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January 2012: Clinching Combo
Player: Jim Rempe
Event: 1999 American Seniors Open Location: Portland, Oregon WHEN JIM Rempe faced Nick Varner in the final of the American Seniors Open in 1999, it wasn't like the two were content to slap a few racks around in the name of nostalgia. Both in their early fifties at the time, the Hall of Fame pairing were still capable of some high-octane 9-ball, as evidenced in this single race-to-11 set. With both players on the hill, Rempe broke open the deciding rack but failed to drop a ball. Varner then pushed out, was given the shot, and missed the ensuing kick on the 1 ball. ![]() But Rempe, with a number of roadblocks on his route to victory, had his hands full. After making the 8 with a carom, he was forced to sink the 3 and leave himself in the position shown in the diagram. As you can see, not much presented itself. He'd have to get creative - which he certainly did. Rempe played an incredibly aggressive shot, sending the 4 ball off the long rail and into the 6, which then rattled and fell in the upper right corner. The 4 ball and cue ball then both rebounded off the short rail and into the position shown in gray. King James then faced a cross-corner bank on the 4 - a shot that, with only four other balls left on the table, would decide the match. Rempe easily sank the bank, and erased the 7 and 9 for the title. After the match, he offered a glimpse into his thought process when approaching the rail-first combination. "It's all the percentages," he said. "There, I didn't think I could go thin and play safe. I thought it was just as risky as the bank." (Video clip provided by Accu-Stats Video Productions.)
(Check out Accu-Stats’ full library of great shots and amazing matches at www.accu-stats.com) |
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