SPAIN’S DAVID ALCAIDE is the 2017 World Pool Masters champion as he beat Jayson Shaw in a thrilling final that went down to the final rack. The Malaga man, who now lives near Madrid, had beaten a slew of star names en route to ultimate victory – Ralf Souquet, Shane Van Boening, Albin Ouschan and finally Jayson Shaw.
Alcaide was so overcome with emotion at the end that he needed to leave the arena and compose himself before the trophy presentation by The Hon Steven Linares, the Gibraltarian Minister of Sport.
The gutsy Spaniard picked up a $20,000 payday and more importantly joins a list all-time greats of the game who have held aloft this coveted trophy. The match itself was a thriller from start to finish.
“This trophy is for my children,” said Alcaide.
“Thank you to Matchroom for the invitation to the tournament and thank you to all of my fans. I hope to play here next year and defend the title.”
Shaw had been gifted a free pass in Sunday afternoon’s quarter final when Alex Pagulayan missed the 9 ball with the score at hill-hill, and he took advantage to cruise past Chang Jung Lin in the semi-final. Alcaide overcame a shaky start against Albin Ouschan in his last four match to dominate the table and run out an 8-6 winner.
As the final match unravelled, they shared the opening four racks before Shaw moved into a 4-2 lead in the race to eight encounter. Alcaide took the next and despite some nervous moments tied the match up in the eighth game.
Shaw though missed the brown 7 down the rail to give his opponent a great chance to clear which he did to take the lead for the first time at 5-4. The Spaniard came up with a dry break in the next and Shaw seized the chance to run out for 5-5.
Shaw took the next running out, but Alcaide got back to the table in the twelfth game and made a great run out to bring a roar from his bank of fans. The 8 and the 9 were stuck together but his clever positional play allowed him to get behind the 8 ball and push it into the centre pocket.
Alcaide made two balls on the break in the next but missed the 2 ball. With the balls out in the open, Shaw ran the table to regain the lead at 7-6. With chances to close the match out, Shaw made two misses and each time the cue ball rolled safe.
The second time, Alcaide, with little option chose to make a very short range jump shot and his fans erupted as the 6 ball skidded into the middle pocket. He closed out the rack to make it hill-hill and with the break in his favour it was to win.
A great break shot saw balls drop and with the table open, Alcaide composed himself for what must have been the most difficult run out of his lengthy career, and he made it to become the 16th different player in the 24 year history of the Masters to etch his name on the trophy.
Alcaide said, “I didn’t play my best in the final, I missed two or three easy balls but there is a lot of pressure and I managed to get a bit of luck. I beat the best two players in the World, Shane and Jayson. The last 6 ball, the jump shot, that is my best shot. It was unbelievable; I don’t know how I made it.”
For Shaw it was a disappointing ending; “I had two chances, I blew it. I didn’t deserve to win it after having two chances. I watched all his matches this week and he played well. He deserved to win.
“I hadn’t played for a couple of weeks coming here. For the first couple of matches I was just trying to get in stroke but as the tournament went on I got better. I had chances but didn’t take them at the end – I was a little bit pumped, but that is the way it goes.”
Earlier, Alcaide had overcome Albin Ouschan in a match that flowed two ways. First Ouschan won three in a row before Alcaide kept him rooted in his chair for six racks and he went onto win by two. Shaw had an easier run as he beat Chang Jung Lin at a canter. 8-3 was the final score.
第24屆世界花式撞球大師賽於直布羅陀的維多利亞體育館落下帷幕，決賽中，西班牙名將David Alcaide在一度2-4和6-7落後的局面下，成功追回賽點，最終以8-7絕殺蘇格蘭悍將Jayson Shaw，逆轉封王。
本屆賽事，西班牙新星Francisco Sanchez Ruiz和頭號球星David Alcaide共同受邀參賽，比賽中，Francisco狀態低迷，首輪便2-8潰敗Shane Van Boening宣告出局，而現場支持者眾多的Alcaide則一路高歌猛進，先是在首輪8-3大勝德國名將Ralf Souquet，又以8-3的比分輕鬆為同胞複仇，接著再8-6力克世錦賽冠軍奧地利的Albin Ouschan闖入決賽。決賽中他面對的是奪冠大熱門Jayson Shaw，後者同樣在近年來聲名鵲起，晉級過程中8-3輕取波蘭選手Wojciech Szewczyk，8-7絕殺加拿大名將Alex Pagulayan，8-3大勝“火雲邪神”張榮麟躋身決賽。
決賽仍採用搶8、勝方衝球的賽制。開局階段，Shaw成功建立起4-2的領先優勢，不甘示弱的Alcaide連追兩局將比分扳平。第9局比賽，Shaw進攻7號球失誤，Alcaide趁勢清台，首次取得領先。接下來的一局，Alcaide衝球不理想，Shaw強勢扳平比分。第11局，Shaw成功清台再次取得領先，但在12局中留下機會，Alcaide完美K活粘在一起的8號和9號球，再度追平。第13局比賽，Alcaide衝球效果上佳，但擊打2號球不中，Shaw笑納大禮完成清台，7-6奪得賽點。
關鍵的第14局比賽，Shaw不但未能清台結束比賽，反而兩次發生失誤，好在白球均停在了較為安全的位置。Alcaide在Shaw第二次失誤後選擇了非常近距離的跳球，並且成功將6號球打入中袋，在拿下此局後，Alcaide將比賽拖入了決勝局。決勝局中，Alcaide衝球完美，穩穩的清光台面後以8-7的比分逆轉絕殺對手，成功成為了第16位大師賽封王的選手。
奪冠之後的Alcaide激動地說：“決賽中我並不是最好的狀態，巨大壓力之下我發生了兩三次簡單失誤，我贏得比賽有些幸運。我擊敗了世界最好的兩名球員——Van Boening和Shaw。那桿6號球的跳球是我打得最好的一桿，難以置信，我不知道我怎麽做到的”。
而痛失冠軍的Shaw難掩失落，他表示：“我有兩次很好的機會，但是我沒有把握住，浪費它們後我不配贏下比賽。我看了他這周的每場比賽，他打得非常好，理應贏得勝利”。
Taking place in Gibraltar, the Masters sees 16 top international players competing in the shadow of the Rock of Gibraltar to determine the destination of the $20,000 top prize. The whole event is broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK & Ireland and on networks around the world.
The Masters carries an $80,000 prize fund, and the event is broadcast live for 20 hours in total.
The World Pool Masters is sponsored by the following suppliers: RASSON (tables), IWAN SIMONIS (cloth), SALUC (balls), PREDATOR (cues) and ULTIMATE TEAM GEAR (clothing).
Luke Riches, Matchroom Sport:
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+447785 395688
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+350 200 47592.
Notes: Matchroom Sport are one of the world’s leading producers of televised sport and are responsible for over 1,000 hours of original programming across a range of sports. Based in the UK and chaired by charismatic founder Barry Hearn, the World Pool Masters is one of a stable of pool events that include the World Cup of Pool and the Mosconi Cup.
CN: master
Photos: JP Parmentier