Scratching isn’t bad luck.
It’s bad pool.
I'm guessing you didn't watch the semi-finals.
I can remember twice that Max played Ko safe and he had to make a difficult kick to make contact. Once he kicked and managed a hit, but then double kissed off the ball and into a corner pocket.
Another was a cross table kick where he caught half the ball, sent the 6 up table, and trickled into the bottom corner (diagrammed below).
Finally on hill-hill he was facing a very tough table length jump on the 4 ball (diagrammed below). The good news is that even if he missed the shot the 5/6 were problematic, so unless he left an easy shot with a great angle Max would have to really earn the run out. He made the jump shot, then improbably scratched off of the back side of the 9 ball. Max now had ball in hand to deal with the only problem on the table. It would've been better for Ko had he missed the 4 ball than what resulted.
I love being accountable for results, controlling what we can control, not blaming luck for losses. And I understand that there are consequences when you turn the cue ball loose. But pool is about percentages, and sometimes you can't control the outcomes of your shots. When you are facing certain kicks and jumps where even the correct shot involves some unpredictability, execute each of them to perfection, and get the worst possible outcome 3-4 times in a row, then I think it's fair to say that is some bad luck.
Now, as a champion he'll take it in stride, go back and work on his game and try to continue to control what he can control to the best of his ability, and be ready to fight hard in the next event. He's no victim. But part of being a competitor is not trying to control things you can't control. Everyone who watched that match knew he played well enough to win and that sometimes the balls roll funny for everyone.