So what of today?
I think Shane gets his threepeat. He is a giant of the game and he's executing at his very highest level. The other three Davids will have to do something remarkable to slay this Goliath.
At first consideration, I'm inclined to call Dechaine the biggest threat to Shane's threepeat, with the reason being that he has a good record in 2014 against Shane, beating him in the Derby City 9-ball event and again at Turning Stone a couple of weeks ago. Nonetheless, one cannot say the same about Mike when he faces off against Orcullo, the guy who put him on the B side Friday afternoon. On top of that win, Dennis crushed Mike 9-3 at the CSI 10-ball event at the Rio in Las Vegas. On paper, you have to figure Dennis will beat Mike in today's first match, and that Dennis, not Mike, is the biggest threat to SVB for the title.
Nick "the Greek" Ekonomopolus is the wildcard here. Shane demolished him in a long race earlier this year and logic says Shane wins the hot seat match, but Nick has found his highest gear this week, winning all six of his matches against very worthy opponents. My hunch here is he finishes third after losses to Shane and Orcullo, but Nick is certainly a threat to win it all.
Shane looks to be in incredible form and is coming off his very best match of the event. He'll win, and not because he understands how to rack the ball as Niels "sour grapes" Feijen has suggested but because he has every part of his game working.
Yup, I think it's Shane's day. No matter how it goes, though, America has had a rock solid US Open against the superstars of the world.
