Massey Masters Trick Shot Magic

Massey Masters Trick Shot MagicBy InsidePOOL StaffIn a final match that came down to the wire, world-renowned trick shot artist Mike Massey bested Canada’s Nick Nikolaidis at Trick Shot Magic. This winner-take-all event was held at the ESPNZone in New York, New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV, on October 6-7, 2004.Each match consisted of five skill shots and five artistic shots by each player for a total of twenty shots. one point was awarded for each successfully executed shot, and each player had two attempts at a shot. In the preliminary rounds on Wednesday, Nikolaidis defeated Poland’s Luke Szywala, 2003 runner-up Andy Segal bested Tom “Dr. Cue” Rossman, Stefano Pelinga of Italy defeated Charles Darling, and Massey bested Sebastian Giumelli of Argentia, leaving only four players remaining for the semifinal matches on Thursday.
Pelinga and Nikolaidis matched up in the first semifinal, and it was close all the way through, with the Canadian in the lead. The eighteenth shot saw the 1 and 2 balls pocketed into the corner with the cue coming around for the 9 ball. Nikolaidis scored a point on his second attempt, but Pelinga missed both, bringing the score to 8-6 Nikolaidis. When Pelinga missed the next shot, which was a stroke shot, he was mathematically eliminated, sending Nikolaidis on to the finals.Last year’s champion and runner-up, Massey and Segal, met in the second semifinal match that was entertaining. Massey introduced a variation of his Boot Shot, which he made but Segal missed. However, it was the younger man who held the lead for the first half of the match. Massey tied the score at 5 apiece on the tenth shot, and he pulled ahead with a one-pocket draw shot that Segal missed. Again, things came down to the nineteenth shot, with Massey only leading by one point at 9-8. A draw shot by Massey where he pocketed the 1 ball and drew the cue ball into the cushion around the 8 ball to pocket the 9 ball saw Massey make it his second try, but Segal missed both attempts, and Massey was the winner.The final match started off slow, with the first point scored on the fifth shot by Massey. The next point scored was in the eleventh shot, a stroke shot where the object was to shoot into the 3 ball, curve around four balls, and then pocket the 8. Massey and Nikolaidis both scored a point for that shot, making the score 2-1 Massey. That seemed to be a turning point for both players, though it was not as high-scoring of a match as the previous one. It came down to the twentieth shot in the final match, with the prospect of a sudden death tiebreaker looming. With Massey up 6-5, Nikolaidis attempted a stroke shot where he would pocket the 8 ball, come across the table hard, go three rails, and then pocket the 9. He missed both tries, and Massey became the Trick Shot Magic champion for yet another year!Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news from Trick Shot Magic.

Pool Balls and Billiard Balls at LOW PRICES!!!

About the Author:
Inside Pool Magazine publishes billiard news. Definitive Synergy creates pool and billiard management software.