(l to r): Tommy Kennedy, Stephen Richmond & Anthony Meglino
Anthony Meglino chalked up his best earnings year, to date, in 2017, winning stops on the Sunshine State Pro Am, J. Pechauer Southeast 9-Ball and 8andOut Florida Amateur One Pocket Tours. He was among the top 10 finishers in nine other stops on the Sunshine State Pro Am and SE 9-Ball Tour, and cashed in the Derby City Classic’s (DCC) One Pocket and 9-Ball Banks Division. He opened his 2018 campaign at the tables with runner-up finishes in the DCC One Pocket Mini (to go along with a 19th in the One Pocket and 28th in 9-Ball Banks), and the February 10-11 stop on the Sunshine State Pro Am. He chalked up his first (recorded) win of the year on Saturday, February 24, going undefeated through a field of 62 on the AllOut Pool Tour. The event was hosted by Shooter’s Billiards in Port St. Lucie, FL.
After being awarded an opening round bye (one of two; the other went to Andy Breslin), Meglino started out by giving up only a single rack through his first 15 games; that one, to Javier Chirino, before he (Meglino) shut out Danny Christian. Kris Clark gave him a run for his money in a double hill, winners’ side quarterfinal, but Meglino prevailed to meet James Sandaler in one winners’ side semifinal. Douglas Tittle, in the meantime, who’d defeated Meglino’s eventual finals opponent, Stephen Richmond in a winners’ side quarterfinal match, faced Kenny Willis in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Meglino went back to the quicker route, giving up only a single rack to Sandaler to get into the hot seat match. He was joined by Tittle, who’d sent Willis west 7-5. Meglino doled out another lone rack to Tittle and claimed the hot seat. Going into the finals, Meglino boasted a 35-10 game record.
On the loss side, Sandaler ran into Richmond, who’d defeated Mark Coats and Gaston Leblanc, both 6-4. Willis drew Tommy Kennedy, who’d been defeated by John Ditoro in the event’s opening round, and was in the midst of a seven-match, loss-side winning streak that would propel him as far as the quarterfinals. Kennedy had most recently shut out Chris Gentile and given up a single rack to Jason Sheerman, to pick up Willis.
Richmond downed Sandaler 6-3, and in the quarterfinals, met up with Kennedy, who’d eliminated Willis 6-2. Sandaler put an end to TK’s loss-side run 6-4 in the quarterfinals and then, earned his re-match against Meglino with a 6-2 win over Tittle.
Sandaler gave Meglino a run for his money in the finals, chalking up more racks against him than all (but one) of his opponents combined, but it wasn’t enough. Meglino concluded his undefeated run 9-5, having, throughout the course of the event, chalked up (just shy of) three out of every four games he played.
With the event's previous two winners facing each other in the hot seat match – Tommy Kennedy (2014) and Mike Davis, Jr. (2015) – the 5th Annual Southeast Open 9-Ball Tournament, held on the weekend of August 27-28, looked as though it was going to crown its first repeat winner. Justin Hall spoiled the party, so to speak. Sent to the loss side by Davis in a winners' side semifinal, Justin returned to challenge and eventually defeat Davis in a tightly contested final match race to 12. The event, streamed live all weekend by Xtreme Pool Challenge, drew 95 entrants to Zingale's in Tallahassee, FL.
"I struggled pretty much every match," said Hall in a post-final interview. "I almost didn't get to the finals, period.
"I played better and better throughout the day (on Sunday)," he added, "but I'd miss a few balls for a game or two, and then run out."
Davis, who hasn't been playing as much as he'd like to over the past year, chalked his defeat up to his own mistakes. Hall's victory, though, didn't surprise him.
"I've played him a lot of times," said Davis, "and he's a real solid player.
" It was a real tough (final) match," Davis added. "He played well, but I folded under the pressure and choked a little at the end. Just recently, I haven't played as much, and that showed up there at the end."
Hall's weekend started strong, as he gave up only eight racks over his first four matches against Mo Fattah (2), James Sandaler (0) Jordan Bureau (4) and David Walters (2). David Jacobs gave him a run for his money in a winners' side quarterfinal match that went double hill before sending Hall into the winners' side semifinals against Davis. Davis, in the meantime, gave up 23 racks over his first four against Tony Danford (1), Billy Burke (7), Steve Foster (8) and Randy Jordan (7). Tobias Hoiss chalked up six more against him in the winners' side quarterfinals.
On the other half of the winners' side bracket, the 2014 winner, Tommy Kennedy was awarded an opening round bye, and then had a total of 16 racks chalked up against him (the same as Hall, with one less match) by David Grossman (7), Clint Nichols (2), Joseph Korsiak (4) and Mark Coats (3). This set Kennedy up to face Anthony Meglino in the other winners' side semifinal.
Davis sent Hall to the loss side 9-2, and in the hot seat match, faced Kennedy, who'd sent Meglino over 9-4. Davis got into the hot seat 9-6 and waited on Hall's return.
Hall moved over and picked up Mark Coats, who'd defeated Kyle Bova 9-4 and Randy Jordan 9-5 to reach him. Meglino drew Hoiss, who'd eliminated Richard Brompton and David Jacobs, both 9-2. Hall downed Coats 9-6 and in the quarterfinals, faced Meglino who'd shut Hoiss out.
Hall took the quarterfinals over Meglino 9-6. He then fought a tight, semifinal battle against Kennedy that came within a game of double hill before Hall advanced 9-7.
Hall and Davis fought back and forth through numerous ties in the early going of the race-to-12 finals. Davis got out in front a few times, but by game 20, they were dead even at 10 apiece. Hall won the next two to claim the 5th Annual Southeast Open 9-Ball title.
Cunningham’s Billiards Vero Beach, Fl was the latest event to host the Poison Cues Tour event. The $1000 Added amateur event attracted 62 players with 5 ladies taking advantage of the $20 entry fee.
Miami would have a large contingent of players showing up for this event which was made a extra special with the top four places all receiving a beautiful glass trophy’s supplied by Javier Chirino.
Chirino was also looking like the man to beat as he would make his way through to the hotseat with strong wins over Doug Johnson 6-2, Justin Gilsinan 6-4, Prescott Buckwold 6-3, Paul Mullins 6-0, Jeff Mabry 6-4 and then hard fought win over Raymond Linares in the winner’s side final 7-3.
The one loss side would see Tim Baron make a strong push after taking a 6-2 loss to Chris Gentile, Baron would go on to take out Jay Zink 5-4, Derek Virgilio 5-1, Paul Mullins 5-2, a 5-4 win over David Uwate would be his last as Jason Sheerman would end his run with a 5-3 loss to leave Baron in a Respectable 5th place. Sheerman would now have the task of taking on the Florida Amateur State Champion Chris Gentile this would also end his run as Gentile would come out on top with a 5-2 win leaving Sheerman in 4th spot, Gentile backed this win up with strong 5-0 win over Raymond Linares to put himself in the final.
The finals would be another great match with both players showing why they got there with strong shot making and good safety battles, However Chirino did not want to give his trophy up and would eventually come out a 7-4 winner and take the 1st place trophy and $700 1st place prize fund.
The Poison Tour also paid out more than quarter of the field for this event along with four glass trophy’s for the top four finishers. Congratulations to Kira Brown for her top lady finish receiving $50
Sunday’s $1000 Added open 10-Ball event would attract 42 players with over 30 amateurs coming back from Saturday’s event taking advantage of the two day $40 discounted entry fee.
Hunter Lombardo would be the man to beat on the day as he cruised his way to the finals with strong wins over Tim Baron 6-4, John Ditoro 6-1, Kira Brown 6-4, Mark Coats 6-0 and then a strong 7-3 win over Tony Crosby in the winners side final to capture the hotseat,.
On the one loss side Raymond Linares was proving to be a handful after taking a first round loss to David Uwate 6-2 he would go on a strong run with wins over Lincoln Seifert, Robert Raiford, Prescott Buckwold, Chettan Chhabra, John Ditoro and then Mark Coats before running into a determined Anthony Meglino who stopped his run with a 5-0 win Meglino would then go on to lose a tight 5-4 match to Tony Crosby which would set up a Lombardo Crosby Final.
The final would be a classic with neither player wanting to give an inch it would go all the way with Crosby taking it 7-6 to set up a 1 rack sudden death shootout. The shootout is designed to give the hotseat winner that 2nd chance and also guarantees 2nd place will have lost twice.
Crosby would go onto win the one rack shoot out after a positional error from Lombardo leaving Crosby a quick 2-10 combination to take down the event.
The tour would like to thank Cunningham’s pool room and its staff for hosting a very successful event.
Also our Title Sponsors Poison Cues for supplying some of the best hitting pool cues on the market.
Our next event will be 19-20th May at Park Avenue Billiards, Orange Park (Jacksonville).
