MD is Mike Davis and VB is shane Van Boening.
VB wins lag and makes three on the first break but gets too straight on 6. Power stun onto 7 comes up short, and VB will have to hit the 7 hard to make the next shape. Jaws it out and MD runs out. MD 1-0.
Solid break by MD. Tough layout and MD must settle for short side position on the 7 up the long rail into the corner. Hits it well, but must still play a strong stroke to get from the 8 to the 9. Hits in well, and runs out. MD 2-0.
Solid break by VB leaves good look at the 1, but after making it, he miscues on the 2, and MD back at the table. Not much available on the 4, but MD plays beautiful table-length bank. The rest is easy. MD 3-0.
Solid break by MD, but he plays badly onto the 2, and then only passably onto the 3. Make a paper thin cut to poocket the 3 but the cue ball scratches four rails. Bad roll on a great shot. VB runs out. MD 3-1.
VB loses cueball on next break, narrowly avoiding a scratch. No shot on the 1, but VB plays a nice safety. MD jumps at the 1 and hits it, but the cueball flies off the table. The 1 still has no pocket, so VB plays safe, but leaves an easy response. Next VB safety is poor, and MD can see the 1, and plays a nice safety. VB's turn to jump, and he jumps in the 1 ball! Wow. Fires in a missable 2 ball but eventually overplays onto the 6, and opts to play safe, leaving MD a very tough cut shot on the 6 that he barely misses. VB run out. MD 3-2.
MD scratches on the break. Layout easy but short side shape will be needed onto the 8 and VB plays only passably onto it. Makes it but will have to cut the 9 in thin up the short rail. Tough shot but he hits it well. 3-3.
Good break by VB but he has to push out, and MD gives it back nine feet from the 1 with a look at the whole ball. VB safety only passable and MD ducks up the long rail, leaving a missable shot, which VB hangs. The position from the four to the 5 requires soft, inside english, but MD is up to it and runs out. MD 4-3.
Good break by MD but the 2 is missable. Cuts it in but will need to jump at the 3. Makes fantastic jump-in of the 3. Underplays shape onto 5 and is next faced with a 6 ball from very near the object ball, and getting good on the 7 would be tough. Misses shape onto 7, but makes a magnificent two rail kick-in of the 7, but, in what was surely the worst roll for either player in this match, the cue ball found the side pocket for a scratch. VB runs out and it's 4-4.
Good VB break gives him a good look at the 1. Plays a fine shot to get from the 3 to the 5 ball, and the rest is easy. VB 5-4.
MD scratches on the break. VB misplays onto the 4 and has to bank it cross side, but fires it in with conviction, and the rest is easy, so VB reaches the hill, 6-4.
Nice break by VB offers tough chance at a 2-9 combo that would end the match, but VB not up to the challenge. Doesn't leave a shot, but MD plays a nice safety, and VB must jump at the 2. Doesn't leave MD a shot and MD opts to duck the two across the table to the center of the top rail. Misplays it and VB can see the finish line. Gets too straight on the 7, but decent draw shot gives him a look at the 8. He'll have to cut it in thin alng the top rail with the bridge, however. He's not up to it and hangs the 8. MD runs out and it's VB 6-5.
Nice break by MD, but he must negotiate a long shot on the 2, with tough shape onto the next ball. MD jaws it, but gets a roll and VB must kick at the 2. Nice kick by VB followed by a fine safety by MD. VB kicks one rail at the 2, but MD safety offers a chance for VB to jump in the 2, and VB rises to the occasion! For the second time, VB can see the finsih line. VB has to softly finesse in the 5 to beat the scratch in the corner, and hits it poorly, missing the shot. MD runout makes it double hill, 6-6.
Great break by VB, and he can see the finish line for the third time. The key shot is playing the shape from the 5 to the 6, but he hits it well and completes the runout for a double hill victory.
The play was pretty even, but two scratches on great shots by MD probably sealed his fate.
So there you have it. Finally, I was delighted to have Eydie Romano there sweating the match with me.
VB wins lag and makes three on the first break but gets too straight on 6. Power stun onto 7 comes up short, and VB will have to hit the 7 hard to make the next shape. Jaws it out and MD runs out. MD 1-0.
Solid break by MD. Tough layout and MD must settle for short side position on the 7 up the long rail into the corner. Hits it well, but must still play a strong stroke to get from the 8 to the 9. Hits in well, and runs out. MD 2-0.
Solid break by VB leaves good look at the 1, but after making it, he miscues on the 2, and MD back at the table. Not much available on the 4, but MD plays beautiful table-length bank. The rest is easy. MD 3-0.
Solid break by MD, but he plays badly onto the 2, and then only passably onto the 3. Make a paper thin cut to poocket the 3 but the cue ball scratches four rails. Bad roll on a great shot. VB runs out. MD 3-1.
VB loses cueball on next break, narrowly avoiding a scratch. No shot on the 1, but VB plays a nice safety. MD jumps at the 1 and hits it, but the cueball flies off the table. The 1 still has no pocket, so VB plays safe, but leaves an easy response. Next VB safety is poor, and MD can see the 1, and plays a nice safety. VB's turn to jump, and he jumps in the 1 ball! Wow. Fires in a missable 2 ball but eventually overplays onto the 6, and opts to play safe, leaving MD a very tough cut shot on the 6 that he barely misses. VB run out. MD 3-2.
MD scratches on the break. Layout easy but short side shape will be needed onto the 8 and VB plays only passably onto it. Makes it but will have to cut the 9 in thin up the short rail. Tough shot but he hits it well. 3-3.
Good break by VB but he has to push out, and MD gives it back nine feet from the 1 with a look at the whole ball. VB safety only passable and MD ducks up the long rail, leaving a missable shot, which VB hangs. The position from the four to the 5 requires soft, inside english, but MD is up to it and runs out. MD 4-3.
Good break by MD but the 2 is missable. Cuts it in but will need to jump at the 3. Makes fantastic jump-in of the 3. Underplays shape onto 5 and is next faced with a 6 ball from very near the object ball, and getting good on the 7 would be tough. Misses shape onto 7, but makes a magnificent two rail kick-in of the 7, but, in what was surely the worst roll for either player in this match, the cue ball found the side pocket for a scratch. VB runs out and it's 4-4.
Good VB break gives him a good look at the 1. Plays a fine shot to get from the 3 to the 5 ball, and the rest is easy. VB 5-4.
MD scratches on the break. VB misplays onto the 4 and has to bank it cross side, but fires it in with conviction, and the rest is easy, so VB reaches the hill, 6-4.
Nice break by VB offers tough chance at a 2-9 combo that would end the match, but VB not up to the challenge. Doesn't leave a shot, but MD plays a nice safety, and VB must jump at the 2. Doesn't leave MD a shot and MD opts to duck the two across the table to the center of the top rail. Misplays it and VB can see the finish line. Gets too straight on the 7, but decent draw shot gives him a look at the 8. He'll have to cut it in thin alng the top rail with the bridge, however. He's not up to it and hangs the 8. MD runs out and it's VB 6-5.
Nice break by MD, but he must negotiate a long shot on the 2, with tough shape onto the next ball. MD jaws it, but gets a roll and VB must kick at the 2. Nice kick by VB followed by a fine safety by MD. VB kicks one rail at the 2, but MD safety offers a chance for VB to jump in the 2, and VB rises to the occasion! For the second time, VB can see the finsih line. VB has to softly finesse in the 5 to beat the scratch in the corner, and hits it poorly, missing the shot. MD runout makes it double hill, 6-6.
Great break by VB, and he can see the finish line for the third time. The key shot is playing the shape from the 5 to the 6, but he hits it well and completes the runout for a double hill victory.
The play was pretty even, but two scratches on great shots by MD probably sealed his fate.
So there you have it. Finally, I was delighted to have Eydie Romano there sweating the match with me.
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