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Nov. 2012: Knocking the 9
Player: Buddy Hall
Event: U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships Location: Chesapeake, Va. Date: Sept. 15, 2003 AS FAR as firepower goes, it's tough to beat a match between Buddy Hall and Keith McCready. And a first-round match - yes, the fans who were there on Monday afternoon deserved a little luck of the draw - between the two stars didn't disappoint. After McCready took the opening game in the race to 11, he blasted open the second rack, very nearly sinking the 9 ball on the snap for a $500 bonus. ![]() At first glance, it's difficult to see if Hall could even see the 1 cleanly with the 5 and 3 balls squeezing any possible corridor. It was clear, though, that Hall didn't have enough of an angle to pocket the 1 ball in the top right corner. Hall was fortunate to have just enough room to hit the 1 ball squarely. He was also fortunate to have a bead on a three-rail path to the 9 ball, which was frozen to the inside of the bottom left pocket. Hitting a perfect stop shot with a touch of right English, Hall sent the 1 down-table and off the edge of the long rail. Struck nearly fully, the 9 ball hopped in the pocket, while the cue ball and 1 ball sat at their points of impact. A small but noteworthy postscript: Hall had things worked out if the 9 didn't drop. The cue ball stood behind the 5-3-8 ball cluster, while the 1 was struck with near-pocket speed, so it wouldn't have strayed too far from the corner had the 9 stayed up. Alas, the day was McCready's, as he advanced via a hill-hill set that propelled him to a third-place performance that electrified the Chesapeake faithful. (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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