2019 Kremlin Cup 10 ball, Moscow (18-21Sep). Winner $9K

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
Cool side story.. I was filling in for my club's Oberliga team this weekend in Darmstadt, and as I am playing, I notice a player in the back of the room, maybe 60-70 feet away. I think to myself.. "Man, than guy walks and strokes a lot like Joshua Filler"....

I then notice a blonde girl practicing on the table besides this person, and as she is a little closer, I recognize her as Joshua's gal, having watched a lot of Joshua at DCC in Ray's Action Room. I walk a little closer, and confirm that the player is Joshua Filler. He is on the newly recovered table in the back of the room, practicing drills.

I ask one of the Darmstadt team members if Joshua was living in the area, and they said, "No, he is just training." This didn't make a lot of sense to me, so after I finish my matches, I just sit and watching Josh practicing.. Later, I saw a fellow at the back of the room that had been watching Josh, and another young player, and talked to him. Found out, the fellow was the coach for the German national team, and that Joshua just dropped in to hit a few balls with the national team, before heading to Moscow... :)

I didn't end up talking with Josh, as I generally don't like to disturb practicing players, but did chat with Pia for about 10 minutes. She confirmed that "money was made" at DCC on the side games, and she thinks that the barbox 8 ball match against Corey was the only matchup Joshua lost while at Derby.

Short Bus Russ

Great story, Russ. Josh and Pia are a credit to our sport and they have great work ethics. Josh is ALWAYS training.

FYI, at the Derby, Josh Filler also lost a bank pool action game to Shannon Murphy by a score of 10-9, with the match coming down to the last ball of the last rack.
 

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
Cool side story.. I was filling in for my club's Oberliga team this weekend in Darmstadt, and as I am playing, I notice a player in the back of the room, maybe 60-70 feet away. I think to myself.. "Man, than guy walks and strokes a lot like Joshua Filler"....

I then notice a blonde girl practicing on the table besides this person, and as she is a little closer, I recognize her as Joshua's gal, having watched a lot of Joshua at DCC in Ray's Action Room. I walk a little closer, and confirm that the player is Joshua Filler. He is on the newly recovered table in the back of the room, practicing drills.

I ask one of the Darmstadt team members if Joshua was living in the area, and they said, "No, he is just training." This didn't make a lot of sense to me, so after I finish my matches, I just sit and watching Josh practicing.. Later, I saw a fellow at the back of the room that had been watching Josh, and another young player, and talked to him. Found out, the fellow was the coach for the German national team, and that Joshua just dropped in to hit a few balls with the national team, before heading to Moscow... :)

I didn't end up talking with Josh, as I generally don't like to disturb practicing players, but did chat with Pia for about 10 minutes. She confirmed that "money was made" at DCC on the side games, and she thinks that the barbox 8 ball match against Corey was the only matchup Joshua lost while at Derby.

Short Bus Russ

Great story ....they seem like a terrific couple.
...and the pool world better get used to Joshua....he’s here to stay.

A measure of his greatness at his young age is that some people are looking for things
that’s wrong with him.....just like what a young Steve Davis went through.
 

ShortBusRuss

Short Bus Russ - C Player
Silver Member
Great story, Russ. Josh and Pia are a credit to our sport and they have great work ethics. Josh is ALWAYS training.

FYI, at the Derby, Josh Filler also lost a bank pool action game to Shannon Murphy by a score of 10-9, with the match coming down to the last ball of the last rack.

Yeah... But didn't they match up again for the same amount, and Josh won?
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
Yeah... But didn't they match up again for the same amount, and Josh won?

Sorry Russ, I must stand corrected. I only saw the race to 10 Josh played against Murphy, but At Large reported that they matched up again later in the Derby for a five ahead race and Josh won that. Can't say what the bet size was for either match.
 

ShortBusRuss

Short Bus Russ - C Player
Silver Member
Sorry Russ, I must stand corrected. I only saw the race to 10 Josh played against Murphy, but At Large reported that they matched up again later in the Derby for a five ahead race and Josh won that. Can't say what the bet size was for either match.

No worries. Bank Pool is definitely not my favorite gambling game to watch, so I didn't watch much of the two sets, but I do remember there being two, so took Pia at her word about the monetary outcome.

I do kinda wonder about the dynamic of that relationship, and how it developed.. Pia prolly met him sometime shortly before his first big win, the China Open. And then he quickly becomes the best player in the world in a matter of about 2-3 years. I saw him get bounced out of the Leende Eurotour tournament pretty early last year when the Americans were there..... And then he goes to Derby and just murders almost everybody he plays. It's like a bad event result means absolutely nothing to Filler, even with a new wife to support.

She must be pretty good for him, for him to play so well as such a young man, in a relatively challenging monetary environment. Germany ain't cheap.
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
It's like a bad event result means absolutely nothing to Filler, even with a new wife to support. She must be pretty good for him, for him to play so well as such a young man, in a relatively challenging monetary environment. Germany ain't cheap.

That's the sense I get, too. They seem like the perfect couple, deeply in love and supportive of each other to the max.
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
Tyler ahead 4-1 over the Serbian in the semifinal. Does not appear to be a streamed match.

David Alcaide has already advanced to the final by beating SVB by 8-3, his second win over SVB in this event.
 

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
5-1 Tyler
Aleksa just did an Earl Strickland...jumped full length with his playing cue.
...I hate call shot 10-ball...Aleksa fluked the 5-ball after hitting the 1-ball on a great hit...
...but Tyler gets to shoot now.....call shots makes hooks too valuable.
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
...I hate call shot 10-ball...

Amen to that. At least in the straight pool era, there was a referee telling the crowd on every shot what had been called. Call shot is a negative for fans of the game unless the crowd is advised what shot has been called.

The Serb just kicked the nine in. I had no idea whether he'd called it or not, so until Tyler came to the table, I had no idea whether the Serb had made a good shot or not. That's just silly.
 

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
6-1 Tyler.....got out from a jump shot...but he used the short cue.
...the commentators are giving kudos to Johann for Tyler’s improved performances...
....I tend to agree
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
Tyler wins it 8-2 and will play in his first ever final of a big event. Surely, he'll have to be in amazing form to beat David Alcaide, who has beaten Shane twice, Kaci and Gorst. What an opportunity!
 
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