Things weren’t looking so great for Wojciech Szewczyk Friday evening. In fact, they were looking downright bad.
Facing defending champion Eklent Kaci in the semifinals of the World 10-Ball Championships, the 31-year-old from Poland had just watched his opponent break-and-run to build a 9-7 lead in a race to 10.
Approximately five hours later, Szewczyk was in the arena at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino, letting out a primal yell and raising his fists in the air as the new World 10-Ball champion. Szewczyk had been close in major events before – including a runner-up finish at this year’s European Championships in men’s10-Ball and placing in the top-10 at the 2019 World 10-Ball Championships – so his championship is hardly a surprise. But, making the title more impressive is the route the Pole took, wiping away deficits in the semifinals against Kaci and the championship against young upstart Christopher Tevez of Peru to earn his first major and the $60,000 that comes with it.
Using a powerful and smashing break, Tevez had been pounding people on his path through the final stage of the event, beating David Alcaide 10-5 in the rond-of-32 and Darren Appleton in the quarterfinals. So, when the Peruvian jumped out to an early 3-1 on Szewczyk and was in the process of clearing the table again, it appeared that the finals could be yet another quick match. Then Tevez left the 10-ball on the shelf of the corner pocket, quickly turning a possible 4-1 lead into a 3-2 score instead. Szewczyk took full advantage of the opening, using of a pair of unforced errors by his opponent to win four straight racks and build a 5-3 lead.
Final: Wojciech Szewczyk (L) and Christopher Tevez (R)｜©US Pro Billiard Series
After Tevez tacked on two wins thanks to a victorious safety exchange and a missed shot by his opponent, Szewczyck regained the lead thanks to successful jump and combination shots. He had a chance to open up a two-rack lead but missed a 10 ball of his own, handing the table and an easy shot back to his opponent. The two players traded racks for the next four games until Szewczyck scratched on the break in the 17th rack with the score tied 8-8. With the balls clustered on the table a safety exchange ensued, and when Tevez attempted a jump shot after a safety he scratched. Rather than attempt a run out, the crafty European tied the cue ball up in safeties and forced his opponent to foul three time in the game, an automatic loss which put the Pole on the hill at 9-8.
When Tevez broke in the 18th rack he pocketed a ball but again didn’t have an open shot at the 1 ball. The Peruvian initiated a safety exchange on the 1 ball, then missed a kick shot on the object ball that left an opening. Szewczyck used a combination shot on the 2 ball to methodically run out the rack to clinch the win. Overcome with emotion, he stared at the ceiling with his arms raised in victory then sat in his chair with a look of joy as well as relief.
Christopher Tevez｜©US Pro Billiard Series
The start of the semifinals was delayed by a couple of hours as the quarterfinals turned into a logjam, with multiple matches taking close to three hours to complete. Two of the competitors who were tangled in such long battles were defending champion Kaci and Szewczyck, who had both gutted out hill-hill thrillers. Kaci came from behind to defeat last year’s runner-up Naoyuki Oi, clearing the table in the deciding 19th rack with a run-out that included a lengthy safety battle on the 1 ball, a near scratch after pocketing the two and a table length cut on the 4 ball. A couple of tables away, Szewczyck was straining through a duel of his own, coming from behind to defeat Edgie Geronimo 10-9.
So, it only made sense that Kaci and Szewczyck face each other in the semifinal mere minutes after their quarterfinal matches concluded.
The two again found themselves in a topsy-turvy struggle that saw momentum turning over as frequently as the cards in the Rio’s casino. The 27-year-old from Poland struck early, taking advantage of Kaci failing to pocket a ball on the break as well as missing a shot and fouling to build an early 4-1 advantage. The Albanian then used a break-and-run followed by a victorious safety exchange to pull within 4-3, only to fail to pocket a ball on the break in the eighth rack. Szewczyck cleared the table to push his lead to 5-3, then watched as his opponent took advantage of a dry break and a missed 7 ball in the 10th rack by the Pole to tie the score.
Wojciech Szewczyk｜©US Pro Billiard Series
After Szewczyck used a break-and-run to win two of the next three racks to take a 7-6 lead, Kaci came alive. He used a jump shot on the 1 ball in the 14th rack to run out and tie the match, cleared the table in the next game after his opponent jumped the cue ball off of the table on the break, then tacked on a break-and-run to build a 9-7 advantage and climb to within a game of advancing to the finals.
Just when it appeared Kaci was on his way to defending his title, the wheels came off. After Szewczyck won the 17th game on a safety exchange, the young man from Poland tied the score in the next rack when his opponent failed to pocket a ball on the break. With the match now tied 9-9, it was Szewczyck’s turn to break and not land a ball in a pocket. With the rack clustered together, Kaci pocketed the 1 ball and then played safe on the 2 ball. His opponent would eventually land the 2 ball and knock the 3 ball up table for another safety. The Albanian kicked at the ball and missed completely, handing ball-in-hand to Szewczyck, who broke up a tied up 5 and 8 balls for the win, collapsing to the floor after pocketing the game-winning 10 ball.
The next semifinal matched Tevez against reigning Mosconi Cup Most Valuable Player Jayson Shaw, who had breezed through the event the entire week and continued to make things look easy in the early stages of the final day. Shaw opened the day with a 10-5 defeat of Francisco Sanchez-Ruiz in the round of 16 and qualified for the semifinals with a 10-4 victory against reigning European 10-ball champion Sanjin Pehlivanoic.
©US Pro Billiard Series
This time, it would be the unknown underdog Tevez who seemed to be in cruise control. He built an early 3-1 lead until Shaw used a pair of missed shots by his opponent to tie the score. As the match progressed, Tevez powerful break consistently pocketed balls while his opponent struggled with his opening shot throughout, as Shaw broke dry five times in eight attempts. The Peruvian capitalized, winning four straight racks to build a commanding 7-3 advantage until Shaw took advantage of a dry break and a missed shot by his opponent to win three straight and close the gap to 7-6. Tevez, who had shown no fear throughout the five-day tournament, pocketed four balls on the break in the 14th rack and ran out to increase his lead to 8-6 and then cleared the table again when Shaw again failed to pocket a ball on the break. Standing at the table with a chance to close out the match, Tevez again pocketed a ball on the break and closed out the match with a victorious safety exchange on the 1 ball.
The Predator World 10-Ball Championship ran March 28-April 1 and also taking place is The Alfa Women’s Las Vegas Open, which runs March 30-April 2.
The events coincide with the CueSports International Expo, which brings thousands of amateur pool players for the BCA Pool League World Championships as well as the USA Pool League National Championships.
Find the Predator World 10-Ball Championship brackets with live scores on the Predator Pro Billiard Series website.
The Predator World 10-Ball Championship is streamed for free on Billiard TV and the World Billiard TV YouTube channel.
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2022世界10號球錦標賽在美國拉斯維加斯進入到最後一日的賽程。八強賽對衛冕冠軍 Eklent Kaci 與波蘭的 Wojciech Szewczyk 來說都是場馬拉松式的戰鬥。大井與 Kaci 在第19局的1號球進行了一番的攻防戰後，大井在一次解球後留下機會對手。Kaci 回到場上後，順利打進1號球，2號球在薄中袋的同時母球也差點落袋，接著再以一記長距離將4號球切進底袋後，Kaci 清光台面，10-9逆轉獲勝。而他 Kaci 的對手 Szewczyck 同樣驚險地逆轉擊敗來自菲律賓的 Edgie Geronimo。
半決賽中， Szewczyck 抓住機會先發制人，靠著 Kaci 衝球母球洗袋、一失誤球與犯規取得4-1領先。隨後 Kaci 利用一次開球後清台，再加上一記成功的安全球將比分追悼4-3。第14局 Kaci 跳進1號球後，緊接著解進2號球後清光球台，並將比分追平7-7。 Szewczyck 在第15局衝球後母球跳出球台外， Kaci 把握機會連下2局讓自己取得9-7聽牌局面。 Szewczyck 仍努力奮戰中，在拿下第17局後，進接著再次利用 Kaci 在自己衝球局未有球落袋的機會將比數追平，雙方進入搶尾局。
最後一局輪到 Szewczyck 開球，可惜並未有球落袋， Kaci 在3號球犯規的情形下，讓 Szewczyck 有機會會到場上。 Szewczyck 打進4號球後順利帶開5、8號球，最終就以10-9力克 Kaci 挺進決賽。
©US Pro Billiard Series
下一場半決賽在莫斯考尼盃最有價值球員 Jayson Shaw 與秘魯選手 Christopher Tevez 中展開。Shaw 至賽事開始以來似乎沒有遇上太多的辛苦。16強中以10-5擊敗西班牙的 Francisco Sanchez-Ruiz，接著再以10-4拿下了歐洲10號球金牌 Sanjin Pehlivanoic，晉級四強。
Tevez 開局後率先取得3-1領先，但隨後的兩次失誤也上 Shaw 將比分追平。Tevez 整場比賽的開球可謂破發力十足，然而相反地，他的對手 Shaw 在開球上就不盡理想，Tevez 充分利用此機會將比分拉開至7-3。不過隨後 “鷹眼” 逮住機會再加上對手的失誤連追三局，並將比數縮小至7-6。
Tevez 在第14局的開球中進了4顆球並掃台，將比分再度拉開至2局領先。接著利用對收衝球沒球進的情況下，再拿下一局並取得9-6聽牌。Tevez 在最後一局中一記1號球成功的防守為自己奠定了贏球的契機。Shaw 的解球留下機會給，Tevez 接手後順利清光，將自己送進決賽。
Szewczyk celebrations｜©US Pro Billiard Series
祕魯新秀 Tevez 在決賽開始後便取得3-1領先。然後 Tevez 將第五局的10號球留在了袋口，將原本可能的4-1變成讓對手扳回一城的3-2。Szewczyk 充分利用其衝球優勢再加上 Tevez 的非受迫性失誤，反超取得5-3領先。
雙方接下來你來我往，16局結束取得8-8平手。第17局 Szewczyk 衝球後母球洗袋，緊接著 Tevez 在跳到2號球後不幸地母球落袋，再次讓對手回到場上。Szewczyk 接下來連續的安全球之戰中，迫使 Tevez 三次犯規而收穫一局，取得9-8聽牌。
Tevez 第18局衝球後雖有球進袋，但1號球不無法直接進攻，於是雙方又展開一輪又一輪的安全球大戰，Tevez 在一次1號球的解球中，雖解到了球但亦留下機會給對手。Szewczyk 解決1號球，再打進了2、9組合球，接著有條不紊地一球球解決，最終以10-8奪下世界10號球錦標賽冠軍。Szewczyk 再打進最後一顆10球後，難掩其情緒，隨後他舉起雙手慶賀著自己的勝利，並收穫6萬美元獎金。