Doubles events are increasing in popularity on a lot of regional tours and the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour is no exception. The tour opened its 2020 season with a $500-added Doubles event that drew 11 teams to The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA on the weekend of January 4-5. There will, noted tour directors Herman and Angela Parker, be more team events throughout the coming year. The team of Scott Roberts and Andy Bowden took home the event title* in this one, although they opted to split the last two cash prizes with the team of Trey Frank and Jonathan Ailstock, who’d battled through the loss side for the right to meet Roberts/Bowden in the finals.
Roberts/Bowden advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against Bob Sloper and Tony Draper. Collin Hall and Daniel Adams squared off against the father and son team of Paul (father) and Ted Highley. Roberts/Bowden got into the hot seat match with a 6-3 win over Sloper/Draper. They were joined by Hall/Adams, who’d sent the Highley family to the loss side 6-4. In what proved to be the last match for Roberts/Bowden, they claimed the hot seat in a double hill battle versus Hall/Adams.
On the loss side, Sloper/Draper picked up the Frank/Ailstock team, which had won two contrasting matches – a double hill fight and a shutout – against Doug Carter and Rick Sinclair (the double hill fight) and the team of Angela Parker and Josh Carter. The Highley family drew Chris Brannon and Robbie Ward, who’d gotten by Mike Haygood and Chance Kent 6-3, and Hamza Ramadonavich and Chris Roades 6-4.
Frank/Ailstock advanced to the quarterfinals on the heels of a 6-3 win over Draper/Sloper, as Brannon/Ward eliminated the Highleys 6-4. Frank/Ailstock maintained their forward progress with a 6-3 quarterfinal win over Brannon/Ward.
In what proved to be the final match of the night, Frank and Ailstock battled Hall and Adams to double hill, before prevailing in the semifinals for a shot at Roberts and Bowden, sitting in the hot seat waiting for them. The final match, of course, didn’t happen.
The Parkers thanked the ownership and staff at The Clubhouse, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Bar Pool Tables, Delta 13 Racks, AZ Billiards and Professor Q-Ball. The next stop on the tour, scheduled for January 11-12, will be hosted by Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN.
