The final day of the West Coast Classic kicked off on Sunday with a TV match up between Karen Corr and Kelly Fisher. Fisher has earned her fair share of spots in TV matches since breaking onto the WPBA Tour, but she had yet to earn her first TV match win. Fisher got that accomplishment out of the way early on this day as she defeated Corr 7-4.
Fisher moved on to play 'The Texas Tornado' Vivian Villarreal. Villarreal had come up one match short of the hot-seat on Saturday when she lost to Gerda Hofstatter. She would have to beat Fisher to get another shot at Hofstatter in the finals. Fisher won the lag and broke and ran the first rack to take the 1-0 lead. Villarreal broke next in the alternating break event and made nothing on the break. Fisher played Villareal safe and earned a 'Very good shot!' comment from her opponent. Kicking, Villareal missed and gives Fisher ball in hand for a tough 1-9 combo which she missed. Villareal went on to pocket the 1 but left herself with poor position on the 2 ball. She made the two with the bridge but was forced to play a safety on the 3. Fisher made contact with the 3 ball but left a shot for Villarreal who pocketed the three but had no shot on the 4-ball. Villarreal played safe but left enough of the 4 ball for Fisher to see which Fisher made and then followed up with a 5-9 combination to take a 2-0 lead. The next rack Fisher broke and runs to go up 3-0. That "break and run" would be something that Villarreal would see a lot of as Fisher broke and ran every rack except for her last and went on to win the match 7-3.
Kelly Fisher went on to the finals to play Gerda Hofstetter. Again Fisher set the pace by winning the lag and breaking and running the first rack. In the final rack, Hofstatter broke and scratched giving Fisher ball in hand. Fisher made the 1 with ease, but left herself on the wrong side of the 2 ball. Fisher chose to take a shot at a 2-6 combination which she made. Fisher got out of line late in the rack and was forced to play safe on the 7-ball. Gerda missed the seven and made the 8-ball leaving Fisher with ball in hand on two balls for the win and first WPBA Classic Tour win.
Fisher pocketed $10,000 for the win, while Hofstatter earned $7000 for second. Villarreal and Corr filled out the top four spots. The win will move Fisher from 13th place on the WPBA points list to 8th place. Hofstatter's runner-up finish will move her from 8th to 5th.
File photo courtesy of Diana Hoppe - Pool Pics By Hoppe
