Darren Appleton
This year's One Pocket tournament at the Super Billiards Expo was absent quite a few of the marquee names that were on-hand for the 2015 tournament. No Dennis Orcollo this year, or Corey Deuel, or Skyler Woodward. No defending champion Jason Brown, either. The event did feature Darren Appleton, Warren Kiamco and a short list of other known names, like Billy Thorpe, Jorge Rodriguez, and Bob Jewett. It came down to Appleton and Tom Zippler. Appleton going undefeated to win it, Zippler going three on the loss side, and two more among the final eight to challenge Appleton in the finals. The event, held on the weekend of April 14-17, drew 32 entrants to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA.
Appleton got by Billy Thorpe in the opening round, and following victories over Illir Jaho and Dan Milligan, moved among the final four on the winners' side and into the single elimination phase. Joining him in the opening round of this phase was Russell Parsons. Jewett and Vincent Cimarelli squared off in the other winners' side quarterfinal.
In the loss side quarterfinals, Kiamco facEd Martin Ciccia. Zippler, who'd been sent to the left bracket by Kiamco, got by Ed Polumbo, Steve Fleming and Derek Schwager, to draw Joseph Sellechia in the other loss-side quarterfinal.
On the winners' side, Appleton downed Parsons 5-1, earning him a semifinal match against Cimarelli, who'd eliminated Jewett 5-3. On the loss side, Ciccia picked up a forfeit win, when Kiamco was forced to make a decision between One Pocket or the 10-Ball tournament. Zippler, in the meantime, defeated Sellechia 5-1. Appleton defeated Cimarelli 5-2, for a finals date with Zippler, who'd eliminated Ciccia 5-3.
Appleton completed his undefeated run. He closed it out with a 5-1 victory over Zippler in the final to claim the 2015 Diamond Open One Pocket Professional Championship title.
