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Round of 8
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Best Match in the Round of 8
 

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in the round of 8
 

Highest avg. loser
in the round of 8
 

Lowest scoring match in the Round of 8
 

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Matches with Brunswick balls being used
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Company vs Same Company matches in the round of 8
 

lower seed victories
 

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Insider Information from the Round of 8 with Rick Benoit

Qualifying Position Round of 32 Round of 16 Round of 8 TV
 
 

Header

Round
of
8

TV

Staff

Balls Used

 

Balls Used

Staff

TV

Round
of
8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 vs 9

1

Non Staff

Ebonite

 

 

Columbia

7

2 vs 7

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21 vs 20

20

Storm

 

 

 

Storm

27

27 vs 19

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match 1

 
1 Patrick Allen Non Staff  
  vs.    
9 Tim Criss Columbia Staff  
  Balls Used Comments
  PA TC
1 185 190
2 225 186
3 183 172
4 237 214
5 237 204
6    
7    
ttl    
     
        Another match up that made me sick. Nothing against Tim but he was totally lost on the lane. Tim had bowled Brad Angelo in the round of 16 and David Traber in the round of 32. Brad and Dave broke the lanes down in a way that matched up to Tim's natural game. Tim needed the assistance of somebody on his side of the lane to make them good.

PA had a free ride to the TV show in this match up.

match 2

21 Jeff Lizzi Ebonite Staff  
  vs.    
20 Pete Weber Storm Staff  
  Balls Used Comments
  JL PW
1 223 221
2 221 234
3 216 221
4 213 231
5 227 193
6 243 223
7 209 234
ttl    
     
        Watching this match and the WRW/Chris Barnes match ups were a lesson in strategies and transitions. These match up had two players that were going to stretch the pattern away from the pocket, while Walter and Chris were going to stretch the pattern with less angle.

After the pattern gets stretched the push goes away and now you have to figure out a way to use the carry-down to help you get to the pocket. Well you can do it but the angles and depth on the lane will not carry as well when you are matched up to the angles these two players stretch the pattern. You can see the difference in the scoring paces of the two matches.

When the name of the game is winning a match up and not just knocking down pins there is a lot more to consider. In this match up I thought Pete was the better match up to the pocket but even though he doesn't make them easier for his opponent he effects his own carry at the same time.

In his earlier rounds, Jeff did not show me the consistency he was going to need to beat bowlers who are practicing more than he is. However I did like his natural match up against Pete knowing how deep the pattern was going to go. Jeff can keep the ball on line towards the pocket and get it to hit better than Pete. Pete usually chooses to loop it just enough more that his carry can be suspect.

Jeff bowled much better in this round than he did in the previous rounds but Pete is still showing the ability to come out on top in close games and matches. I love the mental edge Pete brings to the matches.

 

match 3

2 Walter Ray Williams Jr Non Staff  
  vs.    
15 Chris Barnes Columbia Staff  
  Balls Used Comments
  WRW CB
1 206 279
2 221 202
3 234 246
4 233 225
5 201 247
6 275 257
7 214 268
ttl    
     
        This was not going to be as easy of a match up for Walter as he had in his first two rounds. Walter had the obvious strategic advantage against DJ and Norm. That may not sound right to say that Walter had an obvious advantage over Norm when they are playing to the right. But Norm did not like his look to the right late in transition. He does not hit or throw the ball hard enough. As soon as he amps up his speed the ball over shoots and the early hook forces him off his angles seeing oil down the lane again. Chris on the other hand loves it and knows how to use it. This match would show how important player match ups are.

I will take Chris in this match up almost every time when there is more oil down lane. Take away the oil down lane and Walter is the favorite. When you beat Walter it isn't usually because you have a better look to the pocket it is because you can out-strike him.

This will always be a great match up to watch because of the intensity it brings out in these two players. Walter being Walter is the only reason this match went 7 games. But the whole time the lanes were just getting easier and easier for Chris.

match 4

27 Patrick Healey Jr Storm Staff  
  vs.    
19 Jeff Carter Storm Staff  
  Balls Used Comments
  PH JC
1 233 222
2 228 194
3 197 216
4 220 227
5 224 190
6 165 169
7 224 202
ttl    
     
        This match had important implications. Jeff had the largest impact on the exempt status of any of the players left in the bracket. He already has an exemption through his region but if he were to win the exemption earned from a tour victory has higher priority and his regional exemption would go back to tour trials. It would also knock the exempt number down another notch because he would be outside the number.

Those in the tour trials should be rooting for Jeff while Jason Hurd and Dale Traber were rooting for Patrick.

As far as the match was concerned. I watched it more than the others. I wanted to see if Jeff was creating his area in the round of 16 or Mika had built it for him. Things aren't always the same in each round but I just wanted to watch and see if I could learn anything. After 3 games Jeffs score were almost identical to the ones he shot against Mika.

Jeff's first 3 games:

Against Mika

Against Patrick
221 222
192 194
216 216

now looking at Jeff's scores after that:

Against Mika

Against Patrick
278 227
259 190
  169
  202

The difference is obvious and by itself it does not mean that a different strategy would have guaranteed a victory for Mika. But what it did show is Jeff is much more dangerous when he has hook to throw at. He was totally confused against Patrick late in the match. Patrick squared up late in the match to secure the victory and show the obvious difference.