Wow, to run 180 just to make the top 8 on a Diamond table is impressive. I don't believe the total to make the top 8 in previous years has been nearly that high. Perhaps 14.1 is gaining in popularity among the top players, at least in terms of high runs.
I can only assume other aspects of their 14.1 games are very strong as well, although I assume a number of them may opt for a far more aggressive strategy than 14.1 players of 40+ years ago.
Chris, the extra added money made a difference. When you put up the money the real players show up and play good! This is by far the best 14.1 Challenge yet ($7,500 on top!). I would have loved to see these final seven matches, head to head competition like the old days. I hope the matches are at least to 150. 100 point matches for players this good is just too short.
I don't think the number of tries doubled, but we don't have a tabulation yet. Losing tables last year on Wednesday (crunch day) was a problem.... So having a lot more attempts was the biggest factor, IMO.
Seems a little strange to me that with this level of players, that it is a single elimination format, and the 179+ runs it took to even qualify the top 8 for this field, that they could have raced to at least 150 instead of 125 in the 1st round? My guess is that some of these 4 matches may last very few innings. For players of this caliber, this is equivalent to a race to 5 in 9-ball.
Seems a little strange to me that with this level of players, that it is a single elimination format, and the 179+ runs it took to even qualify the top 8 for this field, that they could have raced to at least 150 instead of 125 in the 1st round? My guess is that some of these 4 matches may last very few innings. For players of this caliber, this is equivalent to a race to 5 in 9-ball.
Seems a little strange to me that with this level of players, that it is a single elimination format, and the 179+ runs it took to even qualify the top 8 for this field, that they could have raced to at least 150 instead of 125 in the 1st round? My guess is that some of these 4 matches may last very few innings. For players of this caliber, this is equivalent to a race to 5 in 9-ball.
Yes, tight pockets, even Diamond 4-1/2" corner specs totally change the way 14.1 is played, even at this level. It almost totally eliminates the art of finding the "dead" balls in the pack for combinations/caroms to continue a run when it looks like you have nothing. As you stated, it also greatly diminishes the ability to "cheat the pockets" for cue ball positioning when necessary, or when there is an obstructing ball and you have less than a full pocket to work with. This is what makes all those high runs for the 8 qualifying players even more impressive!I would guess it is the need to free up tables for other things but it seems like with the runs they got this time that play in this single elimination format needs to be to at least 250. Of course this is the first time so many high runs were recorded. Some truly awesome runs on 4.5" inch pockets. I wonder what the high runs on the 4.125" pockets accidentally played on were?
I am not a fan of extremely tight pockets in general and in particular for 14.1 play. Tight pockets increase pocketing difficulty of course but they also increase the difficulty of cheating the pockets or make it impossible on some shots. I would prefer to see speed and angles rather than extreme spin. Tight pockets force more spin for shape. I don't think it is a good trade-off.
Hu
Did anyone else hear something about some of the 14.1 players going on some sort of strike about when they would play in the last eight?
Heard a couple of different stories...
Lou Figueroa