China in Retrospect

This is what 14 hours on a plane looks like!

Thankfully, I've had a few days to sleep after my jet-setting adventures!

Wow, what a great experience the last few weeks have been:

Florida for three and a half days, play my heart out, finish 17th, board a plane home two hours after my last match, sleep for about a day, barely unpack just swap tropical wear for Siberian, off to China! 30 hours in transit from home to the hotel in Shenyang, one day to adjust, play my heart out again, this time on live TV ** viewed by millions! Finish 17th, one day to rest then it is back on a plane to NYC!!!

And I would do it all again this week if there was another event...

That being said, I am grateful to have two large events this month that don't involve planing and deplaning.
First is the Predator Tour finale at Raxx in West Hempstead, NY on December 12th and 13th.
(Then someone is having a birthday... well more like another anniversary of turning 29...)
Then it is on to one of my favorite events, the Turning Stone Classic! (Dec. 17th-20th in Verona, NY.)

Speaking of gratitude, I would once again like to thank everyone who contributed to help bring me to events this year.  I'm pretty misty at the thought of it and China certainly would never have happened without you guys.  The updated list is in the right hand column.

Thank you also to my official sponsors: Gary C. Borge, DDS, Chips to Fix, PoolDawg, Pool on the Net, RT9 Designs and Skyline Billiard Club.

PoolDawg is kicking off the holiday season (Chanukah Sameach, Mike!) with some awesome deals at their crazy Black Friday sale. Even better they have a preview going on now!

I hope everyone stuffs their faces tomorrow surrounded by the people who love them (or at least put up with them! Ah family...)

-Liz

** Can't be viewed in Firefox for some reason

China Part Two

Well, my playing time is over in Asia :(
The good news is that I made the cut for the final 32 single elimination tournament.

China Part One

Just wanted to say a quick "hello" from China!

The Chinese block access to Facebook, Twitter, and Blogger so I am updating things by email.  I can't see what my posts will look like, but hopefully they are okay.

First things first: I am very happy to report that I won my first round match against Pei Chen Tsai from Taiwan, 7-4!  She was the winner of this year's China Open.

That win has earned me the right to play China's national hero, Xiaoting Pan, tonight at 9:15 pm (that is 8:15 am NYC time.)  I played next to her in the first round and flashbulbs were going off like we were on the red carpet.

This is my second tournament in Asia (I was at the 2008 World Championship in Taiwan) and so far this trip has been much smoother than the first.  I didn't really know what to expect the first time around and I was pretty shaky, but everything feels like business as usual at the table this time.  I am in disbelief that I am able to stay up for 30 hours, fly half-way around the world, turn day into night and then put forth a good enough game to beat one of Asia's top players. Wow.

This event is starting with 64 players.  It is a race to 7, alternating break, double elimination format until there are 32 players left.  These players will be randomly drawn into a single-elimination bracket which will be race to 9, winner break.  The top 32 are also the players who receive paychecks :)

Jerry Forsyth, our tournament director, has been kind enough to create a bracket here.

As for China in general, the people of Shenyang have been incredibly gracious and helpful and our host hotel is lovely.

I'll be back later with another update!

-Liz

China!

I'm boarding my 14 hour flight to Beijing and then on to Shenyang for the World 9-Ball Championships! Woo-Hoo!

Thank You, Sponsors!

I wanted to give a shout out to my featured sponsors for bringing me to the WPBA Tour Championships in Hollywood, Florida:

Skyline Billiards for continuing to be awesome.

Dr. Feelgood, himself, Dr. Gary C. Borge, DDS for also continuing to be awesome.

and finally PoolDawg deserves some love for being awesomely awesome.


Awesome!
-Liz

Coming Back from the Dead

A gold star if you can name this film!

I was asked by a WPBA fan to blog about making comebacks in matches that look to be over. Unfortunately I have become known for miraculous comebacks.  I would rather be known for miraculous dominating of matches :)  I escaped from a doozy while at the Pacific Coast Classic in Lincoln City, OR.  I was down 6-0 to Rachel Eliazar and came back to win 9-8.

Here is a synopsis of what was going through my head during the match.

Beginning of the match: Okay let's do this!

First rack: I just ran out and shot the 9 Ball into the rail... f*ck!

Second rack: I'll just play a safety here - oh nice shot opponent.

Third rack:  I'll just sit here and watch my opponent snap 9 on the break :(

Fourth rack: Ok. We're okay. One shot at a time until we shoot the 8 into the rail argghhhhhhhh!

Ok, it's time to take a bathroom break and flush it!

Give myself a pep talk. Calm down my racing heart. We're fine. We're fine.

(It's matches like this that get you talking to yourself, sometimes in the third person.)

Ok, I am SOOO ready to go now!!!!

Quickly lose two more racks, one of which sees me dogging the 8.

Here is where it really gets interesting.  Here is where I am committing to the fact that I will be quitting pool after this match.  I'm sure of it.  I think I'm going to cry...

Miraculously, some inner, stronger part of myself takes charge and says "WE ARE NOT GOING OUT LIKE THAT."

My whole demeanor changes.  I forget about everything else.  I'm just going to play.  I am aware that I have had control of the table in most of the games.  I am aware that I have the ability to win from here.

Seventh game:  The first time getting out is the hardest. But. I. Fight. Through. It. 6-1.

Eight game:  An open rack. My recent success gives me the confidence I need to get out more comfortably. 6-2.  From here I first believe that I am going to win.

Ninth game:  Now it is like a little game, moving the beads over one at a time. It is actually fun. 6-3.

Tenth game: Use my experience to get a quick three-foul win.  6-4.

Eleventh game - Thirteenth game:  I can't even remember what happened. It's just so fun to keep moving beads over. Up 7-6.

Fourteenth game:  Ah, it couldn't go on forever. My opponent gets a game. I'm not sweating it anymore.7-7.

Fifteen game: Grind out the out to get on the hill. 8-7.

Sixteenth game: Out of line on the 9, I am forced to play safe.  It gets a little ugly as we both miss tough shots and leave even tougher shots. This continues until I hang the 9 on a full table length straight in shot.  My nerves are back a little but I am relying on my experience to see me through the hill-hill game. Thankful just to be there :)

Final game: A two-way shot on a 1/9 carom leaves my opponent safe.  The hit is so tough that she has to take a foul and push the 9 out of the way, but ends up creating another, tougher combination.  With ball in hand, I have arrived at the moment of truth...  the 9 splits the pocket, praise Jeebus!

I have invested so much energy and emotion in this match that it takes me an hour before I stop shaking, but it is worth it.

- Liz

Welcome to Oregon, beaches!

Mirror Pond Pale Ale by Deschutes Brewery is the greatest beer on earth.

I am here at my favorite WPBA event in Lincoln City on the Oregon coast.  Actually, I am at the bar at my favorite WPBA event in Lincoln City on the Oregon coast drinking the nectar of the gods and soaking up some wifi.

I wanted to take some time out and profusely thank my featured sponsors for bringing me to this event.

First, my beloved home room and second home...

 

Beer interlude

and B, my favorite orthodontist, bowler and all-around sports enthusiasts:

Check out one of his other philanthropic interests, The 2009 Natomas Challenger, here.

Ahhhhhh......

In tournament info, I play Yu Ram Cha, tomorrow, at 1:30 Pacific Time.

That is why I will only have the one beer, though I want all, all the beer.

-Liz