BREAKING NEWS --> Accu-Stats' Fleming Announces International Event

Icon of Sin

I can't fold, I need gold. I re-up and reload...
Silver Member
Well I'm happy to hear this and I hope it has success. The Open was an annual event for my father and I and it's move to Vegas, while better for the players, was not good for us.

This will fill it's spot nicely.
 

RobertaAgnor

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm not going to like a US Open with a British flavor. (No offense lads)

We have a great honest promoter, every bit as good as the what Matchroom offers.

But Pat was ignored for a long time, so he had to make plans as the hotel was reserved.

How are you going to like Matchroom changing US Open rules and format ???

Race to 5 isn't going to work for me.

So anyway thanks a lot for selling out BENEDICT Berman !

I was so disappointed to see what is going on. Personally, I think y'all did a great job & it was what Barry wanted as he was the one that had put it in place. I will be at Pat's event here in October & look forward to seeing y'all!
 

BRussell

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I’d love it if somehow Matchroom works with Pat to make the Chesapeake event a true US Open 9-ball event for continuity.

Can you explain what you mean by this? How could Matchroom make the Chesapeake event a US Open event?
 

JoseV

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Can you explain what you mean by this? How could Matchroom make the Chesapeake event a US Open event?
I think he mean they can both collaborate and hold an event here in VA.

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk
 

RobertaAgnor

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Why should that have been a non starter?
Pat Fleming, the guy who kept the show rolling when matchroom wouldn't touch it with Barry's fingerprints all over it. In 3 years, Pat made the tournament not just a WPA ranking event, but the combined field Fargo rate was higher rated than the world championship last year....all despite Pat allowing the Behrmans (Sr and jr) to grandstand with champaign, singers and speeches for every tournament.

So now, the Behrmans and Matchroom want to do Barry proud and just skip 2018.
They could've started by allowing Pat to run the 2018 as planned instead playing cloak and dagger.

Absolutely Vegas hotels need more lead time, so why turn the shoulder on Mr. Flemming who was reportedly making phone calls and looking to hold the US Open on time and on schedule this year?

And on a side note, I feel that it was Pat's announcement that caused Matchroom to come out and just say what they were planning. Instead they would've been silent all the way to October and then announce the April US Open. Players and fans would've been left wondering what happened to 2018. Again, Pat Flemming keeps the US Open on the up and up, this time without even being involved in the deal.

Exactly, it definitely reads to me like Pat was kept in the dark because the hotel here has had those dates blocked out & wants the event to continue there but yet Pat couldn't get any answers from anyone. I think it's awesome that he's going to hold his own event.

While I'm always glad to see any opportunity for pool to grow, the U.S. Open will never be the same as it was without Barry. I wish the new tournament in Vegas well but it will never truly be the Open.
 

StraightPoolIU

Brent
Silver Member
I'm just shaking my head at some of the replies in these threads. I can't believe people are actually upset that someone with a proven track record for building events and entire sports (darts, snooker) are actually upset he now has skin in the game for American pool. I could care less if he's from the US, UK, or Tatooine for that matter.

I've always said that if you really want to see pool flourish here in the United States you better be prepared to understand what that actually means and the things that go along with it. Pool as a robust sport with a robust pro element here in the U.S.A. probably wouldn't look anything like it does today. I'm ok with that even if some of the things about the niche-ness of it that I like may be gone.
 

JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
These two MAJOR announcements coming one day apart is really odd to me.

I feel as though Pat Fleming was kept in the dark and should not have been. But I don't know what was going on behind the scenes, either. Business is a strange animal sometimes.

I think the U.S. Open, as most of us know it, is dead, but I don't think that is such a bad thing. The business plan for the Open was always flawed with problems.

Barry Hearn has a lot of contacts and clout in his back pocket, and in this regard, I am in a wait-and-see mode. I kind of feel secure about pool's future with Barry at the helm. He has media contacts around the world and can propel pool to another level.

Let's face it. Pool has been circling the drain for decades now. The payouts today are the same as in the '70s and '80s. Gosh, I feel old saying that. :p

Matchroom Sport knows how to make things happen. We all love the Mosconi Cup. Every single player would give his eye-teeth to play in the Cup. If Barry Hearn can do for the Open what he has done for Mosconi Cup, we're in for some good times ahead.

I'm in his camp. I support him. I support Pat Fleming too. :cool:
 

MatchroomPool

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Hello Matchroom.

Will the matchroom US Open be a full 128 player field or do you plan on making a paired down invitational tournament out of the name only?

You mentioned darts and Mosconi Cup ticket sales, but, to the best of my knowledge, a full open tournament has never been attempted/televised by Matchroom before. Do you have a tournament format selected?

Also, what plans did you and the Behrmans have for the 2018 tournament when you signed the deal?

It will be an open event with a maximum of 256 players. We do have a format which will be announced in due course. In fact, we staged the WPA World Pool Championship for nine consecutive years and that was a 128 man event. Staging the tournament in 2018 was never part of our plans. Thanks.
 

Swighey

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It will be an open event with a maximum of 256 players. We do have a format which will be announced in due course. In fact, we staged the WPA World Pool Championship for nine consecutive years and that was a 128 man event. Staging the tournament in 2018 was never part of our plans. Thanks.

The format has already been announced - double elimination until the quarter finals and then single elimination. Race to 11 except the finals. Whether the "finals" means the last 2 or the last 8 remains to be seen, but the format has been announced.
 

MatchroomPool

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
The format has already been announced - double elimination until the quarter finals and then single elimination. Race to 11 except the finals. Whether the "finals" means the last 2 or the last 8 remains to be seen, but the format has been announced.

It's double elimination down the the last 16. All races to 11 with the exception of the final match where it will be increased.
 

336Robin

Multiverse Operative
Silver Member
It will be an open event with a maximum of 256 players. We do have a format which will be announced in due course. In fact, we staged the WPA World Pool Championship for nine consecutive years and that was a 128 man event. Staging the tournament in 2018 was never part of our plans. Thanks.

More events, larger fields, more Pool is better! Thanks!
 

Swighey

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It's double elimination down the the last 16. All races to 11 with the exception of the final match where it will be increased.

Alternate break or winner breaks? Please, please, please go for the former. The latter has its pros but then you undo all the good work....
 

mrkdenton

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Can you explain what you mean by this? How could Matchroom make the Chesapeake event a US Open event?

I think he means he hopes match room could work with Fleming since Fleming has the same venue as the us open has been at for all these years and the dates etc. and since match room owns the rites to the us open name now. They could get together hold the 2018 us open in October. In Norfolk. And then have the us open in April for 2019 in Vegas. So for only one time the event would be like six months apart. Then April. Every year there after. To keep from not having a us open in 2018.
 
Last edited:

BRussell

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Winner breaks.

I think the last US Open had really nailed the break rules: Winner breaks with a template but with toughened break rules (break box, 3-point rule). So you get some packages, but it's tough to do. There were no soft breaks, some unpredictable patterns.
 
Top