The Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour paid a visit to Charleston, WV on Saturday, April 22 and saw Chris Mitchell and Tyrus Kelley battle three times to determine the title winner. Mitchell took two out of the three to claim that title. The event drew 31 entrants to a new venue on the tour – Rooster's 21 Pool Room in Charleston.
They met first in the hot seat match. Mitchell had sent Nick Carson to the loss side 10-1 in one winners' side semifinal, as Kelley sent Steve Christian over 5-3 in the other. Mitchell claimed the hot seat 10-3 and waited on Kelley's return.
On the loss side, Carson picked up Steve Trout, who'd eliminated Joe Ackinson, double hill, and Chris Wilson 5-4 (Wilson racing to 6). Christian drew T.J. Sexton, who'd defeated Stevie McClinton 6-5 (McClinton racing to 7), and Braiden McCoy 6-4.
Carson and Sexton advanced to the quarterfinals, giving up only one rack between them over 13 games; Trout was shutout by Carson, while Christian chalked up the single rack in his loss to Sexton.
Sexton gave up another single rack in defeating Carson in those quarterfinals, before Kelley shut him down 5-3 in the semifinals. Kelley made use of the intangible momentum of that win to take the opening set of the true double elimination final 5-8 (Mitchell racing to 10). Mitchell rallied in the second set to win it 10-3 and claim the event title.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Rooster's 21 Pool Room, 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 29-30), will be hosted by Brown's Billiards in Raleigh, NC.
Chris Mitchell won five matches, four to get into the hot seat and a single match final, to finish an undefeated run through a small field, on-hand for the Saturday April 2 stop on the Q City 9-Ball Tour. The event drew 14 to The League Room in Parkersburg, West Virginia.
Mitchell advanced to a winners' side semifinal against Robert Ash, while Kevin Jackson took on Nick Carson in the other one. Mitchell got into the hot seat match with a commanding 10-1 victory over Ash, as Jackson downed Carson 8-6. Mitchell won his fourth of five, defeating Jackson 10-4 to claim the hot seat.
On the loss side, Joey Arbuckle, sent to the loss side by Ash in a winners' side quarterfinal, was embarked on a five-match, loss-side run that would take him into the finals against Mitchell. He downed John O'Neal and Pat Rauch, both 10-4, to draw Carson. Ash picked up Roger Davis, who'd eliminated Brian James 8-4 and Alex Boles 8-3.
Ash and Arbuckle advanced to a re-match in the quarterfinals; Ash, 5-4 over Davis (Davis racing to 8) and Arbuckle, 10-5 over Carson. Arbuckle won the re-match 10-3 and then eliminated Jackson 10-4 in the semifinals. In a straight-up race to 10, Mitchell stopped Arbuckle's bid in the potential true double elimination final, by grabbing the opening set 10-8.
Though the Q City 9-Ball Tour will be idle next week, its tour directors, Herman and Angela Parker will be joining a host of area competitors in the 1st Annual Don Coates Memorial Tournament at Brass Tap & Billiards in Raleigh, NC. Organized by the owner of the Brass Tap, Tony Coates, in memory of his father, the event is expected to draw competitors from around the country, as it will include two tournaments, offering a combined $10,000 in added money. A $2,000-added One Pocket tournament is slated to begin on Wednesday, April 6, and an $8,000-added 9-Ball Tournament will get underway on Friday. The 9-Ball Tournament is expected to draw a strong field because it has been designated as a Mosconi Cup points qualifier. Q city 9-Ball TD, Herman Parker will compete in the 9-Ball event, while his wife, Angela, racks 'em up in the One Pocket event.
