Note that I added the info that 42 is how many games he played in Stage 1 of this event. So maybe he is just being added.
WNT 2024 Hanoi Open (8-13 Oct), Winner $30K
- Thread starter spartan
- Start date
I wonder if this is the furthest an "unknown to us" has gone in an international field. This is another reason the WPA really did good all these years (not counting the current drama), of making World Championships truly worldwide participants, and not "made up in my backyard" type tournaments.
At the Peri Open just before this, someone who was listed as just "Edward" lost in the round of 32, winning 5 matches before that (including beating Ko Pin Yi). I wonder if that is the same player, Koyongian. That "Edward" played a lot more than 42 games there.
Very sad to hear. Gorst is probably having the best year enjoyed by a pro since Immonen's 2009, but health gets in the way of excellence sometimes.
What I like about Fedor is that his story is every bit as good as his game. Essentially stranded in America due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and barred from WPA sanctioned play on the basis of his nationality alone, he scrambled to make a new life for himself in America and he now finds himself ranked #1 in the world. Well played.
Another thing I like about Fedor is that now that he speaks English fluently, he has come out of his shell. Once viewed as a bit introverted, he is now a delight to be around and communicates well with those in his midst. To be honest, I've only gotten to know him this year, but it has been a pleasure.
What a player, yes. But what a story, too!
The biggest cinderella story I can ever remember was written by Tomoki Mekari, a Japanese player who entered the 2007 US Open 9ball with career earnings of about $8,000. Nobody had ever heard of him and after his bronze medal performance, according to the AZB money list, he never cashed again in a pro pool event.
I think you're right. That Edward played 95 games at 800 speed, and I think we assigned the games to the wrong person. I will move them to the Koyongian record. Ismail Kadir (IDN) is another player who did quite well and was new to us.
Yes, Min Wai Chin is a good example, but he was a great under-the-radar straight pooler. He won the hot seat in 2000 but, as you noted, Ralf got him in the final. I heard he had run 500. Tomoki Mekari, from my vantage point, entered the 2007 US Open 9ball with no credentials of any kind, and is the least memorable medalist in a major.
Oddly enough, not many had ever heard of Soufi when he got all the way to the final of the World 9-ball not too long ago.
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Svb is always a favorite. He definitely has the ability to know you’re not going to play perfect pool in those conditions and you’ll have to make some shots.
All 5 of Aranas' game wins were after misses by Gorst. That miss on the 6-ball in Game 11 was his 8th miss in the 11 games. Something certainly seemed awry. Yet, in the midst of his troubles, he ran a B&R 3 pack (Games 6-8). But then he missed 5 times in Games 9-11 before the concession.
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WAY WORSE than that. Almost every player of note was playing in another tourney at the time.
Jaden
Not true. https://www.azbilliards.com/tournam...orld-8-ball-championship-2024/?action=results
And a couple more 800s didn't cash.
Yes, for sure. Pool politics continues to water down fields, and the fan is the loser. Let's just hope that event producers, sponsors, organizing bodies and federations can all get on the same page, so players won't continue to skip the majors. The fan is the loser here.
Nonetheless, the Hanoi Open will produce a worthy champion, and I'm not on board with putting the first asterisk in pool history to a player that wins a major.
well it's definitely not always the case in these big international events. but form-wise, he's looked very strong. the asians and spaniards have an advantage though, they're more used to and less affected of these conditions