See Is Believing

See relished in his life-changing breakthrough.

UP UNTIL May 12, 2011, Huidji See was mostly known as that other player from the Netherlands, the nice kid with plenty of talent who didn't look Dutch and had a funny name. If he was known at all. Mention Dutch pool anywhere in the pool playing world and names such as current stars Niels Feijen and Nick van den Berg, and even recently retired players like Alex Lely and Rico Diks, would readily be mentioned before See.

But now, in the course of one amazing week, See catapulted himself not just to the top of the prestigious Dutch pool world, but the entire pool playing world. Playing consistent and steady 10-ball pool, with a low-key demeanor that allowed him to ride out the rough spots, and, perhaps most importantly, showcasing a brilliant mind for pool, See caught a gear and ran through one of the toughest fields in the sport's recent history, capturing the 2011 World 10-Ball Championship, held May 10-15 at the World Trade Center in Manila, Philippines. He defeated China's scrawny but gritty Fu Jianbo in a high quality and entertaining final, 11-8, and pocketed $60,000 in the process.

"I'm still pinching myself," See said moments after he won the title. "It did happen, so I'm happy. This is real!" He laughed loudly as he said that last line and glared appreciatively at the large silver trophy cradled in his hands. But you could tell he was having a difficult time believing he just did what he did. Even Johan Ruijsink, the Dutch national coach and European Mosconi Cup captain, was shaking his head.

"We always knew Huidji had the talent," a beaming Ruijsink said. "But we didn't think he was there just yet. We expected someone like Niels or Nick to win a world title. But Huidji played great and he did it. Absolutely unbelievable."

What made See's world title win seem even more amazing was the 30-year-old's relative lack of big-time success in his eight-year career. He won the 10-ball division at 2007's ill-fated Qlympics in Louisville, Ky., but the field was heavily depleted of stars who were in Manila for the World 9-Ball Championship. That same year, he showed his impressive skills by finishing second to Oliver Ortmann in the World Straight-Pool Championship.

A closer look at See's background, however, reveals a strong pedigree enhanced by an even sharper analytical mind, all topped off by that understated demeanor. The son of Chinese immigrants, See was born and raised near Arnem, Netherlands. His introduction to cue sports actually began as a teenager while playing chess - a lifelong passion for See. He is so accomplished at the game that he can play and win blindly, meaning he plays with his back turned to the chess board, making his moves, stalking his opponent, without even looking.

It was his chess-playing buddies who invited the 13-year-old to play snooker, which instantly became the perfect outlet for exercising the youngster's bustling mind. He was hooked instantly, practicing and playing day and night. Then, when he was in his early 20s, someone in the snooker/poolroom encouraged See to try his hand at the American game.

"Somebody asked me, 'Why don't you come play in a pool tournament sometime?'" See recalled. "So I did and I got to the finals of that tournament, and I kind of fell in love with pool."

Since then See has devoted himself to pool, employing a rigorous daily practicing regime and entering tournaments around the globe. He's a regular on the EuroTour; he's been showing up in the U.S. at the Derby City Classic and other major events; and he's been holding his own in Manila's best poolrooms. After eight years as a pro, he'd been starting to reap the benefits, cashing in tournaments and knocking on the door of victory.

Through his diligent efforts, See has carved out a niche in Dutch pool, where success is rewarded with government grants. See took bronze in the 9-ball division at April's European Pool Championships and was given money from the Dutch government, which allows him to focus fully on pool.

See's work ethic brought him to Manila clearly prepared technically. But he revealed after his stunning victory that lately he's also been working seriously on that other aspect that proved so deadly in this year's World 10-Ball Championship - his mental game. See's been seeing a sports psychologist back in the Netherlands.

"He helps me to play well by thinking it, instead of just doing it," See said. "He takes you step by step on how to play good, not maybe I'm going to play good or maybe I'm going to play bad. This helps me play with awareness."

Hindsight sounds genius coming from the winner, but the reality was that See barely had a chance to get loose in Manila. With 128-player field divided into 16 groups of eight players, the opening stage consisted of double-elimination play, where half the field advanced to a single-elimination bracket of 64. The goal was simple goal: win two matches before you lose two. See dropped his first set and had to win two do-or-die matches - the last sending Ralf Souquet packing. It was that surprising victory over Souquet that seemed to trigger the belief in See.

"I think my match against Ralf was my turning point," See said after the tournament. "I played really well and it gave me a lot of confidence. I said to myself, If I can beat Ralf, I can beat anyone."

Still, the talent pool for this third edition of the World 10-Ball Championship was so deep, nobody really noticed the Dutchman until he showed up in the semifinal on the last day. Lingering payment issues from two years ago seemed to have been forgotten by players, as promoter Raya Sports quickly made full payments on its Philippine Open Championship a month earlier. With everything on the level financially, the $250,000 tournament attracted a talent heavy field from 44 countries. The only country that seemed underrepresented was the United States, with only Shane Van Boening and Johnny Archer making the trip.

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