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Shabib comes back from first-set loss to down Hooks and win Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball stop

September 19th, 2017 | azhousepro | Uncategorized

Raed Shabib

While headlines have tended to focus on the state of Florida’s fortunes in the wake of Hurricane Irma, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that Irma’s impact stretched further north, as far as Atlanta, GA, where as late as this past weekend (September 16-17), there were still thousands of people without power. Mr. Cues II in Atlanta had the power necessary to host a Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour stop over the weekend, though the continuing issues may well have contributed to a relatively low field of competitors. Raed Shabib navigated his way through a field of 28, on-hand for the $500-added event, and after dropping the opening set of a true double elimination final to Jeff Hooks, came back to win the second set and claim the event title.
 
Shabib advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against Marvin Reed, as Jeff Crawford squared off against Mike Chapman. Shabib got into the hot seat match with an 8-4 win over Reed. He was joined by Crawford, who’d defeated Chapman 9-3. Shabib claimed the hot seat with an 8-7 win over Crawford, who was racing to 9, and waited on the return of what turned out to be Jeff Hooks, who, at the time of the hot seat match, was in the midst of a five-game, loss-side winning streak that began with a defeat at the hands of Reed, and would give him a shot against Shabib in the finals.
 
On the loss side, it was Chapman who drew Hooks, three matches into his streak, with recent wins over John Maikke 7-4 and Bernardo Hernandez, 7-8 (Hernandez racing to 10). Reed picked up Justin Duncan, who was on a win streak of his own, having been defeated in the event’s opening round, and winning six straight to advance as far as the quarterfinals.
 
Hooks downed Chapman 7-2 and was joined in the quarterfinals by Duncan, who defeated Reed 6-5 (Reed racing to 7). Hooks and Duncan locked up in a double hill fight that saw both of them miss a shot at the 9-ball, three times, in the deciding game. Hooks eventually advanced to the semifinals against Crawford, where a 7-6 win (Crawford racing to 9) gave him a shot against Shabib in the hot seat.
 
With Shabib racing to 8, Hooks took the true double elimination opener 7-6. With one loss for each of them going into the second set, they battled to double hill for the title. Shabib hung on to win it 8-6 and claim that title.
 
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Mr. Cues II, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Delta 13 Racks, AZBilliards and Professor Q Ball. The next stop on the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for September 23-24, will be hosted by Brown’s Billiards in Raleigh, NC.
 

Byrd goes undefeated on Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, winning one for his Mom

May 18th, 2017 | azhousepro | Uncategorized

Dustin Byrd had a lunch date with his Mom on Mother’s Day, May 14. He missed that luncheon date when his performance on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour on Saturday, May 13 dictated a return to the tables on Sunday. He capitalized on that lost lunch and the potential for any Mom ‘payback’ by winning three straight double hill matches to complete an undefeated run, and then dedicating the win to his mother, Denise. The $1,000-added event drew 51 entrants to Mr. Cues II in Atlanta, GA.

Byrd faced Bernardo Hernandez twice in this event; hot seat and finals. He got into the hot seat match with a double hill win over Corey Morphew, as Hernandez was busy sending Greg Burke to the loss side 9-4. Byrd claimed the hot seat, double hill (6-8; Hernandez racing to 9) and waited on Hernandez’ return.

On the loss side, Morphew picked up Steve Thompson, who’d lost his opening match and was in the midst of a nine-match, loss-side winning streak that had advanced him through the first money round (9/12), defeating Justin Clark 6-5 and then downed Hadi Lee 6-3. Burke drew Matt Lucas, who’d eliminated Jeff Jordan and Henry Cofer, both 5-3, to reach him.

With Morphew racing to 9, Thompson advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-8 win over him. He was joined by Burke, who’d defeated Lucas 7-1. Thompson chalked up his last, loss-side win with a 6-4 victory over Burke.

Hernandez defeated Thompson 9-4 in the semifinals to earn himself a second shot against Byrd in the hot seat. Hernandez may have forgotten that it was Mother’s Day, and possibly didn’t know that Byrd had something of a promise to keep. Byrd reminded him with a second double hill win that allowed him to claim the title.

Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Mr. Cues II, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Delta 13 Racks, AZBilliards and Professor Q Ball. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for May 20-21, will be hosted by Gate City Billiards in Greensboro, NC.