Nikos did something special the last part of that set.
They had been trading racks to 16 a piece with Niels blowing an opportunity to take a lead with a few fumbles. Then Niels ran 5 in a row or so to go up 21-16. Going +5 in the second half of that match with a five rack run would make you think he was going to take it down.
But Nikos didn't skip a beat. He bounced right back, making some amazing jump shots and long shots, as well as some nice positional plays, did what he had to do, and started winning them back. Again, from that point he won 19 of the next 24 games. Against Feijen. Without any huge packages. Just a rack or two at a time. Out moving him. Out shooting him. Taking a little more than what the table offered and finding a way.
Some people say that 9 ball is 'solved' and too easy for top level play. This set shows otherwise. Sure, both players have tremendous skill sets. But it wasn't necessarily the best player that won, nor the player where things just happened to go their way. It was the player that was in the right stage of mind to take the win.
When Niels was fumbling it looked like he was trying too hard, or that he was being too careful. He was trying to execute a series of individual shots well hoping it would add up to a win. Nikos was trying to win, then he architected the execution he needed to get the results he was committed to obtaining. It was really telling how quickly Nikos pounced on those extra opportunities. He looked like he expected things to go his way and because of that, while they both made some great shots and some mistakes, he did the little extras that win you matches.
My point is that 9 ball is not too easy at the top level. This is a game of skill, but also a game of mental discipline. In a match of any length there are opportunities to win and lose, and more often than not in an even match it comes down to who is better prepared to take it when the match is on the line.
