Accu-Stats at this point: Souquet 1.000 – Pagulayan .867

“That’s why there is so much pressure in this sport. You never know when you’re going to get an opportunity.” Mike Sigel

Game 7 – Pagulayan Covers His Mistake
1 Souquet – 0 on the break
2 Pagulayan – push out. Souquet passed, which was a mistake. Pagulayan played an excellent long distance crossover safety. 

Superb Long Distance Safety
Pagulayan aimed directly at the corner pocket when he pushed out, but the cue ball drifted to the left as it slowed down, leaving the push out in the diagram.

Distance can be an effective weapon in safety play, but not when blockers are available. So when Souquet passed on a push out, Pagulayan took advantage of the five balls near the head spot and the 8-ball by playing this excellent long distance crossover safety. Not to be out done, Souquet countered with a kick and hook.

 “I’m sure Ralf Souquet saw that (the safety) but didn’t like it.” Mike Sigel

3 Souquet – Kicked, hit and hooked Pagulayan.
4 Pagulayan -  Kicked, hit, and hooked Souquet. A great exchange of superb kick shots, the best of the match.
5 Souquet – Kick and missed the hit.
6 Pagulayan – BIH Nine ball run out.
He hooked himself behind the 8 and had to make a rail first shot on the 7-ball.

Souquet 5 – Pagulayan 2

“When you play well, the balls like you.” Bill Incardona

Game 8 – Testy Combo Finds the Pocket
1 Pagulayan – 1 on the break. 
B&R  The final shot was a testy cut combination, even though the 8 and 9-ball were close together. The shot required a hard stroke. 

“If he’s (Pagulayan) going to win this match he’s going to have to do it himself.” Bill Incardona

Souquet 5 – Pagulayan 3

Game 9 – The Pool Playing Robot
1 Pagulayan – 0 on the break.
2 Souquet – Nine ball run out.
The run included a troublesome cut on the 4-ball in the side with the 9-ball right next to it, creating a possible bad hit.
Souquet played perfect long distance three-rail shape on the 8-ball. The cue ball hit the side rail nearly two diamonds above the cornet pocket, ensuring against a scratch.

Souquet 6 – Pagulayan 3

“He’s looking like a pool playing robot.” Jim Wych on Souquet

Game 10 – The Lion’s Shotmaking Brilliance
1 Souquet – 2 balls on the break. 
Souquet committed a position error and hooked himself. He kicked and hooked Pagulayan.
2 Pagulayan – Kick and hit, but left a safety.
3 Souquet – Hooked Pagulayan with a safety.
4 Pagulayan  - 3-rail kick hit, but left a safety.
5 Souquet – Safety hooked Pagulayan.

 “Alex must feel like he’s stuck in the mud with gum boots on.” Jim Wych

6 Pagulayan – Kick and missed the hit.
7 Souquet – BIH Got poor position on the 7-ball and missed an inside english follow shot.

Pattern Error Leads to a Miss
It is not often that you can second-guess a player of Souquet’s stature, but even pros make mistakes. In this case, Souquet played a one-rail route to from the 5-ball to the 7-ball. He wound up on the wrong side of the 7-ball at Position A, and followed this with a miss while using inside english. Using this route limited his ideal position zone to the spot at Position A-1, or slightly beyond. If Souquet had played two rails to Position B, he would have been on the correct side of the 7-ball, leaving a much easier route to the 8-ball.

 
 “Inside english is probably the most difficult shot in pool.” Mike Sigel

8 Pagulayan – Made tough shots on both the 8 and 9-balls. Three ball runout.

Pagulayan’s Firepower
After Pagulayan misplayed the 7-ball, he recovered strongly with the shost on the 8 and 9-balls in the diagram. The 9-ball was an especially tricky 50 degree cut shot off the side rail.

 “He shot them right in like they were nothing.” Mike Sigel

Souquet 6 – Pagulayan 4

“I think this event is the most difficult to win. They bar no one.” Jim Wych

Game 11 – Position Error is Costly
1 Pagulayan – 0 on the break.
2 Souquet – Hooked himself on a long distance position play. He then made a bad hit while kicking for the 2-ball.
3 Pagulayan – BIH  Eight ball runout.
His run included a testy shot on the 8-ball that had perhaps a quarter inch of clearance past the 9-ball.

Souquet 6 – Pagulayan 5

 “You don’t get any better practice than good hard match play.” Jim Wych

Game 12 – Souquet's Big Draw Shot
1 Pagulayan – 2 on the break.
Pagulayan played 3-rail shape on the 3-ball, came up a little short and missed a tough side pocket cut shot.  
2 Souquet – Pocketed a long straight in and drew to the end rail and out for excellent position. A big shot. He then ran out. 

A Champions Draw Shot
The announcer’s set the stage perfectly for the shot below by describing the challenge Souquet faced, and how top players rise to the occasion on big shots. All Souquet did was hammer home this long distance draw shot and obtain perfect shape on the 4-ball. In slow motion you can see that the ball went left-right-left-right-left before falling in the pocket!

 “It’s what we call coming with a shot.” Mike Sigel on Souquet’s draw shot
“9-ball is a test of skill, stamina, and courage.” BillIncardona

Souquet 7 – Pagulayan 5
 

“He (Pagulayan) miscued earlier and that still works on your mind for the entire day.” Mike Sigel

Game 13 – A Comedy of Misses
1 Souquet – 2 on the break. 
Missed (overcut)a table length shot with the cue ball frozen to the end rail.
2 Pagulayan – Missed (overcut) an easy shot on the 2-ball.
3 Souquet – Missed  (overcut) a thin cut on the 2-ball.
4 Pagulayan – Seven ball run out. Run included a thin cut on the 6-ball after coming up short of ideal position.

The Razors Edge
Pagulayan came up about a foot short of perfection at Position A when playing the 5-ball, which left him with the challenging 59 degree cut shot in the diagram. Position B would have been ideal. Pagulayan recovered strongly by slicing the 6-ball down the rail, and he proceeded to run out. Notice that the 6-ball entered the far left side of the pocket after contacting the side rail two diamonds up from the pocket. 
 

 
“I’m surprised that ball went in with that speed.” Mike Sigel

Souquet 7 – Pagulayan 6

“You’ve got to play in billiards like it means nothing when it means everything.” Jim Wych
“This is the U.S. Open and there are a lot of people watching and it’s hard to believe they don’t feel something.” Bill Incardona

Game 14 – Jack Up and Run Out
1 Pagulayan – 1 on the break. 
Played a safety.
2 Souquet – Kicked and hit. A masse kick shot.
3 Pagulayan – Missed a moderately difficult combination.

“Everybody topmargin="0" marginheight="0" does make mistakes.” Mike Sigel
“You really can’t fault him for that shot that much because he felt he could pocket the combination.” Bill Incardona
“He (Pagulayan) attacks when he gets a chance.” Jim Wych

4 Souquet – Made a long jacked up shot on the 4-ball after coming up short of ideal position en route to an eight ball run out. 

Souquet 8 – Pagulayan 6

Game 15 – Clutch Position Play Is a Winner
1 Souquet – 2 balls on the break. 
Missed  (overcut)  a long jacked up slow roll shot.
2 Pagulayan – Ran out seven balls. Made a strong cross table and down position play from the 6 to the 7-ball. 

Souquet 8 – Pagulayan 7

 “You think the heat’s on now, wait till they reach the 10 area.” Mike Sigel

Game 16 – Pagulayan Capitalizes on Safety Error
1 Pagulayan – 1 ball on the break.
Missed (overcut) a long 1-ball shot off the rail.
2 Souquet – Nice soft touch safety hooked Pagulayan.
3 Pagulayan – Played a curve shot, hooking Souquet.
4 Souquet – Safety failed to hook Pagulayan. Error.
5 Pagulayan – Safety hooked Souquet.
6 Souquet – Kicked and left a shot.
7 Pagulayan – Ran out eight balls. 

Precision Ball Bumping
The 8-ball was in an awkward position. So when Pagulayan landed straight in on the 6-ball, he resorted to Plan B.  He bumped the 8-ball near the side rail, which greatly simplified the runout. Pagulayan’s cue ball control was so superb that he struck the correct side of the 8-ball, sending the cue ball a little closer to the distant 7-ball!

 

 “He positioned the 8-ball n a more convenient area on the table.” Bill Incardona
“Now that was a great shot. He bumped the 8 out purposefully.” Mike Sigel

Souquet 8 – Pagulayan 8
NOTE: Souquet’s 4 game lead has vanished.

“He should have been a poker player.” Bill Incardona on Souquet’s expressionless look.

Accu-Stats:  .884 Souquet, .893 Pagulayan

Game 17 – Souquet Returns the Favor
1 Pagulayan – 2 balls on the break. Lots of congestion.
Played a safety, hooking Souquet.
2 Souquet – Kicked and hit, but left a shot.

“A lot of times all you can do is hit the ball and pray.” Mike Sigel

3 Pagulayan – Played a poor safety, leaving Souquet a shot.
4 Souquet – Ran out four balls, including a 7-8 combo.

Souquet 9 – Pagulayan 8

“Anytime you can get more decision making in the game, it favors the better player. Bill Incardona

Off to the Races
AFTER GAME 17 THE PLAYERS WENT ON THE 30 SECOND CLOCK
Note: there were 9 missed shots in the first 17 games, and 6 in the last 7 games.

Game 18 – The Amazing Slop Shot Winner
1 Souquet – 1 ball on the break. 
Played safe and hooked Pagulayan.
2 Pagulayan – Kicked and missed the hit.
3 Souquet – BIH
He missed (undercut) an easy inside english shot (about a 15 degree cut angle) to end his run, but left Pagulayan a very tough shot.
4 Pagulayan – Missed (jawed) a table length jacked up shot.
5 Souquet – Partially hooked himself while playing shape off a pocket hanger. Big mistake. Then played a poor safety.

Those Oh So Pesky Pocket Hangers
Every one who plays pool has experienced their share of wandering cue balls on pocket hangers. Even so, the shot below is somewhat of a surprise as it resulted from an outright blunder by Souquet. He hit the 5-ball too fully, resulting in a partial hook at Position A. Anywhere in the sizeable position zone, such as at Position B, would have been just fine.

“I can’t believe the way he played that.” Jim Wych
“When the wheels start falling off, that’s what happens.” Mike Sigel after the missed position.
 
6 Pagulayan – Played safe, hooking Souquet.
7 Souquet – Kicked and hit.
8 Pagulayan – He played a 6-9 combination and missed it in the intended pocket, but the 9-ball shot out of the jaws and down the table into the opposite corner pocket. Big break on a slop shot. 

Lady Luck Plays Her Hand
Alex Pagulayan was able to knot the score at nine all, thanks to the lucky shot in the diagram. He fired the 6-9 combination with a very hard stroke, which gave him more than one chance to pocket the 9-ball. And that’s just what happened! All pool players can relate to Pagulayan’s “miss” as we’ve all been on both the giving and receiving end of this kind of shot. Nevertheless, to have it happen near the end of the U.S. Open is something else.

 
“Why do you think he hit it so hard. If it didn’t go in one pocket it will go in another.” Mike Sigel

“If you don’t shoot at this (the combo) you lose dignity.” Bill Incardona

Souquet 8 – Pagulayan 9
NOTE: A race to 4, even.
“The match doesn’t even start until we reach 9-9, 10-10.” Mike Sigel

“When I played I tried to get perfect on every ball. That’s just the way I grew up playing.” Mike Sigel

Game 19 – Souquet Finds the Window
1 Pagulayan – 1 ball on the break. 
Push out. Souquet accepted.
2 Souquet – A safety mistake left Pagulayan with a shot.
3 Pagulayan – Missed a long shot with the ball only 7 inches from the pocket. Overcut.
4 Souquet – Played safe, hooking Pagulayan.
5 Pagulayan – Kicked and hit, but left a safety.
6 Souquet – Safety left a long shot. Error.
7 Pagulayan – Missed  (undercut) a long shot using outside english.
8 Souquet – Great long distance position play from the 2-ball to the 3-ball in which he landed in a small window was the key to his eight ball runout. 

A Long Distance Masterpiece
This long distance draw shot only required superhuman pocketing and speed control. On this kind of shot, Souquet might only be successful on 25% of his attempts, as Incardona noted. But he hit the (pay) window between the 7 and 8-ball when he needed to. Bravo!

“He did it when he needed to do it.” Mike Sigel on the 2-ball shot.

Souquet 10 – Pagulayan 9
 
Game 20 – BIH = Run Out

1 Souquet –1 ball on the break. 
Missed  (overcut) a long shot with the cue ball frozen.
2 Pagulayan – Soft touch safety hooked Souquet.
3 Souquet – Kicked and scratched. Bad hit.
4 Pagulayan – BIH Ran out seven balls.

Pagulayan’s One-Rail Gem
Pagulayan really had no choice except to send the cue ball off the end rail and down three quarters the length of the table to a position zone about a foot long. He hit the bulls-eye, and the rest was easy. Perfect speed control on long distance position plays is a sure sign that a player is on his game.

 
“Beautifully played shot.” Bill Incardona

Souquet 10 – Pagulayan 10
   NOTE: Tied again, race to three!!

“Alex Pagulayan and Ralf Souquet have served up a barnburner here in Chesapeake.” Jim Wych

Game 21 – The Lion Roars
1 Pagulayan – 2 balls on the break.
Broke up a cluster. Safety left a long shot. Poor safety.
2 Souquet – Made a long shot on the 2-ball plus the next ball (the 3-ball). A poor safety left Pagulayan a long shot.
3 Pagulayan – Made a long tough cut shot, then a long draw shot on his way to a four ball run out. 

The Lion’s Clutch Shotmaking
In the heat of a 10-10 battle with a champion for a prestigious title, Pagulayan was able to put together two long distance gems that demonstrated his courage.  He fired in the 4-ball, which most top players agree is preferable to rolling in long shots like this under pressure. The cue ball barely emerged past the 8-ball to set up a long-range draw/stun shot across the table on the 5-ball for excellent shape on the 8-ball.

 
“He showed a lot of character pocketing that ball.” Bill Incardona on the 5-ball.

Souquet 10 – Pagulayan 11
   NOTE: A new leader.

Game 22 – The Kick Shot of Your Dreams
1 Pagulayan – 0 on the break
2 Souquet – Made a long 1-ball shot, then the 2 and 3-balls before playing safe on the 4-ball.
3 Pagulayan – He double banked in the 4-ball (lucky shot), which put him in position for a safety, which hooked Souquet.
4 Souquet – Kicked at the 5-ball in the middle of the table and made it, then ran out. The shot of the match!!!  Souquet was trailing 11-10 and it appeared he would go down 12-10. Instead, he pocketed the kick to tie up the match 11-11, then broke and ran the next game to reach the hill at 12-11. 

Souquet’s Big Shot
Alex Pagulayan had just received a gift from the pool gods when he pocketed the 4-ball by double banking it in to the lower right corner pocket. His lucky shot gave him position to play the hook safety on the 5-ball shown in the diagram. At this point, Pagulayan was no doubt licking his chops in anticipation of taking a 12-10 lead in this race to 13. But the pool gods giveth and the pool gods taketh. And, sure enough, Ralf Souquet answered with the match saving/winning kick illustrated below. Five in the corner. Bam! In a flash a potential 12-10 deficit turned into an 11-11 tie.

 
“Boy was that a huge shot.” Mike Sigel on the kick shot.

Souquet 11 – Pagulayan 11
NOTE:  A race to 2!

Game 23 – Clutch B&R to Reach the Hill
1 Souquet – 1 ball on the break. 
A ball other than the 1-ball went in, and Souquet was fortunate that both the 1-ball and cue ball located on the head rail. Eight ball run. B&R

Souquet 12 – Pagulayan 11
NOTE: Souquet’s on the hill.

Game 24 – Souquet’s First U.S. Open
1 Souquet – 0 on the break.
2 Pagulayan – Speared in a long shot, then missed an fairly easy near straight in draw shot by a quarter inch. A huge error at this critical stage in the match.
3 Souquet – Made a combo, then played a tough safety.

Souquet Puts the Lion in a Cage
After pocketing a combination, Souquet wisely passed on the 3-ball into the upper right corner pocket. Instead, he locked up Pagulayan behind the 6-ball and followed this with a match winning runout after Pagulayan missed hitting the 3-ball.

 
“That’s the smart shot.” Mike Sigel
“That shot may have won him the tournament.” Bill Incardona

4 Pagulayan – Kicked and missed the hit.
5 Souquet – BIH  Ran out six balls to win his first U.S. Open. 

Souquet 13 – Pagulayan 11
Our U.S. Open Champion for 2002!

“This (winning the U.S. Open) was the biggest goal for me.” Ralf Souquet

“I really worked hard for it.” Ralf Souquet