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2006 World Cup of Trick Shots - Semifinal #2 USA Mike Massey Europe Stefano Pelinga
 USA Shot #1 USA - 0 Europe - 1 Mike Massey opened up the second semifinal with this push/bank shot. With an object ball on the spot, frozen to both the cue ball and a bottle, the object ball kicks off the opposite long rail, comes back and pockets a ball hanging in the corner pocket. All of this is done without touching the bottle after the object ball moves. Surprisingly, Massey missed both of his attempts. Stefano Pelinga came up for Europe and made no mistake though, staking an early 1 - 0 lead. Europe Shot #1 USA - 0 Europe - 1 Pelinga pulled another frozen ball shot out of the playbook for Europe's first challenge. This one though required the object ball to pass the blocking ball and the cue ball to kiss it again, re-directing it into the corner pocket. It's a crafty stroke shot that Pelinga was unable to hit. Tom Rossman couldn't take advantage of the opening also missing both of his attempts.   USA Shot #2 USA - 1 Europe - 2 Trying to get on the USA on the board, Rossman picked this compression bank/kick shot. With the cue ball frozen between the rail and the 9 ball and the 8 ball also frozen to the 9, the cue ball is shot into the cushion, squeezing past the 9 ball and kicking the 8 ball across the table, through the bag, and into the side pocket. Rossman easily converted for USA's first points, but Luke Szywala was able to keep Europe's lead as he didn't have any problems with the shot either. Europe Shot #2 USA - 1 Europe - 3 Szywala brought out some shot glasses for Europe's next shot. Here, the cue ball is balanced on one of the shot glasses and an object ball is balanced on the center one. The cue ball is shot over the second shot glass, hitting the object ball and sending it over the last two shot glasses into the side pocket. Szywala showed his deft touch getting just the right contact to send the ball in the side. Massey came up for the USA, looking a bit unfamiliar with the shot. His first attempt ended up sending one of the shot glasses through the air and shattering all over the table. (This would lead to the 'no glass' prop rule in following tournaments) He didn't fare much better on his next attempt as Europe took a two point lead.   USA Shot #3 USA - 1 Europe - 4 After the break shot, Massey turned to a One-handed Rocket Masse up the long rail. Holding the cue in one hand, the cue ball pockets the first object ball, then masse's all the way back up the long rail to pocket the hanging combination in the opposite corner. Uncharacteristically though, Massey missed both attempts again! That left the door open for Pelinga to come up and he widened Europe's lead to three points, making the shot. Europe Shot #3 USA - 2 Europe - 5 Continuing with different ways to hold the cue, Pelinga picked the Karate Chop Draw shot. Here, the player has to reach all the way across the table and pocket an object ball, drawing the cue ball back to the other short rail by hitting the butt of the cue with the palm of their hand! Pelinga showed off his chops nailing the shot. Not to be outdone though, Rossman was also able to hit it, keeping pace for now.   USA Shot #4 USA - 3 Europe - 5 Keeping with the unusual, Rossman pulled out his giant ball for his next challenge. On this shot, the (small) cue ball hits the large cue ball which pushes one object ball in the side pocket while two chalks and another object ball stacked on top of it roll off into the side pocket. In the meantime, the small cue ball ricochets off and comes back across the table to pocket a hanging object ball in the opposite side pocket. Rossman showed off his deft touch, making the shot. Szywala came up for Europe, but ended up overhitting the shot, sending one of the chalks over the edge of the table. Europe Shot #4 USA - 3 Europe - 6 Moving on to jump shots, Szywala came back with the Waterfall shot. Here, three balls are jumped over a wall of three balls into one corner pocket, then the wall of three balls are shot directly into the corner pocket. The same sequence is repeated on the other side too and all the balls must be hit within 24 seconds. Szywala sped through it at a nice pace, picking up a point. Massey couldn't get the shot to fall though, as Europe restored their three point advantage.   USA Shot #5 USA - 3 Europe - 7 Massey decided to try a different kind of jump shot. Here, a ball is shot across the table, jumps off the side rail, and is caught in a cup. Then the ball must be placed into a pocket. On his first attempt, Massey caught the ball in the cup, but forgot to deposit it into a pocket. He couldn't catch the ball the second time though, costing the USA a point. Szywala made no such mistake though, picking up another point for Europe and stretching their lead to four. Europe Shot #5 USA - 4 Europe - 7 Szywala pulled out another glass prop for his next shot. This time, a glass bottle was frozen to the cushion. The cue ball ricochets off the mouth of the bottle and curves around a blocking rack, hitting another rack down the table and pocketing a hanging ball in the corner. Szywala couldn't get the shot to go though, looking visibly frustrated. Rossman came up for the USA and hit the shot, bringing them back within three.   USA Shot #6 USA - 5 Europe - 8 Trying to keep the momentum, Rossman turned to the Starburst shot. Five sets of three balls are set up so that the middle ball is shot to the corner pocket while the other two balls fall in the opposite side and the other corner pocket. All of this is made more difficult by needing to use a freehand bridge and hitting all the balls within 10 seconds. Rossman quickly fired through the shot, gaining another point. Pelinga wouldn't let them get back in the match too easily though as he also made the shot.  USA Shot #7 USA - 5 Europe - 9 Massey tried to take advantage of his power by picking the Power Draw. Here, the cue ball and object ball are frozen to each other about a ball width apart. The cue ball pockets the object ball, then draws around the table three rails, landing in the 1 x 1 diamond zone by the opposite corner pocket. Massey got unlucky on his second attempt, hitting the point of the side pocket off the first rail, missing yet another shot. Szywala had no problems applying the right power though, making the shot and resotring the four point advantage.  USA Shot #8 USA - 6 Europe - 9 The Rail Draw Arc was Rossman's next challenge. Here, the cue ball is frozen between a blocking ball and the rail. The cue ball is hit in to the cushion, squeezing out from behind the blocking ball and makes a smooth arc around a second blocker to pocket the hanging ball in the corner pocket. Rossman showed the right mix of spin and speed in getting the shot to fall. Pelinga, on the other hand, couldn't mix it up quite right and the USA was back within three. Europe Shot #8 USA - 7 Europe - 9 Pelinga decided to try the Hustler Masse shot next. The cue ball pockets the frozen object ball and fires up table. It hits the side rail and masse's back to pocket the second object ball in the same corner pocket. Pelinga couldn't quite get the right aim on it, leaving the door open for the USA. Massey wouldn't squander the opportunity, launching an impressive shot halfway up the table with enough spin and speed to get back for the second ball and closing the gap to two points.  Europe Shot #9 USA - 8 Europe - 9 Lots of props came out on the table for Szywala's pinball shot. The cue ball first splits a cluster by the side pocket, pocketing one ball in the side and another in the corner. Then the cue ball hits the long rail, short rail, then rides up the cue stick (pocketing another two balls on the way), hits the rack (pocketing yet another ball), then rolls along hitting a second rack which is loaded up to hit a glass holding a bottle on which is propped another ball, dropping that ball into the corner pocket. Whew! Szywala almost had it, but couldn't get the last ball to fall correctly. Rossman seized the moment though, making the shot and pulling back within one.   USA Shot #10 USA - 9 Europe - 10 Needing a point to keep the pressure on, Rossman went with the classic Just Showing Off shot. The cue ball makes all of the five balls clustered by the side pocket, then goes three rail around the table to pocket the sixth ball hanging in the corner. Rossman made no mistake, keeping the match close, but Szywala was up to the task as well, maintaining Europe's one point lead. Europe Shot #10 USA - 9 Europe - 11 To clinch the match, Pelinga chose a masse shot. The cue ball initially pockets two of the three balls in the row, masse's up the ramp made by two cues, knocking off and pocketing a ball at the top of the ramp, then flies back down to pocket the third ball in the corner pocket. Pelinga had no troubles with the shot, sealing the match and giving Europe one point heading in to the final. 
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