Atwell goes undefeated to reclaim Ladies title she won in 2016

 

Most players will spend a few hours, sometimes quite a few, practicing at their local pool room before venturing out to compete in a major tournament. Russia’s Ruslan Chinakhov spent two days on the West Coast in what’s been described as a “grueling” one-on-one 10-ball challenge (which he won) against Oscar Dominguez, before showing up 3,000 or so miles away, three days later, to compete in the 2018 VA State 10-Ball Championships, held under the auspices of the Action Pool Tour on the weekend of February 10-11. Chinakhov went undefeated through the field of 64 entrants in the Open portion of the Championships, which were hosted by Diamond Billiards in Midlothian, VA. A concurrently-run Ladies tournament was won by Janet Atwell, who went undefeated through a field of 16 entrants to reclaim the title she’d last won in 2016.

 

Chinakhov faced separate opponents in the hot seat and finals of this event. He met the Action Pool Tour’s top-ranked player, Reymart Lim in the hot seat match, and in the finals, Warren Kiamco, whom he’d defeated earlier in a winners’ side quarterfinal. Following victories over Joseph Sellechia, Steve Fleming and Donnie Haynes, Chinakhov downed Kiamco 8-5 and moved on to a winners’ side semifinal against John Newton. Lim, in the meantime, who’d won the APT’s season opener, downed Matty Arcuri, Chris Pyle, David Stanley, and Mike Davis to draw Kirill Rutman in the other winners’ side semifinal.

 

Rutman battled Lim to double hill, but it was Lim who advanced to the hot seat match. Chinakhov joined him after sending Newton to the loss side 8-1. Chinakhov claimed the hot seat with an 8-3 win over Lim and waited on the return of Kiamco.

 

Though this year’s VA State 10-Ball Championships did not include last year’s winner, Dennis Orcollo, it did feature last year’s runner-up (Shaun Wilkie), third place (Larry Kressel), fourth place (Lim), and both 5th place finishers (Newton and Davis). Newton, coming over from the winners’ side semifinal this year drew Davis, who’d survived a double hill battle against Chris Bruner and defeated Kenny Miller 8-1 to reach him. Rutman picked up Kiamco, who, following his defeat at the hands of Chinakhov, stopped Shaun Wilkie’s four-match, loss-side winning streak 8-4, and then eliminated this event’s 2016 champion, Eric Moore 8-1.

 

Kiamco advanced to the quarterfinals 8-2 over Rutman, while Davis was downing Newton 8-2 to join him. Kiamco sent Davis home 8-4 in those quarterfinals; one spot higher than he’d reached last year. Kiamco then downed Lim 8-6 in the semifinals, sending him home one spot higher than he’d finished last year.

 

Chinakhov completed his undefeated run with a commanding 10-3 victory over Kiamco in the finals.

 

Atwell returns to chalk up her third VA State 10-Ball Ladies Championships

 

[photo id=48695|align=right]For two years in a row – 2015/2016 – Janet Atwell and Jacki Duggan were winner and runner-up, respectively, in the Ladies edition of the VA State 10-Ball Championships. Atwell did not compete in 2017, although Duggan did, finishing in the tie for 7th place. Duggan was on hand this year, as well, although she would be shut out by Atwell in the second round, and for the second year in a row, end up in the tie for 7th place. Last year’s champion, Meredith Lynch, showed up to defend her title and finished fourth, just behind Lisa Cossette, who would win three on the loss side before falling to the undefeated Atwell in the finals.

 

Atwell’s path to the winners’ circle proved a little shaky at the outset, as she survived an opening round, double hill match against Falon Newton. Atwell went on to shut out Duggan and then, faced Lynch in a winners’ side semfinal. Nicole King, in the meantime, got by Sierra Reams, and Soo Emmett to face Cossette in the other winners’ side semifinal.

 

Atwell sent last year’s winner to the loss side 6-1, and was joined in the hot seat match by King, who’d defeated Cossette 6-4. Atwell claimed the hot seat 6-2 over King and waited on Cossette’s return.

 

On the loss side, Cossette picked up Duggan, who’d defeated Judie Wilson and Bethany Sykes, both 6-3, to reach her. Lynch drew Buffy Jolie, who’d shut out two straight opponents – Eugenia Gyftopoulos and Falon Newton – to reach her.

 

The two battles for the right to advance to the quarterfinals went double hill; Cossette downing Duggan, and Lynch eliminating Jolie. So did the quarterfinals, with Cossette eventually moving on to face King. Cossette, who was likely a little tired of the double hill route, gave up only a single rack to King in the semifinals and turned to face Atwell in the finals. Atwell gave up only two to Cossette in the finals to claim her third VA State 10-Ball Ladies Championship.

 

Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Diamond BIlliards, as well as sponsors Kamui, Tiger Products, Predator, Viking Cues, Diamond Billiard Products, Aramith, SImonis, Ozone Billiards and George Hammerbacher. The next stop on the Action Pool Tour, scheduled for March 17-18 will be a Bar Box Bash, hosted by Peninsula Billiards in Newport News, VA.

 

This year's One Pocket tournament at the Super Billiards Expo was absent quite a few of the marquee names that were on-hand for the 2015 tournament. No Dennis Orcollo this year, or Corey Deuel, or Skyler Woodward. No defending champion Jason Brown, either. The event did feature Darren Appleton, Warren Kiamco and a short list of other known names, like Billy Thorpe, Jorge Rodriguez, and Bob Jewett. It came down to Appleton and Tom Zippler. Appleton going undefeated to win it, Zippler going three on the loss side, and two more among the final eight to challenge Appleton in the finals. The event, held on the weekend of April 14-17, drew 32 entrants to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA.

 

Appleton got by Billy Thorpe in the opening round, and following victories over Illir Jaho and Dan Milligan, moved among the final four on the winners' side and into the single elimination phase. Joining him in the opening round of this phase was Russell Parsons. Jewett and Vincent Cimarelli squared off in the other winners' side quarterfinal.

 

In the loss side quarterfinals, Kiamco facEd Martin Ciccia. Zippler, who'd been sent to the left bracket by Kiamco, got by Ed Polumbo, Steve Fleming and Derek Schwager, to draw Joseph Sellechia in the other loss-side quarterfinal.

 

On the winners' side, Appleton downed Parsons 5-1, earning him a semifinal match against Cimarelli, who'd eliminated Jewett 5-3. On the loss side, Ciccia picked up a forfeit win, when Kiamco was forced to make a decision between One Pocket or the 10-Ball tournament. Zippler, in the meantime, defeated Sellechia 5-1. Appleton defeated Cimarelli 5-2, for a finals date with Zippler, who'd eliminated Ciccia 5-3.

 

Appleton completed his undefeated run. He closed it out with a 5-1 victory over Zippler in the final to claim the 2015 Diamond Open One Pocket Professional Championship title.