Warning, this post is long.
Returned from my vacation yesterday, an eventful and enjoyable one in which pool and the friends I've made through pool over the years were the focal point.
On Friday, July 21, I flew to Indianapolis to visit one of my closest friends and, most importantly, one having a pool table at home. We played a lot of pool and caught up on old times. We caught a breakfast with my old friend Nesli O'Hare and a dinner with Williebetmore.
Then came a one-day trip to Vegas to catch the third day of the IPT 8-ball event. Had a lot of fun and saw some great pool. Was lucky enough to meet both Crown City corey and Colin Colenso for the first time. Corey was on the run, on his way to a match, but was kind to take the trouble to say hi. Colin and I had a nice chat, and he's just as nice a guy in person as he is here on the forum. Also caught up with many of my friends who were playing in the event.
As for the pool itself, Sarah Ellerby gave a thrilling show against Teddy Garrahan to ensure that a woman would reach the third round robin. Other matches that I really enjoyed were Hohmann vs Peach, Breedlove vs MacReady, Archer vs Immonen, Storm vs Daulton and O'Sullivan vs McKenna, my first ever look at Ronnie.
When the day-long session was over, much to my surprise and delight, I was invited by Thorsten Hohmann to dine with him and a couple of friends of his (they turned out to be Charlie Williams and Tony Robles, both of whom I know very well). Actually, I had already eaten dinner, but the invitation from Thorsten was simply too good to turn down, so I went with him and drank Diet Coke while the others ate. Little did I know that I was in the presence of the guy who'd win the title and the $350,000 that came with it!
After Vegas, it was on to Peoria for the WPBA event. It was pretty apparent early in the going that Pan Xiaoting had caught a serious stroke and she and Helena Thorrnfeldt staged a classic in which both of them were superb, but Pan was just slightly better. It was one of those matches where both deserved to win. The guy with the best view of the match was the shot clock operator, our very own AZB forum member Williebetmore. Monica Webb also appeared to be in dead stroke, and both she and Pan looked like serious contenders for the title. Jeanette Lee was also playing like a champion, evidenced by her 9-0 thrashing of Hsin Huang.
Neither Fisher nor Corr appeared to have their best stuff, and Karen was fortunate to prevail over Kim Shaw after trailing 8-6 in the third round of the winners bracket. Each would be tested in the quarterfinals to reach TV.
Fisher and Pan produced one of the best WPBA matches that I have ever seen. Pan made an error that cost her a chance to go up 3-0, but, as it turned out, it was the last error she'd make for nealry an hour. With flawless play, Pan jumped out to a 5-1 lead, and it was tough not to consider that a blowout was in the cards. But then Fisher's "A" game kicked in, and, inclusive of the two dry breaks by Pan, Fisher ran a four pack to tie it a five. Wow! Surely, at 5-5, Pan was headed for defeat, but she then produced two glorious racks to take charge again at 7-5 and when Fisher missed a routine kick in the next rack, Pan cleaned up to reach the hill. It was now 8-5 and neither player had missed a ball for ten racks! A breathtaking display of pool. Suddenly, however, both players began to fall apart, and it wasn't long before Fisher stood two balls away from reaching double hill. Allison, unexpectedly, missed the eight and was lucky to leave no more than a bank shot, but Pan slammed it in with an eerie confidence to end the match and advance to TV. Lee vs Corr was also a good one, with both players proudcing a high level of play, and Corr eking out a close one.
Kelly Fisher's 9-4 pounding of Ga Young Kim on Saturday served notice that she, too, would have to be reckoned with in the fight for the title, and she joined Webb, Corr and Pan in the TV round.
Kelly Fisher vs Pan was a strange one. It was 2-2 when it got pretty weird. Kelly Fisher had a bad miss on a two ball but fluked the nine ball for 3-2. In the next rack, an erroneous bad hit call nullified what may have been the single best shot of the entire tournamnet, giving Kelly Fisher an undeserved ball in hand and a 4-2 lead. Had to feel sad for Pan, who had played so well to reach that point, only to be done in by two freakish occurrences in back to back racks. Still, can't take anything form Kelly Fisher who played at a high level down the stretch of that match. Still, I'm going to have to go on record as saying that Pan is an exceptional player who will win a WPBA title somewhere down the road once her competitive pedigree develops a little further.
The TV semifinal of Monica vs Karen turned on a dime. Webb came out strong, playing the superb pool she'd been playing all weekend to jump out to a 2-0 lead. Corr fought back hard for 2-2, but Webb grabbed the lead again at 3-2 and seemed headed for a 4-2 lead when she missed a relatively routine seven ball. This proved the defining moment of the match, with Corr outlasting Webb. Monica's game is very strng right now, and I won't be surprised if she snaps off a WPBA title very soon.
So it was on to the final, with the play being pretty even between corr and Kelly Fisher. At 6-5 ahead, Corr bet the rack on a bank shot, and although she missed it, it double banked into the side pocket to set up the winning runout. Karen won her third title of the WPBA season, and the race for #1 is on again with Allison. Strong performances at the US Open and WPBA Nationals would enable Karen to finish the year ranked #1, and she looks like a big favorite for player of the year honors in 2006.
While at Peoria, I spent a lot of time with Williebetmore (who just wouldn't let me pick up a tab, not even when I begged) and also caught up with Wally in Cincy (and his sidekick Kathy), RUKiddingMe, Nostroke, and many of my WPBA friends. Williebetmore and I got to sneak in a game of straight pool, and I have to admit that he's becoming a very tough opponent.
So that was my vacation. Played pool in Indiana, sweated pool in Vegas, played pool and sweated pool in Peoria, and came home to New York. It was a grand old time.
A very pool related vacation! Don't ya think?
Returned from my vacation yesterday, an eventful and enjoyable one in which pool and the friends I've made through pool over the years were the focal point.
On Friday, July 21, I flew to Indianapolis to visit one of my closest friends and, most importantly, one having a pool table at home. We played a lot of pool and caught up on old times. We caught a breakfast with my old friend Nesli O'Hare and a dinner with Williebetmore.
Then came a one-day trip to Vegas to catch the third day of the IPT 8-ball event. Had a lot of fun and saw some great pool. Was lucky enough to meet both Crown City corey and Colin Colenso for the first time. Corey was on the run, on his way to a match, but was kind to take the trouble to say hi. Colin and I had a nice chat, and he's just as nice a guy in person as he is here on the forum. Also caught up with many of my friends who were playing in the event.
As for the pool itself, Sarah Ellerby gave a thrilling show against Teddy Garrahan to ensure that a woman would reach the third round robin. Other matches that I really enjoyed were Hohmann vs Peach, Breedlove vs MacReady, Archer vs Immonen, Storm vs Daulton and O'Sullivan vs McKenna, my first ever look at Ronnie.
When the day-long session was over, much to my surprise and delight, I was invited by Thorsten Hohmann to dine with him and a couple of friends of his (they turned out to be Charlie Williams and Tony Robles, both of whom I know very well). Actually, I had already eaten dinner, but the invitation from Thorsten was simply too good to turn down, so I went with him and drank Diet Coke while the others ate. Little did I know that I was in the presence of the guy who'd win the title and the $350,000 that came with it!
After Vegas, it was on to Peoria for the WPBA event. It was pretty apparent early in the going that Pan Xiaoting had caught a serious stroke and she and Helena Thorrnfeldt staged a classic in which both of them were superb, but Pan was just slightly better. It was one of those matches where both deserved to win. The guy with the best view of the match was the shot clock operator, our very own AZB forum member Williebetmore. Monica Webb also appeared to be in dead stroke, and both she and Pan looked like serious contenders for the title. Jeanette Lee was also playing like a champion, evidenced by her 9-0 thrashing of Hsin Huang.
Neither Fisher nor Corr appeared to have their best stuff, and Karen was fortunate to prevail over Kim Shaw after trailing 8-6 in the third round of the winners bracket. Each would be tested in the quarterfinals to reach TV.
Fisher and Pan produced one of the best WPBA matches that I have ever seen. Pan made an error that cost her a chance to go up 3-0, but, as it turned out, it was the last error she'd make for nealry an hour. With flawless play, Pan jumped out to a 5-1 lead, and it was tough not to consider that a blowout was in the cards. But then Fisher's "A" game kicked in, and, inclusive of the two dry breaks by Pan, Fisher ran a four pack to tie it a five. Wow! Surely, at 5-5, Pan was headed for defeat, but she then produced two glorious racks to take charge again at 7-5 and when Fisher missed a routine kick in the next rack, Pan cleaned up to reach the hill. It was now 8-5 and neither player had missed a ball for ten racks! A breathtaking display of pool. Suddenly, however, both players began to fall apart, and it wasn't long before Fisher stood two balls away from reaching double hill. Allison, unexpectedly, missed the eight and was lucky to leave no more than a bank shot, but Pan slammed it in with an eerie confidence to end the match and advance to TV. Lee vs Corr was also a good one, with both players proudcing a high level of play, and Corr eking out a close one.
Kelly Fisher's 9-4 pounding of Ga Young Kim on Saturday served notice that she, too, would have to be reckoned with in the fight for the title, and she joined Webb, Corr and Pan in the TV round.
Kelly Fisher vs Pan was a strange one. It was 2-2 when it got pretty weird. Kelly Fisher had a bad miss on a two ball but fluked the nine ball for 3-2. In the next rack, an erroneous bad hit call nullified what may have been the single best shot of the entire tournamnet, giving Kelly Fisher an undeserved ball in hand and a 4-2 lead. Had to feel sad for Pan, who had played so well to reach that point, only to be done in by two freakish occurrences in back to back racks. Still, can't take anything form Kelly Fisher who played at a high level down the stretch of that match. Still, I'm going to have to go on record as saying that Pan is an exceptional player who will win a WPBA title somewhere down the road once her competitive pedigree develops a little further.
The TV semifinal of Monica vs Karen turned on a dime. Webb came out strong, playing the superb pool she'd been playing all weekend to jump out to a 2-0 lead. Corr fought back hard for 2-2, but Webb grabbed the lead again at 3-2 and seemed headed for a 4-2 lead when she missed a relatively routine seven ball. This proved the defining moment of the match, with Corr outlasting Webb. Monica's game is very strng right now, and I won't be surprised if she snaps off a WPBA title very soon.
So it was on to the final, with the play being pretty even between corr and Kelly Fisher. At 6-5 ahead, Corr bet the rack on a bank shot, and although she missed it, it double banked into the side pocket to set up the winning runout. Karen won her third title of the WPBA season, and the race for #1 is on again with Allison. Strong performances at the US Open and WPBA Nationals would enable Karen to finish the year ranked #1, and she looks like a big favorite for player of the year honors in 2006.
While at Peoria, I spent a lot of time with Williebetmore (who just wouldn't let me pick up a tab, not even when I begged) and also caught up with Wally in Cincy (and his sidekick Kathy), RUKiddingMe, Nostroke, and many of my WPBA friends. Williebetmore and I got to sneak in a game of straight pool, and I have to admit that he's becoming a very tough opponent.
So that was my vacation. Played pool in Indiana, sweated pool in Vegas, played pool and sweated pool in Peoria, and came home to New York. It was a grand old time.
A very pool related vacation! Don't ya think?
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My vacation time will be spent on a pool vacation too... the DCC for sure and right now the plans are to go to Vegas next May. If nothing else happens before then, maybe, just maybe, we'll finally get to meet next May in Vegas! I'm still going to try to get up there to Amsterdam... how much longer til they have to move?
