Janet Atwell won the opening stop on the MissCues Regional Ladies Tour, at her own location, Borderline Billiards, in Bristol, TN in March. She missed a July event, allowing Buffy Jolie, Melody Kuty, Debbie Cervantis, and Stephanie Goens to move ahead of her in point standings. On Saturday, August 18, at the tour’s third stop, she moved up three notches in those point standings (from fifth to second) by winning her second event on the tour. She faced and defeated Buffy Jolie twice to win the event, which left Jolie in first place in the point standings. The $250-added Kentucky Ladies Bar Table Championships drew 16 entrants to Diamond Pub & Billiards in Louisville, KY.

From among the winners’ side final four, Atwell squared off against Samatha Patton, as Jolie faced Chris Toohey. Atwell sent Patton to the loss side 7-3, as Jolie downed Toohey 7-5. In their first meeting, Atwell defeated Jolie 7-2, and waited in the hot seat for her return from the semifinals.

Patton moved over to pick up Angela Mears, who’d defeated Kuty and Cervantis, both 7-2. Toohey drew Rhonda Ferguson, who’d eliminated Ginny Reed and Goens, both 7-3. Toohey and Patton got right back to winning; Toohey, downing Ferguson 7-5 and Patton surviving a double hill match versus Mears. It was Toohey, who emerged from the quarterfinals, with a double hill victory over Patton.

Jolie, though, anxious to maintain her lead in the point standings stopped Toohey in the semifinals, defeating her 7-2, for a second chance against Atwell. Atwell chalked up her second win against Jolie, 9-6, in the single race finals.

Tour Director Becky Todd thanked the ownership and staff at Diamond Pub & Billiards for their hospitality, and noted that the next stop on the MissCues tour was scheduled for September 8-9, at Bank Shot Billiards. The event, she said, will be a qualifier for the WPBA Masters at the Soaring Eagle in Mount Pleasant, MI in February, 2013.

Liz Lovely defeated WPBA touring veteran Teruko Cucculelli twice to capture the July 14-15 stop on the MissCues Regional Ladies 9-Ball Tour. The $500-added event drew 16 entrants to 8-Ball Sports Bar & Billiards in Columbus, OH. 

They met first in the battle for the hot seat. Cucculelli had sent Buffy Jolie (presently ranked # 2 on the tour) west 7-2, as Lovely delivered Casey Clark to the loss bracket 7-1. Lovely and Cucculelli got to double hill in the battle for the hot seat before Lovely prevailed.

On the loss side, Jolie picked up Linda Brandeberry, who’d defeated Sandy Day and Stephanie Goens, both 7-5. Clark drew Jen Polik, who was in the midst of a four-match, loss-side winning streak that had begun when Cucculelli had sent her over in the second round. Polik defeated Tracy Cantrell 7-2, and Reni Rose 7-4 to meet Clark. Polik shut Clark out and in the quarterfinals, met up with Jolie, who’d ended Brandeberry’s day 7-4.

Polik and Jolie battled to double hill in those quarterfinals, before Polik snapped the 9-ball in on the final break to win it. She didn’t get nearly as close in her semifinal re-match against Cucculelli, who’d advance back for a second chance against Lovely with a 7-3 win. 

The wait for the re-match did not apparently affect Lovely. She gave up only three racks to complete her undefeated weekend. 

Tour director Becky Todd thanked Richard Whaley, owner of 8-Ball Sports Bar & Billiards, and Rack 66’s Bryan Roberts for sponsorship of the event.

It was a feast of seconds –  the second time in a row that Janet Atwell met Teruko Cuculleli in a MissCues Regional Ladies Tour final, the second time in a row that Cuculleli fought back through the maximum number of games on the loss-side to meet Atwell in the finals and the second time in a row that Atwell prevailed to chalk up the event title. The occasion this time was the $400-added Tour Championships on the weekend of November 5-6, which drew 11 entrants to Michael’s Billiards in Fairfield, OH. Though giving way to Atwell in the event itself, her second place finish left Cuculelli in first place in the overall tour standings, granting her exempt-player status for all 2012 WPBA Classic Tour events. 

Both Atwell and Cuculleli advanced through the first round of play at these Tour Championships by being awarded one of the five byes in the opening round. Atwell opened her tournament bid with a second round shutout of tour director Becky Todd, while Cuculleli moved west on the heels of a 7-1 victory by Buffy Jolie.

 

The single victory moved Atwell among the winners’ side final four, where she faced Christina Hansen. Jolie advanced to take on Lynn Parsons. Atwell shut out Hansen, as Parsons was busy surviving a double hill match against Jolie. Atwell gained the hot seat with a 7-3 victory over Parsons, and once again, awaited Cuculleli’s return from the loss-side. 

Cuculleli picked up a bye in her opening, loss-side round, and then defeated Stephanie Goens 7-5 to draw Hansen. Jolie drew Todd, who’d gotten by Teresa Gifford 7-5 and Melody Kuty 7-2. A Cuculleli/Jolie re-match occurred when Cuculleli downed Hansen 7-4 and Jolie had ended Todd’s day 7-5. The re-match went Cuculleli’s way 7-3, and she turned to face Parsons. 

She got by Parsons 7-3, and the second straight Atwell/Cuculleli final was on. Atwell improved on their last meeting, allowing Cuculleli only two racks in a 9-2 victory that sealed her second straight undefeated weekend on the tour. 

“Please include a huge thank you to Michael’s Billiards for hosting our championships,” said tour director Todd. “Great location, staff and fans, and to top it off, they were open 24 hours a day throughout the weekend.” 

According to Todd, a 2012 event schedule, which will include WPBA qualifiers, is being formulated, and will be released as soon as that schedule is finalized.