It’s been a good year for Krystle Suarez; her best recorded earnings year, her best in terms of the number of events in which she has cashed (4) and in the season finale of the 2022 DFW 9-Ball Ladies Tour this past weekend (Saturday, Oct. 15), she came from the loss side to double-dip hot seat occupant, Kendra Britt and claim the event title. It was her first tour victory since she claimed title to the tour’s first event, a trial tournament held back in September 2019 at Rusty’s Billiards in Arlington, TX, which led to the creation of the tour and the scheduling of multiple events leading up to this year’s season of six. The $500-added season finale drew 26 entrants to Snookered Billiards & Bar in Frisco, TX.
As Suarez was battling to win her second tournament on the tour, her eventual opponent in both the hot seat match and double elimination finals, Kendra Britt, was looking for her first (recorded) win in a major regional tournament. And almost found it. Bound for the hot seat, Britt worked her way through Francisco Riza Pill, Kathy Knuth and Tina Soto to arrive at a winners’ side semifinal against Kailye Stevens. Suarez, in the meantime, following an opening round bye, sent April Gonzalez and Jacky Halper to the loss side to draw Desiree Collins in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Suarez and Britt gave up only a single rack to each of their opponents, sending them (Collins and Stevens) to the loss side and advancing to the hot seat match. Britt, who started all three of the matches she would play against Suarez with two beads on the wire in a race to 7, didn’t need them in the hot seat match. She sent Suarez to the semifinals 5-2.
On the loss side, Collins picked up Ginger Abadilla, who’d lost a winners’ side quarterfinal match to Kailye Stevens and then defeated Janna Talmon 3-1 and April Gonzalez 3-4 (Gonzalez racing to 5). Stevens drew Nichole Clark, who’d lost her opening match to Collins and was working on a five-match, loss-side winning streak that would take her to the quarterfinals. She’d chalked up loss-side wins #3 & #4 against Alicia Stanley, double hill (3-6; Stanley racing to 7) and Kailye Stevens 3-2 (Stevens racing to 4).
In a straight-up race to 3, Collins defeated Abadilla. Clark downed Stevens 3-2 (Stevens racing to 4). Collins and Clark battled to double hill in the quarterfinals that followed, with Collins eventually advancing to face Suarez in the semifinals.
Collins started those semifinals with four beads on the wire in a race to 7. She added just one, as Suarez went on to win 7-1 and earn her second and what needed to be a third shot against Britt in the double elimination finals.
With Suarez racing to 7 and Britt to 5, they played twice, with both matches going double hill. Suarez won them both 7-4 to claim the tour’s season finale title.
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Snookered Billiards and Bar, as well as sponsors Cuetec, Kamui, Fort Worth Billiards Store and Doc’s Billiards Office.
Veteran Williams and rookie, April Gonzales meet in hot seat and finals
In eight of the 12 years that Tara Williams has been competing in regional tours and professional tournaments, there have only been a handful of times when at least once in a given year, she didn’t finish as either the winner or runner-up at one tournament or another. She won 12 stops in four years on the OB Cues Ladies Tour, including one each in her first two (known) years competing on the tour (’09, ’10). The other 10 wins came in two years; six in 2015 and four in 2016, ahead of a hiatus from (recorded) competition in 2017 and 2018. It took her a while to get back into a groove when she came back. She won a stop on the Jerry Olivier Ladies Tour in 2020 and earlier this year, won her first stop on the DFW 9-Ball Ladies Tour.
This past weekend (July 9-10), she recorded her second win on the DFW Ladies Tour, leading one to speculate that she’s more or less back in stroke, working toward the level of consistency she exhibited midway through the new century’s second decade. Time will tell. This past weekend’s $500-added tour stop #4 drew 24 entrants to Rusty’s Billiards in Arlington, TX.
After a bye, Williams won her two opening matches against a pair of Jennifers, Cayot and Hooten, both 7-2, to arrive at a winners’ side semifinal against Krystle Suarez. Her eventual opponent in both the hot seat and finals, 14-year-old April Gonzalez, who competes in both the 18U and 13U Girls division of the Junior International Championships (she turned 14 in the middle of the JIC’s 2nd season), got by Jacky Halper 4-2 and shut out Jennifer Kim to face Rachelle Dytko in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Williams sent Suarez to the loss side 7-5, while Gonzales and Dytko locked up in a double hill fight that eventually sent Gonzales to join Williams in the battle for the hot seat. Gonzales forced a deciding game in the hot seat match, as well, but Williams prevailed 7-3 (Gonzales racing to 4) to claim the hot seat.
On the loss side, Dytko drew Hooten, who’d followed her lost to Williams with victories over Jacky Halper 4-1 and Amber Stice, double hill. Suarez picked up Jessica Demello, who’d lost her winners’ side quarterfinal to Dytko and followed that with wins over Becky Smith 4-2 and Jennifer Cayot 4-2.
Demello and Dytko advanced to their rematch in the quarterfinals; Demello, downing Suarez 4-5 (Suarez racing to 7) and Dytko, surviving a double hill match versus Hooten. Demello won the first of two straight double hill matches for her, defeating Dytko in their quarterfinal rematch, but fell to Gonzales in the semifinals.
After three straight double hill matches (winners’ side semifinal win, hot seat loss and semifinal win), Gonzales put up a fight in her rematch against Williams. She came within a game of a fourth double hill match, but Williams pulled out in front to claim the event title 7-2 (Gonzales racing to 4).
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Rusty’s Billiards, as well as sponsors Fort Worth Billiards Superstore, Kamui and Doc’s Billiard Office. The next stop on the DFW 9-Ball Ladies Tour, scheduled for the weekend of September 10, will be hosted by Stixx & Stones in Lewisville, TX.
