Andy "The Magic Man" Segal

Andy "The Magic Man" Segal

Article from Professor Q-Ball. Written by Eric Yow.

It has been said that in life we are either kings or pawns. In Russia, we were kings. At the Leader Club in St. Petersburg, Russia, the world’s best Artistic Pool players came to compete in the 2007 WPA World Artistic Pool Championship. For us, they did all but roll out the red carpet. Words cannot begin to describe this event, what was spoken of by many of the players as “the best tournament that Artistic Pool will ever see!” Suffice it to say that the venue was such to which no pool hall in the United States could compare. With over a hundred tables, an exquisite menu, bowling lanes, a dance club, an arcade, and even an air-soft shooting range – The Leader Club was the perfect place for an event like this. More than just the venue, though, the hospitality shown to each of the players was incredible. From the free meals to the bodyguards, they treated us like the international celebrities that we are! All of this created the perfect setting for what turned out to be the most incredible, edge-of-your-seat World Artistic Pool Championship imaginable.

In the preliminaries of an Artistic Pool competition, all of the players shoot 40 shots in 8 disciplines, each with specified degrees of difficulties, having three attempts for each. A preliminary score is calculated to determine each’s position going into the finals. The top 12 make it to the finals, the top four getting a bye, going into the head-to-head matches. At this event, quite the phenomenon occurred, as positions 5-12 after the finals were filled by the same names in the same order as 5-12 after the prelims! In the finals, Mike Massey, Andy Segal, Sebastian Giumelli, and Luke Szywala all got a bye. In the first round, Bruce Barthelette defeated Mark Dimick, Dave Nangle beat Charlie Darling, Tom Rossman overcame Alexander Kasyanov, and Eric Yow barely beat the rookie Gabi Visoiu. Going into the quarterfinals, the top eight duked it out. These familiar names and faces are those that continually show up at the top of such lists, so it was no surprise that they were battling each other yet again. There, Massey beat Barthelette by one shot, Giumelli skated past Nangle, Segal overcame Rossman by 14 points, and Szywala came from behind to defeat Yow. And so, in the Semis, taped for European television, Giumelli dominated, leaving the infamous Mike Massey trailing by 24 points at the match’s end. In a fantastic match between Segal and Szywala, Segal showed that he was simply on fire. While Szywala, who still holds the record for the most points scored in a prelim, was also on top of his game, Segal showed Russia why they call him the “Magic Man,” making nearly every shot he attempted, for the win.

The Finals Match in a World Championship is always a heated battle for the most prestigious title in Artistic Pool. This year was unique, however. There, for the first time in ages, for whoever won this match, it would be their first World Championship victory! For that reason, while spectators may have had their favorite picked out, it was certain to be exciting no matter who turned out the victor. Coming down to the wire at the very last, after such an intense battle, Giumelli was up by one point going into the last shot. Giumelli was to shoot the YoYo Masse first, driving the cue ball from the headstring near the long rail, past the 50 yard line, then to reverse in order to pocket a ball hanging at the side pocket. A very difficult shot, this is worth eleven points. Mathematically, if Giumelli makes it on his first try, he wins. If he makes it on his second attempt, worth 10 points, Segal still has a chance. Amazingly, he makes it on his second try! You could cut the suspense with a knife! Segal has to make this incredibly difficult shot on his first attempt to tie with Giumelli and drive him to a tiebreaker. With the whole crowd silent, on the edge of their seats, Segal hits it good, watches the cue ball dance forward past the object ball, over to the side to strike the long rail twice, then back to make the ball in the side pocket! The room exploded with cheer, Segal holding his cue up high! But it wasn’t over yet. To break a tie in a finals match, the players lag to see who shoots first a shot from the preliminaries called the 5/4/3. There, each player shoots a 5 rail kick, a 4 rail kick, and a 3 rail kick, in that order, in under 4 seconds, hoping to pocket a ball in each of three corners. Each is worth 5, 4, and 3 points respectively, for a total possible of 12 if you make all three. In last year’s World Championship, Giumelli broke a tie with Nick Nickolaidis in the same manner, making all 12 points. This year, however, the pressure got to him and he missed all three. Segal had it made, only having to pocket one of the three. Almost luckily, it would seem, he pocketed just one, the five-railer, for the win! Again the room went into an uproar of cheer for the new 2007 World Artistic Pool Champion, Andy “The Magic Man” Segal.

Eric "The Preacher" Yow! Esquire
WPA Masse World Champion

Winner Andy Segal
2007 WPA World Artistic Pool Champion

What an amazing week it was for the kings of Artistic Pool! Seeing the sights of St. Petersburg, Russia, while touring the city; being catered to in the utmost at the Leader Club; and taking part in the best World Championship that pool has ever seen – it was certainly an event to be remembered. As for Andy Segal, it seems that his career is continuing to take off. With a win at the 2007 Masters back in March and now becoming the 2007 WPA World Artistic Pool Champion – is there anything this man cannot accomplish? In life we are either kings or pawns. In Russia, Andy Segal became KING!

Andy Segal
Sebastian Giumelli
Mike Massey
Lukasz Szywala
Dave Nangle
Eric Yow!
Tom Rossman
Bruce Barthelette
Mark Dimick
Alexander Kasyanov
Gabi Visoiu
Charles Darling
Sergey Vashkovski
Steve Geller
Stefano Pelinga
Michael Mossin
Jim Sommer
Javier Gomez
Marcell Kaiser
Nate Bryant
Arkadiy Loshakov