WNT Hanoi Open 2025, Vietnam, Oct 7-12

I was quite puzzled when this poster accused me of being biased in favor of women. After my numerous replies concerning Dr Dave's article on gender in pool, a couple of posters accused me of being biased in the other direction. Still, I continued the dialogue with that poster for as long as I could tolerate it.
If it makes you feel any better, I like women also ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: sjm
WTH , AJ Manas? Dumbest decision of the decade
Matchroom has lost the plot and making it up as they go.
Last year Reyes Cup (RC) they follow MC qualification criteria 3 by rankings+2 wildcards https://matchroompool.com/reyes-cup...yes-cup-to-launch-in-the-philippines-in-2024/
This year they changed to 2 by rankings+ 3 captains pick /wildcards. https://matchroompool.com/news/the-road-to-reyes-cup-and-mosconi-cup-2025-players-qualification

MR should be goalpost manufacturer instead cos they like to shift goalpost.
Well, it _is_ an exhibition, and Manas is one of the youngest Pinoy up-and-comers, who will probably help draw Filipino viewership and/or sponsorship for years to come. I really don't see what all the brouhaha is about.

I just wish they would start including a woman or two per team. I would love to see Rubilen Amit and Chezka Centeno be on the Asian team, whoever on the World team.
 
Much as I don't like these two picks, Matchroom is sticking to its rule that players have to participate in big WNT tournaments to be eligible for the Reyes/Mosconi. That rules out SVB, Filler and the Ko brothers. So MR had to scramble a bit.
Both the Reyes Cup and Mosconi Cup are based on the Ryder Cup golf event.

Although it is far less common now than in the past, there are/were players that play/played both the European golf tour and the PGA tour, whose tournaments regularly clashed in the schedule. Such players were always welcomed with open arms in PGA events, including the end of year Fed Ex Cup if they had accumulated enough points to qualify. Provided that they had played in fifteen events (about 50% of those held), they could even keep their PGA touring card provided that they maintained a Top 125 ranking.

For much of their respective careers, three of the greatest ever European golfers, Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo, and Colin Montgomerie, played both golf tours, playing enough events on each to maintain touring pro status on both.

If we have a meaningful reconciliation between WPA and Matchroom, they must have the kind of working relationship that the European Tour and the PGA always maintained. I think that day is coming, but for now, there are some growing pains.
 
Hanoi Open questionable hit incident, but in this case, all's well that ends well with Sky Woodward and Roberto Gomez. But where was the ref?

I watched this match live and there is no question in my mind that Sky did not realize he had fouled. I didn't see the foul, either.

Part of the problem that arose here was that Gomez presented it to Sky incorrectly, suggesting that a "shirt foul" had occurred. Sky noted that given how he had set himself over the shot, his shirt was nowhere near the ball that was supposed to have moved. Hence, Sky was initially upset by Gomez' suggestion of a "shirt foul." Gomez backed down from the "shirt foul" stance, but claimed to have seen the ball move, after which they went to video and Sky was then willing to accept the call of a foul.

Where was the ref? Good question.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: JAM
This was a stream table match in Stage 2.
I found the video on WNTTV. It's the 7th in the full listing of videos from the Hanoi Open -- title includes Day Four | Table One.

There was someone who racked, but it appears there was no ref at the table. At the start of the problem rack, Gomez fouls at 7:21:52, then he calls the foul on himself and slaps the cue ball to make it clear. There was no ref to call the foul or to lift, clean and hand off the cue ball.

It appears that this was a non-commented stream table, and I think those don't always get dedicated refs. There was no shot clock.
 
I found the video on WNTTV. It's the 7th in the full listing of videos from the Hanoi Open -- title includes Day Four | Table One.

There was someone who racked, but it appears there was no ref at the table. At the start of the problem rack, Gomez fouls at 7:21:52, then he calls the foul on himself and slaps the cue ball to make it clear. There was no ref to call the foul or to lift, clean and hand off the cue ball.

It appears that this was a non-commented stream table, and I think those don't always get dedicated refs. There was no shot clock.
Thanks, Bob.

It is probable that there was no ref present, Bob. At the WNT majors, other than at the primary stream table, sometimes there is and sometimes there is not a dedicated referee. I had forgotten that this was on the secondary, not primary stream table.
 
Hanoi Open questionable hit incident, but in this case, all's well that ends well with Sky Woodward and Roberto Gomez. But where was the ref?

JAM, the referee set up has been consistent for Hanoi Open for 3 years now:
- TTV table: livestreamed, dedicated refs, shot clock... for the Hanoi Open 2023 and 2024, this TTV table is not used until the last 2 days... this year, because of the 1 day delay due to heavy rain and flood, they used this table from the start
- T1 and T2: livestreamed, 1 ref but only rack the balls, players can call them to watch sensitive shots
- other tables: area refs are assigned, 1 ref every 2 tables, but only rack the balls, players can call them to watch sensitive shots

only from Last 16 when only maximum 4 tables are used (including Juniors), they assign dedicated refs and shot clock on all tables

so, the match Sky vs Gomez in Last64 did not have dedicated ref
 
Last edited:
JAM, the referee set up has been consistent for Hanoi Open for 3 years now:
- TTV table: livestreamed, dedicated refs, shot clock... for the Hanoi Open 2023 and 2024, this TTV table is not used until the last 2 days... this year, because of the 1 day delay due to heavy rain and flood, they used this table from the start
- T1 and T2: livestreamed, 1 ref but only rack the balls, players can call them to watch sensitive shots
- other tables: area refs are assigned, 1 ref every 2 tables, but only rack the balls, players can call them to watch sensitive shots

only from Last 16 when only maximum 4 tables are used (including Juniors), they assign dedicated refs and shot clock on all tables

so, the match Sky vs Gomez in Last64 did not have dedicated ref
That will be why much of the early rounds were painfully boring to watch. Shot clock to every table required.
 
That will be why much of the early rounds were painfully boring to watch. Shot clock to every table required.
yes, it is true some players intended to play very slowly, if one player thinks his opponent is slow playing, he can request shot-clock and a dedicated ref, like Gorst did vs Antonakis... or if the Senior Refs think that one match is too slow, he may apply shot-clock

it's case by case
 
yes, it is true some players intended to play very slowly, if one player thinks his opponent is slow playing, he can request shot-clock and a dedicated ref, like Gorst did vs Antonakis... or if the Senior Refs think that one match is too slow, he may apply shot-clock
I think that brings more psychological/shark games into play. Unnecessary stoppage or psychological element to the game that could be avoided, I'd rather see it uniformed in approach, though I appreciate that is difficult to organize. Hopefully there is some solution In the future.
 
Hanoi Open questionable hit incident, but in this case, all's well that ends well with Sky Woodward and Roberto Gomez. But where was the ref?

Guerilla warfare.
 
I watched this match live and there is no question in my mind that Sky did not realize he had fouled. I didn't see the foul, either.

Part of the problem that arose here was that Gomez presented it to Sky incorrectly, suggesting that a "shirt foul" had occurred. Sky noted that given how he had set himself over the shot, his shirt was nowhere near the ball that was supposed to have moved. Hence, Sky was initially upset by Gomez' suggestion of a "shirt foul." Gomez backed down from the "shirt foul" stance, but claimed to have seen the ball move, after which they went to video and Sky was then willing to accept the call of a foul.

Where was the ref? Good question.
The ref was AWOL on this shot. The seven ball moved a good half inch. Skyler had to know.
 
The ref was AWOL on this shot. The seven ball moved a good half inch. Skyler had to know.
As per post #372, made by CTRAN, one of the commentators for the Hanoi Open, the match did not have a dedicated ref, only an area ref. As Bob Jewett noted, an area ref only watches a shot when asked to do so by one of the players.
 
Back
Top