Archive Page

Shaw and Kelly take Pro Championship titles on closing night of the SBE

Jayson Shaw and Kelly Fisher

Bruner and Malm capture Amateur titles

The Annual Super Billiards Expo (SBE), like other tournaments of similar size and length, has a way of building momentum and speed as the week of it goes by. This varies slightly, depending on whether you’re a spectator or a player. As an example, Kelly Fisher, who emerged from a 63-entrant field and went on to become the undefeated WPBA Women’s Pro Players Champion on Sunday, played a single match on Thursday (she’d been awarded an opening round bye) and didn’t play again until Saturday, when she played twice. On Sunday, already among the event’s 16 players to enter the single-elimination phase, she played three times in a row to claim the title. Jayson Shaw, who went on to become the undefeated, 73-entrant Diamond Open 9-Ball Pro event winner had the same experience. In both cases, the Thursday and Friday experience was a little slower. The Saturday and Sunday experience seemed to flash by like proverbial greased lighting.

The Amateur Players Championship, which featured four short of 1,000 entrants (by far, the most heavily attended event) began on Wednesday and like the Pro events, ended on Sunday. That single-elimination process began with a lot of layover time for the competitors; time which narrowed and eventually, went flying by. Its champion, Chris Bruner, though, was used to it. As a participant at the SBE for about 20 years, he’d finished third at the last one and over the years, had five or so finishes of 5th or better. But playing in the APA, he’d also been a veteran of similar, large-entrant fields, requiring days and days of non-stop pool, or in the early going of such competition, waiting for the non-stop pool to begin.

“It’s tough,” he said, “but with things like the APA Nationals in Vegas, you get used to those long days. You get accustomed to it; the mindset that you have to chill out, relax and go play your game.”

“I’ve been doing it for so long that in the last five or six years, I’ve learned what to do and what not to do,” he added. “Get as much rest as you can, get enough sleep, and just take it day by day.”

Bruner ended up winning 10 matches and only lost two sets. Only once did he compete against someone he knew; Brent Hensley, with whom he has been friends for a long time. To him, the reward had less to do with the $5,000 in cash that he received as the Amateur Champion, than it was about, after all of the years he’d been attending, finally winning it. 

“I’m still on Cloud Nine,” he said, about three hours after the event had ended, around 6:30 on Sunday night. “I’ve been so close for so many years.”

A field of 166 entrants competed in the Women’s Amateur Players Championship. Tina Malm went undefeated through that field to claim the title, downing Ashley Benoit in the finals.

By Saturday night, the WPBA’s 63-entrant Women’s 9-Ball Professional Championship had whittled down to its 16-entrant single elimination phase. The 16 women advancing (in fact, the entire field of the event) featured many of the most highly recognizable names in women’s pool and with the exception of two from the UK (the Fishers, Kelly and Allison), all were from the North American continent; two, being Canadians (Brittany Bryant and Veronique Menard). Among the 47 who did not make the cut were a few junior competitors – Skylar Hess, Savannah Easton and Hayleigh Marion – along with Jeri Engh, who, in her 80s, was the event’s oldest participant. Women of the J. Pechauer Northeast Women’s Tour were well-represented, along with the presence of, though not participation on the part of the tournament’s director, Linda Shea. Along with Kia Burwell and Caroline Pao, who did become two of the final 16, and C.C. Strain, who acted as the tournament director for all of the SBE’s Amateur events, tour members Ada Lio, Kathy Friend, Eugenia Gyftopoulos, Judie Wilson and Shanna Lewis competed.

On Sunday morning, the final eight paired up in four quarterfinal matches. The marquee pairing among them featured the Fishers, who’d last met in the finals of the WPBA’s Northern Lights Classic last month. Joann Mason-Parker took on Caroline Pao, Jennifer Baretta faced Kim Newsome and Canada’s Veronique Menard matched up with Teruko Cucculelli.

In races to 11, Kelly Fisher defeated Allison Fisher 11-8 and Joann Mason Parker downed Caroline Pao 11-2. “9mm” Baretta shot down Kim Newsome 11-6 and Cucculelli eliminated Menard 11-9. In the semifinals that followed, Kelly Fisher defeated Mason-Parker 11-4 and in the finals, met Baretta, who’d defeated Cucculelli 11-4.

Fisher and Baretta traded racks through the first five games, after which Kelly was ahead 3-2. She added a rack, off Baretta’s break for a two-rack lead before Baretta came back with two to tie things for the third time at 4-4. Fisher won seven of the next eight games to claim the title.

Look for a report on the Diamond Open NineBall Professional Players Championship and the top finishers from the eight Amateur events in a separate report on these pages. 

Go to discussion...

Evans goes undefeated, splits top prize with Tate on Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour stop

Jason Evans

Earlier this year, in February, we reported on a victory for Jason Evans on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, which, in a career that’s spanned almost 20 years, was his first recorded victory in a major event. His best recorded earnings year (2002) came as the result of placing 3rd at a stop on the Joss Tour, 17th at the IBC Championships and three cash finishes at that year’s Derby City Classic. He has a way to go before he can match his earnings from that year, but on Saturday, October 5, he chalked up his second win* on the 2019 Q City 9-Ball Tour. He went undefeated at the event, but split the top two prizes when he and junior competitor Joey Tate, whom he’d defeated, double hill in the hot seat match, opted out of a final match. The $1,000-added event drew 39 entrants to The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA.
 
Evans advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against Blade Best, while Tate squared off against Brent Hensley. Evans got into the hot seat match with a 9-4 victory over Best, as Tate was locked up in a straight-up race to 7, double hill fight against Hensley. Tate won it and then, in what proved to be the event finals, a second straight double hill match, fell to Evans 9-6 (Tate racing to 7).
 
On the loss side, Best drew Shane Woodrum, who’d shut out Travis Guerra and defeated Dustin Coe 5-2 to reach him. In an earlier round, Coe had defeated Shane’s older brother, Chris Woodrum 6-4. Hensley picked up Jonathan Ailstock, who’d been defeated by Evans in a winners’ side quarterfinal and then defeated Travis Shelton and Hank Powell, both 6-4.
 
Woodrum fell to Best 6-3, as Ailstock was busy downing Hensley 6-5 (Hensley racing to 7). Ailstock defeated Best 6-4 in the quarterfinals that followed, and with the notion of a rematch against Evans in the finals, squared off against Tate in the semifinals.
 
Tate, though, stopped Ailstock’s four-match, loss-side run with a 7-4 win in those semifinals. He and Evans opted out of the final, awarding the undefeated Evans the event title.
 
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at The Clubhouse, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Bar Pool Tables, Delta 13 Racks, AZ Billiards and Professor Q-Ball. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this weekend (October 12-13), will be hosted by Gate City Billiards Club in Greensboro, NC.

Hall claims second 2019 Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball title

Collin Hall

 

Collin Hall’s 2019 year at the tables is playing out the way his 2018 year did. On Saturday, July 20 at the Gate City Billiard Club in Greensboro, NC, Hall chalked up his second victory of the year* on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour. At this point last year, July 21 to be exact, he’d chalked up only his first 2018 victory. He’s already won twice in 2019 and has until October 13-14 to break a two-per-year threshold he’s faced on three separate occasions; 2016, 2018 and now, 2019. He’s defeated six different opponents in those six final matches, including Danny Jones and Jeff Young in 2016, Brent Hensley and Wes Campbell in 2018.
 
Hall beat Scott Roberts at The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA in April of this year. This most recent event drew 35 entrants to the Gate City Billiards Club in Greensboro, NC. Hall took the hot seat match over BJ Ussery, and then watched, as Scott Johnson, in the midst of an eight-match loss-side winning streak, got way out in front against Ussery in the semifinal. Johnson, at the start, was getting five beads on the wire in a race to 12, so at 6-6, Johnson was on the hill. He missed three opportunities shooting at the 9-ball that would have sent him to the finals against Hall. Ussery took advantage and defeated him 12-6 for a second shot at Hall which didn’t happen. A room curfew led Hall and Ussery to negotiate a prize settlement in lieu of a final match and as the undefeated hot seat occupant, Hall claimed the title.
 
Their first clash in the hot seat match came after two double hill matchups in the winners’ side semifinals. Hall downed Cartelli 6-4. Ussery sent Shaun Apple to the left bracket 12-4. Hall entered the hot seat match with six on the wire in a race to 12 against Ussery and chalked up the six he needed to win 6-9, in what was, in essence, the event’s title match.
 
On the loss side, it was Shaun Apple who picked up Johnson, six matches into his loss-side streak, who’d just eliminated Bradley Barker and James Blackburn, both 7-5. Cartelli drew Joe Woo, who’d eliminated Gary Campbell 6-2 and Alex Valencia 6-4.
 
Johnson got into the quarterfinals with a 7-3 win over Apple. He was joined by Cartelli, who’d ended Woo’s day 5-2. Johnson won what would prove to be his last match of the day, defeating Cartelli 7-3 in those quarterfinals.
 
Johnson, who’s not appeared on a payout list (to our knowledge) since 2016, when he was runner-up to the tour’s most prolific player, JT Ringgold, entered the semifinals looking for a chance to compete in his second final in three years. And almost pulled it off. As noted above, he was in the driver’s seat, on the hill, poised (thanks to the room curfew) to chalk up a second runner-up victory against one of the tour’s best. He stumbled going into what amounted to be the ‘final turn,’ and Ussery closed the gap to win the game, match and what was essentially, the battle for the runner-up slot.
 
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Gate City Billiards, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Bar Pool Tables, Delta 13 Racks, AZ Billiards and Professor Q-Ball. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this weekend (July 27-28), will be hosted by The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA.
 

Hall wins his fifth Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour stop in Lynchburg, VA

Collin Hall

Two of Collin Hall’s five victories on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour have been accomplished at The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA. He won the first of those two this past July, and on the weekend of October 13-14, he chalked up the second (fifth overall). Hall went undefeated and in lieu of a final match, he split the top two cash prizes with Brent Hensley. The event drew 33 entrants to The Clubhouse.
 
Hall advanced through the field and arrived at a winners’ side final match against James Blackburn. Hensley, in the meantime, squared off against the owner of The Clubhouse, Chris England. Hall advanced to the hot seat 6-5 over Blackburn (Blackburn racing to 9). He was joined by Hensley, who’d sent England to the loss side 7-3. Hall claimed the hot seat, and, as it turned out, the event title by winning a double hill hot seat match over Hensley.
 
On the loss side, Blackburn picked up Travis Guerra, who’d defeated Bobby McCoy 6-1 and Lee O’Neal 6-4 to reach him. England drew Brian Bryant, who’d eliminated Chuck Cuneo and Bernie Kirby, both 9-3.
 
Blackburn got right back to winning, downing Guerra 9-3 and advancing to the quarterfinals. Bryant joined him after chalking up his third straight 9-3 win, over England. Blackburn broke that 9-3 streak and battled Bryant to double hill before Bryant prevailed in those quarterfinals.
 
Hensley and Bryant battled to double hill in the semifinals, as well, thought it would be Hensley who advanced for a second shot against Hall, waiting in the hot seat. The decision to opt out of the final match was reached and as the undefeated hot seat occupant, Hall claimed the official event title.
 
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked Chris England and The Clubhouse staff, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Bar Pool Tables, Delta 13 Racks, AZ Billiards and Professor Q-Ball. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this weekend (Oct. 20-21), will be hosted by Mickey Milligan’s in New Bern, NC.

Holliday goes undefeated to win Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Bar Box Tour Championship

He had to win two double hill matches out of his final three, but Taz Holliday did just that on the weekend of October 28-29 to complete an undefeated run and win the 2017 Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Bar Box Tour Championship. The $1,000-added, invitational event drew 77 entrants, representing seven states (FL, GA, NC, SC, VA, TN, and WV) to Cue Time in Spartanburg, SC.
 
Holliday’s first double hill fight of his final three matches came in a winners’ side semifinal against the higher-handicapped Bobby McGrath. With McGrath racing to 11, Holliday got into the hot seat match with a 6-10 win over him. Jason Potts, playing in the other winners’ side semifinal, defeated Brent Hensley 7-4. With Potts racing to 7, Holliday claimed the hot seat 6-5 and waited for Potts to come back from the semifinals.
 
On the loss side, McGrath picked up Michael Chapman, who’d defeated Justin Duncan 7-5 and Scott Roberts 7-3 to reach him. Hensley drew Jerry Ray Harris, who’d eliminated Bo Blakely 6-2 and survived a double hill fight versus Chris Gentile (6-8, Gentile racing to 9). Chapman and Harris handed McGrath and Hensley their second straight loss; Chapman 7-9 over McGrath (racing to 11) and Harris 6-2 over Hensley.
 
Chapman dropped Harris off in the quarterfinals 7-2, but had his modest loss-side streak ended by Potts in the semifinals 7-5. Holliday completed his undefeated run with a re-match double hill win over Potts in the finals.
 
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Cue Time for their hospitality, 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 will be the $1,000-added, 3rd Annual North Carolina State 8-Ball Championships. Scheduled for November 4-5, this annual event has been won by Mike Davis over the past two years, and will be hosted by Brown’s Billiards in Raleigh, NC.
 

Ailstock splits double elimination final versus Hall to win Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball stop

Jonathan Ailstock

Jonathan Ailstock brushed aside a double hill defeat in the opening set of a true double elimination final on the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour and came back to down Collin Hall in the second set to claim the event title. The event, held on the weekend of June 3-4, drew 28 entrants to The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA.

 

Ailstock and Hall had almost met in the hot seat match, but Hall was sent to the loss side 9-2 in a winners' side semifinal against Ron Frank. Ailstock, in the meantime, defeated Justin Clark 7-3 to join Frank in the hot seat battle, won by Ailstock 7-4.

 

Hall moved to the loss side and picked up Brent Hensley, who'd defeated Trey Frank (Ron Frank's son) 7-4 and Scott Roberts 7-5 to reach him. Clark drew Greg Taylor, who'd eliminated Steves  Dye and McClinton, 9-3 and 9-6, respectively. Hall defeated Hensley 7-3, while Clark downed Taylor 6-5 (Taylor racing to 9).

 

Hall took the quarterfinal match against Clark 7-2, and then, with the elder Frank racing to 9, eliminated him 7-7, for a shot at Ailstock in the hot seat. The two battled to double hill in the opening set of the true double elimination final before Hall prevailed, forcing a second set. Ailstock rallied and allowed Hall only three racks in the second set to win and claim the event title.

 

Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at The Clubhouse (who'd agreed to host the event, after a last-minute change of venue), 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 June 10-11, will be hosted by Corner Pockets in Fayetteville, NC.

Adams comes from deep on the loss side to take Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball title

In what was his second win on the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour (his first was in 2015), Daniel Adams won eight matches on the loss side of the event's double elimination bracket to meet and defeat hot seat occupant Trey Frank in an agreed-upon single match final. The event drew 33 entrants to the site of Adams' first victory on the tour, The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA.
 
After being awarded an opening round bye, Adams won a single match before being sent to the loss side by Mike Hancock. From there, Adams began his eight-match, loss-side trip back to the finals.
 
His eventual opponent in the finals, Trey Frank, in the meantime, advanced to a winners' side semifinal against Cameron Lawhorne. Travis Guerra and Brent Hensley squared off in the other winners' side semifinal. Frank got into the hot seat match with a 7-3 win over Lawhorne, and was joined by Guerra, who'd sent Hensley west 6-3. Frank claimed the hot seat 7-1, and waited and watched as Adams completed his run to meet him.
 
Halfway through his eight-match, loss-side run, Adams downed Jordan Shifflett 7-2, and then defeated Scott Roberts, double hill, to pick up Hensley. Lawhorne drew Shane Wolford, who'd defeated Brian Bryant 8-7 (Brian racing to 9), and Collin Hall 8-2 to reach him (Hall had spoiled any re-match hopes that Adams had been entertaining by defeating Hancock in the previous loss-side round).
 
Adams and Wolford handed Hensley and Lawhorne their second straight loss; Adams downing Hensley, double hill, and Wolford sending Lawhorne home 8-3. With Wolford racing to 8, Adams took the subsequent quarterfinal match 7-6, and completed his loss-side run with a 7-3 victory over Guerra in the semifinals.
 
By mutual agreement, Adams and Frank opted out of the tour's normal "true double elimination" final format and allowed a single match to determine the outcome. The single match went double hill and gave Adams his second Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball title.
 
Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at The Clubhouse for their hospitality, 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 this weekend (April 22-23), will be hosted by a new venue for the tour, the 21 Pool Room in Charleston, WV.

Hall comes back from the loss side to take Blackburn in GSBT finals

Justin Hall was just in time, so to speak.

Hall came back from a third round loss during the March 24-25 stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour to meet and defeat hot seat occupant, James Blackburn, and claim the event title. The $1,500-added Clubhouse Amateur drew 44 entrants to The Clubhouse Bar & Billiards in Lynchburg, VA.

Blackburn moved on to meet Albert Otto among the winners’ side final four, and was joined by Jeff Abernathy and Melvin Shelton. Blackburn sent Otto to join Hall 7-4, as Abernathy downed Shelton 10-4. Blackburn got into the hot seat with a double hill, 7-9 win and waited for Hall.

With two loss-side wins already, Hall defeated Chuck Cuneo 10-7 and Brian Bryant 10-2 to pick up Shelton. Otto met up with Brent Hensley who’d defeated Warren Drummond 9-8 and Steve Dye 9-5. Otto moved into the quarterfinals, following a 6-7 win over Hensley, and was met by Hall, who’d defeated Shelton 10-2. Hall then shut out Otto to meet up with the man who’d significantly lengthened his tournament run back in the third round, Jeff Abernathy. He exacted his semifinal revenge 10-7 and moved on to the double set finals.

Hall took the opening set 10-2, and though Blackburn put up more of a fight in the second set, it wasn’t enough. A 10-5 win in that second set gave Justin Hall the ‘just in time’ victory that captured the event title.

Tour directors Shannon and Marge Daulton thanked Clubhouse owner Chris England and his staff for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Mike Davis Exterminating, Tiger Products and Delta-13 racks. Next stop for the GSBT is a $1,500-added event, scheduled for March 31-April 2 at Lucky Shot Billiards in Albemarle, NC.

Hensley dodges Park bullet to win GSBT

Brent Hensley went undefeated on the Great Southern Billiard Tour’s stop on the weekend of October 29-30, but not before Ron Park returned from an earlier defeat at his hands and challenged him in the finals. The $1,500-added amateur 9-ball event drew 50 entrants to Janet Atwell‘s Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN.

Hensley sent Park west from among the winners’ side final eight, 7-4, and turned to face Russ Edwards among the final four. Joining them were Buffy Jolie and Wes Covington. Jolie shut Covington out, while Hensley advanced to the hot seat match with a 7-6 victory over Edwards. Hensley gained the hot seat with a 7-2 win over Jolie and awaited Park’s return.

Following loss-side victories over Brian Capps 9-9 (Capps needing 11), and Robert Green 9-6, Park drew Covington. Edwards picked up Brian White, who’d gotten by both Jonathan Frassrand and Walt Newsome 11-3. Edwards dominated his match against White 9-1, while Park advanced to join him in the quarterfinals with a 9-4 victory over Covington. 

With three down and two to go for a re-match against Hensley, Park dropped Edwards 9-6, and then defeated Jolie 9-3 in the semifinals. Hensley, though, repeated his earlier performance against Park, allowing him only one more rack in the opening, and as it turned out, only set of the true double elimination final. 

Brandon Kidwell, Jonathan Frassrand, Charlie Taylor and Brian Capps received free entry ($60 value) for their finish in the tie for ninth place. Tour directors Shannon and Marge Daulton thanked Janet Atwell and her Borderline Billiards staff for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Mike Davis Exterminating, Tiger Products and Delta-13 racks.