Billy Cheng, Andrew Kane and Geoffrey Bauer
Sitting in the hot seat, it's rare that you think about someone you sent west in the second round of play, coming back to challenge you in the finals. That, however , is just what happened on the $750-added, B-D handicapped 10-Ball event on Saturday, May 1, when Geoffrey Bauer overcame such a second round defeat at the hands of Andrew Kane and came back to defeat him. The $750-added, B-D handicapped event drew 30 entrants to Master Billiards in New York City.
After sending Bauer west 7-2, Kane won his next match to move among the winners' side final four, where he faced Emily Duddy. Joining them were Kevin Early and Billy Cheng. Kane defeated Duddy 7-6, as Cheng was busy sending Early over 7-4. Kane got into the hot seat with a 7-6 win over Cheng and watched, as Bauer worked his way back.
Duddy would draw Bauer in the fifth of his eight-match march back to the finals. He'd defeated Mike Harrington and Dave Shlemperis, both 7-2, to start things off and then bested Chris Karp 7-5 and Sam Li 7-6 to pick up Duddy. Rajesh Vannala, in the meantime, following victories over Basdeo Sookhai 7-6 and Ed Culhane 7-4, faced Early. Duddy fell victim to Bauer 7-5, and was joined in the tie for fifth place by Vannala, who'd been defeated by Early 8-5.
Six down and two to go. Bauer dropped Early into fourth place 7-4 and then defeated Cheng in the semifinals 7-5.
Kane opened the race-to-nine finals with two quick racks, but Bauer ‘doubled-down' and was ahead by two, moving into the seventh game. Kane narrowed the lead to one with a win in the seventh, but Bauer won another four in a row to reach the hill first. Kane got one more in, before Bauer three-fouled him in the deciding (and decidedly unlucky) 13th rack to take home the first place prize.
Thanks went out to Sterling-Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Viking and Stealth Cues, Phil Capelle and Blue Book Publishing.
