US Open 9B October, 2022 -- Atlantic City

I created this Top Performers list about a year ago, took a while but it was worth it, hope you enjoy it, 45 years of history! 😁

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I know right, the statistic I found interesting was the fact that Sigel had made it to the Semi-final stages on 12 occasions but only won it 3 times, super tough tournament to win even back in the day!
 
I ran a simulation of the 256-player bracket assuming unestablished players follow the same distribution of the rest of the field. The median result across the simulation suggests a rating in the mid-700s for the lowest-rated player remaining in the top 16, but that has not been borne out by past experience - perhaps the impact of major tournament pressure? The simulations' average rating in the top 16 is about 800, which is also a bit low but matches up better with past events than the prediction of the lowest-rated player.
 
I know right, the statistic I found interesting was the fact that Sigel had made it to the Semi-final stages on 12 occasions but only won it 3 times, super tough tournament to win even back in the day!

brilliant table of stats. i felt kinda sad for parica and rempe. everybody knows they were good enough to win anything 9-ball
 
In the early days of the US Open 9-ball, there were only about 15 players you could imagine winning, and occasionally someone you couldn't imagine winning won anyway. The event field has gotten stronger and stronger. In fact, it's much stronger now than even ten years ago, and since Matchroom took over the event, the fields found in this are so difficult that one must wonder whether anyone will ever defend their title at this event. There are probably 40-50 players capable of winning this, and it will be murder's row once we reach the last 16.
 
Forgive my being a sentimentalist here, but in light of the WPA ban that came in the wake of the Ukrainian invasion, I think the best possible story waiting to be written at this year's US Open would be that of Fedor Gorst, who has greatly endeared himself to American pool fans. If Fedor wins, it will be quite the story.
 
The biggest change compared to last year is that KO stage this year is last 64 while last year was last 16
In first stage double elimination stage, only need to win 3 straight on winners side to qualify for last 64
So first stage now gives the elite players less time to "warm up" finetune their game unlike last year. :LOL: Means the elite players really have to perform and get their game up to speed real fast cos KO stage now starts earlier.
Number of matches to win title undefeated is 9 same as last year. This year is 3 in first stage+6 in KO stage while last year is 5 in first stage +4 in KO stage.
:LOL:

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The biggest change compared to last year is that KO stage this year is last 64 while last year was last 16
In first stage double elimination stage, only need to win 3 straight on winners side to qualify for last 64
So first stage now gives the elite players less time to "warm up" finetune their game unlike last year. :LOL: Means the elite players really have to perform and get their game up to speed real fast cos KO stage now starts earlier.
Number of matches to win title undefeated is 9 same as last year. This year is 3 in first stage+6 in KO stage while last year is 5 in first stage +4 in KO stage.
:LOL:

dumb-and.gif
I didn't know they changed. Wow, that's a big jump from 64 to 16. I actually really liked the 16. It was the absolute cream of the crop. And it put all those 16 players on a pedestal, and even re-arranged the entire arena and TV table for them.
 
Hi Mike,

Do you have any recent results from Zheng? I recall he was at the very top of the Fargo list a few years ago then disappeared.
I may be wrong but I think he was more C8B player and rarely plays 9B/10B- In that All Japan Open (10B) (which was probably first big rotation event he played) he won, he turned number of heads as an "unknown" with some superb performances
In the early days of the US Open 9-ball, there were only about 15 players you could imagine winning, and occasionally someone you couldn't imagine winning won anyway. The event field has gotten stronger and stronger. In fact, it's much stronger now than even ten years ago, and since Matchroom took over the event, the fields found in this are so difficult that one must wonder whether anyone will ever defend their title at this event. There are probably 40-50 players capable of winning this, and it will be murder's row once we reach the last 16.
Going by results of past 5 years major events, 780 to 800 finalist in majors recently Roland Garcia, Max Lechner, Omar Al-Shaheen, Christopher Tevez. So yes potential finalists around 50 (FR780+) in this field.
But for past 5 years, winners of majors have all been FR800+. Which puts potential winners in this event at around 2 dozen
 
Changes to the list of players as of 2 Oct:

Michael Sciafani has changed his name to Michael Sclafani.

Chang Yu-Lung (Chinese Taipei) has been replaced by Utpalkumar Raval (United States).

Juan Carlos Expósito Otero is now called Juan Carlos Exposito.
 
I may be wrong but I think he was more C8B player and rarely plays 9B/10B- In that All Japan Open (10B) (which was probably first big rotation event he played) he won, he turned number of heads as an "unknown" with some superb performances

Going by results of past 5 years major events, 780 to 800 finalist in majors recently Roland Garcia, Max Lechner, Omar Al-Shaheen, Christopher Tevez. So yes potential finalists around 50 (FR780+) in this field.
But for past 5 years, winners of majors have all been FR800+. Which puts potential winners in this event at around 2 dozen
A race to 9 between a 780 and an 800 is favored for the 800 by about 60/40. It's hard enough to win 9 straight 60/40 coin flips when you're the 60%, let alone the 40%.
 
Forgive my being a sentimentalist here, but in light of the WPA ban that came in the wake of the Ukrainian invasion, I think the best possible story waiting to be written at this year's US Open would be that of Fedor Gorst, who has greatly endeared himself to American pool fans. If Fedor wins, it will be quite the story.
I agree. But it also be cool if SVB could get win #6, you think?
 
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