Matrix
03-11-2009, 13:29
Sunday I had a small snooker tournament of NNRS (Noord-Nederlands Ranking Snooker). Twenty participants, B-ranking, so all silly amateurs. And I was the runner-up! [yeah] It was a knockout tournament, with a 'losers knockout' for those who lost in the first round. All matches in the real knockout stage were best-of-3.
The first match was simple, against a schoolboy. 2-0 But I did make a break of 26! Eight balls in sequence, which is my highest break ever. (I did make a break of 27 once, but that was only six balls: a clearance at the end.)
The second match (quarter final) was a bit tougher. A smart and steady player who doesn't miss easy balls and never plays the wrong shot. But I simply 'outpotted' him, also with better positional play. I won 2-1, having lost the first frame.
The semi-final...that was it! Simply my best performance ever! http://www.straland.com/images/smilies/jump.gif I knew my opponent and he did have the better papers. First frame went to him with over 50 points in difference. http://www.straland.com/images/smilies/ack.gif In the second frame he quickly took an advantage of 20 points and I basically considered it to be a lost cause. I thought "I can only give my best." Yet somehow I crawled my way towards him, made a small break before the end at which point I only needed the pink to clinch the frame. The adrenaline rushed through me, which for the first time ever worked against me! (Usually it helps.) I missed it twice, but he missed too and the third time was a charm.
Last frame was very very tense, but I could sense his uncertainty. We were close all the way and only made very few points. This time my opponent only needed pink. He missed, I went for the double, which came out as a triple (that happens) and lined up for the final black, with my heart in my throat, and potted it. I then shouted "Yes!" and literally jumped for joy.
In the final I met my nemesis, against whom I had to play a lot of times already and always lost. I was lucky only to meet him in the final. Other people might defeat him, but his tactical play is simply superior. His break building too for that matter. :p Perhaps one day though...
Entry fee was €5 and the price for runner-up was €15. But I spend €22 on food and drinks that day. [tongue]
Ok, who cares about a silly little tournament such as this one? Fact is I've been playing snooker for over a decade now, but only started playing tournaments since less than a year. When I started them, I didn't stand a chance, so the fact that I've reached the final this time, defeating someone I considered to be far superior above me in the process, is what makes this a grand victory for me! [smokin]
But I have more to look up to: next step is winning such a tournament and/or defeating my nemesis. The following step is winning the masters. (There are eight tournaments such as sunday's. You obtain ranking points with them. The best eight or sixteen, depending on the attendance of the tournaments are invited to play the masters.) And after that I can try to do the same in the A-ranking. [tongue] But A-players make 30-breaks on a regular basis. I still have none.
The first match was simple, against a schoolboy. 2-0 But I did make a break of 26! Eight balls in sequence, which is my highest break ever. (I did make a break of 27 once, but that was only six balls: a clearance at the end.)
The second match (quarter final) was a bit tougher. A smart and steady player who doesn't miss easy balls and never plays the wrong shot. But I simply 'outpotted' him, also with better positional play. I won 2-1, having lost the first frame.
The semi-final...that was it! Simply my best performance ever! http://www.straland.com/images/smilies/jump.gif I knew my opponent and he did have the better papers. First frame went to him with over 50 points in difference. http://www.straland.com/images/smilies/ack.gif In the second frame he quickly took an advantage of 20 points and I basically considered it to be a lost cause. I thought "I can only give my best." Yet somehow I crawled my way towards him, made a small break before the end at which point I only needed the pink to clinch the frame. The adrenaline rushed through me, which for the first time ever worked against me! (Usually it helps.) I missed it twice, but he missed too and the third time was a charm.
Last frame was very very tense, but I could sense his uncertainty. We were close all the way and only made very few points. This time my opponent only needed pink. He missed, I went for the double, which came out as a triple (that happens) and lined up for the final black, with my heart in my throat, and potted it. I then shouted "Yes!" and literally jumped for joy.
In the final I met my nemesis, against whom I had to play a lot of times already and always lost. I was lucky only to meet him in the final. Other people might defeat him, but his tactical play is simply superior. His break building too for that matter. :p Perhaps one day though...
Entry fee was €5 and the price for runner-up was €15. But I spend €22 on food and drinks that day. [tongue]
Ok, who cares about a silly little tournament such as this one? Fact is I've been playing snooker for over a decade now, but only started playing tournaments since less than a year. When I started them, I didn't stand a chance, so the fact that I've reached the final this time, defeating someone I considered to be far superior above me in the process, is what makes this a grand victory for me! [smokin]
But I have more to look up to: next step is winning such a tournament and/or defeating my nemesis. The following step is winning the masters. (There are eight tournaments such as sunday's. You obtain ranking points with them. The best eight or sixteen, depending on the attendance of the tournaments are invited to play the masters.) And after that I can try to do the same in the A-ranking. [tongue] But A-players make 30-breaks on a regular basis. I still have none.