CONGRATULATIONS SVB!!!!! on Becoming the PLP Champion.
- Thread starter Jaden
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Sky seemed to put in the effort last year. He got to the semis of the UK Open. He was played the best I've ever seen. Then he fell apart against Kaci.
So far this year he hasn't seemed as into it, but he played well in the premier after a slow start. Think he had a new baby recently, so family may have taken precedent early this year.
So far this year he hasn't seemed as into it, but he played well in the premier after a slow start. Think he had a new baby recently, so family may have taken precedent early this year.
Last year, Josh won the China Open, which is as tough to win as the US Open and he won the prestigious Qatar Open. As for the UK Open, Josh played at his highest level but Kaci played a perfect final against him. In my recap, I noted that Josh had just one attempt to pocket a ball in the last nine racks of that final. After seeing his play at the UK Open, I wasn't surprised when Josh won at both Quatar and China. He also won the World Teams Championship last year. Josh was player of the year on both AZB and in Billiards Digest.
As you noted, he didn't have a great year at the Matchroom majors, but by my count, he won three majors in 2023: a) the China Open, b) the Qatar Open and c) the World Teams Championship, all three having a deep, super-elite field. He also won all four Euro-tour events he entered.
Having kids can certainly change priorities. Im not saying that's the case with sky, as I don't know him, but I'm like you in that he hasn't been showing that "fire" (for lack of a better term). He has his sponsorships, does pretty well on the tour, and seems to make a comfortable living. If he is good with that, more power to him.
Again, all good points. I suspect your assessment of Filler might be a wee bit more accurate than my own.
Still, I can't help but sense we are not getting enough out of him.
I don't buy the argument that we can't see a dominate pool player globally because the competition is so good. We see athletes like that emerge from time to time in all sports, Lebron, Brady, Tiger and Serena are recent examples.
I think Filler could be that dominant player, much like Mosconi, Strickland and SVB at times dominated the U.S. scene.
In every case, it's not merely the skills of the player that allows them to be great. It's the mental superiority they show compared to others. A will to dominance.
Does Filler have that will to dominate? I don't know. If I could combine him and Niels Feijin, I could create an incredible player!
I do seem flashes here and there, though, most recently at the 2023 Mosconi. I want to see more of that. I want to see all-time greatness.
I don't think it's his work ethic, or he would never have gotten to the level he is... It's the family life man, look at Shaw too... and I can almost guarantee you that neither of them have any issues with it, either. Hashtag Dadlife
more power to them both! 
Interesting post. Pool has most definitely not had a Tiger Woods type, a guy who was nearly unbeatable when he had his best game, since the straight pool era. My suspicion is that it will remain that way because the standard right now is so high. Winning at the majors has never been more difficult.
The top guys can get beat badly even when they are in stroke, as we saw with Kaci's effort at the UK Open, when he crushed Ko Pin Yi in the semis and then Filler in the final. We saw it again at the US Open, as Ko Ping Chung absolutely crushed Yapp and then Gorst on the final day of play.
I do think that Josh is the best player but doubt he can ever dominate as long as Gorst, FSR, SVB, Kaci, Biado, Ko Pin Yi and Ko Ping Chung stand in his way at every major. The difference between now and the straight pool era is that the field at the majors consisted chiefly of Americans. Things are very different today than even five years ago. Now, the game is so global that, based on Fargo, fourteen different countries have a player in the top 25.
I'm betting against the emergence of a player who can dominate in this new era of pool in which the fields in the majors evidence the greatest growth we've ever seen in pro pool.
I am not sure which way I would bet. But I look at another solo sport, tennis, especially men’s tennis. There are a lot of great players now. More than ever. And yet, ever since I began watching in the 1970s, the game has been dominated in each era by just a few players. Bjorg, Connors, McEnroe, Lendl, Agassi, Sampras, Federer, Nadal, Dojokovic.
Maybe pool is different. Time will tell.
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Tennis and pool have different skill sets, and in tennis the luck factor is almost non-existent. Not so in pool, and when you add the variance in pocket size, humidity, and the way the balls are breaking on any given day, it's harder for even a Filler to dominate on the level of those tennis players you mention. But even so, the majors tend to be won by one of the same small group of players.
Atorontopoolplayer
Active member
Tennis is also much longer, with almost every point (15-0,30-0 ) e.t.c being almost equivalent to a pool rack in terms of all the back and forth between players.
If 9 ball was a race to 100 at every round of a tournament it might be more likely.
If 9 ball was a race to 100 at every round of a tournament it might be more likely.
Good point. At the tennis majors, they switch to best of five sets, so the cream rises to the top more easily than in pool. It is very difficult to win three sets out of five against the top few in tennis and only a few are up to the challenge.
The pool majors don't play a long race, except in the finals.
I don't think it's his work ethic, or he would never have gotten to the level he is... It's the family life man, look at Shaw too... and I can almost guarantee you that neither of them have any issues with it, either. Hashtag Dadlifemore power to them both!
biado, albin, feijen etc are married men too.. i'm leaning more towards work ethic. that said, i think his style of play is well suited for success in the contemporary game, with tough break rules and tight pockets. no reason he couldn't snap off a big one some day
That must be why I keep hearing pool needs yet even tighter pockets still. Time to try 3.25" pockets I guess. That way Filler can prove his immortality.
Or, we could encourage a table that accomodates the virtues of most pool games, 9/10 ball, onepocket, banks and even 14.1 and 8 ball.
I still enjoy the tests of well rounded skill, so you know my vote.
Are they Dads, though? Big difference between being married and being married with children. That was what I was implying
yes.
haha that's awesome!