Wu beats Efren & Francisco

Cameron Smith said:
It is a matter of personal opinion. 250 players, it is an open tournament meaning anybody can enter, the best players in world come every year. I can't fathom anyone saying that it is an easier tournament.
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Actually the best players in the world don't attend every year. Some don't choose to travel, some don't like the fact that the prize fund is shaky. some can't get travel visas, some can't fade the expense. Participation is voluntary and a good percentage of the US Open field are players who have no real shot at the title but they want to mix it up with the bog boys and see how they do. Local shortstops and road agents who can beat on suckers all day and take a set or two from the pros but have no shot to beat on the pros consistently.

John
 
onepocketchump said:
My opinion is that when you have a double elimination tournament where you play races to 11 and have something like a max of 10 matches (if you lose in the first round) to win it is a lot easier than having to play your way out a group of champions.

In the WPC you have to first survive the group stage where you are playing short sets (anyone can win with a few lucky rolls) against everyone else in the group. Then you advance to the one loss stage where you are playing longer races against ONLY champions with a loss meaning you are out.

This is definitely more pressure than the US Open. And the final match, come on, the World Championship is infinitely more prestigious than the US Open. Not only is the money bigger but every single player had to play their way in through accomplishments or qualifiers.

Not so in the US Open. Any male with $500 bucks can get in. I can pretty much guarantee you that ANY QUALIFIER from Germany is likely to be a better player than just about 25% of the field at the US Open. This is based on the fact that the German system forces the players to EARN their nominations to world events.

For years the US Open was the de facto World Championship because no world championship existed. Now there is an in facto and legitimate World Championship and the person who wins that is a bonafide champion and member of the elite pool players on Earth.

John
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But that 25% of the field is eliminated relatively quickly. Jeff White, who is a fine Canadian player, has gone either two and out or four and out quite few years straight. You are left pretty quickly with only the best in the tournament.

From watching the World Championships and the US Open I have noticed that in the US Open you can't get to the final without facing quite of few elite top players. It has seemed as though you have to face more of them than you might in the World Champion.

The notion that the US Open is a tougher tournament is something I have heard from Jim Wych, and I am pretty sure that Jeff White told me that as well, and I have been inclined to agree.
 
Cameron Smith said:
But that 25% of the field is eliminated relatively quickly. Jeff White, who is a fine Canadian player, has gone either two and out or four and out quite few years straight. You are left pretty quickly with only the best in the tournament.

From watching the World Championships and the US Open I have noticed that in the US Open you can't get to the final without facing quite of few elite top players. It has seemed as though you have to face more of them than you might in the World Champion.

The notion that the US Open is a tougher tournament is something I have heard from Jim Wych, and I am pretty sure that Jeff White told me that as well, and I have been inclined to agree.
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Okay, based on that comparison, Efren Reyes didn't make it out of the group stages at last year's World Championships.

You can't get to the final in the World Championship without facing only elite players. I doubt anyone will argue that the one loss stages are filled with champions or players who beat champions to get there. Every match in the knockout stages is like a US Open final because there is no second chance.

At the US Open every player in the tournament has a second chance until the final. Not so at the WC. As much as I like Jeff and Jim I disagree with them on this.

John
 
onepocketchump said:
Actually the best players in the world don't attend every year. Some don't choose to travel, some don't like the fact that the prize fund is shaky. some can't get travel visas, some can't fade the expense. Participation is voluntary and a good percentage of the US Open field are players who have no real shot at the title but they want to mix it up with the bog boys and see how they do. Local shortstops and road agents who can beat on suckers all day and take a set or two from the pros but have no shot to beat on the pros consistently.

John
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That is true. You don't see very many of the Europeans or the players from Taiwan or Japan playing.

But when the World Championships are on this year I should try and see what percentage of the players in the have no shot at winning. It will be a fun excersise for November. I just hope my foot doesn't end in my mouth as I come back with a 2.5% statistic :D.
 
I saw a match on espn classic(?) the other day...it was bustamante against a taiwanese player (fong pang chao?). The taiwanese player played top pro speed. I don't know many of the asian players in the WPC...but if more of them play this guy's game, it's tough action for anyone in the world.

onepocketchump said:
Okay, based on that comparison, Efren Reyes didn't make it out of the group stages at last year's World Championships.

You can't get to the final in the World Championship without facing only elite players. I doubt anyone will argue that the one loss stages are filled with champions or players who beat champions to get there. Every match in the knockout stages is like a US Open final because there is no second chance.

At the US Open every player in the tournament has a second chance until the final. Not so at the WC. As much as I like Jeff and Jim I disagree with them on this.

John
Click to expand...
 
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