Harry Guevarez, who won the Tri-State Tour's 2016-2017 season opener last July, chalked up his second 2016-2017 win on the tour with an almost-undefeated run on Saturday, May 13. Rhio Anne ("Annie") Flores disrupted his otherwise uninterrupted run to the winners' circle with a victory over him in the hot seat match. Guevarez came back from the semifinals to claim the event title. The $1,000-added event drew 47 entrants to Steinway Billiards in Astoria (Queens), NY.

 

They met first, after Guevarez had shut out Adrian Daniel, and Annie Flores had sent Tony Liang to the loss side 7-3 in the two winners' side semifinals. Annie claimed the hot seat 9-7 and waited for Guevarez to get back from the semifinals. 

 

On the loss side, Daniel picked up Zouraiz Ellahi, who'd recently defeated Andrea Shiffman 6-1, and just did get by Carlos Serrano 7-6. Liang drew Dave Shlemperis, who'd lost his first match and was in the midst of a nine-match, loss-side winning streak that would take him as far as the semifinals. He downed Lidio Ramirez 7-1 and like Ellahi, just did survive a 7/8 match versus Amir Udin.

 

Shlemperis and Ellahi handed Liang and Daniel their second straight loss; Shlemperis 7-3 over Liang and Ellahi 6-3 over Daniel. Shlemperis chalked up what would prove to be his final loss-side win with a 7-3 win over Ellahi. By the same score, Guevarez ended Shlemperis' streak to earn his second shot against Flores.

 

With two 'on the wire' at the start of the finals, Guevarez won three straight for a 5-0 lead over Flores. Flores responded with two racks, Guevarez answered with two more and Flores came back with another two. At 7-4 Harry chalked one up to reach the hill first. Flores fought back with three to make it 8-7, before Guevarez closed it out at 9-7 to claim the event title.

 

Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Steinway Billiards for their hospitality and ongoing support of the tour, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Sterling-Gaming, Kamui Tips, Ron Vitello, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, Human Kinetics, and Bloodworth Ball Cleaners. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, scheduled for Saturday, May 20, will be hosted by Clifton Billiards in Clifton, NJ. 

On Sunday, September 11, Carl Yusuf Khan, who's been trying to solidify his nom de guerre as The Warrior, lived up to the name with an undefeated run on the Tri-State Tour. It was his first win in just over a year, dating back to an August 2015 win on the Tri-State Tour, which was preceded by a January 2015 win on the Predator Tour. In all, (to the best of our records' recollection) since 2010, Khan has cashed in 19 Tri-State Tour stops, winning five (including this most recent) and 11 stops on the Predator Tour, winning twice. Sunday's $1,000-added event drew 38 entrants to the Cue Bar in Bayside, Queens, NY. 

 

Khan and Ambi Estevez met twice to decide this one. Khan, following victories over Aurellio Romero and Kapriel Delimelkonoglu, had sent Thomas Hagan to the loss side, double hill, in one winners' side semifinal, as Estevez was working on sending Ron Chau over 6-4. Khan claimed the hot seat 7-4 and waited in it for the first time in over a year. 

 

On the loss side, Hagan picked up Mike Panzarella, who'd defeated Jorden Tenzin 7-2 and Atif Khan 7-4 to reach him. Chau drew Jonathan Gavrielof, recent winner over Andrea Shiffman 6-4, and Mike Strassberg 6-3. Hagan and Chau got right back on track and advanced to the quarterfinals; Hagan downing Panzarella 7-4 and Chau eliminating Gavrielof 6-4.

 

Hagan won a double hill fight over Chau in the quarterfinals, only to end up on the wrong end of a double hill score against Estevez in the semifinals. The finals would prove to be the event's third straight double hill fight. It see-sawed back and forth until Khan closed it out at 7-6 to claim the title.

 

Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at the Cue Bar, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Sterling-Gaming, Kamui Tips, Ron Vitello, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, Human Kinetics, and Bloodworth Ball Cleaners. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, scheduled for Sunday, September 18, will be hosted by Rockaway Billiards in Rockaway, NJ.

It came within a match of being a repeat performance. On Memorial Day weekend, Juan Guzman took the hot seat at the 6th Annual George "Ginky" Sansouci Memorial tournament, only to have his ambitions of becoming that event's 6th champion upset by Tony Liang, who came from deep on the loss side to challenge and eventually defeat him. A week later (June 4-5), Guzman was in the hot seat again, this time at a $2,000-added event on the Tri-State Tour, that had drawn 41 entrants to the same location – Steinway Billiards in Astoria (Queens), NY. And once again, Guzman found himself watching Tony Liang work his way through the loss side. This time, however, Liang's aspirations for a re-match against Guzman were thwarted in a semifinal match against Mike Figueroa. Guzman went on to complete his undefeated run with a second victory over Figueroa in the finals to claim the title.

 

Following victories over Chris Kelly, Ramon Feliciano, and Lidio Ramirez, all of whom chalked up five racks against him, Guzman ran into Liang. With memories of the Ginky Memorial no doubt lurking in his mind, Guzman sent Liang to the loss side 7-5 and drew Alex Osipov in a winners' side semifinal. Figueroa, in the meantime, picked up Danny Recinos. 

 

Guzman chalked up his fifth straight 7-5 win, against Osipov, while Figueroa was sending Recinos to the loss side, double hill. Guzman moved into the hot seat for a second week in a row, defeating Figueroa 9-7 and then, waited on what he had to be thinking was Liang, but proved to be Figueroa.

 

Liang began his march toward a potential second matchup in the finals against Guzman with a 7-3 win over Duc Lam, and survived a double hill match versus Amir Rashad Uddin, to draw Osipov. Recinos picked up Andrea Shiffman, who'd eliminated Nevev Lipovac 6-2 and Ada Lio 6-4, to reach him.

 

Liang downed Osipov 7-4, and was joined in the quarterfinals by Recinos, who'd defeated Shiffman 6-3. Liang defeated Recinos 10-7 to pull within a single match of earning a spot in the finals. Figueroa put up a spirited, double hill fight that he eventually won to earn his re-match against Guzman.

 

It did not look good at the outset, as Figueroa opened the finals with four straight racks. Guzman, though, caught a gear of his own and responded with four to tie it. They traded racks to a 5-5 tie, before Guzman began to pull away. He chalked up three straight to reach the hill first. Figueroa added a final rack to make it 8-6, and Guzman chalked up the15th game to win the match and claim the event title.

 

Tour representatives thanked Manny Stamatakis and his staff at Steinway Billiards, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Sterling-Gaming, Kamui Tips, Ron Vitello, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, Human Kinetics, and Bloodworth Ball Cleaners. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, scheduled for Sunday, June 12, will be hosted by The Cue Bar in Bayside (Queens), NY.