsan", if anybody cares - MR commentary gang is definitely not one of those) who is prone to occasionak mistakes in Chinese duo, I was hoping to see Wu much more in-form.
To me, Philippines are the team to beat at this moment. As I posted pre-tournament, I did not see them overcoming Ko brothers in that part of the bracket. Four semifinalists in my forecast were PHI/TPE, Vietnam, Germany and China. I placed an outright bet on all four teams, giving preference to Taipei over Philippines.
Well, Ko's made immense attempt at pulling me (and them
Happy for the Pinoys and will be rooting them to lift the trophy. That said, gonna cheer for Germany as well, were they to win two more matches. Winning WCOP with different partners would be a unique achievement - by Joshua. (Christoph Reintjes was by his side in 2021 in Milton Keynes)
Oh and how I loved it when JJ called it "purple four" during PHI vs TPE quaterfinal!
Could anyone take some time to edit all those instances out of past MR events and make a video to send to their head office? Maybe then they finally understand something?
I see things pretty much how you see them. Philippines look best on paper but they've drawn a very tough assignment in two-time champions Ouschan/He. Germany has played well in two matches out of three and China, though winning without top notch play, is very dangerous.
Should be quite a day.
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Oh well, he actually did miss (or should I say, misplayed at least) the purple in the very last rack.
Dear Matchroom! You hardly ever follow opinions from our respectable AZB Forums, so I'm just addressing the universe, but let it be.
As long as such balls find their way to the corner pocket, the pool product you are trying to promote is pretty lame. It is a good reason for the billiard world to mock at pool (or laugh out loud) and have no respect to all the hard work by the top players.
And pocket mouth opening has little to do with that, so I hope you cut all that *** about 4 inches.
No, Moritz was not the MVP in this match. Moritz hooked Filler at 2-2 and it cost them the rack that changed the momentum of the match. In rack 14, Moritz snookered Josh, but they were rescued by Wu's missed nine ball. It was from 7-7 on that Filler showed why he's a future hall of famer. Josh was the one that had to a) very skillfully use the six to make very difficult shape onto the four ball in rack 15 and Josh broke out the seven as he pocketed a very missable two ball in rack 16.Wow, another high quality semifinal
The better player on Germany and China were their Bs. Moritz was MVP, I think he did not miss any ball. Filler missed at least one, played poor position on the 5 in the crucial rack that almost got China to hill.
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Team Germany won this because the great Filler was superhuman down the stretch.
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Just another note. In every sport they try to operate, MR loves building hype around Cinderella stories. Nothing wrong with that, it's fascinating.
But if I see that in WCOP final report (Team PHI conquers the cup being unseeded, overcoming the seeds, blah blah blah), any respect left to this company just evaporates. Because they created this rubbish situation themselves!!!
But if I see that in WCOP final report (Team PHI conquers the cup being unseeded, overcoming the seeds, blah blah blah), any respect left to this company just evaporates. Because they created this rubbish situation themselves!!!
Yes, this is no Cinderella story, not even close. Then again, the fact that they weren't seeded does make what they accomplished all the more impressive.
One thing that is certain is that nobody in Spain will underestimate Asian pool. Jin Hu Dang conquered them all at the Spanish Open, and the Philippines was best at the WCOP.
I respect Matchroom's right to spin it all as they please, but when a country considered by some to be the best pool playing nation in the world wins the WCOP, it's no surprise.