Was This the Best Final Ever?

[sjm]

What a performance by Shane! Great match. Best ever? Let's see .....

I think it's the second best rotation pool final I've ever seen, second only to Wu Jiaqing over Po Cheng Kuo 17-16, that finished with Wu running five racks and out to erase a 16-12 deficit to win the WPA World 9-ball championship about 10 years ago.

Actually, the best rotation pool match I've ever seen was the clash between Bustamante and Reyes at Great Gorge, NY (1997?) in which Reyes' only mistake was a missed bank shot in an 11-10 loss to the great Francisco, but it was in the early rounds of the event.

So what I'm saying is that, among the rotation games finals I've ever seen that were played in America, this was the best, and Shane's performance the most memorable.

Submitted for your opinion. Have you seen a better final? In the US? Anywhere? What is the best match you've ever seen in rotation games pool?

 

[terryhanna]

What a performance by Shane! Great match. Best ever? Let's see .....

I think it's the second best rotation pool final I've ever seen, second only to Wu Jiaqing over Po Cheng Kuo 17-16, that finished with Wu running five racks and out to erase a 16-12 deficit to win the WPA World 9-ball championship about 10 years ago.

Actually, the best rotation pool match I've ever seen was the clash between Bustamante and Reyes at Great Gorge, NY (1997?) in which Reyes' only mistake was a missed bank shot in an 11-10 loss to the great Francisco, but it was in the early rounds of the event.

So what I'm saying is that, among the rotation games finals I've ever seen that were played in America, this was the best, and Shane's performance the most memorable.

Submitted for your opinion. Have you seen a better final? In the US? Anywhere?

It was was one of the best played matches i ever saw it was amazing how
Shane took Dennis best shot and came back with the heart of a true champion
and shot him down.
Shane never once touched the 1 ball after the rack was lifted and both his opponent and TD checked the rack
Shane just hits the rack with proper power and accuracy more often than his opponents and in the end
the break was the difference in the match

 

[BJTyler]

when I consider...

- the indisputable greatness of both participants,
- the combined level of play, including both the lack of mistakes (exhibited by their respective TPAs) and the difficulty of some of the shots that were executed (which is not in their TPAs)
- the magnitude, importance, and historical significance of the event.

Yes, it's the greatest I've ever seen.

 

[AtLarge]

... Submitted for your opinion. Have you seen a better final? In the US? Anywhere?

Offhand, I can't remember one. Maybe I'll check some past notes at some point.

But the final match in the 2012 U.S. Open, between these same two players, was also outstanding. It wasn't as close -- 13-7. But 50% of those 20 games were break and runs compared with 26% (6 of 23) this year. Maybe some of the table layouts were tougher this year. The 2012 match also had very few errors by either player, but I do not know what the Accu-Stats TPAs were.

 

[TATE]

What a performance by Shane! Great match. Best ever? Let's see .....

I think it's the second best rotation pool final I've ever seen, second only to Wu Jiaqing over Po Cheng Kuo 17-16, that finished with Wu running five racks and out to erase a 16-12 deficit to win the WPA World 9-ball championship about 10 years ago.

Actually, the best rotation pool match I've ever seen was the clash between Bustamante and Reyes at Great Gorge, NY (1997?) in which Reyes' only mistake was a missed bank shot in an 11-10 loss to the great Francisco, but it was in the early rounds of the event.

So what I'm saying is that, among the rotation games finals I've ever seen that were played in America, this was the best, and Shane's performance the most memorable.

Submitted for your opinion. Have you seen a better final? In the US? Anywhere? What is the best match you've ever seen in rotation games pool?

Under the conditions, best play ever. Their TPA's alone tell us that we were watching near perfect play. Dennis was at 1000 through the first 8 games. They were both around .950 at the end.

Those two soft break fouls may have cost Dennis the match. In fact, seems to me most of the mistakes were made on the break.

This was pool for the aficionado - great safety play and spectacular shot making while not being just a break and run contest. It was like watching Jack Nickalus and Arnold Palmer tee it up in their prime.

 

[sjm]

Maybe some of the table layouts were tougher this year.

Not MAYBE but DEFINITELY.

That is a critical point and, to be honest, I think it makes the .953 rating of SVB in this final an underestimation of his play.

An unexpected benefit that came our way caused by the need for a softer break was tougher layouts, which was most definitely the reason that breakers won just 50% of their racks. The runouts in this final that Shane made were difficult and his play absolutely breathtaking.

If the difficulty of some of the shots (a jump shot with two bridges, are you kidding?) and runouts is taken into account, Shane's performance was much stronger than in 2012. It was a performance for the ages.

 

[AtLarge]

Not MAYBE but DEFINITELY.

That is a critical point and, to be honest, I think it makes the .953 rating of SVB in this final an underestimation of his play.

An unexpected benefit that came our way caused by the need for a softer break was tougher layouts, which was most definitely the reason that breakers won just 50% of their racks. The runouts in this final that Shane made were difficult and his play absolutely breathtaking.

If the difficulty of some of the shots (a jump shot with two bridges, are you kidding?) and runouts is taken into account, Shane's performance was much stronger than in 2012. It was a performance for the ages.

I imagine your impression/memory is correct, but I'd have to review the 2012 match to know for sure. Hence, I said "maybe." Note that a jump shot on the 2-ball using two bridges was needed only because of poor position off the 1-ball.

I'm sure glad we got to see it, Stu!

 

[smashmouth]

highest standard of play and most skill? yes

best.....? still undecided, peach/gomez is still with me amoung other matches

 

[sjm]

highest standard of play and most skill? yes

best.....? still undecided, peach/gomez is still with me amoung other matches

Yeah, and that same year, the semifinal of Peach/Bustamante was a dandy, too.

 

[MCP]

Art

There was a scene in the film searching for Bobby Fisher were the teacher is talking to the kids dad about. (Bobby Fisher)
how Bobby Fisher got underneath the game like no one else and and what he found was Art.
IMO what was preformed on that pool table today in Chesapeake VA.
Was Art.
Mcp

 

[markgw]

What a performance by Shane! Great match. Best ever? Let's see .....

I think it's the second best rotation pool final I've ever seen, second only to Wu Jiaqing over Po Cheng Kuo 17-16, that finished with Wu running five racks and out to erase a 16-12 deficit to win the WPA World 9-ball championship about 10 years ago.

Actually, the best rotation pool match I've ever seen was the clash between Bustamante and Reyes at Great Gorge, NY (1997?) in which Reyes' only mistake was a missed bank shot in an 11-10 loss to the great Francisco, but it was in the early rounds of the event.

So what I'm saying is that, among the rotation games finals I've ever seen that were played in America, this was the best, and Shane's performance the most memorable.

Submitted for your opinion. Have you seen a better final? In the US? Anywhere? What is the best match you've ever seen in rotation games pool?

Shane played a position shot on a ball in the side that only an alien could have seen. That was scary pool by both men!! Shane really knows how to win.
I am super impressed by the heart he showed after being down 4-1. That is the best finals I have ever seen and I have an obscene amount of accu-stats matches. How do you shoot .950 and lose, it's insane pool!!!

 

[UPlayLucky]

Under the conditions, best play ever. Their TPA's alone tell us that we were watching near perfect play. Dennis was at 1000 through the first 8 games. They were both around .950 at the end.

Those two soft break fouls may have cost Dennis the match. In fact, seems to me most of the mistakes were made on the break.

This was pool for the aficionado - great safety play and spectacular shot making while not being just a break and run contest. It was like watching Jack Nickalus and Arnold Palmer tee it up in their prime.

This was a match with two of the best in the game. Only shot I remember Dennis missing was the 2 ball when he had to use the bridge.

 

[King T]

Yep! You got it right!

It was was one of the best played matches i ever saw it was amazing how
Shane took Dennis best shot and came back with the heart of a true champion
and shot him down.
Shane never once touched the 1 ball after the rack was lifted and both his opponent and TD checked the rack
Shane just hits the rack with proper power and accuracy more often than his opponents and in the end
the break was the difference in the match

Im buying the video for sure!

 

[King T]

I agree!!!!

What a performance by Shane! Great match. Best ever? Let's see .....

I think it's the second best rotation pool final I've ever seen, second only to Wu Jiaqing over Po Cheng Kuo 17-16, that finished with Wu running five racks and out to erase a 16-12 deficit to win the WPA World 9-ball championship about 10 years ago.

Actually, the best rotation pool match I've ever seen was the clash between Bustamante and Reyes at Great Gorge, NY (1997?) in which Reyes' only mistake was a missed bank shot in an 11-10 loss to the great Francisco, but it was in the early rounds of the event.

So what I'm saying is that, among the rotation games finals I've ever seen that were played in America, this was the best, and Shane's performance the most memorable.

Submitted for your opinion. Have you seen a better final? In the US? Anywhere? What is the best match you've ever seen in rotation games pool?

You named my three favorites, you got it right! Accu-Stats should sell a bunch of these matches for sure.

 

[BMW]

That's a pretty broad statement. How can someone answer that if they have not seen every final ever played?

 

[itsfroze]

Shane played a position shot on a ball in the side that only an alien could have seen. That was scary pool by both men!! Shane really knows how to win.
I am super impressed by the heart he showed after being down 4-1. That is the best finals I have ever seen and I have an obscene amount of accu-stats matches. How do you shoot .950 and lose, it's insane pool!!!

Ask Jason Klatt, as he shot a 972 TPA and lost to Mika's 990 TPA, another great
U.S. Open match from the past.

 

[smashmouth]

the precision level in this match was damn near surgical

i could point to last night as the next moment of evolution in the game, 10 years from now we'll be watching near perfect matches with the loser making just one mistake

these guys showed how pool can be played at the absolute highest of highest levels

and neither of em showed any signs of choking or weakness or anything, just perfect pool

 

[JAM]

Sadly, I did not watch the finals. I was so upset at the payment issues that I elected to skip it. What a doggone shame that, once again, the players not getting paid overshadow the performance of our pool professional champions. :sorry:

It looks like I really missed an excellent finals. Both players got above .900 in the Accu-Stats score when the dust settled. Now, what's what I call "championship-level pool." :yes:

Both of these players, Shane and Dennis, are to be congratulated. Now I wish I had watched it. I may have to buy this Accu-Stats DVD. Looks like this one is a must-have.

 

[sjm]

That's a pretty broad statement. How can someone answer that if they have not seen every final ever played?

Very true. All we can do is comment on the matter of whether we've seen a better final, not whether a better one exists. I've surely seen hundreds of finals as they were played.

What made this final so special was that it was a historic occasion in which one player was going for an unprecedented accomplishment (3 straight US Open 9-ball titles) and would have to earn it against one of the game's best few players.

Dennis played great, Shane played even better. Accu-stats doesn't tell the whole story, because sometimes the runouts are relatively routine. Shane completed some super-tough runouts and made some very special shots and got out of some racks that extremely few have the skill to complete. That's why I feel that Shane's .953 rating only scratches the surface when sizing it up.

Taking the magnitude of the occasion, the quality of the opponent, and the level of performance, this was a final for the ages. The best? Nobody alive has seen every final ever played so how can we say?

..... but what we saw was oh so amazing and I'll never forget it.

 

[BRussell]

Dennis, coming through the losers bracket and trouncing Nikos and Dechaine, came out on fire, playing a perfect 1.000 for the first half of the match. Shane had trouble getting position, but you could see him gaining confidence as the match went on. As I recall, it was when Shane first took the lead at I think 9-8 that he got into Shane gear and started one-stroking. It was over then.

I've seen closer, more exciting matches, with leads changing hands and hill-hill tension. This one had only one clear shift in momentum, from Dennis to Shane about halfway through. But the fact that it was a come from behind victory for a 3-peat, with Shane confidently shooting his way out of position trouble and both playing almost perfect pool, made it one of the best.