Hahaha... I haven't watched the match, so I can only go by recollection. I remember feeling disgusted at how I played, though I can't remember my specific mistakes. All I remember is that against both Stefan and Oliver (my two opponents in the double-elim phase) I had more chances than I expected to have, and I didn't capitalize on any of them. I did not play well at all that entire tournament.
As to the incident, I'm pretty mild-mannered in real life but on a pool table, I protect my turf like a lunatic. I can't remember exactly but I think Oliver probably opened with a 2 or 3, and then I was running like 24 or 25 to close the 2nd rack. I'm just starting to get over a little bit of nerves (I know I'm not playing well, and now I'm playing a tough opponent on the TV table), and I'm shooting right at Oliver's pocket. And all of a sudden he reaches over like 2 or 3 feet to start messing with his cue. He decides to do this just as I'm taking my final stroke. It was really, really unprofessional and I called him on it.
I expect to be treated how I treat my opponents, and hell would freeze over before I did that to someone in a world tournament. He is a nice guy, and he did apologize to me after the rack, but the damage was done. I might have run a hundred from there, who knows? I am a realist, and I know my chances are quite slim against him in a race to 150, but I'd rather let the fate be decided on play than on whatever the heck that was.
- Steve
P.S. Then to have to listen to the commentator telling the audience (the accu-stats glass was paper thin) that only weak players blame misses on things like that, really had me mad. Sometimes, you really do get sharked.
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