Fedor Gorst vs Tkon Nguyen race to 120 is Live

[SBC]

Days 2 and 3 Tkon caught alot of tough rolls....but many came from leaving things to chance more than his opponent.

Fedor doesn't make mistakes when deciding how to shoot a ball. After that he rarely makes an execution error.

 

[sjm]

even the Ko brothers, especially Big Ko?

I feel that Big Ko is the only person in the discussion with Fedor for best with the jump cue, but I'd rate Fedor just a bit higher.. Ouschan and Shaw are also exceptional with the short stick.

 

[fjk]

I feel that Big Ko is the only person in the discussion with Fedor for best with the jump cue, but I'd rate Fedor just a bit higher.. Ouschan and Shaw are also exceptional with the short stick.

A few years ago, I watched Shaw practice jump shots for an hour or two. I was absolutely floored how well and how accurate he could jump. One shot he kept setting up was a long, straight in shot, jumping over a full ball. He was making the vast majority (~70-80%) and the ones he missed were just barely missing. I recall thinking he could probably make that more consistently than I could with nothing in the way. Humbling to watch.

 

[mikepage]

Until Matchroom created the Hanoi Open in 2023, hardly anyone from Vietnam played regularly in major pool tournaments in the West. It was a forgotten country in the “world” of pro pool.

Tkon was no exception. He never played outside of Asia, aside from a few World Cups of Pool, until 2023.

His best finish in a big event was 17th in the World Pool Championships in 2023. He made it to the final 32, beating … the aforementioned Marc Bijsterbosch, Billy Thorpe and Konrad Juszczyszyn along the way.
[...]

Also 17th in World 9-Ball in 2018 (Qatar), where he was eliminated by 21-year-old eventual winner Joshua Filler

He played World 9-Ball in 2017, with a win over Ralf Souquet
He played World 9-Ball in 2013 (6-9 against SBB)
US Open in 2015
Dresden Open in 2017
Griffs US Open 8-Ball and 10-Ball events in 2022

 

[jbart65]

Also 17th in World 9-Ball in 2018 (Qatar), where he was eliminated by 21-year-old eventual winner Joshua Filler

He played World 9-Ball in 2017, with a win over Ralf Souquet
He played World 9-Ball in 2013 (6-9 against SBB)
US Open in 2015
Dresden Open in 2017
Griffs US Open 8-Ball and 10-Ball events in 2022

Nice. Couldn’t find any records of him playing in the U.S. at all. Having two different names doesn’t help in searching for him.

Thin international record given his age, though. I started watching him and several other top Vietnamese players after the 2023 Hanoi Open. When he got invited to the 2024 PLP, I went to YouTube and watched a bunch of matches to see just how good he was. It was quickly clear he was a marketing pick, but Tkon definitely plays with pride. He did not embarrass himself at all.

With my kids grown up and wife working a lot, I watch a ton of pool while doing things around the house or lounging on my deck. Not many people on AZB watch more pro pool than I do. Catching up on years of unawareness of pro pool …