2022 美洲豹加拿大女子10號撞球公開賽 (Predator Canada Women’s Open) 今晨在加拿大的亞伯達省紅鹿市的劍橋紅鹿酒店及會議中心順利落幕。兩屆青少年世錦賽冠軍陳佳樺在擊敗“毀滅女公爵” Allison Fisher 奪下冠軍並收穫1萬8千美元獎金。
陳佳樺在半決賽碰上台灣旅澳球員洪夢霞，陳佳樺先以4-0拿下首盤，但洪夢霞還未放棄並以4-3贏下第二盤，將比賽帶入點球大戰。然而洪夢霞在點球大戰中以0-3落敗，以第三名坐收，獲得6仟美元獎金。陳佳樺在決賽中的對手將是 Allison Fisher，Fisher 在首場比賽點球大戰敗給陳佳樺後落入敗部，Fisher 在戰勝 Stephanie Mitchell 與 Maryann McConnell 之後進入最後16強，接著在單敗首場比賽擊敗好友 Kelly Fisher，接著在八強與半決賽接連淘汰日本名將曾根恭子與保加利亞的 Kristina Zlateva 挺進決賽。
Fisher 在決賽中率先以 2-0 領先，第三局中以一顆星解進5號球後，在6號球上一記糟糕的安全球讓陳佳樺逮住機會連下兩局扳平比數 (2-2)。Fisher 在第五局的6號球發生失誤，幸運地形成掉球，陳佳樺在6號球上打出一記出色的解帶吊讓 Fisher 出現犯規後，陳佳樺順利拿下第五局，比數形成 3:2。陳佳樺雖在第六局的衝球母球洗袋，但 Fisher 並未把握住機會，最終讓陳佳樺以4-2取得首盤。
第二盤開局後，Fisher 在第二局打進7-10組合球後，取得2-0領先。緊接著 Fisher 在第三局的安全攻防戰率先抓住機會並連下2局，並以4-0拿下第二盤，將比賽帶入點球殊死戰。
陳佳樺在點球大戰中率先上場並打進第一球，而 Fisher 的第一球打太薄未進球，陳佳樺在點球大戰取得2:0領先，這也迫使 Fisher 沒有失誤的空間，Fisher 頂住壓力扳回一分 (2:1) 。陳佳樺在個人四球機會結束中打進三球，而 Fisher 則在第一球失誤過後連進兩球，Fisher 原有機會在個人最後一球中扳平，然後 Fisher 並未能把握住，台灣小將陳佳樺以3-2拿下點球大戰，在決賽中擊敗 Fisher 奪下加拿大公開賽冠軍並收穫1萬8千美元獎金。
陳佳樺賽後透過男友 Robbie Capito 表示: “我簡直不敢相信! 這是我在新冠疫情以來的首次國際比賽，所以對於來此參賽並未抱持著太高的期望，因此能夠獲勝我感到非常高興。”
Final｜©Pro Billiard Series
Chia-Hua CHEN defeated Allison Fisher in a shootout for the second time this week to mark her return to international competition by winning the Predator Canada Open.
Fisher had to come through the one loss side to reach single elimination after her first match of the tournament had ended in defeat to Chen, who didn’t lose during the event.
‘Amber’ Chen had won the first set of the final 4-2, but a 4-0 second set in Fisher’s favor forced the match to shootout. Fisher missed her first of four attempts but when Chen missed her last, Fisher had a chance to take it to sudden death. However, the Duchess of Doom was unable to prolong the match any further and when she missed at 3-2 down, the title was Chen’s.
“I cannot believe it,” said Chen through her partner, Robbie Capito. “This is my first international tournament after the pandemic, so I didn’t expect much coming into the tournament, so I am very happy with the win.”
Fisher took a 2-0 lead in the final but a poorly executed safety attempt on the 6 allowed Chen to fight back to 2-2. The Taiwanese star earned ball in hand when a great safety on the 7 left Fisher unable to make a connection in the fifth game. She scratched the cue ball breaking in the sixth but a brilliant bank, the length of the table, gave her a 4-2 set win.
Allison Fisher｜©Pro Billiard Series
Fisher responded with the first game of the second set and made a 7/10 combo for 2-0. The Duchess of Doom was first to take a chance after a safety battle in the third and after a thin cut to make the 9 left perfect position for the 10, Fisher was one game away from a shootout, and she wrapped a 4-0 set with a great runout.
The shootout format allows each player four innings, after which sudden death comes into play if the score is tied after the first four shots each.
Chen was first to shoot and despite having been consigned to her seat for much of the second set, found the center of the pocket. Fisher hit her first effort too thin, and Chen went 2-0 ahead in the shootout with her next shot.
Fisher could barely afford to miss again and produced a great pressure shot straight into the heart of the pocket to make it 2-1. Chen kept control with her third successful shot, meaning Fisher had to make her next; she did.
Chen had her fourth shot for the title but clipped the jaw to keep Fisher alive. The Brit had one shot to force sudden death, but she too missed. Chen had to check with referee John Leyman to confirm; Fisher’s miss meant that Chen was the Predator Canada Open champion, taking home $18,000.
In her semi-final, Chen had been forced to a shootout by the battling Australian, Bean Hung. Chen had won the first set 4-0 but her opponent didn’t give up and took the second set from hill-hill. However, the Australian struggled in the shootout, which Chen won 3-0.
“Amber” _Chia-Hua CHEN｜©Pro Billiard Series
Fisher had taken the longest route possible to the final, having lost her opening match – a shootout defeat to Chen. She bounced back through the one loss side with wins against Stephanie Mitchell and Maryann McConnell to reach the last 16, where close friend and three-time Pro Billiard Series winner Kelly Fisher was waiting.
Allison put in a strong performance to win by shootout, and then defeated Kyoko Sone in the last eight. Bulgaria’s Kristina Zlateva was Fisher’s semi-final opponent and the experienced Brit completed a 4-0, 4-2 win without wasting much time.
Full match replays from the feature table can be watched on the World Billiard TV YouTube channel.
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