Player: Kun Lin Wu
Event: World Pool Championship
Location: Kielce, Poland
Date: Feb 5, 2023



One would be hard pressed to find a bigger stage than the World Pool Championship. The crown jewel of 9-ball titles, the competition collects arguably the deepest and most unforgiving field of any event in today's game. After the double-elimination group stage, the 64-player single-elimination bracket is a slog. By the time a competitor reaches the semifinal, the pressure ratchets up as players' stamina grinds down.

Kun Lin Wu, a 27-year-old pro from Taiwan, had his work cut out for him in the race-to-11 semifinal against Mohammad Soufi. The Syrian Cinderella dominated the opening six racks of the contest before Wu could get on the board. He clawed his way back into the set, eventually closing the gap to 7-3, when he came to the table facing the situation to the right.

With the cue ball nearly tucked behind the 4, Wu had the 6 and 7 balls as roadblocks to his way to the 2 ball. That object ball didn't offer much clarity, in a cluster with the 3 near the 9 ball.

Wu could draw an angle to the 2 with a kick shot that went between the 6 and 7 balls and off the right long rail. Striking the cue ball with high, left English, Wu hit the 2 fully, sending it straight to the top left corner. The cue ball then shaved the right edge of the 3, sending it into the open table. With plenty of spin, the cue ball opened its angle as it went two rails, finally rolling into the 8, giving Wu a perfect angle on the 3.

He cleaned up this rack, but Soufi proved too daunting a task, eventually winning the set, 11-6. Still, with a finish on the podium, Wu showed the lights weren't too bright with amazing shots like this one.


(Video clip provided by Accu-Stats Video Productions.)

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