Daniel Autrey
Fourth place just wasn’t good enough. Daniel Autrey tried it a couple of times, playing on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour in 2020 (July & August). Prior to those two events, he hadn’t, according to our records, cashed since 2015. He didn’t like fourth place apparently, because in his first crack of the bat, uhh, make that cue in 2021, he went undefeated to claim his first event title. The $500-added event at which he earned that title drew 54 entrants to Peyton’s Place in Knoxville, TN.
Autrey and Mike Gann battled twice in this event, in the expected hot seat and final matches. Autrey had advanced to a winners’ side semifinal versus Corey Morphew, as Gann squared off against Eric Roberts in the other one.
Starting that winners’ side semifinal with three beads on the wire in a race to 9, Autrey sent Morphew to the loss side 6-5. In a straight-up race to 9, Gann did likewise to Roberts 9-3. Operating with the same advantage as he had in the hot seat match, Autrey claimed the hot seat 6-3 over Gann.
On the loss side, Morphew and Roberts walked right into their second straight loss. Chris Crawford and Luc Depierne had both lost their opening matches and were embarked on lengthy loss-side runs that would take them to the quarterfinals (Depierne; 8 on the loss side) and semifinals (Crawford; 9). Crawford had recently defeated Dave Nichols, double hill, and Mike Grace 6-4 to reach Morphew. Depierne had eliminated Mike Kirby 9-2 and Bobby Jack Connor, double hill, to draw Roberts.
They both chalked up their eighth loss-side win; Crawford, downing Morphew 6-5 (Morphew racing to 9) and Depierne, recording his last win, eliminating Roberts, double hill (9-8). Crawford chalked up his 9th, ending Depierne’s streak 6-7 (Depierne racing to 9) in the quarterfinals.
In spite of the momentum on his side, Crawford didn’t make it out of the semifinals. Gann stopped his nine-match, loss-side run, decisively, at 9-2. Daniel Autrey’s win in the only set necessary in the finals was just as decisive. Again, with three beads on the wire in a race to 9, Autrey claimed his event title 6-3 over Gann.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Peyton’s Place, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, BarPoolTables.net, Dirty South Grind Apparel Co., AZBilliards, Federal Savings Bank mortgage division and Diamond Brat. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this coming weekend (May 29-30), will be a $500-added event, hosted by The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA.
