I'm at the OH tournament. When you are here you get to see all the matches, not just those on the stream. I know people can follow the brackets, but on site you get to see the sets play out.
Here's what I'll tell you: The better players have a strong advantage.
It is really, really hard to beat a strong champion two sets to four games. Frankly it is super hard to even win one race to four. There is hill-hill type pressure on every rack and these top players handle the pressure so well and shoot so straight it is hard to get there.
Then, even if you do win a set and get it to shoot out, it is not a 'coin flip'. Try shooting four shots against some Polish champ that you know will make 9/10 of them, knowing if you miss a single one you're out, and even if you make them all it will go to sudden death. You're staring down the full length of a 9' table at the edge of a ball polished up like a billiard ball, your arm is shaking, your breath is short, and you know your opponent thinks the shot is a hanger. The pressure on the weaker player in these situations is incredible. I wonder what % of the shoot outs are won by the higher rated player. I'd guess the vast majority. 75-80% would be my guess, probably the same as a third set.
Look, I'm not saying this format is perfect. None are. It's fair to object. But to think this is an 'equalizer' is just diminishing to the skills of the top players and to the achievements of those underdogs who manage to rise to the occasion. If you think it's so easy come on out and play Ruslan a few races to 4 in front of the crowd with slippery polished balls and one try for your tournament. I'll back Ruslan.