After watching the match replay, regarding match 3 and Chris Robinson’s blown apparently simple hill-hill break and run out, where he way overcooked the natural 2 rail shape from the 7 to the 8. At that point, in my opinion he did not have a reasonable cut shot on the 8 that would have left him any kind of shot on the 9. Even if he applied maximum inside spin, the scratch in the opposite side pocket was a real possibility, and even if he doesn’t scratch and goes beyond the side pocket with the cue ball, he leaves a tough cut on the 9. Also, from that angle, with outside spin, there’s no way he could go all the way down the table and back with with the cue ball.
I just can’t figure out exactly why he ended up doing what he did? It seems obvious by his speed that he was playing a safety - trying to undercut the bank and bring the 8-ball off both opposite side rails back to the middle of the end rail while sending the cue ball down the table near the opposite end rail. Problem is he accidentally made the bank perfectly, but left himself a very long hard bank shot on the 9, which he missed, selling out the game/match.
There was a much easier safety available by simply playing off the right side of the 8-ball, sending the 8 off one cushion to the center of the end rail, possibly even behind the 9-ball, while spinning the cue ball up to the opposite end rail. The shot he ended up playing made absolutely no sense, and was a clear sign he was under Mosconi Cup pressure as well as the time clock.
As an earlier poster replied, this was not a potential two-way shot situation, as the 8 and 9 were both on the same end of the table. You have to make the decision to either make it and get shape or play the all out safety and make absolutely sure you don’t pocket the ball. He did neither.