What will a total execution average of .922 and a break average of 77% in a 9-Ball match get you? Well, if it’s turned in at the right time, it could get you a state title and a pocket full of money, that’s what. Such was the case for “Magnificent” Mitch Ellerman on October 18 when he unleashed an A+ performance in the final match of the Desert Classic Tour’s 2009 Arizona State 9-Ball Championship to soundly defeat Paul Grande by the score of 13-1.
This stop on the DCT was hosted by Mike Bates and crew at Bull Shooters in Phoenix. Bull Shooters is quickly becoming known as a virtual players’ paradise. They now have at least two world-class players, and several semi-pro level players who consider this place to be their home room. Bull Shooters is also doing a fantastic job of hosting teams from all of the various leagues in the area.
Ellerman stayed home to compete in this tournament rather than traveling to Chesapeake to play in the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship; which proved to be a wise choice on his part as the U.S. Open annually draws over 200 of the best players in the world. Not that Mitch couldn’t be competitive there ? he no doubt could – but why would he want to bear those expenses and buck those odds when someone offers him a better opportunity right in his own back yard?
Ellerman’s road to victory was not without its bumps, however. Earlier in the day, Paul Grande, a strong player who finished second last month in the DCT 10-Ball event in Tucson, beat Mitch out of the hot seat in a hill-hill match. Then, young Chester Taylor gave Mitch a scare by taking him hill-hill in the match that would see which one of them would challenge Grande for the title. These “bumps” were even aided by Mitch’s own lackluster play, as up until the final match he had only turned in a cumulative TEA of .769, which equates to a low A (semi-pro) level.
