Alex Pagulayan
Match #5
Bustamante won the lag and broke strong, forcing Thorpe to go for a bank, which he missed. He left Bustamante with an easy shot, which he made and used to open the stack. He then artfully worked his way around the balls on his way to an opening run of 8 and out.
In game 2 Bustamante was in a trap, made a ball for Thorpe, but sold out. Thorpe then ran 5 before failing to get difficult shape, and left the table leading 6-0. Bustamante trapped Thorpe, who answered with a short rail bank, then missed the gamewinner. Thorpe made one for Bustamante and now led 7-1. Bustamante made a trick shot, banking a ball across the table three times into his pocket! He ran four more to close to 7-6. He went after a pinch long rail bank, missed, but made the ball in another pocket. It spotted and Thorpe, with the cue ball on the end rail, cut it in!
The score: 1-1.
After some defensive maneuvers Thorpe left Bustamante with an easy cut down the short rail with an angle for going into the stack. Bustamante took full advantage as he sliced it in, spread the balls, and ran to as simple bank, which he made, to run 8 and out, taking a 2-1 lead.
Bustamante opened the scoring with a bank/combo, found a dead ball, and ran 7 plus one for Thorpe’s side. Thorpe made a bank, missed, and left Bustamante a thin cut. He made it to win the game, 8-2 while taking a commanding 3-1 lead in the race to four.
In game 5 Thorpe tried for a bank, but got kissed out and left Bustamante a shot. He ran four before running out of shots after a break shot failed to produce a shot. In a subsequent turn Bustamante made a dead ball, then hung a double table length bank. Thorpe made a bank, then missed one, leaving Bustamante with three super easy shots for the win. The score: 8-2 and 4 game to 1. Bustamante is now 1-1 while Thorpe dropped to 0-2.
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Match #6
Josh Roberts 4 - Efren Reyes 1
Reyes opened the scoring with a backcut bank, made one more available shot, then played safe. Reyes played a long distance offensive kick, but left Roberts with a shot – and he responded with a five ball run before missing close on a bank. Reyes lagged it in and Roberts now led, 6-2. Roberts fired in a bank off the third diamond, then made a straight in to win the first game.
In game 2 Roberts made a tough combo, then took a ball out of Reyes’ pocket. Reyes answered with a double bank. 1-1. Roberts made a bank, followed to the end rail and made another bank to lead, 3-1. Roberts made a combo and now led 5-1. A long shot off the end rail and a thin cut by Reyes narrowed the gap. After a Robert’s safety Reyes gambled on a combo, missed, and left a shot. Roberts made it, but fouled. So the score remained at 5-3 Roberts. Roberts made a carom shot, but failed to play shape. 6-3. So, after a couple of safeties, the six remaining balls were now up table – which spells safety time! Reyes made a long and thin cut with inside english leading to shape on an easy bank, and he now trailed, 6-5. After several safeties Roberts made a two railer that Incardona called “A ten.” He reached the hill with a 7-5 lead. Reyes fouled and now trailed, 7-4, then he missed a bank and left Roberts a long shot which he rolled it in to win game 2, 8-4. 2-0 Roberts.
In game 3 Reyes made a ball but failed to play position. Roberts rolled a bank in front of his pocket and Reyes softly kicked it in. Reyes had fouled, but he then hung a ball and Roberts made it. The score: 1-1. Roberts made another one for Reyes. 2-1 the Magician. Roberts pocketed a long thin cut, then a dead ball before missing to take a 3-2 lead. Reyes made a hanger for himself, then one for Roberts – so it was 4-3 Roberts. Reyes made a bank and one more, then missed a makeable shot after jumping up. Reyes now led 5-4, but he left Roberts a shot and he ran three to moved ahead, 7-5. Roberts misplayed a safety and Reyes ran three and out to win, 8-7
Reyes played what looked like a fine three ball take out, but he left Roberts a bank, which he made, igniting a run of 8 and out – the final ball being a superbly struck cross corner bank. Roberts now led in the match, 3-1.
Roberts made a billiard, then played a safety. He then made a spin bank and one more to lead, 3-0. Reyes misplayed a bank and made it for Roberts! Roberts then ran four and out to win the match, 4-1. Both players are now 1-1.
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Match #7
Shane Van Boening 4 FRANCISCO BUSTAMANTE 1
Bustamante won the lag, but quickly found himself in trouble after a strong move by Van Boening. He tried a take-out shot, but accidently made a ball for Van Boening, and compounded his troubles by leaving Shane with an easy shot. Van Boening ran six balls before missing a tricky combo on the game ball. A could of innings later Bustamante left game ball in front of Van Boening’s pocket, and he made it to win game 1, 8-0.
Van Boening deposited a bank, then played safe. Bustamante made a super tough long backcut, but was rewarded by making one for Van Boening, who now led 2-1. As a consolation, he did lay down a strong safety. A couple of turns later Van Boening answered a poor safety with a short rail bank, then went on to run six and out. He now led in the match, 2-0.
Van Boening was forced to kick at a ball in front of Bustamante’s pocket, missed the mark, and left a shot. Bustamante ran three, then played safe. Van Boening attempted a take-out and again left Bustamante with a shot. Bustamante ran another three to go ahead, 6-0. Van Boening banked a ball in front of his pocket and Bustamante followed through one ball and made the hanger! It was now 6-1. Van Boening double kissed a bank and Bustamante made a short rail bank, and now led, 7-1. Van Boening made an easy long railer, then, on his next turn three more banks (none were easy) and a long slice to close the gap to a single ball at 7-6. Bustamante put a ball near his pocket, but Van Boening removed it. Van Boening sliced a ball across the table in front of his pocket and Bustamante had to make it for him – 7-7!! Then, after all of this work, Van Boening tried for a double bank, sold out, and Bustamante fired in the gamewinner!
Bustamante played a super aggressive safety, left Van Boening with a shot – and he missed! Bustamante sank one, but came up empty on a break shot, and led, 1-0 with the balls now spread all over the table. The time: 8:03.
Van Boening lagged a bank in front of his pocket. Bustamante then gambled on a combo, made it, and then tried to masse in Van Boening’s ball. He missed it, and left Van Boening with a shot in the jaws. Shane ran five to take a 5-2 lead. But he left Bustamante a long shot, which he made – before selling out after missing a bank. Van Boening made one to go ahead, 6-3. Bustamante missed a bank and Van Boening made a ball from behind the head string before missing game ball. Bustamante ran three to pull to within a ball at 7-6. Bustamante made a long rail bank on a ball that was spotted, tying the score at 7-7, then pocketed the last ball. Van Boening took a foul and now trailed, 7-6! Van Boening made a short rail crossover bank to tie the score, 7-7, then made the 15th ball in the far corner – and it spotted up. At this point both players made an all-out effort to not lose – resulting in a gazillion safeties. Honestly, I have no clue as to how or why this one will ever end. The time: 8:41. “I should have been counting the safes,” said Danny Diliberto. “This has gotten personal,” said Billy Incardona. Then the crowd goes nuts when Bustamante almost makes a two railer. At 8:51 Van Boening got a shot at a tough long rail bank and made it to win this marathon, and to go ahead, 3-1.
Bustamante got the first shot and ran four before losing position and leaving Van Boening with a shot. Big mistake. Van Boening ran seven, then barely missed the match winning bank – but he now led. 7-4. A few turns later all of the balls were up-table, suggesting another marathon could be coming. But Bustamante barely missed a long rail bank and Van Boening made a sharp back cut to win the game, 8-4, and the match, 4-1. He is now 3-0 while Bustamante fell to 1-2.
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Match #8
Alex Pagulayan 4 - BILLY THORPE 3
Thorpe opened with a difficult carom before playing an aggressive safety. Thorpe kicked for a ball in front of Pagulayan’s pocket, but failed to make it and Alex made only one ball. The score: 1-1. Thorpe went for another carom but missed this time and Pagulayan ran seven and out.
Thorpe broke, but Pagulayan left a ball in front of his own pocket and Thorpe pocketed it. Pagulayan took a foul and the game was again scoreless – then he took yet another one. Thorpe attempted a bank, missed, and left Pagulayan with shot. He made only one and then missed a bank. Thorpe ran four to lead, 4-0. Pagulayan made a tough backcut, then played safe, but left Thorpe with a thin cut that he spun in. He played safe, but left Pagulayan with a bank, which he hung in the jaws. After Thorpe made it for him, Thorpe now led, 5-2. He made a bank and two cut shots to win the game, 8-2.
Thorpe fouled. Pagulayan then slammed in a bank and made one more before failing to execute a simple position play. He now led, 2 to -1. Thorpe made a crossover bank and three more to move ahead, 3-2. Several innings later Thorpe hung a bank and Pagulayan made it for him. 4-2, Thorpe. Pagulayan unluckily left Thorpe a shot on the short side far up the table, and Thorpe added two balls to his score. Thorpe made a billiard and now led, 7-2. Pagulayan made a long rail bank, then a long backcut to cut into Thorpe’s lead. Thorpe closed out the game with a super tough cross table bank in which the ball hit the side rail six diamonds up on the opposite side of the pocket. He now led the match, 2 games to 1.
Pagulayan committed a foul and left Thorpe with a shot. He took full advantage by running 8 and out to reach the hill with a lead of 3-1.
Pagulayan was in a tough spot and took a foul, and then another. Thorpe made one for Pagulayan and now led, 0 to -1. Thorpe fouled, so both were now owed a ball. Pagulayan ran four, and now led, 3 to -1. Thorpe made a difficult bank, then ran four more to take a slim 4-3 lead. He did leave Pagulayan with a crossover bank, and he made it and three more before slamming home a game winning long rail bank. Thorpe now led in the match, 3-2.
Thorpe scored first to lead. 1-0. He then made a ball near Pagulayan’s pocket, so the score was tied at 1-1. Thorpe fouled when playing a soft kick shot. Pagulayan hung a bank, leaving Thorpe with a golden opportunity to run balls. He responded with four, then made Pagulayan’s hanger – and now led, 4-2. Thorpe fouled, following a ball into the corner. Pagulayan took ball-in-hand and ran four before failing to separate a cluster – so he left the table leading 6-3. Pagulayan made a clutch crossover bank to reach game ball, but missed it – badly! Thorpe ran only two before playing poor position, and then missing a triple tough cross table cut. So, Pagulayan now led, 7-5. He barely missed a three rail bank. Thorpe made a super difficult cross table cut, but failed to take out the ball, so Pagulayan won the game, 8-6, tying the match at 3 games each.
Thorpe missed a bank and left Pagulayan an easy shot. He broke the balls, they opened well, and he proceeded to run 8 and out. His record improved to 2-1 while Thorpe fell to 0-3 is the first player to fall out of the chase for the title.
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COVERAGE
Coverage is being provided by Phil Capelle.
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STREAMING
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