In nine-ball, a race to more than 11 is overkill, but the reality is that in tournament play, with big fields such as those found at the WPC, the UK Open, the European Open or the US Open 9-ball, a two-stage race to 11 tournament takes six days. It's easily argued that a race to 11 is too long, but I'm OK with it in the biggest, most prestigious events. In any other event, race to nine is plenty enough for this fan.
Tournament play is not and never has been about crowning the best player in the field as champion --- it is, instead, about crowning as champion the player that plays best over the course of that event. Over time, of course, the cream rises to the top, and as we've seen, only the elite win the events having really tough fields.
Matchroom events year to date have these champions: a) Premier League Pool, Albin Ouschan, b) World Pool Championship, Shane Van Boening, c) World Pool Masters, Josh Filler, d) UK Open, Josh Filler, e) World Cup of Pool, Team Spain (Francisco Sanchez-Ruiz/David Alcaide), and f) European Open, Albin Ouschan.
In short, the evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the current formats used are doing an excellent job of separating the best from the rest.