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The China Open
Shanghai Pudong Yuanshen Stadium
655 Yuanshen Road
Pudong New Area
Shanghai
China
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Thursday-Sunday 12-19 May 2013

Photography courtesy of �Jin Li / TOP147.com

IT'S THE THRILL OF VICTORY AND THE AGONY OF DEFEAT
AS JUDGEMENT DAY TAKES ITS TOLL AT THE CHINA OPEN 9-BALL
There�s nothing quite like Judgement Day in the world of professional pool. Otherwise known as the Day of Reckoning, it�s when dozens upon dozens of matches take place in the group stages, all trying to determine who will still be around for the money rounds, and who will be sent packing without a dime to spend on even a soft drink. Yes, pool can be a cruel sport, but it�s also the reason those who follow it love the action. Sometimes whole careers ride on the smallest turn of the ball.

And so it was on Day 2 of the 2013 China Open in rainy Shanghai. Inside the cavernous and chilly Shanghai Pudong Yuanshen Stadium arena, the emotions were running on overdrive with the world�s best men and women pool players each desperately trying to reach the single elimination knockout stage of their respective tournaments which begin in earnest Saturday.

For the men, their field began with 64 players on day 1 and has now been whittled down to 32. For the women, the field started with 48 players and is now down to the final 16.

Few were immune to the drama today. World 9-ball Champion and world number 3 Darren Appleton thought he was cruising through to the knockout stage as he was up 7-3 in a race to 9 on the TV table against China�s 19 year up and comer Wang Can. But Can, who has spent some time playing pool in the US, turned the tables on the Brit and stormed back and grabbed an 8-7 lead. Appleton went from counting his chickens, to realizing he might have to play again later to stave off a shock elimination. But if anyone can play with their back against the wall it�s Appleton, and the 9-ball king grit his teeth and pulled out the win to advance.

Appleton was clearly ecstatic afterwards and said he was nearly overwhelmed by the magnitude of the moment.

�I was under serious pressure at the end,� he said. �It was like a semi-final at the world championship.�

Appleton has few if any weaknesses in his stellar game, but he revealed that he sometimes lets his attention lapse when he gets a big lead.

�In every major tournament I�ve won I never make it easy. I consider myself a bulldog, a fierce player. I like to scrap, sort of like a counter puncher in boxing. But when I have a big lead I tend to lose that intensity. I need that scrap. My mindset was when I was 8-7 down that I will probably dog the shot, so I might as well go for it. I need to sort out my attitude when I get a big lead.�

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