Ronnie Alcano, Jeremy Sossei and Warren Kiamco (Photo by Brian Leong/NYCgrind.com)
Jeremy Sossei emerged from a strong group of final four winners on the Predator Tour's Open stop on the weekend of January 19-20 (Warren Kiamco, Mika Immonen, and Earl Strickland) to get into the hot seat over Kiamco and then, complete an undefeated run with a victory over Ronnie Alcano in the finals.The $500-added event, run concurrently with an A-D handicapped tournament, drew 20 entrants to Steinway Billiards in Astoria, NY.
Sossei drew Strickland in one of the winners' side semifinals, while Kiamco battled Immonen in the other. Kiamco got by Immonen handily enough 7-3, as Sossei battled to double hill against Strickland, before prevailing to face Kiamco in the hot seat match. Sossei sent Kiamco to a semifinal match against Alcano with a 7-4 win.
On the loss side, Immonen picked up Spanky Koba, who'd downed Greg McAndrews 7-4, and Danny Barouty 7-5 to reach him. Strickland had the misfortune to draw Alcano, who'd been unceremoniously sent west in a shutout by Immonen, and then defeated Zion Zvi 7-4 and Travis McKinney 7-1. Alcano ended Strickland's day 7-2 and in the quarterfinals, got a second shot at the man who'd shut him out earlier.
Alcano took advantage, dropping Immonen into fourth place 7-5 and then defeating Kiamco by the same score in the semifinals. Alcano's first goal in the modified race-to-9 (extended) finals was to reach nine games ahead of Sossei, which would have extended the race to 11 games. Sossei thwarted that goal by giving up only three racks on his way to a 9-3 victory that secured the Predator Tour's season opening event title.
Tour director Tony Robles, who finished in the four-way tie for ninth place, gave a special shout out to sponsors Predator Cues, the National Amateur Pool League, Poison by Predator, Delta-13 racks, NYCGrind and Pool On the Net.com, as well as Steinway Billiards, thanking them for "all they do" for the sport of pool in the Metropolitan New York area.
