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Ziemak returns to the Tri-State and goes undefeated

Jose Liza Domeneche, Peter Ziemak and Tony Ignomirello

Peter Ziemak, returning to the Tri-State Tour after a brief hiatus, went undefeated to claim his first Tri-State title. He did so at the expense of Tri-State veteran, Tony Ignomirello, who had two shots at Ziemack, but fell short in both of them. The $1,000-added event drew 38 entrants to Castle Billiards in East Rutherford, NJ. 
 
It wasn't easy for either of the finalists. Ziemack survived two straight double hill battles against Mike Zimny and Borana Andoni at the outset. A slightly less nerve-wracking victory over Smiley Feliz 8-4 put Ziemack in a winners' side semifinal against Jose Liz Domeneche. "Iggy," in the meantime, had his own two opening, double hill wins, against Lisa Peloso and Eddie Perez, before defeating Bob Toomey and Jason Critelli for a seat in the winners' side semifinals, against Frank Sieczka. Ziemak chalked up a third double hill win, over Domeneche, as Ignomirello sent Sieczka west 6-4. Ziemack got into the hot seat 9-7 over Iggy, which proved to be the final match between the two.
 
Domeneche moved to the losers' bracket and met up with Smiley Feliz, who'd gotten by Eric Gasman 8-6 and Ricardo Mejia 7-3. Sieczka faced Jason Critellii, who'd defeated Dennis Kennedy 6-2 and Dave Fitzpatrick 6-4. Smiley put up a fight, forcing a deciding game, but Domeneche moved on to the quarterfinals, where he met Critelli, who'd eliminated Sieczka 6-4. 
 
The prize in Critelli's eyes was a second shot at Ignomirello, who'd sent him to the loss side, but Domeneche got to him first, winning their quarterfinal match, 7-4. Like Critelli, Domeneche had his sights set on a re-match; his, against Ziemak in the hot seat. Ignomirello stopped that from happening,  defeating Domeneche 7-4 and, in effect, ending the night's proceedings. Ziemak and Iggy opted out of a final match, splitting the top two prizes, while declaring the undefeated Ziemak as the event's official winner.
 
Tour representatives once again thanked the ownership and staff at Castle Billiards, as well as sponsors Sterling-Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Qpod, Cues, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, and Human Kinetics.
 

Simonetti goes undefeated to claim first Tri-State title since March 2013

Dennis Kennedy, Scott Simonetti and Brian Russell

Tri-State Tour representatives callEd Scott Simonetti's undefeated run through a field of 32 on Saturday, July 12, "the story of the day," noting that his play "reminded viewers of the Simonetti of old;" a reference, one assumes, to a year like 2010, which saw Simonetti win three stops on the Tri-State and one stop on the Predator Tour (to go along with 'money' finishes in nine other stops on both). The $1,000-added debut event of the Tri-State's 2013-2014 season on July 12 was hosted by Castle Billiards in East Rutherford, NJ.
 
Following victories over Tri Chau, Dave Ascolese, and Dave Jusis, Simonetti moved into a winners' side semifinal match against Jose Liz Domeneche. Dennis Kennedy, in the meantime, squared off against Ramon Feliciano. Simonetti moved into the hot seat match with an 8-5 win over Domeneche and faced Kennedy, who'd defeated Feliciano 6-5. Kennedy fought tooth and nail to secure a double hill win that left him in the hot seat, awaiting the return of what turned out to be Focused Apparel's Brian Russel.
 
Russel, who'd been sent to the loss side by Borana "Queen Bee" Andoni, embarked on a seven-match, loss-side winning streak that would take him all the way back to the finals. He got by Chau, Jan Mierzwa, Dave Jusis and Shin Sekine (who'd taken out Andoni for him), to draw Domeneche. Feliciano picked up Frank Sieczka, who'd shut out Robert Jew, and given up only a single rack to Dave Fitzpatrick.
 
Russel marched on, giving up only a single rack to Domeneche as Feliciano was allowing only a single rack to Sieczka. Russel defeated Feliciano 7-5 in the quarterfinal match that followed, and got a shot at Simonetti in the hot seat with a 7-4 win over Kennedy in the semifinals. Simonetti and Russel opted out of a final match, choosing to split the top prizes, leaving the undefeated Simonetti as the event's official title holder.
 
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Castle Billiards, 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, to be hosted by the Cue Bar in Bayside, NY, is scheduled for July 19.

Chen wins seven on the loss side, downs Smith in the finals of Tri-State stop

Dennis Kennedy, Rhys Chen and Christian Smith

Rhys Chen's trip through a field of 58 players, on hand for the Tri-State Tour's $1,000-added, A-D 9-Ball event on the weekend of June 14-15 went through host venue (Castle Billiards, East Rutherford, NJ) owner, John Trobiano twice. They met in the third round, when Trobiano sent Chen to the loss side to embark on a seven-match winning streak that would pass through Trobiano and eventually lead to a winning effort in the finals against ChristIan Smith
 
Smith, who advanced to the hot seat, defeated Don Montavalo, Carl Yusuf Khan, Shin Sekine, and Jose Liz Domeneche before running into Keith Adamik in a winners' side semifinal. Dennis Kennedy, in the meantime, squared off against Tony Ignomirello. Smith downed Adamik 7-1, as Kennedy was busy sending Ignomirello west 6-5. Smith gained the hot seat 9-8 over Kennedy, and waited on Chen.
 
Chen opened his loss-side campaign with victories over Antonio G.evara, Vinny Ferri, Domeneche and successfully wreaked his vengeance on Trobiano 7-5, to pick up Adamik. Ignomirello drew Dave Jusis, who'd gotten by Pat Mareno 6-2 and Jan Mierzwa 7-2.
 
Chen moved on to the quarterfinals (five down, three to go) with a 7-5 win over Adamik. He was joined by Jusis, who ended Ignomirello's day 6-3. Chen then eliminated Jusis 7-4 and defeated Kennedy in the semifinals 8-7. In the extended-race finals, Chen took an early and what proved to be insurmountable 3-1 lead. Smith would chalk up only one more, as Chen went on to reach seven games, extending the race to nine games, and then run out the final rack for a 9-4 win.
 
Tour representatives thanked John Trobiano and his staff at Castle Billiards, as well as sponsors Sterling-Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Qpod, Cues, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, and Human Kinetics. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, scheduled for June 21, will be hosted by Steinway Billiards in Astoria (Queens), NY.

Gutierrez stops seven-match, loss-side run by Zimny to claim Tri-State win

Mike Zimmy, Alexander Gutierrez and Max Watanabe

Alexander Gutierrez sent Max Watanabe to the semifinals during the November 9 stop on the Tri-State tour, but it was Mike Zimny who came back to face him in the finals. Zimny, who'd been sent to the loss side by Watanabe, came back through six opponents to face him a second time; successfully, as it turned out. Gutierrez ended Zimny's bid to claim the $1,000-added event title, which had drawn 38 entrants to Castle Billiards in East Rutherford, NJ.
 
With Zimny dispatched to the loss side earlier in the day, Watanabe advanced among the winners' side final four where he met up with Kyle Bubet. Gutierrez, in the meantime, squared off against Pat Mareno. Watanabe defeated Bubet 7-5, as Gutierrez was busy surviving a double hill battle over Mareno. With a 7-4 win, Gutierrez claimed the hot seat and sent Watanabe west for his fateful re-match against Zimny.
 
On the loss side, Mareno picked up Jaydev Zaveri, who'd gotten by Paulo Valverde and Andrew Cleary, both 6-4. It was Bubet who had the misfortune to draw Zimny, four wins into his seven-match, loss-side winning streak that included a double hill win over Jose Liz Domeneche, and a 7-4 victory over room owner, John Trobiano. Zimny and Zaveri handed Bubet and Mareno their second straight losses; Zimny over Bubet, 7-2 and Zaveri over Mareno, 6-2.
 
Zimny then dropped Zaveri into fourth place with a 7-3 win in the quarterfinals, to earn his re-match against Watanabe. He successfully put Watanabe in his (third) place, and got a shot at Gutierrez in the finals. Gutierrez stopped Zimny's gritty charge to reach the finals 7-5 to claim the title.
 
Tour representatives thanked Trobiano and his staff at Castle Billiards for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Sterling-Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Qpod, Cues, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, and Human Kinetics. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, scheduled for November 16, will be hosted by Clifton Billiards in Clifton, NJ.
 

DaBreo chalks up another undefeated Tri-State win at Castle Billiards

Rhys Chen, Raphael DaBreo and Chris DaCaprio

Unlike his last undefeated win on the Tri-State Tour in August, Raphael Dabreo actually got to play a final match during the Saturday, October 5 stop on the tour. His finals' opponent, Rhys Chen, won six on the loss side to meet him, but in spite of a slim, early lead could not stop DaBreo's second 2013 Tri-State victory. The $1,000-added event drew 40 entrants to Castle Billiards in East Rutherford, NJ. 
 
Following wins over Borana Andoni,  room owner John Trobiano (who had won a stop on this tour, on this date, exactly one year ago) and Ricardo Mejia, DaBreo would pick up a 'medical issue' forfeit by Rhio Anne Flores among the winners' side final four. In the battle for the hot seat, DaBreo squared off against Chris DaCaprio, who'd just defeated Mike Figueroa 6-4. DaBreo downed DaCaprio 9-4 and waited in the hot seat for what turned out to be the return of Chen.
 
Flores returned to action for matches on the loss side, picking up Chen, who, after being sent west, double hill, by Scott Simonetti, defeated Mejia double hill and Jose Liz Domeneche 7-3. Figueroa drew Bernie Vogelsang, who, after being sent west by Figueroa, had gotten by Shivram Gupta 6-4 and Eddie DaCosta 6-2. Chen downed Flores 7-2, and was met in the quarterfinal match by Vogelsang, who'd wreaked his vengeance by shutting Figueroa out.
 
Chen took the quarterfinal match 7-4 over Vogelsang and then, spoiled DaCaprio's bid for a second chance against DaBreo with an 8-4 semifinal win. Chen took the early 2-0 lead against DaBreo in the finals, and after giving up a single rack, made it 3-1. DaBreo came back to tie it at 3-3. They traded racks, back and forth, until DaBreo reached the hill, ahead by one. DaBreo broke dry in the final rack, but Chen missed a ball that turned the table back to him. As he'd been doing all day, DaBreo ran out to complete the match and his undefeated run through the field.
 
Tour representatives thanked John Trobiano and his Castle Billiards staff for their hospitality and continuing support for the tour and its players, as well as sponsors Sterling-Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Qpod, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, and Human Kinetics. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour is scheduled for Saturday, October 12, and will be hosted by House of Billiards on Staten Island.

Domeneche comes from the loss side to down Spaanstra in Tri-State final

Jose Liz Domeneche, Paul Spaanstra and Kyle Bubet

They'd dodged each other in the winners' side semifinals; Jose Liz Domeneche, moving to the loss side, while Paul Spaanstra moved on to the hot seat match. Domeneche won three in a row on the loss side and then, came back to meet and defeat Spaanstra in the finals of the $750-added, A-D handicapped event, hosted by Clifton Billiards in Clifton, NJ on Saturday, June 22.
 
Domeneche had been downed by Kyle Bubet among the winners' side final four 6-4, as Spaanstra was busy surviving a double hill match against Mike Zimny. Spaanstra got into the hot seat 7-5 over Bubet and waited on Domeneche.
 
Luis Jimenez, winner of the tour's June 1 stop, was the man waiting on Domeneche on the loss side. He'd gotten by Jay Choi 6-4 and Lawrence Chandler 6-5 to reach him. Zimny drew Dave Ascolese, who'd defeated Steve Kaminov and Rhys Chen, both 7-5. Domeneche and Zimny moved on to the quarterfinals; Domeneche having eliminated Jimenez 6-3, Zimny defeating Ascolese 7-3.
 
Domeneche took the quarterfinal match 7-5 over Zimny, which set him up for a re-match against Bubet in the semifinals. He successfully negotiated that final, loss-side step with a 6-3 victory over Bubet and moved on to the finals.
 
Domeneche opened the final match against Spaanstra with three straight racks. Spaanstra would get close, but never lead. He closed the gap to within one at 4-3, and 5-4, before knotting things at 5-5. They traded racks to 6-6 before Domeneche put up his second three in a row to claim the event title.
 
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Clifton Billiards, as well as sponsors Sterling-Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Poison Cues, Ron Tarr Cues, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, and Human Kinetics. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour will be its annual Invitational Event on July 6-7, hosted by Castle Billiards in East Rutherford, NJ. The top 16 contenders for Player of the Year honors, in each of the tour's six ranking divisions, will be invited to compete. 
 
Expected to compete in the A+/A division will be current leaders, Koka Davladze, Carl Yusuf Khan, and Keith Adamik. Among those expected to compete in the B+ class will be Gary Murgia, Bryan Jeziorski and Guy Iannuzi, along with John Trobiano, Bogie Uzdejczyk and Ricardo Mejia. Among the top female players who'll receive the invitation will be Yomaylin "Smiley" Feliz, Kim Meyer-Gabia, Borana Andoni, Ada Lio and Rhio Anne Flores. For a complete list of current contenders in each of the six ranking divisions, visit the tour Web site at http://www.thetristatetour.com (follow link to 2012-2013 Player of the Year standings).