Story and Photos
by Ted Lerner
(Shanghai, China)–Give Chris Melling an inch, and he takes a mile.
That’s just how Chinese Taipei’s Hsu Kai Lun must feel right now, as the burly Englishman put on one of the most powerful displays of 9-ball pool seen in the professional game in some time, capturing the China Open in an all out rout, 11-3.
Melling won $40,000 and, in the process, declared loud and clear that he will be a force to be reckoned with among an already strong heap of English and European pool players for the foreseeable future.
“That’s the best I’ve ever played,” an ecstatic Melling said moments after lifting the trophy. “I knew I would win the match when I was up 6-2. I knew then it would be tough for him to come back. I was just playing too good.”
Anyone who happened to catch one of Melling’s matches inside the Shanghai Pudong Yuanshen Stadium yesterday and in the semi-final today could see he was the clear favorite to take the crown. The Englishman, who was twice a world champion in English 8-ball and has only been playing competitive 9-ball for two years, was literally oozing with confidence. Everything about him- the way he walked around the table, his extremely fast play, the way he stared down layouts and especially the audacious way he potted difficult balls and moved the cue ball around- spoke of a man with a winning attitude. He never gave his opponents any breathing room, pounced on the smallest of mistakes and quickly put racks on the board.
Hsu must have not had time to realize what hit him. The 22 year old Taiwanese had literally come out of nowhere to reach the finals of the China Open. He’s ranked number ten in Taiwan but he had never before played in an international men’s event. Still he showed some of the same powerhouse skills that Melling had exhibited when he blew out the Philippines Ronnie Alcano earlier in the day, 11-3.
It didn’t take long into the final race to 11, alternate break match to realize, though, that Hsu was in over his head on this day against the white hot Englishman. The two were all square after four racks but from there Melling got on his motorcycle and ran away with the match.
In rack five, Melling made a very difficult pot on the one that opened up the rack and got him the lead. In the next frame he played a world class snooker off of Hsu’s safety that quickly led to another point. A minute later he was up 5-2 after a break and run out.
From there, the fast playing Brit piled on the points, all the while taking on and converting daring shots that most players would be afraid to pull out of their bags. Hsu simply had no answer. Melling raced right to the finish line and the championship with a resounding 11-3 win.
Coming on the heels of his quarter final finish in May’s World 10-ball championship in Manila, Melling is sure to crack the World Pool Association’s Top Ten rankings. The European number two is also looking very seriously at a spot on the coveted European Mosconi Cup team.
With this extremely impressive performance in Shanghai this week, the 32 year old Brit appears to have a very bright future in pool. Listen to his attitude when he talks about playing in the pressure cooker that is the world of professional pool.
“I didn’t feel nervous at all out there,” Melling said. “I love playing under pressure. I love the crowd and playing on TV.
“I’m not saying I’m a great player. But there’s a difference between being a good player and being a great player. A good player can play well in the pool room and in small tournaments. Great players can win under pressure in an atmosphere like this. I’m just beside myself right now. Absolutely unbelievable.”
