X Ting Pan

Nostroke

Nostroke

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
34 or 36 Players showed up for the Spirit Tour event in Palm Harbor Florida today- likely the most notable being Xiao Ting Pan of China who is looking to win her 2nd qualifier in as many weeks here in the US.

Miss Pan is undefeated in three matches running over Lisa Hamilton, Emily Wilmoth and Helene Caulkin, none of whom got past 2 nor played very well perhaps intimidated by the Chinese Champion. MIss Pan played a little sloppy in her first two matches but seemed to find her game in match 3 after
being down 2-1 to Helen C, she may not have missed a ball the rest of the match.


Xiao Ting breaks very well, a bit under Ga Young in power but with better cue ball control, parking the rock perfectly close to 50-60% of the time. This is especially notable given her breaking style where she grips very short maybe 15 inches or more from the end-then on the drawback after pulling back maybe six inches, she lifts the butt end straight up at least a foot and a half and then comes down with a fury and somehow realigns her cue properly for a hard but controlled break. She plays very fast but in a calm way with an even rhythm and no display of emotion ever. She pockets quite well but her position play is a bit weak as is her safety play. Several times she had easy roll up and freeze on the interferring ball safeties where she left Whitey a good 3-4 inches short.

Her banking is very strong and her jumping game even stronger. She also plays off handed often and very well.Her normal shooting stroke has a hitch, something like Gerda stutter stepping her back stroke. All of my opinions on XTP are based solely on the 3 matches i saw today which may or not be typical as may be the case for the functioning of my brain today as well.

Thjree others come back undefeated tomorrow, WPBA touring pros Tracie Hines and Janet Atwell and Charlotte Sorenson of Denamark who survived a hill hill match with Bonnie Coats. Still on the losers side and playing now Jeanne Seaver, Debbie Schjodt, Dawn Fox, J Barnes. Pretty sure Helene Caulkin and Bonnie are done today and also coming back.`

Miss Atwell is playing very well, beating Tiffany in her last match hill/hill.
Im not sure of the match ups tomorrow but XTP will surely not have the walk in the park she had today. I dont think she is a favorite vs the field to win the event but she is odds on to win the Q'r with 4 of the remaining Touring Pros (Atwell Hines, Seaver Nelson) ineligible.
 
Great post Nostroke. This is the kind of analysis I've been hoping to see on this young player. Hope you continue the analysis tomorrow!

Terry
 
Wow, Janet beat Tiffany hill hill! That must be a really nice match to watch. Tiffany is one of those really consistent player in my book, and I have seen her play really close to perfect. When Tiffany is in stroke, she is capable of finishing a match without missing a ball; she is still very dangerous when she is off!

Janet's game seems to have moved up a notch. I expect to see her really move up in her ranking in 2006. Congratulation to her. It is not easy to play pool and have a full time job, espcially a nursing job. I have a lot of respect for her.

Jeannie, when in stroke, can beat anyone on the tour.

Tracie has certainly proven her ability on the WPBA last year.

All in all, this might well be the toughest qualifier to win.

Since Tiffany Nelson, whom I consider to be the strongest player in this tournament, along with Jeannie, and Tracie are touring pros, I still believe no matter whether Ms. Pan wins this qualifier or not, she will get her spot.

I am not saying I do not think Ms. Pan would win; as a matter of fact, I think either Ms. Pan or Tiffany Nelson should win this event.

Ms. Pan is one of those player who can forget about all her mistakes and plays better and better as she gets closer to the finals.

Thanks for the reports. Nostroke, sounds like you are having a good time down there.:)

Richard
 
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Thanks for the update and observations No-stroke.

I had noticed an occassional stroke flaw and her safety and kicking could be a lot stronger. This is why she needs more competition.

Her positional play is strong on most patterns I think, but she has her good and bad days like all of us I think. Sometimes playing on new tables messes up the subconscious calculation. Another reason she needs to play more under different conditions.

Looking forward to your next update.:)
 
hi colin,

any chance of the young lady make it to atlanta for the ipt qualifer next weekend? we sure would love to have her at the event. there is a big chinese community here in atlanta that would welcome here with open arms.

john
 
thebestpoolroom said:
hi colin,

any chance of the young lady make it to atlanta for the ipt qualifer next weekend? we sure would love to have her at the event. there is a big chinese community here in atlanta that would welcome here with open arms.

john
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Hi John,
I've let Pan and her manager know about the IPT but I don't think she plans to enter any qualifiers.

A few reasons;
1. She doesn't play 8-ball, and likely wants to keep her focus on making the WPBA tour and becoming the no.1 woman in the world.
2. Better to be top 3 for the women that no.60 on the IPT...that is, if she could get through the qualifiers which would be very tough...though possible.

3. The majority of her income in coming years is likely to be through spoonsorships, appearances here in China. I think her best route to building that demand is via the WPBA at this time.

Who knows if the IPT will have a female division one day in the future. That could stir things up:eek: :D

I suspect that if the IPT is successful, then that might attract sponsors to the WPBA and it could grow even bigger and increase the production costs.
 
thebestpoolroom said:
hi colin,

any chance of the young lady make it to atlanta for the ipt qualifer next weekend? we sure would love to have her at the event. there is a big chinese community here in atlanta that would welcome here with open arms.

john
Click to expand...

No she is returning to China shortly but will be back in the US in February for a Q'r in Austin i believe her friend told me and also for the WPBA event if she wins the spot today.



She speaks no English basically- Her interpreter answered all questions and XTP just smiled but last nite as she left i said "see you tomorrow" and she came back with a "see you tomorrow" of her own which somehow was virtually accent free- I was quite shocked. There was a website re Miss Pan where she was called "Tina Pan". Apparrently this was unauthorized and she has not made up her mind about an American name as of yet.

BTW Xiao Ting was said to have run a 5 pack this week practicing at Strokers.
 
XTP survives huge scare. Down 6-3 to Charlotte Sorenson, she wins four in a row to stay undefeated. Plays Tracie Hines for the hotseat. Tracie beat Janet Hill hill as well. Jeanne Seaver remains in with win over Emily W. Bonnie Coates up 6-3 over Dawn Fox. Those are all that's left.
 
The Chinese New Year is a big festival in China and it is held on 28 Jan (or somewhere close to this date), I believe Ms. Pan is planning to spend her New Year at home with her parents.

It is so inspiring to see someone coming all the way to pursue her dream. I would not be suprised if she wins this tournament. I mean, her goal is to win at least a WPBA event and personally I believe she is capable. So, logically speaking, she should be able to win a qualifier. Does that make sense?:)

Richard
 
Xiao Ting wins it-beats Tracie 7-1 in finals-She draws my ticket in the raffle and i win $525 Tony Robles McD cue. im being kicked out of Starbucks now-
 
Nostroke said:
Xiao Ting wins it-beats Tracie 7-1 in finals-She draws my ticket in the raffle and i win $525 Tony Robles McD cue. im being kicked out of Starbucks now-
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for the update. I am so happy to hear that!!

What are you going to do with your new cue?:)

Richard
 
Most impressive. Prevailing over this very solid field says a lot about Pan's pedigree. Tracie Hines is a fine player, and it takes great pool to beat her 7 - 1.
 
Pan article

Nostroke said:
Xiao Ting wins it-beats Tracie 7-1 in finals-She draws my ticket in the raffle and i win $525 Tony Robles McD cue. im being kicked out of Starbucks now-
Click to expand...
Thanks for the update Nostroke. Seems Pan plays herself into form as the tourney progresses. That's two in a row...:D

btw: Here is an article about Pan from last week's event written by Carlos Ledson Miller who also wrote a novel about a female pool player called 'Stroke'.
His website is here: http://www.carlosledsonmiller.com/

Women Classics Women Descend on Brenham

By Carlos Ledson Miller, author of Stroke – a Pool Novel

“The women are back in town!” called out a young man standing at the bar in Legends Billiards. His friend, who’d just stepped through the doorway, blinked as his eyes adjusted from bright afternoon sunshine to diffused poolroom lighting.

This past weekend, Brenham, Texas — known for landscaped rolling hills, a picturesque town square, and addictive Blue Bell ice cream — became the epicenter of women’s pool.

Members of the Hunter Classics Women’s Tour made their annual pilgrimage to this peaceful community in search of approximately $3,000 in total prize money. The winner of this regional event also would qualify to play in a national event, the Women’s Professional Billiard Association (WPBA) tournament to be held in Indiana in March.

Most of the players who assembled in Brenham had come from Houston, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio and surrounding communities. The two local players were also the youngest: Chelsea Dean (15), and Ashley Taylor (14), the daughter and niece of Legends Billiards owner and tournament host, Ted Dean.

The player who traveled the farthest was Pan Xiaoting from Shanghai, China. In worldwide 9-Ball rankings, the WPBA’s Allison Fisher and Karen Corr are ranked Nos. 1 and 2. Pan is ranked No. 3. She’s the most popular female cueist in Asia, but financial limitations have prevented her playing in the United States before now. Winning in Brenham would qualify her to begin what she hopes will be a successful WPBA career.

During a between-match break, I took the opportunity to interview Pan through her interpreter, Hawaiian Alyes Wong. I began by saying I only knew two words in Chinese: "Yao Ming." (Yao Ming is the 7’ 6" center on the Houston Rockets basketball team.) Pan broke into a smile and said, "He is from my hometown of Shanghai. He is a Chinese hero." I said, "He's a hero here too, but he's no longer Chinese." She frowned uncertainly. "Now he's a Texan," I said. She laughed.

Pan and her interpreter had landed in Los Angeles two days earlier, then headed directly to Brenham. I asked Pan her impressions of Texas. She replied that the weather is very nice. Now it was my turn to laugh. I had to confess that during the summer Texas gets a little warmer than the current, humidity-free 65-degrees.

Pan went on to say that she was impressed with how many good players she’d seen in this regional event. Further, she appreciated how friendly everyone had been, going out of their way to speak to her and make her feel welcome.

Pan is similarly graceful and gracious when competing. Her reputation preceded her, but she handles player and spectator interest with modest aplomb. At age 23, she stands perhaps five-feet tall and weighs no more than 100 pounds, yet her breaks resound like rifle shots. While her opponent shoots, she waits politely on her stool, a study in composure. Presented with a shot, she moves quickly to the table and evaluates the situation. Then a few warm-up strokes and a slight hesitation, followed by a smooth stroke that sends the object ball into a pocket and leaves the cue ball in perfect position for her next shot.

By Sunday, 50 of the original 66 players had been eliminated, but several former Hunter Classics winners stood between Pan and her objective. Leslie Ann Rogers has been the overall tour champion each of the past five years. Lisa Marr-Brannen once had won three tournaments in a row. Eighteen-year-old pool prodigy Anna Kostanian had won twice in 2005, and Amanda Lampert and Orietta Strickland had each won once this past year.

Appropriately, the American title defense fell to Hunter Classics’ perennial champion Rogers. Displaying her intense focus and sound fundamentals, Rogers upset Pan in their first meeting, 7 to 6. Pan 's first match on Sunday edged Kostanian, 7 to 6, in what many knowledgeable spectators thought was one of the best matches they’d ever seen.

That night, the finals took place in the middle of the poolroom. A crowd encircled the table and cheered both competitors throughout the two-set match. Rogers put up a stout defense, but Pan prevailed 7 to 4 and 7 to 3. Both players received a long ovation at the end of the match.

Pan received a check for $750, and more importantly, in March she will become the first Chinese mainland player to compete in a WPBA event. Now her goal is to become the world’s top-ranked woman 9-Ball player.
 
She is even stronger player than i thought- Yes Colin, she did get better as the tournament went on and she also apparently had the ladies petrified. No one played good on her at all.

Her break was not working that well Sunday- SHe didnt have CB control and make balls much-she seemed to do one or the other. When her break is working, she will be REAL hard to beat though tempered by ALternate break format as in the WPBA. Im already excited about North Carolina.
 
Nostroke said:
She is even stronger player than i thought- Yes Colin, she did get better as the tournament went on and she also apparently had the ladies petrified. No one played good on her at all.

Her break was not working that well Sunday- SHe didnt have CB control and make balls much-she seemed to do one or the other. When her break is working, she will be REAL hard to beat though tempered by ALternate break format as in the WPBA. Im already excited about North Carolina.
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It's interesting how when players see another player can play consistantly well, and win some events, that they tend to begin to make more mistakes against that player.

Perhaps from pressure, lack of focus, trying to play a bit beyond their normal comfort zone or a combination of these.

btw: The local news in China has this report:
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BEIJING, Jan. 23 -- China's 9-ball pool specialist Pan Xiaoting has triumphed over Tracie Hines to win the Carolina Women's Billiard Classic in the United States.

The 23-year-old, playing her second WPBA tournament, has upset home favorite Hines 7-1 in a final clash at Palm Harbor, Florida.

Pan, sitting in third place in 9-ball world rankings, won the Legends Billiard and Grill tournament in Brenham last week.

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