Phil Harrison v Tom Jones | Champions League 2024

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[Music]
yeah should be a cracker tonight and two
players from opposite ends of the
eightball Spectrum in many ways Phil
Harrison a member of the sports golden
generation from the early 2000s very
nearly a golden duck to start tonight
that have been some some scenes to get
us going but in off the break for Phil
will bring Tom to the table so yeah Phil
one of the one of the golden oldies but
still very much one of the best players
in the world and then you got Tom Jones
a former Junior world champion who’s
still right at the beginning of his
eight ball journey and I dare say if he
goes on to have a quarter of the career
that Phil Harrison has had he’ll have
done pretty well indeed but that was a
pretty brutal in off the break there to
uh to kick things off so it brings Tom
to the table CUO in hand behind the line
for an in off on the break and he’s
going to choose at yellows to get us
started it’s simple game this you never
seen as before it’s the one you are very
familiar with I don’t doubt pick your
KET you po your balls you po your eight
ball you win the frame for of those
we’ll win you a
match we got four players here tonight
they’ll play each other in a round robin
format top of the league at the end of
the night goes
through should a match be level at the
end of the match clock however which is
20
minutes then we will take the
draw and we will take the result
whatever at 20 minutes
as well 30 seconds on the shot clock
till the final five of each match and
then we drop it down dramatically to 15
that was uh that was a fairly sensible
shot that from Tom Jones I don’t think
he really fancied getting the pot but he
did make sure he was pretty careful with
the Q ball not left Phil much to go out
here well he has popped the red on the
left hand side but why would Phil feel
the need to take this
on I think the one thing for Tommy will
be very disappointed with his first shot
cuz it was a decent opportunity all the
yellows are in one area of the table it
needed a cannon or two but yeah it would
be disappointed not to uh make a better
effort than that that’s completely
intended by Phil bump in the eight ball
there you can see he lined that up
wanted to get that line and the reason
why is now if Tom Jones decides to go
which Phil can’t really stop him from
doing so the yellows now have a huge
problem and it is the eightball yeah and
does that safety shot tell us that the
eightball doesn’t go probably it it
might when he played it I thought he’s
not quite going to reach far enough to
to stop it going but I think the fact
that he didn’t try and clear up there
probably tells us that it doesn’t and
that makes this a really interesting
tactical exchange because there’s no
good way for Tom to to break out the
eight
ball Phil’s going to get to work on his
red on
this bottom left corner of the table and
uh something that doesn’t often happen
in our very first frame tonight but
we’ve got a a real tactical exchange
here here and this is where Phil
Harrison will look to put on a little
bit of a clinic cuz these are the sorts
of frames that Phil is very very good at
finding a way to
win yeah agreed and for me I
feel I feel like Phil came to the table
as a massive second favorite and I feel
like it he’s if anything he’s in front
now because he’s put the eight wall safe
that eight wall doesn’t go and I’m sure
it doesn’t then I think Phils in
front quite likely a choice of shot from
Tom there just to move his yellow into
the middle of the table looks like Phil
might try and play a loss of turn
here so he does important to note that’s
not a foul it’s a very useful shot in
fact in international eight ball rules
you can po your opponent’s ball as long
as you play legal one yourself in doing
so the one thing I pH be disappointed
with is I think the red and the yellow
on the side cushion there have gone as a
direct PL which just means Tom will play
it right back but he needs to keep that
C Ball safe if he does play it right
back he has to get it safe and he’s not
guaranteed his an enigmatic player is
Tom
Jones everything from the the haircut to
the Q action you can’t really take your
eyes off him when he’s at the table so
he’s potted a ball there I think so he
can get a better angle to play the loss
of turn so he can now he’s got the
middle of the bottom cushion not a
massive margin of error
and he’s come too far he has left the
red on there’s a chance now for Phil if
he wants to take it
[Music]
on he’s missed the middle of the bottom
cushion by so much you almost wonder if
he was just targeting just bottom right
area of the table but that seems hard to
believe can’t believe that he must he’s
just over hit the shot quite
significantly Phil will
go could have been a little bit Kinder
he could have he could have been a lot
Kinder he knew he didn’t have a huge
amount of control on it as it was
hitting the second red and he couldn’t
really do much to avoid
that the OD in his favor to land on
something and he hasn’t landed on
anything nice but he still has options
down the
[Music]
table
yeah very
nice
now I don’t think he needs to play a
cannon I think the red will
go if he does need to play a plan Canon
he could play it
[Music]
now don’t think it’s exactly as he
wanted it so
he’s going to take these in the other
way around as in I think he was playing
on the one by the eight ball but this is
no bother
whatsoever yeah no trouble at all and
he’s in perfect shape here to to finish
these off and you have to say the the
shot selection for his first shot in
this frame obviously other than the
break to put that eight ball up the
table was exceptional and that that shot
alone is one in this Frame just
masterful yeah he he
is one of the the greatest players of
all time he’s considered by many as part
of their English Eight Ball P Mount
Rushmore if you like
and first break of the night Tom Jones
he’s going to be pretty sick to see that
one break dry he hit those pretty
nicely but I think we’re dealing with a
very very different Phil Harrison and I
know um he’s touched on it before but
you know difficulties in life over the
last few years that I think is all kind
of resolved now he’s much happier in
life and happier on the table and what
he achieved in the second half of last
year was was phenomenal and very quietly
and quickly all of a sudden he’s on
three titles with ultimate ball and
right writing a conversation with with a
few players now that are on multiple
titles probably should have had more
attention for for player of the year
last year I mean obviously Tom cousins
was the player of the year but Stevie
Dempsey had a couple and and uh Chris
meling as well with a couple of titles
but so did Phil and he didn’t get too
much attention he probably should have
done Phil’s also one
of well it’s not actually true he is the
biggest critic of himself that is very
true he is you know for all the for all
the talk that others will talk about
with Phil Harrison you can see in
exhibition right here he is so hard on
himself it’s incredible it’s it’s almost
like Phil Harrison thinks Phil Harrison
is not very good but
but he that it’s so untrue you could see
he’s just an incredibly humble guy but
he’s uh he’s very quietly gone about his
business in a way that as sort of
commentators if you like right no he
will win at some point he he just will
and there were signs at the start of the
year that his form was sort of coming
back and by the end of the year
difficult to stop
him yeah no no doubt about it the reason
he is so hard on himself out there is
that he
he’s so such a perfectionist he he plays
such a precise game and if he’s off by a
ball here or there he he lets us know
about it where’s his heart on his sleeve
out there sometimes too much I’d say
yeah it’s become a bit of a running joke
amongst the amongst the a community that
if feels shaking his head he’s probably
in perfect
position but also I think in the new you
know modern era of Paul you know back in
the day when it’s a minute shot you can
shake your head for 30 seconds if you
like but nowadays it’s completely
different you know you’re playing at 30
and 15 seconds a shot you’ve just got to
get on with it and I think that’s
something he’s had to really get to
grips with and the thing is as well is a
lot of perceived
wisdom coming into the ultimate pull
here if you like with Phil might
struggle actually on a quick shot clock
he’s quite a slow player if you ever
watch him in a tournament where there’s
no shot or Mach clock whatsoever he can
take a very long time about things but
his record on Monday nights is actually
fantastic he’s about to go two up in
front
here already won one title on Monday
night it’s the very first one the
ultimate P
Masters kall he’s okay this time eight
ball that eight ball was very close he’s
actually got it moving towards that
middle pocket on both of his breaks so
far it’s something to keep an eye on the
only thing you would say it’s not sort
of incredibly consistent with Phil as he
does chop and change his break a lot
depending on sort of what works for him
at the time well he has a a more
powerful break that he will go to of his
controlled break which is the one he is
trying now doesn’t work and he can
really lose the cuq ball then it can get
wild he almost stands up on it but I
haven’t seen him use that for quite a
while I think in these perfect
conditions you you just get down and if
you queue it well and time it well you
are going to get that explosion and he
certainly has in the first two
here and it’s a a beautiful opportunity
for for
[Music]
3-0 he’s so clever at working I mean
these finishes here every ball goes and
you know we’d expect all the top players
to make these but he’s normally so good
at just finding the shot that makes it
incredibly simple so it is just dropin
from there and that’s what the the very
very best do when we talk about patent
play that’s what we’re talking
[Music]
about just so that must be the red must
pass the eight ball to the
center yeah he needs to be to be well
placed on it on every shot here this is
a lovely route he’s worked out but it
still requires Precision to finish it
[Music]
off even if he flicks the eightball you
know feathers it it should hit the jaw
and stay in in good shape
but so he has a bit more margin of error
than I was saying but he he will try and
pop This
[Music]
[Music]
Clean well an exhibition so far from
Phil
[Music]
Harrison super stuff from the farmer as
I said when we were out in the arena
just before we got going here I’m
looking for him just to you know it’s
almost you know simplify things to the
point where he can be ultra clinical
he’d actually given up on this break he
hit it really
well and his feeling here was that it
was going to be dry
again happy you can see the reaction and
then one just Nicks in off the jaw and
all of a sudden he’s here he is he’s
he’s pulling a Phil Harrison on I say
exactly that he’s giving Phil Harrison a
taste of the Phil Harrison
so a chance and a chance for a rapid
clearance which is what’s needed for Tom
if he’s to get anything out of this
match we are already into the final 5
minutes which means a 15sec shot clock
he’s a very quick player so he’s one of
those who whil no one likes 15sec shot
clock you fancy him to be okay on
it and as he said in his interview he he
thinks the match clock almost suits him
he’s had a few experiences on it with
the Challenger Series
last year in the main final and also
with the Masters last season which he
did incredibly well was a late drop in
and got all the way to the quarterfinals
as an
unranked entring against some really
really good players and in style as
well this time it doesn’t move at all
wouldn’t you believe it but it’s dry as
well yeah
well isn’t that a commentator’s curse
and a half never managed to make a ball
sit still before yeah but dry break is
well F Phill and all of a sudden Tom
Jones will have an eye on this match
because if he can get these yellows away
he’ll have plenty of time to win another
frame and potentially get a draw on his
own break attacked his bad ball straight
away there he’s attacked it again he’s
he’s attacked it so much he’s made it
bad again it will set for a double
question whether he needed to there it
it went did he need to go into it again
cuz he could have sat on it well that’s
three times he’s broken out and and
stuck on it and had no shot so maybe he
didn’t need to go into it second time
round but you know three three cannons
into
it he’s finally got himself in a
position to make the clearance although
he’s not on the one bottom right as he
was intending
here
that’s a brilliant clearance
this is fantastic to watch when he is in
full
[Music]
flight and 32 we
go oh Tom Jones does indeed break dry
and I think he’s got every right to feel
agreed with this
one extension
yeah hit them well that’s so they feel
in the previous frame so you what comes
around I
guess so no complaints from Phil here if
he’s to you know mess up in this visit
and and Tom was to get another chance
then you know Phil can’t complain this
is his opportunity to win the match it’s
all there for him just go through this
he’ll use the full 15 just natur
[Music]
anyway it’s not really I mean the eight
Ball’s the only ball that needs some
attention the ball he’s playing now
actually would have been the perfect
last ball yeah the only thing that can
go wrong for Phil here is is the clock
you feel and it and that’s the reason
why I say that is cuz there was a
high-profile game last season in playing
Stevie Dempsey where Phil time fou in
this exact scenario just had to run the
clock out he could and he couldn’t lose
essentially but time fouled trying to be
a little bit too clever and Stevie
Dempsey had one of The Comebacks of all
comebacks so he just needs to guard
against that that’s the sort of mistake
that you don’t tend to make
[Applause]
[Music]
twice yeah he’s not he’s not going to be
great for the um eight ball in terms of
getting on the eight ball down the cush
and I I suspect he’s probably thinking
double here
but he is oh that’s not ideal at all hle
queing I was about to say he is one of
the best doublers in the world well Phil
Harrison has still got this match in his
hands but Tom Jones is Almost like you
can see he’s like a horse in the gate
he’s ready to rumble yeah Phil’s not
even made made an effort for the
clearance here he has just run clock and
he’s done it exceptionally well but you
know this is this is enough as long as
he doesn’t foul on this shot as he po
the eight ball on foul he’s um going to
win the
[Music]
match yeah that will do from Phil
Harrison he’s done enough super
performance from the farmer and Tom
Jones has shown he’s here to play
tonight really really good performance
from both players but it’s Phil who
picks up the win and gets his night off
to a perfect
start