Who are the final 16?
It was a great time yesterday. I went 2 and out, but it was my first tourney, and I played much better than I expected.
Who was the kid there? Looked like he was 12, but I was told he was 15. That boy could shoot. He was on the 1 lose side yesterday, and eliminated a guy I can down there with 7-1. Made a jump shot off angle combination to get out in one of the racks. Simply amazing.
I was fortunate not to be fed to the wolves and was matched up with Kim Sudler (lost 7-9) on the win side and some guy named Marty (lost 6-7) on the lose side of the bracket. After reading about who was going to be there I figured I'd be so out classed I'd lose 16 straight racks and go home. My friend was less fortunate falling to Chau 9-0 and the kid 7-1.
The best of the 4 of us did manage to win 1 match on the loser side before being eliminated. I wasn't even going to enter, but my friend really wanted to, and asked me to go with him. The next thing you know we have a car full, and I wasn't going to go and watch, if I was going I had to play. I rationalized the $65 by figuring that at the worst I would be paying $4/rack for 16 racks if I lost every single one. That's less than 50 cents a ball. Who wouldn't pay that for the opportunity to play guys like McCreesh, Clatterback, Chau etal. At the very least I'll learn some moves on the table from these guys.
I was fortunate to draw competition that was not out of reach for my skill level, and I played some of my best pool yesterday and learned a few things about my game, heart and resolve in the process.
In my first match against Kim I was up 4-1 and she was getting frustrated. The pockets on the tables were deep, tight and unforgiving. They were giving most everyone there some measure of trouble. I really started playing well after she won the first rack, and I could see her starting to break down. I was making shots I didn't know I had. I had found the zone for 4 racks and was on the 9 for the 5th straight win, and then 2 things happened. I dogged the 9 and Stacy Sudler finished his match and came over to support his wife. She won the next 2 in a row. We battled back and forth until we were tied at 7. She gets on the hill first, and in the last rack I get out of line on the 8. I decide to go for the bank as I had been hitting them well all day. I stroked it as near to perfect as I could had great shape on the 9, but the deep jawed pocket was unforgiving as the 8 rattled in and settled behind the point. Kim made short work of it from there.
In my second match I was down 5-1, before I was able to battle back and get on the hill with my opponent Marty. Slopply position play and a failed safety were my undoing in that match.
I will be back next time and I will do better.
Banger