Jeff Abernathy and Robert Frost
In a January 12-13 stop on the Simonis Cloth Classic Tour, Jeff Abernathy survived an early round, double hill battle against Robert Frost, and then, with Frost at the end of a seven-match, loss-side winning streak, defeated him again in the finals to capture the event title. The $1,500-added event drew 27 entrants to Randolph Billiards in Hickory, NC.
Abernathy advanced among the winners' side final four for a match against Allen Gambill, as B.J. Ussery and Darren Schaffer squared off in the other winners' side semifinal. Abernathy moved into the hot seat match with a 9-4 win over Gambill, and was met by Ussery, who'd sent Schaffer west 9-6. Abernathy sent Ussery to the semifinals 9-6 and sat in the hot seat, awaiting the return of Frost.
Frost, by this time, had downed tour director Mike Janis, and Chris Cubbage, and gotten by Tim Monk 9-3, and Skip Coffee 9-6, to pick up Gambill. Schaffer moved over to pick up Allen Gambill's brother, Daniel, who'd defeated Clint Clark 9-4 and (in an upset) Brian Capps 9-2. A 'brotherly love' quarterfinal was avoided, as Frost took out brother Allen 9-5, while brother Daniel was busy downing Schaffer 9-6.
Frost then survived a double hill match versus brother Daniel in those quarterfinals. With his eyes clearly on the prize (the man in the hot seat who'd sent him to the loss side), Frost defeated Ussery in the semifinals 9-5.
All matches were conducted by rules dictating that the matches be combinations of 8-ball and 9-ball play (it is the format used by the APA for their Amateur Championships). Players flip a coin, and choose either the game to be played first (either seven games of 8-ball or 10 of 9-ball), or the break. In the opening set of the potential, double-set final, pitting Frost and Abernathy against each other for the second time, Frost won the coin toss and elected to play the seven 8-ball matches first. He was ahead by 5-2, when the games switched to 9-ball. Abernathy came back to win seven of the next nine, 9-ball games to capture the event title.
Tour Director Mike Janis gave a shout of thanks out to Randolph Billiards' owners, Randy and Beck Canipe, as well as sponsor Simonis Cloth, who decked out the venue's tables with fresh, blue cloth. The next stop on the Simonis Cloth Classic Tour is scheduled for the weekend of January 19-20, at Mr. Cues II in Atlanta, GA.
