In only his first year with an AZBilliards Player Profile, Ronny Chestna has cashed in two events on the New England 9-Ball Series. He shared an event title with Paul Kazalski back in February at the conclusion of the Dave Marcus Memorial (Stop #2) and this past weekend (Nov. 28), he went undefeated in Stop #7 on the tour to claim his first, no-asterisk event title.
Chestna was challenged in the finals by James Smith, who, after benefiting from an opening round forfeit, lost his opening match and went on an eight-match, loss-side winning streak that took him all the way to the finals and included a double hill victory over the aforementioned Paul Kazalski. The $500-added event drew 38 entrants to Stroker’s Billiards in Pelham, NH.
Working in the upper bracket of the two employed by the NE 9-Ball Series in their tour stops, and the recipient of an opening round bye, Chestna won three straight 6-2 matches, against Brandon Coley, Dana Mackenzie and Steven Smith. This put him into a winners’ side semifinal against Mark Ruzzano. Chris Ouimette, in the meantime, working in the lower bracket, was also awarded an opening round bye, before defeating Tony Mendonca and Curtis Wright, both 5-3, and then, in a double hill fight, Bob Campbell. Ouimette drew Troy Fortin in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Chestna and Ouimette each gave up only a single rack to their opponent in advancing to the hot seat match; Chestna, 6-1 over Ruzzano and Ouimette 5-1 over Fortin. Chestna put a bit of an exclamation point on his battle for the hot seat, shutting Ouimette out to claim it.
On the loss side, Smith had chalked up five of his eight wins against Mae Paonessa 8-2, Michelle Haddock 6-3 and Josh Turransky 8-3 before running into Paul Kazalski. He eliminated Kazalski, double hill, before defeating Bob Campbell 5-1 and drawing Troy Fortin, fresh from the winners’ side, in the first money round. Ruzzano picked up a rematch against Xhuljano Kamxhiu, whom he’d sent to the loss side in a winners’ side quarterfinal and had defeated Tyler Boudreau, double hill and Daniel Simoneau 6-2 for a second shot at him.
The last three matches of Smith’s loss-side run all went double hill. He and Kamxhiu handed Fortin and Ruzzano their second straight loss; Smith in the first of his three straight double hill fights, as Kamxhiu, in the meantime, successfully wreaked his vengeance on Ruzzano 6-2.
Smith then defeated Kamxhiu in the subsequent quarterfinal match and completed his loss-side trip to the finals against Ouimette in the semifinals. Smith locked up in his fourth double hill match in the finals against Chestna, but Chestna hung on to win it.
Tour director Marc Dionne thanked the ownership and staff at Stroker’s, as well as Predator, Poison, Arcos II, BCAPL, USAPL New England, Fargo Rate, Salotto, AZBilliards, Inside English, Professor Q-Ball’s National Pool and 3-Cushion News, MJS Construction, Master Billiards, OTLVISE Billiard Mechanics of America, Piku Tips and Just the Tip Cue Repair and Custom Accessories.
The next stop on the New England 9-Ball Series (#8), scheduled for the weekend of December 12-13, will be a $500-added Partners event, hosted by Crow’s Nest in Plaistow, NH.
For the second year in a row, the New England 9-Ball Series’ Dave Marcus Memorial did not feature a final match. Last year, Brett Cavazos, as the undefeated occupant of the hot seat, was declared the official winner of the 2019 Dave Marcus Memorial and split the top two prizes with Buddy Oldham. This year, in the absence of Cavazos and Oldham’s two-and-out showing, the Dave Marcus Memorial title went to hot seat occupant Ronny “Chugga” Chestna, who split the top two prizes with Paulie Kazalski, after Kazalski took the opening set of a true double elimination final. The $500-added event drew 41 entrants to Buster’s Billiards in Somersworth, NH.
After an opening round bye, “Chugga” Chestna, playing in the event’s upper bracket, downed Cody Porter, Bill Phillips, and Katie Bowse to arrive at a winners’ side final matchup against Tyler Boudreau. In the lower bracket, Jarryd Boyd opened his campaign with victories over Barrett Ridley, Josh Turransky and Jozy Vienneau before running into Kazalski in a winners’ side quarterfinal. He defeated Kazalski 6-2 to draw Emily Cady in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Chestna got into the hot seat match with a 6-1 victory over Boudreau. He was joined by Boyd, who’d survived a double hill battle (5-3) against Cady. Chestna claimed the hot seat with what proved to be his last win – 6-1 over Boyd.
On the loss side, Kazalski opened up his five-match, loss-side trip to the finals with a 5-3 win over Shane Ryan. He followed that up with a 5-2 win over Chris Ouimette to draw Cady. Boudreau came over to the loss side for an immediate rematch versus Mark Morgan, whom he’d sent to the loss side, double hill, in one of the winners’ side quarterfinals. Morgan downed Roger Vivier 6-2 and Katie Bowse 6-1 to earn the rematch.
With Morgan racing to 6, it was Boudreau advancing to the quarterfinals 5-3. He was joined by Kazalski, who’d survived Cady’s second straight double hill match.
Kazalski chalked up his second straight double hill win, eliminating Boudreau in those quarterfinals and then, won a third double hill fight to eliminate Boyd in the semifinals.
Two doses of double-hill adrenaline probably helped as Kazalski squared off against Chestna in the finals. The opening set of the true double elimination final came within a game of being Kazalski’s third straight double hill match, but he pulled ahead to win it 4-6 (Chestna racing to 8). They opted out of a second set and split the top two prizes. Chestna, as the undefeated occupant of the hot seat, was able to claim the official event title.
Tour director Marc Dionne thanked the ownership and staff at Buster’s Billiards for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Predator, Poison, Arcos II, BCAPL, USAPL New England, Fargo Rate, Bert Kinister, AZBilliards, Inside English, Professor Q-ball’s National Pool and 3-Cushion News, Delta 13 Racks, MJS Construction, Master Billiards, OTLVISE Billiard Mechanics of America, Piku Tips, Just The Tip Cue Repair and Custom Accessories.
The next stop (#3) on the NE 9-Ball Series, scheduled for this weekend (Oct. 10-11), will be a $750-added event, hosted by Stroker’s Billiards in Pelham, NH. The event will be limited to 64 entrants and players must sign up on-line by 7 p.m., October 9.
