No Dry Eyes: Webb Wins At Last

Moments after the win, Webb (right) was overcome with emotion during an interview with Jeanette Lee.

Webb took advantage of two wonky safeties by Fisher in the next two frames to take a 6-4 lead. One game away from her first title, she was furiously coaching herself to stay in the moment.

"I immediately thought, 'Don't think about the future. Don't focus on results. Just focus on playing your game,'" she said.

Webb broke, making a ball, and then surveyed the thorny layout. She sank the 1 ball but was forced to play safe on the 2. Fisher returned the favor, leaving only a fraction of the 2 ball visible. Most would play safe, but this time Monica Webb would play her game and go for it.

Drawing on her one-pocket experience and some recent coaching from Hall-of-Famer Buddy Hall, Webb speared a daring cross-corner bank on the 2 ball. Yelling, "C'mon, baby," she nailed a tough cut on the 3 to begin her victory lap around the table.

Landing straight-in on the 9 ball, she went into her stance but suddenly felt a huge lump in her throat. "I had to raise back up; I wasn't going to take any chances," she said. Back in her stance, she pocketed the 9 for the win that was 10 years in the making.

In her increasingly tearful victory speech, she thanked friends Thornfeldt and Lee for their advice and support, as well as longtime sponsor Tariq Tahir. And as she looked around the room, she noticed that she wasn't the only person crying.

"It was everybody in the room," she said. "The sponsors, the tournament director, the fans. It was just a magical moment.

"It was the best night of my life so far. It will always be the best night of my life, for sure."

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