The 2023 International Open is now in the rearview mirror, and I'll share what it was like to be there.
I saw the last two days of the American 14.1 and Mario He’s memorable victory, but then it was on to the International, a highlight on the American pool calendar. As usual, Pat Fleming set up the tournament room well, with six tables on each side of the stream table and seating from which you could see the match of your choice. Pat had large scoreboards overhead for each outer table. So far, so good.
Day 1: Monday 10/30/2023
It was Day 1 of 10ball, played Texas Express with no jump cues, just like at Derby City. The matches went according to form when JL Chang, Shaw, Yapp and SVB advanced with solid play but the final match of the day between Roland Garcia and Naoyuki Oi was a barely watchable error-fest that, fittingly, reached double hill before Garcia prevailed.
Similarly, Day 1 of 9ball produced few memorable matches, with Souquet’s big comeback one of the better efforts. Chris Reinhold was impressive in beating Al-Awadhi, too. Mostly, the favorites cruised to victory.
I knew Tuesday would offer more drama than this relatively uneventful day of pool.
Day 2: Tuesday 10/31/2023
Day 2 of 10ball began with Filler’s conquest of Pagulayan, continued by Konrad J beating Mario He. Gorst’s win over Corteza completed the Round of 16. Two quarterfinals followed in the evening. Just minutes after rallying for a 10-9 win in a 9ball match with Vitaly Patsura, SVB had to rally from behind in his 10ball match against an impressive Roland Garcia for another double hill win. JL Chang’s convincing win over Shaw finished the session.
I missed most of the loser side matches on Day 2 of 9ball, focusing on winner side play. Pagulayan outlasted Wolford in a double hill affair. Immonen led Eberle 6-0 but Max tied it before Immonen regrouped and won. It was a good day for Connecticut as Lukas Verner topped Max Lechner and Jeremy Sossei bested Robbie Capito. Gorst trailed Alshammari 7-6 before winning the last four racks to prevail. Finally, Kazakis came from way behind for a double hill win.
It was a nice day of pool for sure, and as I had expected, Day 2 offered much more entertaining pool than Day 1.
Day 3: Wednesday 11/1/2023
The third and final day of 10ball began with Yapp and Filler advancing to the semis. I missed the semis but the final was, predictably, SVB vs Filler, with SVB prevailing with superb play.
Day 3 of the 9ball was the first in which some elite players were eliminated, including Capito, Gomez, Morra, Pinegar and Strickland. Perhaps the match of the day was Anthony Meglino’s double hill win over Lukas Verner. Another dandy was David Alcaide’s double hill win over his roommate Jose Alberto Delgado. The upset of the day was surely Gerson Martinez 10 Shane Van Boening 5.
Day 4: Thursday 11/2/2023
At long last, the 9ball had the stage to itself. The day was fairly orderly, but the night session got really crazy. The last round, which would determine who would reach the last sixteen single elimination stage, featured a few classics.
With fine play, Billy Thorpe jumped out to a 7-5 lead on Mario He, but Mario rallied to win the next five racks. Anthony Meglino seemed about to gain a 9-8 lead on Jesus Atencio when he missed shape on the nine, and Atencio ended up winning.
Jani Uski led Naoyuki Oi 9-6, but Naoyuki rallied with fine play to escape. The twilight zone match was the double hill affair between Kazakis and Fortunski. Close all the way, it reached double hill and Fortunski appeared headed for a runout when he miscued on the seven. Luckily, he left Kazakis in a difficult spot and Fortunski got another chance. This time he tried to bank the seven and missed by a lot, but fluked a snooker. Kazakis had a long, tough jump which he wasn’t up to so Fortunski prevailed in a match I’d say he deserved to lose.
There remained just sixteen players at the end of the day: Zielinski, Filler, Corteza, Gorst, Alcaide, Shaw, Ouschan, Martinez, Patsura, He, Yapp, SVB, Pagulayan, Oi, Fortunski and Atencio.
Day 5: 11/3/2023
This was Day 5 of the 9ball and it would culminate with the BCA Hall of Fame dinner in the evening.
I was delighted to sit with Dr Dave during the round of sixteen matches. Although we’ve had numerous online collaborations, he and I had never met, but I’m so glad that he took the trouble to introduce himself. He is a delight to be around and, like me, loves to talk about pool on a theoretical level, so we proved compatible.
In the 9ball, the day began chaotically, as the first round of the day saw Shaw and Filler beaten. Oi had a big lead against Jayson, and Jayson’s late rally fell short. Mario He was exceptional in beating Filler, while Zielinski and Gorst cruised to victory. In the day’s second session, Gerson Martinez survived a double hill affair against Fortunski and Pagulayan rallied from behind to beat Ouschan double hill. Alcaide was superb in beating SVB and Yapp was too much for Corteza. Niels Feijen’s BCA Hall of Fame was up next.
The Hall of Fame Dinner
Cocktails were at 4:30 PM and, for me, it was an opportunity to catch up with old friends and acquaintances, including Mike Panozzo, Ivan Lee, Shane Tyree, Mika Immonen, Thorsten Hohmann, Josh and Pia Filler, Tyler and Margaret Styer, Darren Appleton, Ralf Souquet, Kim Davenport, Jayson and Ara Shaw, Mike Sigel, Nick Varner, and Mike Massey. I also caught up with Niels’ wife Caterina, whom I’d not seen since about 2010. I was surprised that she remembered me and the chat she and I had at Derby City that year. She was a very lovely lady then and still is!
It was on to the ceremonies, presided over by Mike Panozzo with excellence. Mike scored big with the comment that those on the podium had combined for hundreds of major titles, adding “and that’s just Sigel.” His comment that the HOF dinner was WPA sanctioned made me laugh, but others were less amused.
Niels was introduced by a friend of his from the Netherlands, who then turned the stage over to the guest of honor. Niels spoke well, focusing his attentions on the earliest days in which he competed. He shared that his fascination with cue sports began when he watched televised snooker and he felt that hitting balls around with a stick looked cool. He shared that he then began to hit some tennis balls around with a loose curtain rod in his home and that’s where it all began for the future superstar.
Niels delighted in contrasting himself with some of his most respected competitors. He offered that he had succeeded primarily with determination, mental toughness and hard work, noting that he’d never had the kind of special instincts and insights more associated with a Filler or an Efren. It was a humble self-assessment, but his honesty was thought provoking and refreshing.
Niels is a family man first and he shared pictures of himself and his family that were wonderful. His blend of pride and humility sat well with everyone in the room, and his induction speech was very well received.
After the dinner, it was back to the quarterfinals, which were very competitive. Zielinski pulled away late in his match with Mario He. Alcaide crushed Oi. Yapp played the match of the week in dismissing Gorst, who lost despite a .949 TPA. Yapp shot .975 and had to make numerous tough shots along the way. It was a performance for the ages, featuring some of the finest play imaginable. If my memory serves, this completed a unique trifecta, in which Yapp had eliminated Gorst in each of the Battle of the Bull, the Bigfoot 10ball and the International 9ball.
The late session ended with a dud between Alex Pagulayan and Gerson Martinez. Alex jumped out to 6-2 but made numerous errors from that point on, allowing Martinez to catch and pass him for the victory.
Four were left, and the semis were set: Zielinski vs Yapp and Alcaide vs Martinez.
Day 6: 11/4/023
This was the final day of the 9ball and, sadly, of the International. It was time to crown a champion. Entering the day, this is how I sized it up: Zielinski, runner up in the 2022 International, and Yapp were both in dominating form, and their semifinal seemed a coin toss. Alcaide seemed a big favorite to top Martinez.
The first semifinal was Yapp vs Zielinski. It was competitive most of the way, but Yapp played it cleaner down the stretch for the victory. The second semifinal was Alcaide vs Martinez. The early stages were competitive, but David pulled away and turned it into a rout.
The final was a bit choppy for the first ten racks, after which Yapp led 6-4 over Alcaide. Rack 11 brought the defining moments, as Alcaide missed shape on the six, played safe, got the first shot, but then missed shape on the eight. Yapp led 7-4 and his play, both offensively and tactically, from that point on was breathtaking, as he cruised to a 13-7 victory and the title. As he also won the Battle of the Bull, it was his second big payday in a week. Well done!
Shot and Match of the Week
Surely, Gerson Martinez’ carom on the nine to beat Alex Pagulayan in the quarterfinals was the most electrifying moment of this event, and Martinez’ wild, jubilant reaction made it even better. The match of the week was the quarterfinal between Gorst and Yapp.
Socially
I caught up with many players, friends, tournament officials, and others, but had a lot of time with just a few. Among them were my dear friends Kathy and Jerry who sat on either side of me in the arena, Dr Dave, Mike Sigel, Nick Varner, Jayson and Ara Shaw, Josh and Pia Filler, Albin Ouschan, Mario He, Max Lechner, Darren Appleton, Bobby Chamberlain, Mark Wilson and Mike Massey.
Conclusion
It was a wonderful International Open. Thanks to Pat Fleming and congratulations to his staff on the completion of a very special week in Norfolk, Virginia.
I saw the last two days of the American 14.1 and Mario He’s memorable victory, but then it was on to the International, a highlight on the American pool calendar. As usual, Pat Fleming set up the tournament room well, with six tables on each side of the stream table and seating from which you could see the match of your choice. Pat had large scoreboards overhead for each outer table. So far, so good.
Day 1: Monday 10/30/2023
It was Day 1 of 10ball, played Texas Express with no jump cues, just like at Derby City. The matches went according to form when JL Chang, Shaw, Yapp and SVB advanced with solid play but the final match of the day between Roland Garcia and Naoyuki Oi was a barely watchable error-fest that, fittingly, reached double hill before Garcia prevailed.
Similarly, Day 1 of 9ball produced few memorable matches, with Souquet’s big comeback one of the better efforts. Chris Reinhold was impressive in beating Al-Awadhi, too. Mostly, the favorites cruised to victory.
I knew Tuesday would offer more drama than this relatively uneventful day of pool.
Day 2: Tuesday 10/31/2023
Day 2 of 10ball began with Filler’s conquest of Pagulayan, continued by Konrad J beating Mario He. Gorst’s win over Corteza completed the Round of 16. Two quarterfinals followed in the evening. Just minutes after rallying for a 10-9 win in a 9ball match with Vitaly Patsura, SVB had to rally from behind in his 10ball match against an impressive Roland Garcia for another double hill win. JL Chang’s convincing win over Shaw finished the session.
I missed most of the loser side matches on Day 2 of 9ball, focusing on winner side play. Pagulayan outlasted Wolford in a double hill affair. Immonen led Eberle 6-0 but Max tied it before Immonen regrouped and won. It was a good day for Connecticut as Lukas Verner topped Max Lechner and Jeremy Sossei bested Robbie Capito. Gorst trailed Alshammari 7-6 before winning the last four racks to prevail. Finally, Kazakis came from way behind for a double hill win.
It was a nice day of pool for sure, and as I had expected, Day 2 offered much more entertaining pool than Day 1.
Day 3: Wednesday 11/1/2023
The third and final day of 10ball began with Yapp and Filler advancing to the semis. I missed the semis but the final was, predictably, SVB vs Filler, with SVB prevailing with superb play.
Day 3 of the 9ball was the first in which some elite players were eliminated, including Capito, Gomez, Morra, Pinegar and Strickland. Perhaps the match of the day was Anthony Meglino’s double hill win over Lukas Verner. Another dandy was David Alcaide’s double hill win over his roommate Jose Alberto Delgado. The upset of the day was surely Gerson Martinez 10 Shane Van Boening 5.
Day 4: Thursday 11/2/2023
At long last, the 9ball had the stage to itself. The day was fairly orderly, but the night session got really crazy. The last round, which would determine who would reach the last sixteen single elimination stage, featured a few classics.
With fine play, Billy Thorpe jumped out to a 7-5 lead on Mario He, but Mario rallied to win the next five racks. Anthony Meglino seemed about to gain a 9-8 lead on Jesus Atencio when he missed shape on the nine, and Atencio ended up winning.
Jani Uski led Naoyuki Oi 9-6, but Naoyuki rallied with fine play to escape. The twilight zone match was the double hill affair between Kazakis and Fortunski. Close all the way, it reached double hill and Fortunski appeared headed for a runout when he miscued on the seven. Luckily, he left Kazakis in a difficult spot and Fortunski got another chance. This time he tried to bank the seven and missed by a lot, but fluked a snooker. Kazakis had a long, tough jump which he wasn’t up to so Fortunski prevailed in a match I’d say he deserved to lose.
There remained just sixteen players at the end of the day: Zielinski, Filler, Corteza, Gorst, Alcaide, Shaw, Ouschan, Martinez, Patsura, He, Yapp, SVB, Pagulayan, Oi, Fortunski and Atencio.
Day 5: 11/3/2023
This was Day 5 of the 9ball and it would culminate with the BCA Hall of Fame dinner in the evening.
I was delighted to sit with Dr Dave during the round of sixteen matches. Although we’ve had numerous online collaborations, he and I had never met, but I’m so glad that he took the trouble to introduce himself. He is a delight to be around and, like me, loves to talk about pool on a theoretical level, so we proved compatible.
In the 9ball, the day began chaotically, as the first round of the day saw Shaw and Filler beaten. Oi had a big lead against Jayson, and Jayson’s late rally fell short. Mario He was exceptional in beating Filler, while Zielinski and Gorst cruised to victory. In the day’s second session, Gerson Martinez survived a double hill affair against Fortunski and Pagulayan rallied from behind to beat Ouschan double hill. Alcaide was superb in beating SVB and Yapp was too much for Corteza. Niels Feijen’s BCA Hall of Fame was up next.
The Hall of Fame Dinner
Cocktails were at 4:30 PM and, for me, it was an opportunity to catch up with old friends and acquaintances, including Mike Panozzo, Ivan Lee, Shane Tyree, Mika Immonen, Thorsten Hohmann, Josh and Pia Filler, Tyler and Margaret Styer, Darren Appleton, Ralf Souquet, Kim Davenport, Jayson and Ara Shaw, Mike Sigel, Nick Varner, and Mike Massey. I also caught up with Niels’ wife Caterina, whom I’d not seen since about 2010. I was surprised that she remembered me and the chat she and I had at Derby City that year. She was a very lovely lady then and still is!
It was on to the ceremonies, presided over by Mike Panozzo with excellence. Mike scored big with the comment that those on the podium had combined for hundreds of major titles, adding “and that’s just Sigel.” His comment that the HOF dinner was WPA sanctioned made me laugh, but others were less amused.
Niels was introduced by a friend of his from the Netherlands, who then turned the stage over to the guest of honor. Niels spoke well, focusing his attentions on the earliest days in which he competed. He shared that his fascination with cue sports began when he watched televised snooker and he felt that hitting balls around with a stick looked cool. He shared that he then began to hit some tennis balls around with a loose curtain rod in his home and that’s where it all began for the future superstar.
Niels delighted in contrasting himself with some of his most respected competitors. He offered that he had succeeded primarily with determination, mental toughness and hard work, noting that he’d never had the kind of special instincts and insights more associated with a Filler or an Efren. It was a humble self-assessment, but his honesty was thought provoking and refreshing.
Niels is a family man first and he shared pictures of himself and his family that were wonderful. His blend of pride and humility sat well with everyone in the room, and his induction speech was very well received.
After the dinner, it was back to the quarterfinals, which were very competitive. Zielinski pulled away late in his match with Mario He. Alcaide crushed Oi. Yapp played the match of the week in dismissing Gorst, who lost despite a .949 TPA. Yapp shot .975 and had to make numerous tough shots along the way. It was a performance for the ages, featuring some of the finest play imaginable. If my memory serves, this completed a unique trifecta, in which Yapp had eliminated Gorst in each of the Battle of the Bull, the Bigfoot 10ball and the International 9ball.
The late session ended with a dud between Alex Pagulayan and Gerson Martinez. Alex jumped out to 6-2 but made numerous errors from that point on, allowing Martinez to catch and pass him for the victory.
Four were left, and the semis were set: Zielinski vs Yapp and Alcaide vs Martinez.
Day 6: 11/4/023
This was the final day of the 9ball and, sadly, of the International. It was time to crown a champion. Entering the day, this is how I sized it up: Zielinski, runner up in the 2022 International, and Yapp were both in dominating form, and their semifinal seemed a coin toss. Alcaide seemed a big favorite to top Martinez.
The first semifinal was Yapp vs Zielinski. It was competitive most of the way, but Yapp played it cleaner down the stretch for the victory. The second semifinal was Alcaide vs Martinez. The early stages were competitive, but David pulled away and turned it into a rout.
The final was a bit choppy for the first ten racks, after which Yapp led 6-4 over Alcaide. Rack 11 brought the defining moments, as Alcaide missed shape on the six, played safe, got the first shot, but then missed shape on the eight. Yapp led 7-4 and his play, both offensively and tactically, from that point on was breathtaking, as he cruised to a 13-7 victory and the title. As he also won the Battle of the Bull, it was his second big payday in a week. Well done!
Shot and Match of the Week
Surely, Gerson Martinez’ carom on the nine to beat Alex Pagulayan in the quarterfinals was the most electrifying moment of this event, and Martinez’ wild, jubilant reaction made it even better. The match of the week was the quarterfinal between Gorst and Yapp.
Socially
I caught up with many players, friends, tournament officials, and others, but had a lot of time with just a few. Among them were my dear friends Kathy and Jerry who sat on either side of me in the arena, Dr Dave, Mike Sigel, Nick Varner, Jayson and Ara Shaw, Josh and Pia Filler, Albin Ouschan, Mario He, Max Lechner, Darren Appleton, Bobby Chamberlain, Mark Wilson and Mike Massey.
Conclusion
It was a wonderful International Open. Thanks to Pat Fleming and congratulations to his staff on the completion of a very special week in Norfolk, Virginia.
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