Here are some aggregate break statistics from the 2023 World 8-Ball Championship played October 17-22, 2023 at the Sportpark Klagenfurt in Klagenfurt, Austria. Streaming was free on Billiard TV and YouTube. Shane Van Boening won the event, defeating Sanjin Pehlivanovic in the final match.
The commentators for the matches I tracked were Tim De Ruyter, Eric Hjorleifson, George Teyechea, Benjamin Balhassen, Daryl Peach, and Albin Ouschan. The referees were all from the EPBF (European Pocket Billiard Federation), but I do not know their names except for the referee in the Final -- Roman Mirakhmedov, who is the EPBF head referee.
The conditions for the streamed matches included:
This was a 92-player event (96 planned), with double elimination down to 32 players (16 on the winners' side and 16 on the one-loss side), and then single elimination to the end. These stats are for 18 matches -- all 9 matches streamed on feature Table 1 on Days 1 and 2 plus all all 9 matches streamed on feature Tables 1 and 2 on Days 3-6. These 18 matches (254 games) were 11 % of the total of 166 matches played in the event (175 scheduled for 96 players less 9 not played because of forfeits and a withdrawal), including 29% (9 of 31) of the matches played in the single-elimination stage of the event. The 18 matches are as follows:
Tuesday, October 17
Wednesday, Oct. 18
Thursday, Oct. 19
Friday, Oct. 20
Saturday, Oct. 21
Sunday, Oct. 22
Overall results
Breaker won the game:
Break-and-run games on all breaks:
Break-and-run games on successful breaks (made at least one ball and did not foul):
Here's a breakdown of the 254 games (for match winners and losers combined).
Break-and-run games -- The 95 break-and-run games represented 37% of all 254 games, 70% of the 135 games won by the breaker, and 76% of the 125 games in which the break was successful (made a ball and didn't foul).
The 95 break-and-run games consisted of 3 5-packs (one each by Pecelj, Filler, and Van Boening), 1 4-pack (Lechner), 2 3-packs (Ouschan and Lechner), 19 2-packs, and 32 singles.
8-balls on the break -- 3, including one on a foul (1.2% of all 254 breaks). In each case, the breaker chose to spot the 8-ball and continue playing rather than re-breaking.
The commentators for the matches I tracked were Tim De Ruyter, Eric Hjorleifson, George Teyechea, Benjamin Balhassen, Daryl Peach, and Albin Ouschan. The referees were all from the EPBF (European Pocket Billiard Federation), but I do not know their names except for the referee in the Final -- Roman Mirakhmedov, who is the EPBF head referee.
The conditions for the streamed matches included:
- Predator Apex 9-foot table (4¼" corner pockets);
- Predator Arcadia cloth (blue);
- Predator Arcos II balls, including a black-triangles cue ball;
- Predator Arena lights;
- referee racks using a Predator Aerorack triangle rack;
- winner breaks from anywhere behind the head string;
- table open after the break;
- ball in hand behind the head string after a foul on the break;
- for an 8-ball made on the break, it is breaker's choice to spot the 8-ball and continue shooting or to re-break;
- call shots;
- foul on all balls;
- 30-second shot clock (60 seconds after the break) with one 30-second extension allowed per player per game; and
- lag for opening break.
This was a 92-player event (96 planned), with double elimination down to 32 players (16 on the winners' side and 16 on the one-loss side), and then single elimination to the end. These stats are for 18 matches -- all 9 matches streamed on feature Table 1 on Days 1 and 2 plus all all 9 matches streamed on feature Tables 1 and 2 on Days 3-6. These 18 matches (254 games) were 11 % of the total of 166 matches played in the event (175 scheduled for 96 players less 9 not played because of forfeits and a withdrawal), including 29% (9 of 31) of the matches played in the single-elimination stage of the event. The 18 matches are as follows:
Tuesday, October 17
1. Oliver Szolnoki defeated Niels Feijen 8-6
2. Aleksa Pecelj d. Joey Tate 8-0
3. Francisco Sanchez-Ruiz d. Roman Hybler 8-1
4. Chang Yu Lung d. Shane Van Boening 8-6
5. Mieszko Fortunski d. Francesco Candela 8-5
6. Pijus Labutis d. Joey Tate 8-6
Wednesday, Oct. 18
7. Naoyuki Oi d. Albin Ouschan 8-1
8. Van Boening d. Hsieh Chia Chen 8-2
9. David Alcaide d. Ralf Souquet 8-5
Thursday, Oct. 19
10. Van Boening d. Ouschan 10-8 [Last 32]
11. Sanchez-Ruiz d. Mika Immonen 10-3 [Last 32]
Friday, Oct. 20
12. Max Lechner d. Joshua Filler 10-9 [Last 16]
13. Van Boening d. Alex Kazakis 10-4 [Last 16]
Saturday, Oct. 21
14. Van Boening d. Sanchez-Ruiz 10-5 (Quarterfinal)
15. Sanjin Pehlivanovic d. Mario He 10-7 (Quarterfinal)
16. Pehlivanovic d. Lechner 10-8 (Semifinal)
17. Van Boening d. Szewczyk 10-9 (Semifinal)
Sunday, Oct. 22
18. Van Boening d. Pehlivanovic 10-7 (Final)
Overall results
Successful breaks (made at least one ball and did not foul):
Match winners -- 54% (83 of 153)
Match losers -- 42% (42 of 101)
Total -- 49% (125 of 254)
Breaker won the game:
Match winners -- 64% (98 of 153)
Match losers -- 37% (37 of 101)
Total -- 53% (135 of 254)
Break-and-run games on all breaks:
Match winners -- 43% (66 of 153)
Match losers -- 29% (29 of 101)
Total -- 37% (95 of 254)
Break-and-run games on successful breaks (made at least one ball and did not foul):
Match winners -- 80% (66 of 83)
Match losers -- 69% (29 of 42)
Total -- 76% (95 of 125)
Here's a breakdown of the 254 games (for match winners and losers combined).
Breaker made at least one ball and did not foul:
Breaker won the game: 101 (40% of the 254 games)
Breaker lost the game: 24 (9%)
Breaker fouled on the break:
Breaker won the game: 2 (1%)
Breaker lost the game: 12 (5%)
Breaker broke dry (without fouling):
Breaker won the game: 32 (13%)
Breaker lost the game: 83 (33%)
Therefore, whereas the breaker won 53% (135 of 254) of all games,
He won 81% (101 of 125) of the games in which the break was successful (made at least one ball and did not foul).
He won 26% (34 of 129) of the games in which the break was unsuccessful (fouled or dry).
Break-and-run games -- The 95 break-and-run games represented 37% of all 254 games, 70% of the 135 games won by the breaker, and 76% of the 125 games in which the break was successful (made a ball and didn't foul).
The 95 break-and-run games consisted of 3 5-packs (one each by Pecelj, Filler, and Van Boening), 1 4-pack (Lechner), 2 3-packs (Ouschan and Lechner), 19 2-packs, and 32 singles.
8-balls on the break -- 3, including one on a foul (1.2% of all 254 breaks). In each case, the breaker chose to spot the 8-ball and continue playing rather than re-breaking.
