Peter Franco and Sergio Abbruzzese
Just shy of five months ago, in May, it was Ken Lee, returning to the tables after a 12-year absence, going undefeated on the Garden State Pool Tour, defeating Peter Franco in the finals and claiming his first regional tour title. This past weekend, Saturday, Sept. 30, spilling into just after midnight on October 1, it was Peter Franco’s turn. He came to the event with two (recorded) cash finishes on his AZBilliards resume – the runner-up finish last May and a 5th place finish on the Mezz ProAm Tour in August of 2022 – and went undefeated to the hot seat, lost the opening set of a true double-elimination final, won the second set and chalked up his first (recorded with us) regional tour title. The $100-added, 650-and-under Fargo rate event drew 21 entrants to Side Pocket Billiards in Howell, NJ.
There were some serious challenges to and from individual competitors on both sides of the bracket at this event. Just over 41%, equivalent to about two of every five matches of the 41 played, went double hill; 17 of them in all.
After an opening-round bye, Franco opened up with a 6-1 victory over David Schuil, followed it with a double-hill win over Eduardo Cordova and moved into a winners’ side semifinal against Tri-State New York-area veteran Mike Strassberg. TJ Casper, without a bye, started strong, giving up only three racks in his first 17 games. He started with a ‘5’ rating when he defeated Alex Vangelov 5-1 and was a ‘6’ when he defeated both Pierre Bomtempo and Hugh Brook, both 6-1. Casper picked up Sergio Abbruzzese in the other winners’ side semifinal.
The ’mood’ shifted for Casper when Abbruzzese challenged him, double-hill, for advancement to the hot seat match. Casper survived that challenge to face Franco, who’d also been challenged and survived his second double-hill battle, this time against Strassberg. Franco won his third straight double-hill match, claiming the hot seat over Casper.
On the loss side (where Ken Lee appeared briefly), Abbruzzese picked up Aldomar Bomtempo, who’d lost a winners’ side quarterfinal to Strassberg and then downed Christian Taeza, double hill (4-6, Taeza racing to 7) and Thomas McManamon 6-4. Strassberg drew Brook, who’d lost a winners’ side quarterfinal to Casper and then defeated Steve Persaud, double hill (4-5, Persaud racing to 6) and Joshua Droz 6-4.
Abbruzzese advanced to the quarterfinals with a double-hill win over Aldomar Bomtempo (6-3). Strassberg joined him after defeating Hugh Brook 6-4. Abbruzzese took the quarterfinal match 6-2 over Strassberg, and advanced to a rematch versus Casper in the semifinals.
Abbruzzese eliminated Casper 6-4 in those semifinals and used a bit of the oft-noted phenomenon of loss-side momentum to take the opening set of the true double-elimination final against Franco 6-2. Franco literally turned the tables on him in the second set, defeating Abbruzzese by the same 6-2 score and claiming the event title.
Tour director Dave Fitzpatrick thanked Steve and his Side Pocket Billiards staff for their hospitality, along with sponsors In the Box, Brutal, Billiards Engineering, Off the Rail, World Beaters, Outsville, John Bender Custom Cues, Kamui, and JFlowers Cues and Cases. The next stop on the Garden State Pool Tour, scheduled for this weekend (Oct. 7), will be a Open handicapped 9-Ball event, hosted by Players Billiards in Eatontown, NJ. The event will one of the last three events, prior to a Championship Final in December.
0 comments