Kelly Fisher Defends Her Title at San Diego Classic
It was a case of deja vu in the finals of the WPBA’s Sand Diego Classic, between defending champion Kelly Fisher, ranked third in the WPBA, and second-ranked Karen Corr.
On April 23 at Viejas Casino in Alpine, Calif., the same place and the same score as last year, Fisher beat Corr, 7-4, in front of a packed audience. Initially Corr dominated with a 3-0 lead, but the tide turned and it became all Fisher. Fisher pocketed the 9 ball on two breaks and capitalized on some rough misses and bad rolls by Corr.
In semifinal play, Fisher defeated fellow Brit and snooker convert, Allison Fisher, 7-4. Corr creamed Sarah Ellerby, 7-2.
The WPBA also celebrated its 10 year anniversary with the Viejas Casino and awarded a plaque to the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians in appreciation for their support.
Four Finalists Remain In the San Diego Classic
A face-off of the Fishers: Allison and Kelly, will take place today, April 23, at 1 p.m. at the San Diego Classic, the third 2006 stop on the Women’s Pro Billiard Tour currently being played out at Viejas Casino in Alpine, Calif.
Kelly dismissed Jeanette Lee and Allison defeated Dawn Hopkins to reach the semifinal match. Kelly is the returning champion of this event, and will do her best to defend the title.
Also among the undefeated, Karen Corr and Sarah Ellerby will face off at 1 p.m. as well. For ongoing results and event highlights, visit www.wpba.com
The Heat Is On In San Diego
Ready, set, rack! WPBA President Kim White of Texas and Val Finnie of Scotland rack in the first round.
Defending champion Kelly Fisher won her first match over California’s Darlene Stinson, 9-1, and looks well poised to make her way to the finals. Local favorite Tina Pawlowski suffered her first loss at the hand’s of Virginia’s Sueyen Rhee, but will return today to compete against Wisconsin’s Jeri Engh.
First round upsets included #51-ranked Lisa D’Atri over Colorado’s #24-ranked Laura Smith; #42-ranked semi-pro Leslie Anne Rogers of Texas over #26-ranked pro Melissa Little; newcomer Julia Gabriel over #31-ranked Stacy Hurst of Southern California; and the Florida Flash, #43-ranked Ellen Van Buren over #19-ranked Romana Dokovic.
Big matches in the winner’s bracket will take place tonight, including Jeanette Lee vs. Kelly Fisher and Kim Shaw vs. Dawn Hopkins, who dismissed both Tiffany Nelson, 9-5, and Kim White, 9-7, in preliminary rounds.
Stay tuned for more coverage here at HeadString, or follow updated tournament brackets and highlights at www.wpba.com.
WPBA San Diego Classic Underway
First-round matches are underway today, April 20, at the 2006 WPBA San Diego Classic, at Viejas Casino in Alpine, Calif.
Kelly Fisher won her first U.S. title at this tournament last year, when she defeated Gerda Hofstatter in the final match. Both players have returned this year and, providing they both win their first three respective matches, are destined to meet again in the fourth round, scheduled for 9:30 p.m. Saturday, April 22.
Stay tuned to HeadString News for highlights, or watch for ongoing results at www.wpba.com.
Live Coverage of Florida Pro Tour This Weekend
The second stop of the Florida Men’s Pro Tour boasts a cramped marquis and live online coverage, taking place this weekend, April 15-16, at Players Billiards in Melbourne, Fla.
Players competing will include Earl Strickland, Nick Varner, Buddy Hall, Rodney Morris, Mike Sigel, Ronnie Wiseman, Troy Frank, Rob Saez, Ray Martin, Danny Diliberto, David Grossman, Neil Fujiwara and many more. Tournament coverage can be found at www.platinumbilliards.com where brackets will be updated match-by-match and for some, game-by-game.
Sponsored by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the tournament is $8000-added, 10-Ball, race-to-8, rack your own, winner breaks.
Archer Remains On Target For Final In Calgary
Quarter-final matches will take place today between undefeated players Johnny Archer and Luc Salvas, Alex Pagulayan and Jason Klatt at the 2006 SML 9-Ball Open in Calgary.
Archer’s path to the final was almost thwarted by young Shane Van Boening in an early match on April 13, the third day of the tournament. The match was tied at 10-10 with Van Boening breaking, but a scratch on the break proved fatal as Archer ran out the final rack to remain undefeated.
After beating Stan Tourangeau, Archer’s next obstacle is Salvas of Quebec, who has built momentum with wins over formidable Filipinos Edwin Montal and Dennis Orcollo.
Defending champion Pagulayan and 2004 champion Archer are favored for the final.
Strickland’s Hall of Fame Speech Filled With “Pearls”
“Where are my friends?” demanded Earl Strickland, discussing the lack of respect given to pool players by professional athletes in other sports during his acceptance speech as the 50th inductee of the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame.
The fact is, Strickland was surrounded by friends during the well-attended induction banquet held on April 6, 2006 in conjunction with the BCA International Billiard & Home Recreation Expo in Houston.
Earl was introduced by longtime sponsors Janet Shimel, CEO of J-S Sales Company, Inc., and Lou Sardo, of Lou Sardo Products. Both shared stories of the volatile pool legend that were far more “pearly” than surly, and highlighted Strickland’s passion for the game.
“His heart is really much bigger than his mouth,” Shimel said.
“I have a passion for pool and it still burns and I’m still going to be playing, and I’m starting to get healthier. I had some kidney problems, and some back problems, and some marital problems, and some others. I’ve kind of fallen off the horse in the last few years, but I’m getting over it now, and when I get my game back, you better watch out Johnny [Archer]!” he said.
Strickland’s speech was peppered with many “pearls” of his own. “Finally, I have your undivided attention. That’s all I ever wanted,” began the 44-year-old, who has commanded attention in the pool world since his first pro tournament at age 15.
He expressed his desire to continue playing pool for as long as he’s capable. “I don’t know how much longer I got, to tell you the truth. Pool players live in dog years. When you’re 40, you’re like 80.”
Strickland is a five-time winner of the Billiards Digest “Player of the Year” award, and his career highlights include multiple world championships, five U.S. Open titles and nine Team U.S.A. victories at the annual Mosconi Cup. He has also gained the title of “Million-Dollar Man” after he ran an unbelievable 13 racks. Most recently, Earl won the World Pool Masters Trick Shot Challenge in 2003, took fourth at the U.S. Open in September 2005, second at the UPA Atlanta Open in October 2005 and another Mosconi Cup victory in December 2005.
Strickland’s bad temper is well-known and documented in the pool community, but he asserts that it always in the name of a deep adoration and reverence for the game. He compared pool to “the worst drug on earth.” “I would nearly want to kill someone to play a game. I stole from my own mother to play pool,” he admitted to a roaring audience.
His speech took a serious tone, however, when he spoke of his new distinction. “I’m a Hall-of-Famer now, I’ll be walking in another pair of shoes.”
Hatch Fulfills Prophesy, Wins First Major in 8 Years
A weeping Dennis Hatch cradled the championship trophy for the Gabriels Open 8-Ball Professional Players Championship, after mounting a furious comeback to win a second-set squeaker against undefeated challenger Mike Davis in the final.
Hatch, 35, had won the first set, 5-3, but found himself down 4-1 in the second. It looked for a moment like the match would go to a one-game sudden-death tiebreaker, but Hatch was able to break and run out to make it 4-2, and then took advantage of a Davis scratch and dry break to steal the set, 5-4.
“I just felt like I was going to win it,” Hatch said of the event, held March 16-19 in conjunction with the Super Billiards Expo in Valley Forge, Pa. “I was playing better than anyone else. … It’s been about eight years since I won a major — that’s why I cried.”
Hatch’s last major win came at the 1998 Denver 10-Ball Open. He spent roughly two years incarcerated for drug-related charges until his release in September 2003, and since has played sparingly on the Joss Northeast tour.
“For the past two months now — three months, tops — I’ve been playing every day and getting myself back in shape,” he said.
In the final, Hatch avenged his 5-3, 5-4 loss to Davis in the hot-seat match. He defeated Ralf Souquet, 5-4, 4-5, 1-0, to earn the rematch against Davis.
Hatch made a show of kissing a hand and laying it on the crystal vase championship trophy before both his semifinal and final matches.
“Let me kiss my trophy,” he said prophetically.
Last But Not Least: Peach and Alcaide earn final spots in the IPT
At the fifth and final International Pool Tour qualification event in Weert, The Netherlands, David Alcaide of Spain and Daryl Peach of England nabbed the final two spots on the 150-player roster for the 2006 season.
After defeating Peach on Saturday night in a hill-hill nailbiter, Alcaide showed up Sunday morning determined. He met Goh Takami in the winners’ bracket final, and Japan’s “Rising Sun” wasn’t able to stop the Spaniard, who won the match, 10-5.
Peach suffered through a lengthy match against Germany’s Michael Schmidt before reaching the one-loss side final against Takami. It looked as if he were going to run six racks for the $5,000 bonus, but missed a tough cut on an early 2 ball when the score was 7-3. Peach was able to win that rack and only allowed Takami one more game before winning the last match, 10-4.