The International 9-Ball Open

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Love this graphic, man!

USA,ALL THE WAY! :D
 
Mike is actually walking us through the racks and providing interesting strategic insight. He's talking... which is the job.

The only thing he's doing wrong is complaining about the break, which like many old timers he doesn't understand is irretrievably broken.
 
Mike is actually walking us through the racks and providing interesting strategic insight. He's talking... which is the job.

The only thing he's doing wrong is complaining about the break, which like many old timers he doesn't understand is irretrievably broken.

Mike is always a good commentator, I think. He also is a break mechanic. I have watched him, like Earl, practice his break over and over and over again before a match.

Yep, it might be old-school thinking, but there are some who believe the break is 50 percent of the winning strategy.
 
Shane gets to the hill against Melling (7)

Shane hangs the 9 on the break, makes another ball, but is hooked on the 1, which is a foot from the 9. He tries to masse at it, to send it toward the 9, but doesn't get the required angle, and leaves an easy combo. Melling to 8 games.

Melling gets a golden break, wow! 9 serving 10.
 
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Melling hits a nice break, gets a shot on the 2, but misses an easy shot. Gets a roll though, as Shane is now hooked on the 3.

Melling gets to the hill. The crowd applauds both players.
 
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Melling hits a nice break, gets a shot on the 2, but misses an easy shot. Gets a roll though, as Shane is now hooked on the 3.

Melling gets to the hill.
Shane, if he gets any chance at the table, needs to dig down deep and win this hill-hill game.
 
Couldn't type because of the suspense!

Shane guts through an extremely rough final rack, having to go up and down the table on three consecutive shots, and takes the match.
 
Couldn't type because of the suspense!

Shane guts through an extremely rough final rack, having to go up and down the table on three consecutive shots, and takes the match.

Sitting at work staring at the live scoring page on AZB...Squirming as I watched Melling's score climb to hill-hill...Dang I wish I could have watched! Great job SVB!
 
In the hill-hill game, Melling broke dry, Shane had to make a long cut on the 1, played a long diagonal combo from the 2 at mid table to the 3 hanging in the bottom corner. Then had to cut the 2 with inside to go one rail up to the 4 on the other end rail. The ball was laying tough, and the position had to be pinpoint. Indeed, Shane landed where Mike Sigel and Mark Wilson had tellestrated a tiny yellow circle as Shane readied for the shot. Then he had to go up and down to get back to the 5 on the same rail, then up and down to the 6, also on that rail, then up and down to the 7! He played the 7 around 3 rails but fell short on position to the 8, so he had to bump the 9 ball, about a foot away. He bumped into a slightly awkward cut on the cheese, but was close enough to make it count.
 
Wow, the case game was a nail biter. Shane had to get perfect on the 4, which was on the rail in traffic. Then go up and down the table to get on the 5. Then go up and down to get in the 6. Then up and down to get on the 7. Then he ends up with a backward cut on the 7 and instead of using inside english to go side to side across the table he plays an unorthodox 3-rail pattern and gets bad on the 8. Makes the 8 and purposely collides with the 9. CB near the rail below the side pocket, 9 near the head spot. He sinks it.

Every... one... of... those... shots... had the audience on the edge of their seat.
 
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