TULSA, OK - The WPBA US Open 9-Ball Championships at the River Spirit Event Center in Tulsa featured four quarter final matches today in front of the ESPN Cameras. In the first matchup of the day, Great Britain native and defending champion, #1 ranked Allison Fisher quickly bested Swedish native Helena Thornfeldt 7-1.
In quarter final #2, Atlanta's Monica Webb, the #2 seed in this event, took on junior national champion Brittany Bryant of Canada with a 7-3 victory. Tomorrow's first semi final at 1:00 p.m. EST will feature Fisher vs. Webb to determine who will play for the title.
The third quarterfinal match featured a thrilling hill-hill battle between the "Black Widow" Jeanette Lee and Norway's Line Kjorsvik. A see-saw battle between the two veteran players put the score at 4-4 before Kjorsvik pulled ahead 6-4. But Jeanette won the next rack to pull within a game, then broke and ran the next to tie the match 6-6, and went on to close out the final game for a 7-6 victory!
The last match of the day was between Austrian native (now residing in Charlotte) Gerda Hofstatter, a veteran tour champion, and two-time junior national champion Mary Rakin of California, making her first-ever appearance in a televised match. Rakin drew first blood with a two-game lead but Gerda quickly answered with three of her own and the match was soon tied 5-5. An early miss by Mary put Gerda back in the driver's seat; she ran out to lead 6-5, then won 7-5 with a seven-nine combo.
Gerda plays Jeanette Lee at 3 p.m. Sunday to determine the other finalist.
The quarter final, semi final and final matches will be taped by ESPN for seven one-hour national broadcasts, airing Saturday, July 14, (Quarterfinals 12-4pm on ESPN2) and Sunday, July 15, (Semifinals/Final 1-4pm on ESPN2).
Fans and media can keep up with ongoing results at http://www.wpba.com/images/stories/brackets/2012_us_open.pdf Refresh the link for the most up-to-date results -- scoring updates will take place throughout the day's play!
Schedule of Events:
Sunday, June 10 at 1 pm, 3 pm and 5 pm
ESPN Semifinals and Final (Tix are $20 general admission, $25 VIP)
It all takes place at the River Spirit Event Center, adjacent to the River Spirit Casino at 81st and Riverside in Tulsa.
Tickets are just $20 on June 9th and 10th! VIP tickets are available for $25. Visit www.riverspirittulsa.com/entertainment/eventcenter for tickets and more information!
