Hi all
After an exciting and draining two days of eight ball, we have the first 9 players to be offered an invitation to the 2011 ACT Mens Team, as well as out final four players in the two month long search for our State Champion. A massive 480 frames were played this weekend, with it all coming down to the final two frames at the table deciding our top 4 and potential top 9. Not to mention 3 frames separating 6th from 12th…
If you want to put 480 frames in perspective, by the way, that’s the equivalent of 20 rounds of Wednesday nights all in one weekend.
A cold July Canberra morning greeted the players on Saturday as they arrived at The Maram for two days of the toughest Eight Ball in the ACT. With four rounds of 15 frames ahead of them, it is always the player whose mental stamina is the toughest that wins through in these rounds. With 9 spots in the State Team and 4 spots in next weekend’s State Championship up for grabs, the players’ mental stamina was going to be severely tested.
With a few big names withdrawing from this year’s event, only Dean Welsh had won the Open Singles Title before (2001, ’08). Also on the honour roll were 4 Open Doubles Champions in Dean (’05, ’10), Anthony Chia & Colin Gamble (’08) and Edmund Chen (’11), dual Masters Champion Mongrel (’10, ’11), 2009 Nine Ball Champion Dragan Markovic and 2011 First Division Singles Champion Michael Hazilias. In total there were 10 State Titles and 18 State Finals between the 16 players.
Despite this seemingly strong record, only 8 of the players were backing up from last year’s Top 16 (seven of whom qualified for the State Team in 2010). Again, I have to mention the strength and depth we are now enjoying in ACTEBA. The eight consisted of Dean, last year’s runner up Anthony, 2009 runner up Steve Thomas, 2010 Top 4 players Hazza and Sterling Cross, 2010 State Team member Edmund, multiple State Team player Mick Norton and Phillip Thorp, who was making his 5th appearance in the 16 in the last 6 years. (Hazza was playing in his 6th straight!)
Joining this group were seasoned veterans Colin Gamble, Ged Johnston and Mongrel, along with Rony Sood making his 3rd appearance and Andrew Pearce and Phil Bailey their 2nd. Debutants to the final dance were Dragan and Jason Scott.
The players were called in at 11am for final instructions (more or less me just getting my 2 minutes in the spotlight…) and as adjudicators Penny Foudoulis and Trent Billington started calling the frames I took my leave to step out on the balcony. Less than two minutes later, Mongrel casually strolled out and said “well Chris I’m leading the master breaks so far today”. The 2011 ACTEBA Open Singles Top 16 was under way in style.
Mongrel went on to dominate round 1, racking up 13 frames out of 15, but Anthony followed closely on 12, despite a nasty cold. Dean was one back on 11 and Mick also hit double figures to sit 4th on 10 frames. The frame difference between a group of 8 and a group of 16 was already apparent as Mongrel had opened up a 7 frame lead on 10th place, the first place outside the State Team qualification.
A much tighter round was contested as the afternoon wore on, with 11 of the 16 scoring between 8 and 10 frames. Leading this pack was Phil T and Sterlo on 10, Sterlo leaping from last after round 1 into equal 9th on 14 frames. Joining him there was Steve T, whose 9 frames moved him up from equal 13th. Phil T’s round, meanwhile, had moved him up to 19 frames and 4th place ahead of Mick, who sat one back on 18.
The Top 3 remained unchanged at the day’s conclusion, with Mongrel, Anthony and Dean all consolidating their strong start to notch 9 frames apiece and finish on 22, 21 and 20 frames respectively. Pretty strong figures for a day in the Top 16! The big starts these 3 (and Phil T and Mick) got meant that 9th spot was actually shooting below 50%, which is normally a few frames out of contention. But with Hazza and Rony sitting on 16 frames each back in 6th, the top 4 was far from decided. Of course, we still had 30 frames each to play so the top 9 was still anyone’s for the taking.
Mongrel continued his form into the Sunday, racking up 10 frames in round 3, equal to Dean and Rony, who moved up into 2nd and 5th respectively. Sterling continued his climb with a round of 9 to move into equal 7th with Edmund (8 frames), but was matched on 9 by Phil T, who consolidated 4th. Anthony’s 8 frames left him in 3rd, but the big movers in round 3 were Andrew Pearce and Phil Bailey, whose 8 frame rounds moved them right back into contention for the top 9.
As round 4 began, there were 6 players still in the running for the top 4, while 14 still had a shot at the top 9. As it turned out, 12 were in it right up to the last 15 minutes.
Ged and Jason were the two out of contention at this point, both struggling on 12 frames. But a master break from Jason spurred him into action as he won 4 out of his next 5 frames to put a gap on Ged. Not one to be outdone, Ged produced a master break of his own to start a late round charge just as Jason was faltering, Ged finishing just one frame ahead on 20 as Jason ended on 19, the pair finishing in 15th and 16th.
Ged finished just one frame behind Dragan, who had started with a strong round one before faltering towards the end to finish on 21. Like Jason, this was a good first effort at the top 16 – another level of eight ball altogether. Colin had started the day well with his best round of 8, but hadn’t sat above 10th spot all weekend and finished 3 frames ahead of Dragan in 13th position.
Back to the front, though, and Mongrel was at it again, taking 9 frames to finish 1st on 41 and 19. For the stats people (and I have more for you later) that is 68.33% in the Top 16! He did, however, fall a few short of the record, 48 frames (80%!!!) held equally by Matt Harmon and Steve Woods. Anthony matched Mongrel’s 9 to jump back ahead of Dean and finish 2nd on 38. The race for 3rd and 4th was just heating up, though.
Edmund produced the most consistent effort of the weekend (7, 8, 8, 8 ) to finish on 31, just far enough away from the top 4 to never really be a threat, but just far enough inside the top 9 to feel comfortable enough. It kind of helps when you nail 5 master breaks as well, mind you. Hazza had been pushing the Top 4, though, but a poor round 3 of 6 frames put him back into 9th and under pressure from about 4 players. Hazza seems to thrive under pressure, though, and he nailed 9 frames to leave the chasers in his wake as he finished equal with Edmund in 6th.
Andrew was continuing his Sunday fightback, but Sterlo and Phil B were determined to hold him at bay. Mick was struggling and not expecting to be caught up with these 3, but as the final hour began they were in a tough struggle. In the end, Sterling and Phil B maintained a 2 frame gap for most of the round, and finished ahead of Andrew and Mick as they tied for 8th on 30 frames, but only after Mick had lost his final frame to finaish equal 10th with Andrew. Andrew and Phil B had both shot the best percentage for the day behind the top 4, finishing equal 4th for Sunday.
But Andrew still had a playoff with Mick to contest, one which could have been 3 players had Steve won his last frame. Unfortunately Steve couldn’t and finished 12th on 28. It doesn’t help your cause when you have 5 master breaks completed against you.
Steve’s last frame was one of 5 that eventually decided the last two spots in the top 4. Late in the day, Rony was 5th on 34, Phil T sat in 4th on 35, with Dean just one frame ahead. Dean lined up against Rony for his second last frame, but Rony completed a master break to level things with Phil T. Phil T then met Rony, and won a tight frame to match Dean, who had just lost his last frame. With Rony and Phil T to take the table in the last two frames of the day, the score was Dean 36, Phil T 36, Rony 35.
Phil T then took on Steve, while Rony met Ged and Dean could only watch. But these frames weren’t just about the top 4, as Steve was still battling for 9th. As it was, Phil T won over Steve, avoiding a play off and denying Steve one, as Steve finished in 12th, Phil T in 3rd. Rony then took a long frame off Ged to equal Dean on 36 frames and force a play off.
As this was going on, Andrew had taken the first frame off Mick in a race to 2, but Mick’s experience shone through and he finished the next two to nail 10th spot. With at least one player indicating he was unable to make the trip to Nationals, this should give Mick a spot, but Andrew will have to wait and see.
Rony and Dean then started their playoff, Rony taking the first frame before Dean equaled it at 1-1. Rony was too strong, though, eliminating the last State Singles Champion remaining to nab the final spot in the top 4.
So, in finishing order, the first invitations to the 2011 ACT Mens Team are Mongrel, Anthony Chia, Phillip Thorp, Rony Sood, Dean Welsh, Edmund Chen, Michael Hazilias, Phil Bailey and Sterling Cross. Well done to all 9 players, this looks like another strong team for our small territory to make big waves at the Nationals. A particular congratulation goes to Phil Bailey on his first invitation. I remember beating Phil in a frame at Fyshwick Tavern when he was 16 years old, now he’s on the State Team and I still can’t play to save myself…
With Matt Harmon, Steve Woods and Dean winning the last 12 Titles between them, this will be the first year since Woodsy’s first title in 2002 that we have a new winner. Form is no guide when it comes to a Top 4, but Anthony’s experience will be invaluable next Sunday when he takes on first timers Mongrel and Phil T, plus Rony is only in his second top 4. But you just have to look at the way Mongrel dominated, plus Phil and Rony’s poise under pressure towards the end…
I can’t pick it (though I probably wouldn’t let you know here if I thought I could!) and all four players start next Sunday with an equal shot at the title. The Top 4 will be held Ojo Bar and Café in Tuggeranong next Sunday, with play commencing at 11am. The format will be a round robin race to 5, with a final race to 9.
Well done to the players this weekend, there was some great eight ball played (as well as some tired eight ball) and the whole weekend was played in the best spirit of the game. There are about 350 players who would have loved to have been there this weekend, but the vast majority of us apparently aren’t good enough!
Congratulations again to our State Teams qualifiers; should you take the spot we know you’ll do us proud. Good luck as well to Mongrel, Anthony, Phil T and Rony next Sunday as a new State Singles Champion is crowned.
As always, a massive thank you to The Maram for hosting the Top 16. Your assistance with our trials is always appreciated.
Last but not least, thank you to Trent Billington and Penny Foudoulis for their excellent adjudicating this weekend. Penny basically ran the show when I was there today and I was left wondering if she needed me and Trent at all.
I encourage all players to head down to Ojo’s next Sunday to see the last four players compete for the 2011 ACTEBA Open Singles Championship. I’ve watched a few top 4’s in my time and I tell you it doesn’t get any better than this.
Below are the final results for the Top 16, and attached are a myriad of stats spreadsheets I have created for the all the stats buffs out there. I love having a Top 16 scoresheet to play with…
Regards
Chris Jones
ACTEBA Tournament Director
Results Top 16
Mongrel 41/19
Anthony Chia 38/22
Phillip Thorp 37/23
Rony Sood 36/24*
Dean Welsh 36/24
Edmund Chen 31/29
Michael Hazilias 31/29
Phil Bailey 30/30
Sterling Cross 30/30
Mick Norton 29/31*
Andrew Pearce 29/31
Stephen Thomas 28/32
Colin Gamble 24/36
Dragan Markovic 21/39
Gerard Johnston 20/40
Jason Scott 19/41
http://www.acteba.com.au/downloads/2011_Open_Singles_Top16_BreakReceive.xls
http://www.acteba.com.au/downloads/2011_Open_Singles_Top16_Leaderboards.xls
http://www.acteba.com.au/downloads/2011_Open_Singles_Top16_Results.xls
