Legend Mick Hill Scrapes Group 7 in Dramatic 3 Way Shootout…

0 Shares

Six-times World Pool Champion Michael Hill scraped through group 7 on Monday in the first 3 way 6 reds shootout in the Vinny Ultimate Pool Champions League.

After a tight round of matches, the drama reached a climax with three players Hill, Josh Kane, and Karl Sutton, the Pool Pairs Cup champion of last season all tied on four points in the group.

However, it was the first dramatic 3 way 6 reds shootout in a singles competition on the Ultimate Pool – and Hill scraped top in the shootout on 23:02 – a 100th of a second faster than Josh Kane on 23:03.

Karl Sutton couldn’t manage better after slowing up and missing a ball in the Shootout.

The group also consisted of youngster and qualifier in the group Kyle Cope, and although he won his first frame of the evening starting off well, the 20-year-old wasn’t quite at the races during the matches with it being his first time on TV in the arena of Newcastle-Under-Lyme.

He certainly gave a good account of himself and the pundits of Simon Webb and Steven Jamieson said he was one to watch for the future, though.

The last time there had been drama as tense as that was in the Ultimate Pool Pairs Cup last year when The Golden Boy Gareth Potts and his partner, the four-times World Snooker Champion Mark Selby won a 3 way shootout.

Well, how about THAT? 🤯

Michael Hill survives a 3 Way 6 Red Shootout, beating Josh Kane’s time by ONE HUNDREDTH of a second! 🔥⏰

Josh Kane 23.03❌
Michael Hill 23.02✅

We need a lie down! 👏#UPChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/rQCimG6uIX

— Ultimate Pool (@ultimatepool_) March 21, 2022

You’ve still got to go out there and do it…

Hill joked before the match that he was getting some tough draws and although he was tipped as the favourite in the group, it didn’t mean a lot if you didn’t deliver the goods.

He said: “It’s nice of them, but you’ve still got to go out there and do it.”

He compared it to Rafael Nadal in tennis, saying that although everyone was saying he would win it, it still had to be done on the court.

Hill won his maiden Pro Series Event One a couple of weeks ago and said after he had put his cue away for a couple of weeks.

Won by Chris Melling last year, when he defeated fellow all-time great Michael Hill in the final, the inaugural edition in 2021 was Ultimate Pool’s first televised event.

This year’s offering is even bigger and better, with the field expanded to 64 players, the event receiving professional ranking status, and being played across 21 weeks. The winner will collect a major tv title and trophy, and a payday of £10,000.

Next week, the Champions League ratchets even more with The Golden Boy Gareth Potts in action, as well as the soulman John Sullivan and the Pro Cup winner Jordan Shepherd.

Catch the action as usual on Monday on Freesports in the UK and elsewhere on the website.