(l to r): Bobby Martin (owner), Tommy Kennedy, Stephen Richmond, Rick Martin (owner)
Tommy Kennedy went undefeated through an extraordinarily short field of 10 entrants who competed in the J. Pechauer SE Open 9-Ball Tour’s $1,000-added Bob and Brad Martin Memorial Tournament held on Labor Day weekend, August 31-September 1 at The Miscue Lounge in Fort Myers, FL.
“We had a small turnout,” said Kennedy in a Facebook post, “but not a lack of talent.”
Kennedy battled twice against Stephen Richmond to claim the title. Kennedy had sent Eric Huddleston to the loss side 9-3 in one winners’ side semifinal, as Richmond was sending Willie McBride west in the other one. In their first of two, they battled to double hill before Kennedy prevailed to claim the hot seat.
On the loss side, Huddleston drew and defeated Eric Gouder 7-3 and advanced to the quarterfinals. He was joined by McBride, who had picked up Keith Lennox and sent him home 7-4.
McBride took the quarterfinal match 7-4 over Huddleston and had his brief loss-side trip halted by Richmond 7-4 in the semifinals.
The race was extended to 11 for the finals rematch. Kennedy completed his undefeated run with an 11-6 victory to claim the event title.
Kennedy thanked Bobby and Rick Martin, co-owners of the Miscue Lounge for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor J. Pechauer Cues, Simonis Cloth, Mueller Recreational Products and tournamentsnearme.com. The next stop on the J. Pechauer Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for the weekend of September 21-22, will be hosted by Mr. Cues II in Atlanta, GA.
There are any number of pivot points in a pool game, match or tournament, at any skill level. Identification of such a pivot point may differ between competitor and spectator, but in either case, a good shot in an individual game, a critical game victory, match result, or even just a good roll can signify a turning point that propels a player forward to the winners’ circle. Victor Silva’s pivot point during the August 25-26 stop on the Tri-State Tour may have occurred during his fifth loss-side, and seventh overall match, against the Tri-State Tour’s 2017-2018 Most Improved Player of the Year, Matthew Klein. Klein had defeated Silva in a double hill, second round match. Silva came back to defeat him in the matches that determined the two-way tie for fifth place, and then advanced through to meet and defeat hot seat occupant, Teddy Lubis, in a tightly contested, double hill final that earned Silva his first recorded Tri-State win (and his first entry into the AZBilliards database). The $1,000-added event drew 46 entrants to Amsterdam Billiard Club in Manhattan.
With Silva at work on the loss side, Klein advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against Lubis, as Kiril Safranov and Amy Yu squared off in the other one. Lubis and Safranov moved on to the hot seat match after identical 7-5 wins over Klein and Yu. Lubis claimed the hot seat 7-3 over Safranov and waited for Silva to complete his loss-side trip.
Klein moved west and ran right into a rematch against Silva, who’d chalked up loss-side wins #3 and #4 against Charles Brancato and Thomas Schreiber, both 7-4. Yu picked up Eric Hummel, who’d eliminated Mike Mele 7-5 and Jason Daniel Decker 6-4 to reach her.
Silva downed Klein 7-4 and pivoted towards the final. Yu joined him in the quarterfinals after a 6-4 victory over Hummel.
The (Sunday) night, though, was young and while he’d cleared his re-match hurdle, there were two more to clear before he’d even get a shot at claiming his first event title. He was challenged, double hill, in both of them, but he defeated Yu in the quarterfinals, and Safranov in the semifinals to get that shot.
In the extended race-to-7 format, Silva had to reach 7 ahead of Lubis to extend the match to nine games, and it almost didn’t happen. Lubis reached the ‘7’ hill first but found himself out of position to close it out. Silva did, though, and it was now a race to 9. Silva won the next game, as well, to reach the ‘9’ hill first. Silva had a shot at the 9-ball to close it out, but he missed, which led to a back and forth chase to sink that 9-ball, which eventually, Lubis did. He also won the next game, forcing Silva into his third straight double hill battle.
Lubis dropped two balls breaking the final rack, and had what looked to be a clean, open path to a runout. But he feathered a side-pocket shot a little too much, and not only did the target ball fail to drop, but the rolling cue ball failed to touch a rail. With ball in hand, Silva ran out to claim his first Tri-State title.
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Amsterdam Billiard Club, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Sterling-Gaming, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, Human Kinetics, QuicSlick and Bender Cues. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 9, will be hosted by Cue Bar in Bayside (Queens), NY.
(l to r) Amateur winners Bill Bloom, Miscue Lounge Owner Ricky Martin & Che Mvros
Boom goes undefeated to capture Amateur title
On Saturday, August 19, Tommy Kennedy, tour director of the J. Pechauer Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour, chalked up his second straight victory on the tour. Following his victory a week earlier at Uncle Waldo's Billiards in Daytona Beach, in which he followed a hot seat loss with a finals victory, Kennedy and the tour visited the Miscue Lounge in Fort Myers and repeated that process in the Bob and Brad Martin Memorial Tournament. Stephen Richmond sent him to the semifinals in this most recent, $600-added event that drew a short field of 14 entrants, but Kennedy came back to win a decisive victory in the finals.
In a $400-added Amateur event that drew 34 entrants on Sunday, August 20, Bill Bloom downed separate opponents in the hot seat (Antti Matilla) and finals (Che Mrvos) to claim the amateur title.
Kennedy's path in the Open event went through Randy Epperson in a winners' side semifinal, as Richmond battled Keith Lennox. Kennedy got into the hot seat match with a 9-4 win over Epperson and was joined by Richmond, who'd sent Lennox over 9-5. Richmond claimed the hot seat and his last win of the event 9-4 over Kennedy and waited on his return.
On the loss side, Epperson picked up Antti Matilla, who'd gotten by Anthony G. and John Deek to reach him. Lennox drew Glenn Olson, who'd defeated James R. and Jimmy Clay. Lennox locked up in a double hill fight that he eventually won against Olson, and in the quarterfinals, met up with Epperson, who'd eliminated Matilla 7-2.
Epperson downed Lennox 7-3 in those quarterfinals, but was defeated, same score, by Kennedy in the semifinals. Kennedy got his second shot at Richmond and took full advantage, downing him 11-4 in the finals to claim his second straight SE Open 9-Ball title.
In the Amateur event, Bill Bloom advanced to the hot seat match with a double hill win over Chris Hall in one winners' side semifinal, while Antti Matilla defeated Billy McBride 6-4 to join him. Bloom claimed the hot seat 6-4.
On the loss side, Hall picked up Trey Jankowski, who'd just defeated Eddie Green 4-1 in the event's first money round. McBride drew Che Mrvos, who'd eliminated Eric Huddleston 4-1.
Jankowski and Mrvos advanced to the quarterfinals over Hall and McBride, by the same 4-1 score. A double hill battle in those quarterfinals advanced Mrvos to the semifinals, where he defeated Matilla 4-1 for a shot at Bloom in the hot seat. Bloom completed his undefeated run with a 9-5 victory over Mrvos in the finals.
Kennedy, as tour director, thanked the ownership and staff at Miscue Lounge, as well as title sponsor J. Pechauer Custom Cues, Mueller Recreational Products, Simonis Cloth, Billiard Buzz, and Chris and Israel Hightower (Cue Man Billiard Products).
Eric Hunt took two matches over Cameo Moy to complete an undefeated run during the seventh stop on the New England 9-Ball Series. The event drew 29 entrants on the weekend of November 19-20 to Maxamilian's Billiards in Tyngsboro, MA.
They met first in the hot seat match. Hunt had downed Luca Bares 7-2, while Moy was busy dispatching Frank O'Malley to the loss side in a double hill win (4-5, with O'Malley racing to 6).
Hunt (a B+ player) claimed the hot seat over Moy (a C- player), double hill, which, with their respective handicaps, was a 9-3 win for Hunt.
On the loss side, O'Malley picked up Bobby Hooker, who'd gotten by Andrew Tankerly and Edgar Acosta, both 6-1. Bares drew Jeff Furness, who'd defeated Dana Mackenzie and Steve Sutton, both 6-4. O'Malley and Bares got handed their second straight loss with Hooker shutting out O'Malley and Furness eliminating Bares 7-3.
Furness took the quarterfinal match over Hooker 7-3, before having his loss-side streak ended by Moy in a double hill semifinal (4-8, Moy, with Furness, a B+ player, racing to 9).
In their second matchup, Moy and Hunt came within a game of duplicating their double hill hot seat match in the opening set of the true double elimination final. Hunt, though, pulled ahead to claim the event title in a single 9-2 set.
Stop # 8 in the New England 9-Ball Series, scheduled for Saturday, November 26, will be a $500-added event, hosted by Towne Billiards in Hamden, CT.
The Association of College Unions International will be hosting its Collegiate 9-Ball Championships, June 10–12 at Arizona State University. The annual competition will bring together 27 men and 10 women competitors from 19 institutions who qualified at preliminary tournaments hosted by ACUI and partnering schools, ranging from Tempe, Ariz. to State College, Pa. The tournament will award scholarships to the top three finishers ($1,000, $500, and $250) in each division and crown the 2016 ACUI Collegiate 9-Ball champions.
Men's Division
Ryan Franklin – Arizona State University Cameron Boesch – Arizona State University
Christopher Pineres – Florida International University Michael Landa – Florida International University
Daniel Satinoff – Florida International University Haiqi Wen – Georgia Institute of Technology Jay Howell – Georgia Institute of Technology Eric Huntemann – Lindenwood University Tanner Nickels – Lindenwood University Sharik Sayed – Lindenwood University Brett Snowden – Lindenwood University Sean Sommers – Lindenwood University
Braxton Coleman – Radford University Dioblo Smith – Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville
Stephen Wyatt – University of Central Missouri Ben Keeper – University of Delaware Steven Strohmier – University of Maryland Eric Yoo – University of Maryland Walter Teng – University of Maryland
Giorgi Kverndaze – University of Utah Ali Irfan – University of Utah Wilson Dorsey – University of Wisconsin – Whitewater
Neight Mindham – University of Wisconsin – Whitewater Scott Maloney – University of Wyoming Logan Hawkins – University of North Carolina – Charlotte Wilburt Cronin – West Virginia University Ian Lake – West Virginia University
Women's Division
Brenda Bares – Florida International University
Cristina Perez – Florida International University Megan Walker – James Madison University Carly Fristoe – Lindenwood University Briana Miller – Lindenwood University Kelly Zahn – Lindenwood University Taylor Reynolds – Lindenwood University Kayla Jacobs – University of North Carolina – Pembroke Jessica Anders – University of Wyoming
Ye Feng – University of Wyoming
For the first time, livestream audio and visual to the championship event will be available. Throughout the weekend, the tournament will be livestreaming in two locations, showcasing both the men’s and women’s matches. Also, during the event, AZBilliards will be providing live brackets on their site.
For more information about the event and ACUI’s billiards program, please contact Recreation and Leisure Activities Coordinator Adrena May at mayad@acui.org or the 9-Ball Director Ben Litvak at blitvak@radford.edu.
Two of Koka Davladze's last three wins on the Tri-State Tour have come as the result of making it to the hot seat match and deciding, with a finals opponent, not to play a last match. A little over a year ago (September, 2013 in Brooklyn), he split the top prize with Chris DeCaprio. In March, this year, he went undefeated again; this time, playing and winning a final match against Keith Diaz. On Sunday, October 27, Davladze found himself in the hot seat again, and this time, opted out of a final match against Keith Adamik. The $1,000-added event drew 45 entrants to Steinway Billiards in Astoria, Queens.
Davladze opened his six-opponent, undefeated run with victories over Carl Yusuf Khan, Ed Culhane, Chumreon Sutcharitakul and a 7-4 win over Adamik. This set him up for a winners' side semifinal against Miguel Laboy. Jaydev Zaveri, in the meantime, met up with Eric Hummel. Davladze sent LaBoy (7-5) to a loss-side meet-up with Adamik. Zaveri sent Hummel over 7-4. Davladze chalked up his sixth and final win against Zaveri 9-8.
On the loss side, Adamik, having moved past Stewart Warnock 7-6 and Sutcharitakul 7-5, met and defeated LaBoy 7-2. In the quarterfinals, he faced Ramon Feliciano, who'd gotten by Tony Ignomirello 6-2 and Pat Mareno 6-4, before eliminating Hummel 7-4.
Adamik defeated Feliciano 8-4, and then, in what proved to be his final match, downed Zaveri in the semifinals 8-6. Davladze and Adamik, who opted out of a final match, are among the tour's top five "A/A+" players. Going into the event, Adamik (A) was in second place behind Miguel LaBoy (A+) whom he'd defeated in the 5/6 matches), with Davladze (A+) in fifth place, behind Eric Grasman (A+) and Jose Mendez (A).
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Steinway Billiards, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Sterling-Gaming, Qpod, Kamui Tips, Ron Vitello, Focus Cases by John Bartron, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, Human Kinetics , and Focus Apparel. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, at BQE Billiards in Jackson Heights, NY is scheduled for November 2.
Shivam Gupta got as close to the Tri-State Tour winners' circle as he'd ever gotten two weeks ago, when he finished in the tie for fifth place in Clifton, NJ. On Saturday, November 30, he broke through to go undefeated in a $1,500-added event that drew 37 entrants to Gotham City Billiards in Brooklyn, NY. Gupta was awarded the title by default, when he and his finals opponent, Chris Derewonski, whom he'd met first in the hot seat match, opted out of a final confrontation.
Following wins over Vagif Alexberov, Akbar Kamueddien and Bryan Singh, Gupta moved among the winners' side final four for a match versus Eric Hummel. Derewonski, in the meantime, squared off against Luis Jimenez. Gupta downed Hummell 7-5, as Derewonski sent Jimenez to the loss side 8-4. Gupta won what would prove to be his only match against Derewonski 8-3, and sat in the hot seat, awaiting the decision that would cancel the re-match.
Jimenez moved over and met up with Gary Murgia, who'd gotten by Lidio Ramirez 7-5 and survived a double hill match against Arturo Reyes. Hummell drew Bryan Singh, who'd been defeated by Gupta in a winners' side final eight contest, and then defeated Ben Castaneros 6-2 and Pat Mareno 6-3.
Jimenez shut Murgia out, advancing to the quarterfinals against Singh, who'd defeated Hummell, double hill. Singh completed a four-match, loss-side winning streak with a 7-5 win over Jimenez and then, was dropped by Derewonski 10-5 in the semifinals. It was at this point, that due to the lateness of the hour, Gupta and Derewonski chose not to play the final match, ceding the event title to the undefeated Gupta.
Tour representatives thanked Gotham City Billiards' owners, Kevin and Isabel Buckley, for their continued hospitality, as well as sponsors Sterling-Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Qpod, Heptig Cues, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, and Human Kinetics. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour is scheduled for December 7 at Castle Billiards in East Rutherford, NJ.
Matthew Harricharan, Raphael DaBreo, Owner Manny Stamatakis and Bryan Singh
Raphael Dabreo re-entered the Tri-State Tour winners' circle on the weekend of November 23-24 with an undefeated run through a field of 54, on hand for the $1,600-added, A-D handicapped 9-ball tournament, hosted by Steinway Billiards in Astoria (Queens), NY. It was his third win on the 2013-2014 Tri-State tour, and his fourth win of the year, which included a September victory on the Predator Tour. DaBreo stopped a nine-match, loss-side winning streak by Matthew Harricharan to complete his undefeated run.
DaBreo's six-match trail to the win included two, double hill victories. He followed an opening round, 7-5 victory over Dan Faraguna, with a double hill win over Chris Karp, and a 7-4 win over Meshak Daniel, which set him up in a winners' side semifinal against Keith Adamik. Bryan Singh, in the meantime, squared off against Jamiyl Adams in the other semifinal. DaBreo and Adamik battled to double hill, before DaBreo prevailed for a hot seat matchup versus Singh, who'd downed Adams double hill, as well. DaBreo sent Singh to the semifinals 9-5 and waited in the hot seat for what turned out to be Harricharan.
Harricharan, who'd been sent to the loss side by Meshak Daniel, double hill, had chalked up four, before surviving two straight double hill battles against Tony Liang and Lidio Ramirez (who'd spoiled a rematch by defeating Meshak Daniel 7-2). This set Harricharan up to face Adamik. Adams drew Eric Hummel, who'd gotten by Kim Meyer-Gabia 7-3 and Pat Mareno 6-1.
Harricharan stopped Adamik one game shy of a third straight double hill match ,7-5, and in the quarterfinals, faced Adams, who'd defeated Hummel 7-4. Harricharan then chalked up a third double hill win, defeating Adams in those quarterfinals, and then, defeating Singh in the semifinals 8-4 for a shot against DaBreo.
Harricharan took an early 2-0 lead in the finals and maintained it through the sixth match. Down 2-4, DaBreo took command at that point, winning five straight to claim his third 2013-2014 Tri-State title.
Tour representatives expressed their thanks to Manny Stamatakis and his staff at Steinway Billiards for their hospitality, playing conditions and on-going support of the tour and its players. They also thanked sponsors Sterling-Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Qpod, Heptig Cues, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, and Human Kinetics. The next stop on the tour is scheduled for November 30 at Gotham Billiards in Brooklyn, NY.