Shane Van Boening has won the US Open 8-Ball Title by defeating Carlo Biado 13-11 in the finals at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Van Boening arrived in the finals unscathed, never having been defeated on his trip through the charts.
Carlo Biado had been on a roll of his own, defeating two-time World Champion Jia-Qing Wu 8-6. but he ran into another hot hand in the form of Jayson Shaw and very quickly found himself nearly snowballed at 8-.1. The drama for Biado had only begun to unfold. His first opponent on the one-loss side was none other than his friend and respected elder player Francisco Bustamante. The two countrymen fought it out to a squeaker with Biado sliding through 8-7.
Biado then had to get past both Sean Cheng and Warren Kiamco to progress. He dispatched them both with the identical scores of 8-6. All of that work just to have to face the man who had sent him left again as he had to take on Jayson Shaw as Shaw had lost to Walter Cheng 8-2.
Shaw, who had so dominated the first meeting of the two, never had a chance to breathe. Biado got his revenge in style with an 8-2 thrashing. He then had to face Walter Cheng to see who would get the final shot at Shane Van Boening.
Many westerners are not familiar with Cheng. He is a former Taiwanese 9-Ball and 10-Ball National Champion. All week he had been making any ball he could see. As we had seen throughout the tournament the break would play a huge role in the outcome of the match. Successful break shots lead to run outs.
When Cheng broke dry in the fourth rack Biado turned on all the burners and soon led 3-1. Biado then broke and ran the next rack to lead by three at 4-1. Cheng scratched on the next break. Biado cashed again; 5-1.
But hope was not lost for Cheng. Biado was on his way out in rack seven when he blew his shape and gave up ball in hand to Cheng. Cheng took that rack and then broke and ran the next to bring us to 5-3 for Biado.
Biado won the next to get very close to the final at 6-3. But then momentum changed chairs. Cheng broke dry the next rack but Biado could not cash the run and Cheng got the point. After a trade of break and runouts the score stood at 7-5 for Biado.
Cheng had one last chance in rack 13. Biado broke dry. Cheng ran all the way down to the last ball before the 8 ball when he left himself hooked. He was done. When he failed in his shot attempt, Biado comfortably ran out for an 8-5 win and the right to go up against Van Boening.
The finals began as a slug-fest. Biado and Van Boening traded runouts until the score was at 2-2, but Van Boening broke Biado's serve in the next rack and then had a chance to stretch his lead as it was his break. Even though he missed his second shot attempt, Biado failed to make him pay and played a conservative safe that failed. Van Boening ran down to the last ball before the 8 and missed. Biado got out but the out was ugly. He fought his speed control and still got out to tie the match at 3 apiece.
The match then saw the players trade break and runs an incredible 14 times in a row until the score lay at 10-10. It seemed that Biado was having an easier time at the table, but Van Boening was keeping right in step with him.
In rack 21, Biado was on a roll when he drew the cue ball into the side pocket. The scratch left Van Boening with an out and he cashed it. This left Van Boening only needing a break and run to earn his first major 8-Ball title. After making a ball on the break, Van Boening shocked the crowd by missing his first shot of the run and Biado ran out to tie things againat 11-11.
Rack 23 saw the pressure get to Biado again, as he ran to a tough shot in the side pocket, which he missed. Van Boening quickly ran out to take a 12-11 lead.
Rack 24 would be the final rack, as Van Boening crushed the rack and every ball had a pocket. He gave the crown one last bit of excitement when he overran shape on the 8-ball and was left with a shot similar to the one that Biado had missed a rack earlier. After sizing up the shot, Van Boening drained in like a hanger and Van Boening dropped to his knees with relief.
A tip of the AZB Hat to CSI for their production of the three main pro events. We will be bringing you news of all other CSI events in Las Vegas, including the BCAPL National Championships and the BEF National Championships, the WPA Artistic Pool World Championships and all other events as we receive results.
