Sullivan and Scalzitti split top prizes in upper-bracket event
Splitting the competitors into upper and lower brackets of this past weekend’s (May 4-5) stop on the Garden State Pool Tour yielded 17 (lower) and 15 (upper) entrants that could have been 32 in a single bracket. Vincent Chang went undefeated through the lower bracket, while Hunter Sullivan and Kevin Scalzitti split the top two prizes in the upper-bracket prize pool. The event was hosted by Shooter’s Family Billiards in Wayne, NJ.
Chang opened his undefeated run with two 6-4 victories, over Justin Chang and Brook Villa to draw Nick Mendoza in one of the winners’ side semifinals. Victoria Amparo, from the other end of the bracket, got by Mark Watt 4-5 (Watt racing to 7) and Vicki Moore 4-1 to face Joshua Droz in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Amparo and Druz fought to double-hill for advancement to the hot seat match. Amparo prevailed. Chang downed Mendoza 6-3 to join her and then, claimed the hot seat 7-2.
In the only opening-round match, designed to bring the winners’ side of the bracket down to 16, Rashid Muhammad fought and lost a double-hill battle versus Marc Lamberti. Muhammad moved over and played in the only match of the loss-side’s opening round against Orion Woodard, defeating him 5-2 and launching himself on a four-match winning streak that shut out Brook Villa and defeated Matthew Wrobel 4-3 (Wrobel racing to 6) to draw Joshua Druz.
Mendoza came over and squared off for a rematch against Marc Lamberti, who, after defeating Muhammad in the opening round, lost to Mendoza in the second round 3-6. He followed that on the loss side with two straight, double-hill wins, over Andrew Croft and Vicki Moore, ahead of defeating Mike Strassberg 5-1, to draw the rematch.
Druz downed Muhammad 5-2 and was joined in the quarterfinals by Mendoza who defeated Lamberti a second time, 5-1. Druz defeated Mendoza 4-4 in those quarterfinals (Mendoza racing to 6) and in a handicap reversal, was defeated 4-3 by Amparo in the semifinals (Amparo racing to 6).
Chang won what turned out to be the only set necessary in what might have been a true double-elimination final. He gave up only a single rack and claimed the event title 7-1.
Kevin Scalzitti and Hunter Sullivan
Sullivan defeats Scalzitti once and they opt out of a final rematch
They met first in a winners’ side semifinal; Hunter Sullivan, having defeated David Marchant 6-2 and Maurice Acuna 8-3 to get there, as Scalzitti sent Naldo Troncoso (6-2) and Pascal Dufresne (5-3) to the loss side to meet up with him. Bud Robideau, in the meantime, got by Fernando Ruiz 6-2 and Michelle Brotons 7-2 to arrive at the other winners’ side semifinal for a match against Jason Hugh Sam.
Sullivan shut Scalzitti out and was joined in the hot seat match by Robideau, who’d defeated Sam 7-3. Sullivan and Robideau battled to double hill before Sullivan pocketed the last 9-ball and claimed the hot seat.
On the loss side, Scalzitti picked up a rematch against Troncoso, who’d followed his loss with victories over Rachel Lang (3), Giovanna Napolitano (3) and David Marchant (4). Sam picked up Ronnie Xu, who’d lost his opening match to Napolitano and then defeated Eduardo Cordova (2), Pascal Dufresne (4), and Maurice Acuna (3).
Scalzitti downed Troncoso 6-4 and advanced to the quarterfinals. Xu and Sam battled to double hill, with Xu hanging on to advance to face Scalzitti. Scalzitti took the quarterfinal match 6-2 and then, defeated Robideau 6-3 in the semifinals.
Negotiations were initiated to split the top two prizes. Sullivan, as the undefeated occupant of the hot seat, became the event’s official winner.
Tour director Dave Fitzpatrick thanked Kris Kemp and her staff at Shooter’s Family Billiards for their hospitality, along with sponsors Outsville, In the Box Apparel, Billiard Engineering, JFlowers Cues & Cases, Off the Rail Apparel, Brutal Game Gear, John Bender Custom Cues, and World Beaters Apparel.
The next stop on the Garden State Pool Tour, scheduled for Sunday, June 30, will be a 510 and lower Fargo Rate stop, hosted by Whiskey Hideaway on Staten Island.
Lampaan and Halpin split top prizes in upper-bracket tournament
In an increasingly regular format for regional tours, the Garden State Pool Tour split its entrants to create separate, paying events at a stop in Wayne, NJ this past weekend (Sat., April 20). Mark Antonetti went undefeated to win the lower bracket event for Fargo Rates of 510 or lower, while Levien Lampaan and Jason Halpin split the top two prizes in the upper bracket for Fargo Rates between 511 and 660. The upper bracket drew 20 entrants and the lower bracket drew 19 at the event hosted by Shooter’s Family Billiards in Wayne, NJ.
Antonetti, in the lower bracket, faced three women in a row to reach the hot seat match. Two of those three matches went double hill. After a bye, he chalked up a double-hill win over Jennifer Pedutem, defeated Susan Durling 7-1 and in one of the winners’ side semifinals downed Allison Honeymar, double hill, to reach the hot seat match. Rick Rodriguez, in the meantime (also with a bye), downed Tracey Muller 7-2 and Bryan Arrao 5-1, before battling to double hill and winning the other semifinal against Mike Strassberg. Antonetti claimed the hot seat over Rodriguez 5-2.
Strassberg shuffled on over to the loss side, defeated Nicole Adams 5-2 and advanced to the quarterfinals. Honeymar came over and lost a double-hill battle against Yuchen “Laura” Zie, who joined Strassberg in the quarterfinal match. Zie eliminated Strassberg 4-1 in those quarterfinals.
Xie began the semifinals with two ‘beads on the wire’ in a race to 6 against Rick Rodriguez. She got three of the four she needed to win, but Rodriguez earned a second shot against Antonetti with a 6-3 win.
In their second, straight-up race to 5, Antonetti and Rodriguez mirrored their battle for the hot seat. Antonetti completed his undefeated run with another 5-2 win over Rodriguez.
Jason Halpin and Levie Lampaan
Lampaan and Halpin let their winners’ side semifinal match define the upper bracket result
The two competitors who negotiated a split of the upper bracket’s top two prizes faced each other once, in a winners’ side semifinal. Both Levie Lampaan and Jason Halpin met in that match, having survived a double-hill battle in earlier rounds.
Lampaan, awarded a bye, opened his campaign with that double-hill battle, versus Ryan Buczkowski. He survived it to meet and defeat Jimmy Kardias 7-2, before coming into the winners’ side semifinal. Halpin, without a bye, started out with a 7-1 victory over Mike Johnson before running into his double-hill battle, against Mark Halverson, who started their match with four ‘beads on the wire’ in a race to 8. Halpin prevailed 8-3, and then defeated Gregory Meehan 7-2 to draw Lampaan. Meanwhile, from the lower end of the bracket, Gary McDonnell (after a bye) downed Jason Nicholson 7-3 and George Latko, Jr. 6-4 to draw Naldo Troncoso in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Lampaan defeated Halpin in the final-that-might-have-been 6-2, as McDonnell sent Troncoso to the loss side 6-2. Lampaan and McDonnell (with two ‘beads on the wire’ in a race to 7) battled to double hill in the hot seat match, with Lampaan claiming it in rack #11.
On the loss side, Halpin advanced to the quarterfinal with a 7-1 victory over Jerry Cerchia, as Troncoso got by Jimmy Kardias 6-2. Halpin took the quarterfinal 7-3 over Troncoso and gave up just a single rack to McDonnell in the semifinals. Negotiations got underway to split the top two prizes and with Lampaan, undefeated in the hot seat, he became the event’s official winner.
Tournament director Dave Fitzpatrick thanked Kris Kemp “and her amazing staff” at Shooter’s Family Billiards for their hospitality, along with sponsors Outsville, In The Box Apparel, Billiard Engineering, JFlowers Cues & Cases, Kamui, Off the Rail apparel, Brutal Game Gear, John Bender Custom Cues, and World Beaters Apparel.
The Garden State Pool Tour will return to Shooter’s Family Billiards and engage in the same split-bracket format on the weekend of May 4-5.
By their design, split/separate brackets in a tournament are intended to keep the lower-ranked (Fargo-rated) players separated from their greater-skilled (higher Fargo-rated) brethren until late in the event process. This avoids circumstances that would force a mythical, low Fargo-rated ‘John Smith’ from paying an entry fee and then drawing Shane Van Boening in an opening round of play. Players in the separate brackets compete against similarly-rated players until the two brackets get closer to the end, at which point, our mythical ‘John Smith’ might be slated to play Shane Van Boening anyway, although at a point when ‘John’ has presumably played and won a series of matches that have at least allowed him to practice a little before doing so.
Chris Farrell started out in the lower bracket (525 & lower Fargo Rate) at this past weekend’s (Feb. 4-5) stop on the Garden State Pool Tour and thanks to the efforts of a fellow, lower-bracket competitor (Juan Taveras), faced a competitor from the upper bracket (526 to 675) only once, battling for the hot seat. Taveras lost his opening match in the lower bracket to Mike Strassberg and then proceeded to win eight on the loss side for the right to meet Farrell in the finals. Farrell went undefeated through the field, downing Taveras in the final. The $150-added event drew 37 entrants (17 upper bracket and 20 lower bracket) to Breaker Billiards in Clifton, NJ.
Farrell’s path went through Gil Costello, Bob Toomey and Brenda C. Martinez, arriving at a winners’ side semifinal against Brook Villa. Christian Taeza, in the meantime, working initially from the upper bracket, received an opening round bye before sending Jim Conn, Alfredo Altamarino and Frank Rodriguez to the loss side and picking up Bill Meima in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Farrell downed Villa, double hill, advancing to meet his only upper bracket opponent, Taeza, who joined him in the hot seat match after defeating Meima 6-3.
On the loss side, Meima drew an immediate rematch against Rodriguez, who’d moved to the loss side and defeated Jim Conn, double hill, and Levi Lampaan 4-4 (Lampaan racing to 6). Villa drew Taveras, who was five matches into his loss-side streak and had recently won his rematch against Strassberg 6-2 and downed Martinez, double hill.
Taveras chalked up loss-side win #6, defeating Villa 6-2 and was joined in the quarterfinals by Meima, who’d sent Rodriguez home 5-3. Taveras then gave up only a single rack to Meima in those quarterfinals.
Taveras also gave up just a single rack to his upper bracket opponent in the semifinals, Christian Taeza before advancing to meet Farrell in the finals. Farrell completed his undefeated run with an 8-6 win in that final match to claim the event title.
Tour director Dave Fitzpatrick, assisted by Jennifer Pedutem, thanked the ownership and staff at Breaker Billiards for their hospitality, along with sponsors Billiards Engineering, JFlowers Cues and Cases, IntheBX, Off the Rail Apparel, Kamui, John Bender Custom Cues and Outsville. The next stop on the Garden State Pool Tour, scheduled for the weekend of Feb. 25-26, will be hosted by Diamond Jim’s Billiards and Pub in Nanuet, NY.
At least this time out, Jaydev Zaveri was the official winner. Having worked his way into the finals of three Predator Tri-State Tour stops at the same location this year (Shooter’s Family Billiards in Wayne, NJ), Zaveri and his first two opponents – Jan Mierzwa in February and Joe Valania in May, both of whom were in the hot seat at the time – negotiated a financial agreement and opted out of playing a final match. This past weekend (Saturday, August 27), Zaveri negotiated from the hot seat with tour newcomer, Brook Villa and while splitting the top two prizes with him, he did become the official winner of the $500-added Predator Tri-State stop that drew 29 entrants to Shooter’s Family Billiards.
Zaveri’s trip to the hot seat had something of a shaky start, surviving two straight double hill battles against Hunter Sullivan and Frank Krupa. A subsequent 7-3 victory over Pascal Dufresne set Zaveri up in a winners’ side semifinal against James Kearney. Aiden Wagner, in the meantime, destined for the hot seat match, got by Jowen Pichardo, Bob Toomey, and Ben Zimmerman to arrive at his winners’ side semifinal against Villa.
Zaveri got into what would prove to be his final match, battling for the hot seat, with a 7-2 victory over Kearney. Wagner joined him after sending Villa to the loss side 7-5. A 7-4 victory put Zaveri in the hot seat and, as it turned out, afforded him the opportunity to be declared the event’s official winner.
On the loss side, Villa picked up Ben Zimmerman who’d followed his loss to Wagner with wins over Tom Crane 7-5 and John Torp 6-3. Kearney drew Kevin Scalzitti, who’d lost his opening match to Pascal Dufresne and was working on a four-match, loss-side winning streak that had most recently eliminated Mike Strassberg 7-3, John Torp 6-3 and was about to end.
Kearney shut Scalzitti out and in the quarterfinals, faced Villa, who’d defeated Zimmerman 6-3. Villa was downing his opponents more efficiently as he got closer to the end, following his victory over Zimmerman with a 9-2 victory Kearney in the quarterfinals and then shutting out Wagner in the semifinals.
It set up an interesting title match, a contest between a tour veteran with a long list of cash finishes and victories on a number of area tours versus a newcomer, looking for his first recorded tour victory. The match, of course, didn’t happen. Zaveri and Villa agreed to the split and Zaveri went into the books as the event’s official winner.
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Shooter’s Family Billiards for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor Predator Cues.
Back in February, Joe Valania chalked up what was only his second recorded event victory anywhere at a stop on the Garden State Tour. His first victory, recorded two years previously, was awarded when, as occupant of the hot seat at the time, he and Daniel Dagotdot split the top two prizes at a stop on the Mac Attack Tour. In reporting on the Garden State Tour stop in February, we noted that the win made 2022 Valania’s best recorded earnings year. This past weekend (Saturday, May 7), he added to his best recorded earnings year with his third recorded victory, this time on the Predator Tri-State Tour, though like the 2020 win on the Mac Attack Tour, he and the runner-up (Jaydev Zaveri) split the top two prizes. The $500-added 10-Ball event drew 37 entrants to Shooter’s Family Billiards in Wayne, NJ.
It is worthy of note that just below the headliners (Valania and Zaveri), third-place finisher, Sabrina Sherman, came in search of what might have been her second tour win. She had previously recorded only three cash finishes on the tour, including an undefeated run at a stop in February 2019, when she split the top two prizes with Mac Jankov (the ‘Mac’ in Mac Attack Tour). Sherman’s bid to record her second tour win was derailed when she forfeited out of the semifinals, allowing Zaveri to leapfrog from the quarterfinals, directly into the finals, which, as it happened, didn’t happen.
Valania and Zaveri did meet in this most recent event, in a winners’ side semifinal. Valania had opened with a double hill win over Mac Jankov before sending Dave Fitzpatrick and Jason Goberdhan to the loss side and drawing Zaveri in that winners’ side semifinal. Sherman, in the meantime, had embarked on a bit of a roller coaster ride through her first three opponents, shutting out Donald Henriquez and then, surviving two straight double-hill matches against Tom Crane and Marc Lamberti before running into Jay Chiu in the other winners’ side semifinal.
In what was described by tour representatives as a “stunning upset,” Valania defeated Zaveri 6-1, while Sherman was busy sending Chiu to the loss side 5-3. In what would prove to be the last match for both of them, Valania claimed the hot seat over Sherman 5-1.
Zaveri and Chiu picked up rematches against the two competitors that they’d sent to the loss side in two of the winners’ side quarterfinals. On the loss side, Julian Tierney downed Luis Jimenez 6-2 and Mike Strassberg 6-4 to get to his rematch against Zaveri, while Nick Torraca defeated Rich Cardillo 5-2 and Shweta Zaveri (Jaydev’s wife) 6-4 to draw his rematch against Chiu.
Zaveri and Chiu defeated Tierney and Torraca a second time; Zaveri over Tierney 6-4 and Chiu over Torraca 5-3. In what would prove to be his final match, Zaveri defeated Chiu 6-3 in the quarterfinals.
At that point, with Sherman having already forfeited the semifinals, Zaveri and Valania opted out of a final match. The split of the top two prizes was negotiated and the two went their separate ways in plenty of time (sleep included) to enjoy their Mother’s Day celebrations.
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Shooter’s Family Billiards for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor Predator Cues, Ozone Billiards, Sterling-Gaming, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, Human Kinetics, Pool & Billiards, Romer Trophies and Professor Q Ball. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, scheduled for May 21-22, will be hosted by Cue Bar in Bayside (Queens), NY.
It was the second time, as far as we know, that Sean Emmitt had made it to the hot seat of a regional tour event. He did it the first time in September, 2018, at Clifton Billiards in Clifton, NJ,downing Ralph Ramos, Jr. The competitor he’d sent to the loss side in that event, Neil Walmsley, downed Ramos in the semifinals and came back to deny Emmitt his first title, chalking up his own second.
Just over three and half years later, this past weekend (Saturday, April 16), at the same location, Emmitt made it to the hot seat again, having only cashed in two other events in between; 4th at another stop on the Tri-State back in 2018 and 4th again at a National Billiard League qualifying event, a little over a year ago. This time, though, Emmitt took the final step. After claiming the hot seat, he downed the same opponent, KC Clayton, in the finals to claim his first regional tour title. The $300-added 10-ball event drew 16 entrants to Clifton Billiards.
Emmitt faced Mike Strassberg in the winners’ side semifinal of this one, as Clayton squared off against Ty Classan. Emmitt got into the hot seat match with a 7-2 win over Strassberg and was joined by Clayton, who’d sent Classan to the loss side 7-4. Emmitt downed Clayton 7-5 and sat, once again in the hot seat of a Clifton Billiards event, awaiting his second chance to grab a regional tour title.
Strassberg and Classan advanced to the quarterfinals; Strassberg 6-4 over Rodriguez and Classan 6-1 over Madlener. Strassberg took the quarterfinal match 6-3 over Classan, but Clayton shut him down by the same score in the semifinals.
As might have been predicted between two opponents who had both finished as runner-up at a stop on the Tri-State Tour (Clayton was runner-up at last month’s stop at Cue Bar in Queens, NY) and were in search of their first regional tour title, the finals went double hill. Emmitt dropped the last 10-ball to claim the title.
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Clifton Billiards for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor Predator Cues, Ozone Billiards, Sterling Billiards, Kamui, Quick Stick, Bloodworth Ball Cleaner, Joe Romer Trophies, Phil Capelle Publications and Pool and Billiards. The next stop on the Predator Tri-State Tour, scheduled for the Saturday, May 7, will be another 10-Ball event, $500-added, hosted by Shooter’s Family Billiards in Wayne, NJ.
Richard Ng returned to a winners’ circle on Sunday, April 10, when he went undefeated at a stop on the Garden State Pool Tour. The $350-added, ABCD 9-Ball event drew 29 entrants to Clifton Billiards in Clifton, NJ.
Last seen in the winners’ circle as the undefeated winner of a 2015-2016 stop on the Tri-State Tour, before it became the Predator Tri-State Tour, Ng had to battle through his opening matches to get to the hot seat. He went double hill in his opener against Tri Chau, before winning two straight games that came within a game of double hill, versus Mikhail Kim and, in the winners’ side semifinal that punched his ticket to the hot seat match, Tae Chang. Facing him in that match was Sung Lee, who’d had his own struggles getting there, facing two straight double-hill matches, against Ron Litchenberger and Frank Kasseta, before downing Mike Strassberg, and in the other winners’ side semifinal, Kervin Santamaria.
Ng and Lee fought back and forth to a 4-4 tie, before Lee surged ahead by two racks. Ng responded with four in a row to claim the hot seat.
On the loss side, Velez picked up Tae Chang, downing him in what was described by tour officials as a cliff-hanger win. Velez followed with victories over Satamaria in the quarterfinals and Lee in the semifinals, both 7-4.
Ng allowed Velez only a single rack and claimed the event title.
Tour representatives noted that while not among the top four finishers, Kathy Croom “battled her way to a stunning, 5th place finish.” Croom had failed to win a set in her previous five events and hadn’t won a game in her last outing. Congratulations were extended for her 3-2 showing and first cash winnings at this stop on the tour.
Tour representatives thanked Vincent Sauro and his Clifton Billiards staff, along with all of the event’s participating players. The next stop on the Garden State Pool Tour will be its 4th Annual NJ State Amateur Championships. The two-day event, scheduled for the weekend of April 30-May 1, will be hosted by Shooter’s Family Billiards in Wayne, NJ.
Though CJ Chey would go undefeated on the Mac Attack Tour’s 4th stop, he would split the top three prizes with Raymond Paragas and Levie Lampaan. The event drew 32 entrants to CJ Chey’s ‘home’ room, Rockaway Billiards in Rockaway, NJ.
Chey and Lampaan advanced through the field to arrive at their respective winners’ side semifinals. Chey faced Miguel Berrios, as Lampaan squared off against Ricky Mejia. Lampaan and Mejia locked up in a double hill fight, which eventually advanced Lampaan to the hot seat match. He was joined by Chey, who’d sent Berrios west 6-4. Chey claimed the hot seat and his last victory of the tournament 7-4 over Lampaan.
On the loss side, Ricky Mejia ran into Raymond Paragas, who was moved to the loss side by Lampaan in a winners’ side quarterfinal and then defeated Kevin Scalzitti 5-3 and Matt Klein 6-4. Berrios picked up Mike Strassberg, who’d been defeated by Chey in the second round and was working on a four-match, loss-side winning streak that had recently included a double hill victory over Michelle Brotons and a 5-2 win over Paul Everton.
Strassberg and Paragas handed Berrios and Mejia their second straight loss; Strassberg 5-3 over Berrios and Paragas 6-1 over Mejia. Paragas and Strassberg battled to double hill in the quarterfinals that followed before Paragas advanced to what would have been, but was not, a rematch against Lampaan in the semifinals.
The three remaining contenders agreed to a three-way split of the first three cash payouts. Chey, as the undefeated occupant of the hot seat, was awarded the official event title.
Tour director Mac Jankov thanked Rockaway Billiards’ owner Paul Spaanstra and his staff, including Michelle Pirrello, for all of their help. He extended thanks, as well, to the members of the tri-state area pool community who’ve attended all four of the Mac Attack Tour’s events, thus far. The next stop on the Mac Attack Tour, scheduled for Nov. 1 will be hosted by Breaker Billiards in Clifton, NJ. Further events are scheduled through Nov. 15. A 16-entrant Open/Pro event is in the planning stages for the Mac Attack Tour. Anyone interested in sponsoring this event should reach Jankov at 973-937-8852
It was to have been an ‘A’ team battle. As Bryan Jeziorski sat in the hot seat and Matt Klein was working his way through the loss side of the March 1 stop on the Tri-State Tour, the prospect of a final match between two of the Tri-State’s premiere A players seemed like a distinct possibility. And it almost came to pass. Klein, #2 on the tour’s list of A+/A players, completed a five-match, loss-side streak, prepared for a rematch against Jeziorski, #7 on that A+/A list of players. With a late hour and the prospect of work looming, mere hours away, the two opted out of a final match, leaving the undefeated Jeziorski as the official winner of the $1,000-added event that had drawn 57 entrants to The Spot in Nanuet, NY.
They met first in a winners’ side quarterfinal, won 7-2 by Jeziorski, who advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against Marco Daniele, a C player. In the other winners’ side semifinal, Mike Strassberg, the tour’s #1 C+ player, squared off against Joe Rubino (B).
Jeziorski and Daniele battled to double hill before Jeziorski prevailed, advancing to the hot seat match. Strassberg and Rubino checked in with a double hill fight, as well. One that sent Strassberg to the hot seat match against Jezioski. Jeziorski downed Strassberg 8-4 in what would prove to be his last match.
On the loss side, following victories over Jaydev Zaveri 7-5 and Demain Patrick 8-6, Matt Klein leap-frogged into the quarterfinals when Daniele forfeited. He was joined by Emmanuel Arelzga, who, after defeating Jay Choi 7-4 and Syed Alli 8-5, eliminated Joe Rubino 7-3.
Klein and Arelzga locked up in a double hill battle, eventually won by Klein, who went on to eliminate Strassberg 8-5 in the semifinals. The decision was made to not play a final match, the money was split and everybody went home.
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at The Spot for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Sterling-Gaming, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, Pool & Billiards, Professor Q Ball, Bender Cues, Liquid Weighted Cues , Billiards Engineering and Bloodworth Ball Cleaner. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, scheduled for Sunday, March 8, will be hosted by Steinway Billiards in Astoria (Queens), NY.
Last Sunday’s (Jan. 26) Tri-State Tour stop at Cue Bar in Bayside (Queens), NY featured one of those still-rare, but a lot more frequent than they used to be battles between a male and female in the finals of a regional tour. There was a little bit of ‘David and Goliath’ in the air, too, because Naoko Saiki, who’d only ever cashed in one other event on the tour (9th, two and a half years ago at Steinway Billiards) was going up against Ryan Dayrit, who’d cashed in 13 events last year alone, including one win each on the Predator Pro Am and Tri-State Tours. The woman got into the hot seat, but Goliath came back from the loss side to down the female ‘David’ in the finals. The $1,000-added event drew 26 entrants to Cue Bar.
Dayrit had something of a shaky start. He survived an opening-round, double hill match against Johnny Colon and then fell 7-2 to Chris Luna, which, in a 32-player bracket, happened to be a winners’ side quarterfinal match. Luna advanced to face Nishant Narang in a winners’ side semifinal. Saiki, in the meantime, had her own kind of shaky start; opening with a double hill win over Jose Ramos, she avoided a second double hill scenario by a game, defeating Allison LaFleur 6-4 to face Lionell Swanston in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Saiki chalked up her second double hill win, over Swanston, and in the hot seat match, faced Narang, who’d sent Luna west 6-3. Saiki claimed the hot seat 6-4 over Narang, and waited for Dayrit to finish his loss side run.
Dayrit had opened that run with a 6-1 victory over Juan Melendez and then got locked up in a double hill fight against Qian Chen, before prevailing to draw Swanston. Luna, in the meantime, certainly mindful of a potential rematch versus Dayrit in the upcoming quarterfinals, drew Bob Toomey, who’d survived a double hill fight against LaFleur and eliminated Mike Strassberg 6-2 to reach him.
Dayrit got into the quarterfinals 6-4 over Swanston. Toomey spoiled the Dayrit/Luna rematch with a 6-3 win over Luna.
Dayrit won the next two 6-4, downing Toomey in the quarterfinals and Narang in the semifinals. Though the final match between Dayrit and Saiki see-sawed back and forth through its opening racks, Dayrit eventually pulled out in front to complete his comeback and win it 8-4.
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Cue Bar, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Sterling-Gaming, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, Pool & Billiards, Professor Q Ball, Bender Cues, Paul Dayton Cues, Bloodworth Ball Cleaner, Joe Romer Trophies and Quick Slick. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, scheduled for Saturday, February 1, will be hosted by Steinway Billiards in Astoria (Queens), NY.
