Ga-Young Kim
Coming in as the #1 seed, Ga-Young Kim probably didn't expect to be spending most of her time at the inaugural WPBA Rivers US Open on the loss side of the preliminary double elimination bracket. She and 15 other seeded competitors, including Allison Fisher (#2) and Monica Webb (#3) were awarded opening round byes, as 32 other women battled it out for the right to advance. It was Jeannie Seaver, defeating Kelly Cavanaugh 9-4, who advanced to face Kim in the event's second round. Seaver and Kim locked up in a double hill fight that ended with Kim moving to the loss side, from where she would advance to become one of the four players to advance to two, single elimination, semifinal matches, and eventually, chalk up the event victory. The 48-entrant WPBA Rivers US Open was held on the weekend of March 12-13, and hosted by the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh, PA.
Jeannie Seaver followed her opening round victory over Kim with 9-5 victories over Jessica Barnes and Ewa Laurance, before running into Line Kjorsvik among the winners' side final four. Kjorsvik had arrived, having sent Michell Monk, Janet Atwell and Melissa Little to the loss side. The other winners' side semifinalists - Allison Fisher and Vivian Villareal - had collectively sent Monica Webb (Villareal), Emily Duddy and Joanne Ashton to the loss side. Fisher gave up only a single rack (to Duddy) over her first three matches.
Kjorsvik sent Seaver to the loss side 9-3 to become one of the four semifinalists. Fisher and Villareal battled to double hill before Fisher advanced to become the other winners' side semifinalist.
On the loss side, Monica Webb eliminated June Maiers 9-1 and Kim Newsome 9-4 to draw Seaver. A 9-3 victory over Seaver gave Webb one of the loss-side draws into the semifinals.
Ga Young Kim, in the meantime, having eliminated six on the loss side, including Liz Cole and Melissa Little, faced Villareal. Kim ended Villareal's bid 9-3 to become the second, loss-side semifinalist.
The re-seeded, single elimination semifinal pitted Kim against Kjorsvik and Webb against Fisher, in two, race-to-4 sets. Kim took both sets against Kjorsvik, as Webb defeated Fisher 2-1. Ga Young Kim completed her title run with a 2-0 victory over Webb in the final matches.
