Rafael Martinez and Chase Rudder
Rafael Martinez went undefeated at the second Poison by Predator stop defeating Chase Rudder in the final, 4-1. Martinez conquered a talented field of 36 players in the one-day, $500 added open 8-ball event, which yielded a purse in excess of $2,500. Players ventured from far and wide to compete against the likes of Sylver Ochoa, Manny Chau, and Sam Manaole, but it was business as usual for flamboyant pool superstar Martinez who “wowed” the crowd, coasting to a near flawless victory.
Winners’ side action saw hot seat contender Manny Chau tear his way through Ben Zamudio, 4-0, Blaine Barcus, 4-3, Chase Rudder,4-1, and Bill Fain, 4-0, while Martinez made quick work of Sylver Ochoa, 4-0, Eppie Madrigal, 4-2, Sam Manaole, 4-1, and Ricky Hughes, 4-0. On the one loss side, Ochoa captured an incredible 6 consecutive matches including wins over Chris Villanueva, 4-0, Sam Manaole, 4-2, and Bill Fain, 4-1. On a mission of his own, Rudder ousted Jack Cavalier, 4-2, and Ricky Hughes, 4-1, for a third place face-off with Ochoa. Rudder took full advantage after a couple of unforced errors by Ochoa, ending the set, 4-2. East side, hot seat action saw Martinez best Chau, 4-1, presenting Rudder with a chance at redemption. Little time passed as Rudder quickly, calmly, and confidently, claimed the set, 4-1. Holding strong, Martinez had lost only 4 games heading into the finals. Going toe to toe with 3x PxP event champion Rudder, the finals were shaping up to be a sheer explosion of wit and skill. In the final set, it was more of the same for Martinez, who came out firing, and on this day, proved a bit much for the PxP champ. Not only did Martinez take home $500 for his first place victory, but also a free entry into the Space City Open III 9-Ball division, coming December 4th-7th, 2014, to Bogies Billiards and Sports Bar, Houston, Texas. For more information on the Space City Open, visit www.facebook.com/spacecityopen.
The title sponsor for the PxP Tour is Poison by Predator cues. Find your Poison at www.poisonbilliards.com. The official tour rack is Delta-13, www.delta-13.com and the official league is the APA of North Harris County, www.facebook.com/apanorthharriscounty. Finally, the tour would like to thank David Richardson and Bogies Billiards and Sports Bar for their continued support. For more information about the PxP Tour, please visit www.pxptour.com.
