Player: Francisco Sanchez Ruiz
Event: 2024 UK Open Pool
Location: Telford, United Kingdom
Date: May 10, 2024



Despite efforts from the world's best 9-ball players, you cannot be guaranteed an offensive shot after dropping a ball on the break. The results at that point, at a minimum giving the breaker control of the table, can vary from not bad to not great. Opting for a pushout isn't ideal, leaving the breaker to concede the table to his opponent or keep it and face a tricky shot.

Having an angle on the object ball but no direct path to a pocket is a bit better. At least the breaker has the opportunity to play safe and leave his opponent in a more difficult spot.

For a case study, take the match between Francisco Sanchez Ruiz and Chang Yu-lung at last year's U.K. Open. In the single-elimination round of 64, FSR opted for a safety after sinking the 1 one the break. Chang needed to jump the cue ball into the 2, leaving the table shown in the diagram.

Ruiz was unlucky enough to need to kick the cue ball into the 2, but he was more than skilled enough to overcome that necessary detour. Sending the cue ball off the headrail and nearly fully into the 2, he displayed exceptional cue ball control, as the white ball ricocheted off the long rail at a perfect angle to come to rest nearly frozen to the 6. The 2 ball, meanwhile, rolled down-table, slowly rolling into the 4 before coming to a stop near the 9, which provided an extra obstacle to any legal contact from Chang.

The Taiwanese star was unable to make direct contact with the 2, giving FSR ball-in-hand, which he used to clear the table. From there, Ruiz pulled away in the race-to-10, winning it, 10-5. His U.K. Open wouldn't last much longer, though, as the Spaniard fell in the next round to Finland's Petri Makkonen, 10-6.

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