Jeffrey De Luna
Winners’ side semifinalists from US Open 10-Ball make it to 8-ball winners’ side quarterfinals
When Shane Van Boening defended his US Open 10-Ball Championship title this past Tuesday (March 4), downing Jesus Atencio 13-10 in a spirited and nail-biting final, attention shifted to the $10,000-added US Open 8-Ball Championships, which got underway the following day. Speculation about a Van Boening/Atencio 8-ball rematch was inevitable and when the brackets were revealed, it demonstrated that if that were to happen, the first time it could possibly happen would be the hot seat match.
That possibility survived the double-elimination bracket until last night (Thur., March 6). As it happened, all four of the 10-ball semifinalists were among the eight who made it to the winners’ side quarterfinals in 8-ball. Only two of them advanced to what is scheduled to be tonight’s (Friday) winners’ side semifinals.
Van Boening, who’d opened with victories over Roberto Gomez 8-4 and Ruslan Chinakhov 8-5, shut out his winners’ side quarterfinal opponent Oliver Ruuger. Atencio in the meantime, who’d defeated Mauricio Garcia 8-1 and John Morra 8-2 was defeated by Ukraine’s Vitaliy Patsura 8-6. Jeffrey De Luna, winner over Billy Stephan 8-2 and Jordan Nile Hohman 8-5, defeated Tony Chohan 8-2. Billy Thorpe, who’d lost to Van Boening in the 10-Ball semifinals and opened the 8-ball competition with wins over Max Eberle 8-6 and Marc Vidal Claramunt 8-4, was defeated by Oliver Szolnoki 8-3.
The winners’ side semifinals, scheduled for 7 p.m. (EDT), this evening will see Patsura meet Szolnoki, as Van Boening and De Luna square off at the same time.
On the loss side, preparing for matches that are scheduled for 3 p.m. (EDT) and will determine who finishes in the tie for 9th/12th will be Chohan and Roberto Gomez, Morra and Ruuger, Thorpe and Hohmann. The marquee matchup on that side of the bracket will be the match that pits Atencio against “The Lion,” Alex Pagulayan.
The hope for a Van Boening/Atencio rematch in a final battle for the 8-ball title is still alive, although both of them will be facing strong opposition as they attempt to advance. Assuming he defeats De Luna (and it’s by no means a ‘given’), Van Boening will face either Szolnoki or Patsura in the hot seat match. Ahead for Atencio, assuming he gets by The Lion (also not a ‘given’), will be four matches against four equally-motivated and skilled opponents, who, like him, will be looking for the title.
Selected matches of those that will play out this afternoon or this evening will be available on GriffTV’s YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/@GriffsTV
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