Was This the Greatest Tournament Final Ever?

[mjantti]

Let's see, the article says Earl left Efren in this position. It says that Efren kicked in the eight and that it occurred in the Sands Regency tournament in 1996. The diagram provided clearly misrepresents what Efren's options were, by showing a lot of space between the cue ball and the obstructing ball.

Efren hooked himself after a defensive error, and he was locked up tight when he kicked in the five ball going twice across. Also, he did it in the Sands Regency 1995, not the Sands Regency 1996.

Other than that, the shot is accurately presented.

I've seen the shot many times, and I think there was the 8-ball in the way of the straight 2-rail kick to make the 5-ball. So, Efren adjusted his aim a little bit to the right and used left english to widen the angle thus missing the 8 and making the 5-ball. You really cannot use any system on that shot, with english I mean. And yes, it was Sands Regency 1995 final.

 

[PoolBum]

No pros would take that shot with the game on the line, the match is a championship, double hill and you are playing against Strickland. Luck favors the courage and definitely Efren got the guts to take that shot.

Actually, Efren studied the position for a while, looking for the best shot. There just wasn't much there, and he decided the two-rail cross table kick was his best chance of hitting the ball, and maybe getting lucky and making it. The commentators disagreed with his choice of shot by the way.

 

[telkwa]

i have this match in a low-quality AVI file, and i've had a few requests for it. i don't have a high-speed connection (only at work), so if anyone is desperate for, i'll burn it and mail it for a few bucks.

and to add to the "strickland fire," he is extremely sportsmanlike in this match.
it is watchable, but don't expect divx quality let alone dvd.

 

[sonnynav]

Here's the Video

Here's an wmv video clip of the so-called "Shot of the Century" between Efren and Earl. It was originally taped on VHS and later encoded to wma, so video quality isn't that good but will do. - www.racknroll-manila.com/efrenmagic.wmv

 

[justharv]

Here's an wmv video clip of the so-called "Shot of the Century" between Efren and Earl. It was originally taped on VHS and later encoded to wma, so video quality isn't that good but will do. - www.racknroll-manila.com/efrenmagic.wmv

Thanks for the clip. AMAZING!!!

 

[Colin Colenso]

The most remembered final comeback in billiard history must go to Dennis Taylor in the 1985 World Snooker Championships where he came back from 8-0 down against the seemingly robotic Steve Davis to win on the final black.

Over 18 million UK viewers (Still a broadcasting record in the UK I believe) were watching the match at 1am.

Here is a short quote about Dennis and the match:
"Though Dennis Taylor has won many titles in his career, he will be remembered most for his 1985 Embassy World Championship victory. A record 18.5 million people tuned in to watch the conclusion of the match after midnight on BBC television. This famous victory catapulted Dennis Taylor into the public eye, appearing on Wogan 3 times in one year as well as the Kenny Everett Show and numerous other chat shows on primetime television.

When Steve Davis took an 8-0 lead in the first session, it looked as if Dennis Taylor would have to settle for the runners-up spot again, but he fought back to trail just 9-7 overnight. Few could believe the events of the final session, as the contest reached its climax. Dennis Taylor claimed the title on the final black and became a snooker legend. "

Talk to the average Joe on the street from England and they will more than likely know about this match. The same could not be said of any pool comebacks, however great they were.