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Hernandez comes from the loss side, while “Alaska” goes undefeated on the Predator Tour

Jorge Rodriguez, Sean Morgan, Lee Kang and Hunter Lombardo

Henry Hernandez won five matches on the loss side to meet and defeat Amy Yu in the finals of the Amateur event on the September 26-27 stop on the Predator Tour. Sean "Alaska" Morgan, in the meantime, went undefeated through a short Open/Pro field at the same dual event. The $2,000-added Amateur event drew 52 entrants to Gotham City Billiards in Brooklyn, NY. The $1,000-added Open/Pro event drew nine entrants.
 
Hernandez advanced to a winners' side quarterfinal, before being sent to the loss side by Steve Astashen 7-3. Astashen moved on to meet Shawn Sookhai, as Amy Yu met up with Omar Chavez in the other winners' side semifinal. Double hill wins for Yu and Astashen set them up for the hot seat match, won by Yu 9-7.
 
On the loss side, Hernandez began his journey back to the finals with a 7-5 win over Annie Flores, and followed that with a 7-4 victory over Koka Davladze. This set him up to meet Sookhai. Chavez drew Xavier Romero, who'd gotten by Diana Rojas and Mike Figueroa, both 7-4. Hernandez and Romero handed Sookhai and Chavez their second straight loss; 7-4, Hernandez over Sookhai and 7-1, Romero over Chavez.
 
Hernandez survived a double hill quarterfinal versus Romero, and then, avenged his earlier loss to Astashen with a 7-4 win against him in the semifinals. Hernandez downed Amy Yu in the finals 11-7 to claim the Amateur title.
 
Three wins put Sean "Alaska" Morgan into the Open/Pro hot seat. He defeated Jorge Rodriguez 7-5 to get into the hot seat match against Lee Kang, who'd defeated Brian Yi 7-1. Morgan claimed the hot seat 7-2.
 
On the loss side, Hunter Lombardo and Elvis Rodriguez squared off in the only 9-12 match. Lombardo won it 7-2 and then defeated Kevin Guimond 7-3, to draw Yi. Rodriguez picked up Chris Derewonski, who'd eliminated Tony Robles 7-4. Lombardo squeaked by Yi 7-6, and in the quarterfinals, faced Rodriguez, who'd eliminated Derewonski 7-5. 
 
Rodriguez won the quarterfinal match versus Lombardo 7-2, before having his brief, loss-side streak ended by Kang 7-3 in the semifinals. Morgan completed his undefeated run with a second victory over Kang 9-3.
 

Stevens goes undefeated on Predator Amateur stop; Open cancelled due to weather threat

James Stevens picked up his first win on the Predator Tour; in fact, based on information at our disposal, his first win in any tournament, with an undefeated run through 90 entrants, on hand for the $500-added, March 1-2 stop on the Predator Tour, hosted by Steinway Billiards, in Astoria, NY. Responding to concerns about the arrival of seriously inclement weather, the tour stop did not include an Open tournament.
 
Stevens faced different opponents in the hot seat and finals. Once he'd defeated Diana Rojas 7-5, among the winners' side final four, he faced Steve Wright, who'd just sent Stevens' eventual finals opponent, Victor Nau, to the losers' bracket 7-4. Stevens got into the hot seat with a 7-3 win over Wright and waited for Nau, who'd come later.
 
On the loss side, Nau picked up Luis Novas, who'd survived a double hill battle versus Dave Shlemperis, and defeated Roberto Mendoza 7-4. Rojas drew Chicky Romero, who'd gotten by Gus Iliotoulos 7-4 and Josh Friedberg 7-5. Nau and Rojas got right back to work, downing Novas (7-4) and Romero (7-3), and advancing to the quarterfinals.
 
Nau then navigated his way through two straight double hill matches; against Rojas in the quarterfinals, and then, Wright, in the semifinals. It gave him the shot at Stevens that he'd been looking for, although the end result was not what he'd expected. Stevens gave up only a single rack to Nau, completing his undefeated run with a dominating 8-1 performance to claim the event title.

Strickland wins short-field Predator Open; Grassman wins Amateur event

Earl Strickland

Jeremy Sossei and Earl Strickland played twice in the February 23 Open event on the Predator Tour, with Strickland winning both times. Eric Grassman faced two different opponents in the Amateur event over the weekend and won twice, as well; against Diana Rojas and Thomas Rice. The $500-added Amateur event drew 48 entrants, while the $500-added Open drew 10 to Gotham City Billiards in Brooklyn, NY.
 
Strickland and Sossei met first in the battle for the hot seat. Strickland had downed Jorge Rodriguez 7-5 in one winners' side semifinal, while Sossei defeated Tony Robles 7-3 in the other. Strickland moved into the hot seat with his first win over Sossei 7-3.
 
Rodriguez moved over to pick up Emily Duddy, who'd defeated Joe Gibbons 7-1 and Larry Ross 7-4. Robles drew Joey Korsiak, who'd gotten by Jerry Tarantola 7-3 and shut out Mike Esposito. Rodriguez and Korsiak met in the quarterfinals, once Rodriguez had downed Duddy 7-2 and Korsiak had defeated Robles 7-3. Rodriguez then shut out Korsiak and got a shot at Sossei in the semifinals. Sossei denied Rodriguez a re-match against Strickland with a 7-5 win, and then, in his own re-match, fell to Strickland in the finals 7-3.
 
On the Amateur side, the eventual winner, Grassman, met up with Steve Wright among the winners' side final four, as Diana Rojas faced Thomas Rice. Grassman and Rojas advanced to the hot seat match with identical 7-1 wins over Wright and Rice. Grassman sent Rojas to the semifinals 8-4.
 
On the loss side, Rice picked up James Stevens, who'd defeated William Finnegan 7-1 and Tony Ignomirello 7-4 to reach him. Wright drew Chris Derewonski, who'd gotten by Koka Davladze 7-3 and survived a double hill match against Roberto Mendoza. Wright and Rice got right back to work; Wright shutting out Derewonski, while Rice eliminated Stevens 7-2.
 
Rice took the quarterfinal match 7-5 over Wright, and successfully navigated his semifinal re-match against Rojas 7-3. Rice battled Grassman to double hill before Grassman prevailed to claim the Amateur event title.
 
Tour director Tony Robles thanked Gotham City Billiard owners, Kevin and Isabel Buckley, for their hospitality and continuing support of the tour.