A total of 68 players signed on to compete in the last regular season event of the New England 9-Ball Series (Stop #29), prior to the season-ending Tour Championships, scheduled for September 8-9. The numbers impacted the results in that when it came time for the semifinals, the three players left opted out of further play and split the top three prizes. As the hot seat occupant at the time, Matt Eline was awarded the official event title. Jon Leandro, who’d been sent to the semifinals by Eline in that hot seat match, took the official second place slot, while Ryan Hemingway, who’d won the last loss-side match that was played (the quarterfinals), took third. The event, which was held on Sunday, August 12, was hosted by Snooker’s in Providence, RI.
Coming out of the upper bracket, Leandro advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against Jim Prather. From the lower bracket, Eline and Hemingway battled in the other winners’ side semifinal. Leandro (a B player) sent Prather (an A) to the loss side 5-2 (Prather racing to 7), while Eline (C+) defeated Hemingway (C) 6-3. With Leandro racing to 6 for possession of the hot seat, Eline claimed it 5-2, in what proved to be the final match for both of them.
On the loss side, Prather picked up Lukas Fracasso-Verner, who’d defeated Keith Platt, double hill and Open player Joe Dupuis 6-4 to reach him (Dupuis racing to 8). Hemingway drew Bill Phillips, who’d recently eliminated Leo Chenard 5-2 and Gary Quaranta, double hill.
Fracasso-Verner (A+) and Prather (A) fought to double hill, but it was the lower-ranked Prather, racing to 6 who prevailed 6-6 to move in to what proved to be the last match of the night (or early morning, as it happened). Hemingway & Phillips, who, like Fracasso-Verner and Prather, may have seen the ‘end of the night’ writing on the wall, played seven games, with Hemingway prevailing 3-4 (Prather racing to 7).
The three-way split was negotiated and the NE 9-Ball Series began its preparations for the qualified-players-only Tour Championships next month. Tour director Marc Dionne thanked the ownership and staff at Snooker’s, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Molinari, Bert Kinister, AZBilliards, Inside English, Professor Q-Ball’s National Pool and 3-Cushion News, Delta 13 Racks, MJS Construction, Bob Campbell, Championship Cloth and OTLVISE Billiard Mechanics of America.
As noted, the upcoming $10,000-added Tour Championships, scheduled for September 8-9 at Bo’s Billiards in Warwick, RI will be for previously qualified players only. Entrants must pre-pay.
