Out of about 50 women, I placed 17th.
I wanted more sleep the night before, but I stayed at the convention center that Wednesday night a little too late to keep playing some good 8-ball against the great player Gordy VanDerVeer. He said after we finished that I was staying down well, which meant the world to me b/c I don't think he knew I had been working on that. I drove to my dingy hotel that was 5 miles away, at night, while it was pouring down rain. I was staying by myself until my roomie Amanda showed up on Saturday. While Killeen, Texas isn't a bad city, I swear I was staying on the wrong side of town. Eeeek. I played very well against that master player and felt confident as I *tried* to fall asleep.
I got to the convention center at a decent hour to watch a few men matches on those awesome Diamond Tables and then headed to my first match of this "title tournament" at 1030am. I found myself NOT nervous at all!
I missed some easy balls in this match against a very nice woman with very long nails (so long she asked me to put the coin in the slot for her during her break). My pattern was good, but missing balls almost cost me the match, but I played better as time went on and won 5-3 I think.
At 3pm I then played my friend Ashley next and she had just won the ACS singles event two weeks before so I knew I had my hands full. At 2-1 me, she scratched on an 8 ball and I went up 3-1. Tying it 2-2 would have really made for an even tougher match! I won another game but so did she and she started to play VERY well. She had a break and run and almost two other runs, but I was able to get back to the table and at 4-3 me I made a tough out to win (even with the nerves).
I then had a few hours to kill and tried to rest (didn't work) but also just relaxed watching matches.
I played Rebecca Goodnight next at 8pm. I found myself not being able to concentrate/focus and I made careless mistakes and missed balls or shape. I was up 3-2 but she broke and ran nicely to tie the score. She got on the hill first because I made yet another mistake but I was able to get on the hill also after a miss by her on the 8 ball. At 4-4, she was running out but missed a really tough 8 ball and I played super conservatively and played lots of safes - because the out was tough and not a gimme (I had balls tied up and balls in bad spots). When I did finally have ball in hand with only 4 balls left, I completely dogged it on an easy shot (prolly thinking ahead, but also my lack of focus also got me) and she pocketed the 8 well and won 4-5. I was so happy for her but wondered "wtf happened to me?" lol.
I then played Audra Carter next at 11pm. She can play well but sometimes she doesn't (kind of like all of us, lol). I was up 3-1 and made a hell of an out and said under my breath "where was that last match, Melinda?" She took a smoke break (smoking wasn't allowed in the convention center) and when she came back to the table, next thing I knew, she was running out like no one's business! She was making break outs, making tough shots, running out tough racks, etc. She gets on the hill and I am down 4-3. I had a couple of chances to make tough shots, but I didn't make them and she won the match.
I walked away thinking to myself, "well, so much for the BCA Texas State tournament....."
At least I wasn't nervous like I thought I would be in this "title" tournament. Whew!
Also, I never thought "I'm the best, I am gonna win it," never even thought "I could win this," which means I didn't psych myself with stupid thoughts. I just wanted to stay down and play good and I did neither. :( I thought I should've won it [after I was out (lol)], but didn't lose because of mental thoughts (Yay!) - lost because I didn't bear down and get the job done (damn!).
I can honestly say it's been a long time since I felt like this ---> after the tournament that I felt very down on myself and wondered what I was doing playing pool.
Tourney Description: Foolish
However, this feeling changed drastically after I played in two scotch double minis the next night. I'll try and write about that next!
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