The Time is Right

Tsai waited until the last minute to earn a spot in the World 10-Ball field, only to fall short in the final.

The 28-year-old Tsai represented a perfect example of the recent explosion of talent in Taiwan and China. Winner of the 2009 China Open, she has been ranked among the top 20 in the world for the better part of two years. But without an automatic spot in the World 10-Ball Championship, she was forced to earn her way into the field by winning a qualifier the day before main event began.

After her heart-stopping win over Amit, Tsai then faced Kim in the semifinal. Kim, who finished second to Ouschan in 2010, looked to be a making plans for a return trip to the final. But Tsai rolled ahead in the race to 9. She eventually ousted Kim by a count of 9-7. In the other semifinal, Fisher faced China's unheralded Yu Han. Fisher grabbed an early 3-1 lead, but Yu responded by taking two racks to even the set. After a timeout, Fisher then ran away with the set. In something of a sloppy match, Fisher collected the next four racks for a 7-3 lead. Yu took one more game, but Fisher never gave up control. She eventually took a spot in her first world championship final by a 9-4 score.

"It wasn't pretty, but I'm excited about being in the finals for the very first time," Fisher said. "I want to do it for the fans here, too. The Filipino fans are so lovely."

The race-to-10 final ran according to a script similar to Fisher's semifinal. She jumped ahead early, but Tsai responded to knot the set at 3-3. That's when Fisher found a rhythm that wouldn't be broken. Winning a number of defensive battles, she collected rack after rack, inching toward the finish line. Climbing on the hill with a 9-3 advantage, Fisher was all but assured of victory. Tsai notched another game, but her fate was sealed. Fisher outmaneuvered her in the 14th rack and cleared the table for the title. While the confetti fell around her, she stood with her cue over her head, relishing what was a long-awaited victory.

"I've had a lot of ups and downs the past couple years, and haven't really won anything," Fisher said. "It's frustrating sometimes, but I kept working on my game and trying to get better. ... It proves you just have to stick with it."

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