Stephen Holem, Brian & Makayla Kvasnicka and Joe Spence
Canada’s Joe Spence and Stephen Holem battled twice in their quest to claim the 2023 Spokane 9-Ball Open. Spence won both matches, one by a hair and the other, by a lot, finishing undefeated to claim the event title. The $6,000-added event, held this past Labor Day weekend (Sept. 2-5) drew 127 entrants to The Black Diamond in Spokane Valley, WA.
All things considered, Spence did all right for himself, even though his confidence, going in, wasn’t necessarily as strong as he would have liked.
“I definitely wasn’t really prepared for the event,” he said. “It was my first tournament in over three months and I almost didn’t go. My buddy and I run a summer business in Penticton (British Columbia) and worked about 70 days in a row, leading up to the weekend.”
He started strong. And finished strong. He and Holem grew up together and their meet-up in the finals was one of many that they’ve played against each other all over North America. Spence has a sense, early, in his 9-3 opening win against Dan Louie, that he might go far, if . . .
“After the way I played my first match,” he said, “I said to myself ‘If I can get just a little bit better ‘touch’ and figure out the break, I’ll have a chance for sure, if I make it to Monday.”
He did. And beyond.
By the time he arrived to face Holem in one of the winners’ side semifinals, he’d given up only nine racks out of 45 played; a blistering 83% game-winning average, which, translated through the magic of math, means he was winning (on average) all but one rack in each race to 9 and more than eight out of every 10 racks, overall. Holem’s game-winning average going into the winners’ side semifinal against him was 73% (36-13; he’d been awarded an opening-round bye). Damian Pongpanik, who’d face him in the hot seat match, was at 70% when he reached the winners’ side semifinals (36-15; he’d advanced in his opening round by forfeit).
Spence’s game-winning average was boosted by two straight shutouts versus Steve Hanks and Lee Ott, which followed his opening round loss to Louie. He then got by Chandler Decoteau 9-4 and Nick Kruger 9-2 to draw Holem in the winners’ side semifinal. Holem, with his opening-round bye, got into an immediate battle that came within a game of double hill before he defeated Josh Smith 9-7. Wins over Jeff Kvasnicka (1), Josh Anderson (none) and Brady Gollan (5) put him into the winners’ side semifinal against Spence.
Pongpanik, in the meantime, following a ‘forfeit’ advance in the opening round, chalked up two 9-3 wins against Jennifer Shumaker and Ryan Carden. He got stingier against Chris Rodriguez, winning 9-2, before Steven Weakly gave him a 9-7 run for his money in a winners’ side quarterfinal that put Pongpanik in the other winners’ side semifinal against Margaret Fefilova.
Things started to tighten up at this stage of the proceedings. Each of the eventual top three finishers dropped their game-winning average by about 10 points before the event was over. Spence and Holem fought a double-hill battle that sent Spence to the hot seat match. Pongpanik and Fefilova fought an almost-double-hill battle (9-7) that sent Pongpanik to the hot seat match against Spence. Another double-hill fight followed, with Spence surviving to sit in the hot seat.
On the loss side, Holem and Fefilova arrived to draw the competitor that the other had sent to the loss side in a winners’ side quarterfinal. Holem got Blake Baker, who’d followed his winners’ side quarterfinal loss to Fefilova with wins over Lake MacKay and Eric Vargas, both 7-4. Fefilova drew Brady Gollan, who’d followed his winners’ side quarterfinal loss to Holem with wins over Daniel Sardoncillo 7-3 and Brian Butler 7-4.
Holem and Fefilova spoiled any hopes that either Baker or Gollan had for a rematch against either one of them. Holem eliminated Baker 7-1. Fefilova joined him in the quarterfinals after downing Gollan 7-3.
Holem then defeated Fefilova 7-3 in those quarterfinals and went on to record a shutout in the semifinals, much, one would assume, to the surprise of the thus-eliminated Pongpanik. Likewise, Holem advanced to the true double-elimination finals for a rematch against Spence and likely, much to his surprise, was shut out in the opening set, as Spence put a punctuation mark on his undefeated run to claim the title.
Tour director Brian Kvasnicka thanked the ownership and staff at The Black Diamond for their hospitality, along with his daughter, Makayla “for helping get the livestream up and keeping it running smoothly all weekend.” He offered thanks, as well, to all those who helped with commentating on that stream. He also expressed appreciation for all the event sponsors for the money-added to the event; Chris Mundel (The Home Gurus Real Estate), Jamie Lechuga (J & A Roofing), Jeremy Coffman (JC’s Lawn and Tree), Zane Strasser (Admen Banner & Sign), Damian Pongpanik (Jam Up Apparel), Sandi Fisher (Sandi Fisher Realty), Steve Rijon (Legacy Billiards) and Bob Danielson (Bob Daniels Cues).
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