Kelly Isaac and Roberto Gomez
Long-time friend Kelly Isaac wins concurrently-run Women’s event
Though pool-playing couples both doing well at concurrently-run tournament events are relatively common, it’s rare (at least as far as we know) that a couple will compete in gender-separated events at a tournament and finish as winner in both. Roberto Gomez and Kelly Isaac added their names to that short list this past weekend (Sat., April 22) when they signed on to the second stop of the Texas-based DL Billiards Tour. They both went undefeated in their respective events. It was the second straight undefeated performance by Gomez on the tour, who won last month’s season opener. It was Isaac’s first on the DL Billiards Tour, though she shared the two top prizes on the season opener of the On the Ball Ladies Tour in January; with Robyn Petrosino, who won the DL Billiards opener last month.
The $500-added Men’s event drew 20 entrants, while the $300-added Women’s event drew a short field of 10 entrants. Both were hosted by Bogie’s Billiards East in Houston, TX.
As noted in our report on DL Billiards’ Stop #1 last month, Gomez has opened his 2023 campaign at the tables by winning or finishing as runner-up in just more than half of the tournaments in which he has cashed (as of this past weekend, that’s nine of 17). He’s moving forward to match and/or potentially exceed his best recorded earnings year of 2022 and as of this date, is on target, having won a little over 1/3 of the cash he won last year, when he finished at #9 on our AZBilliards Money Leaderboard. He is currently at #5 on the 2023 Board, sandwiched between Shane Van Boening and Joshua Filler.
Gomez’ trip to the winners’ circle almost got sidetracked by Ernesto Bayaua, who challenged him twice; hot seat and finals. Gomez’ opponents on his way to the hot seat match chalked up between (on average) three and four racks against him in the event’s races to 7. He got by Akxel Rubio (3), Mark Nanashee (2), and Kenny Price (4) to arrive at a winners’ side semifinal against Louis Vickio. Bayaua, in the meantime, opened with a 7-3 win over Kyle Yi, only to be challenged, double hill, by Raed Shabib (who would finish 4th). Bayaua survived that challenge to defeat Daniel Forster 7-4 and draw Jesus Perez in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Bayaua shut out Perez and was joined in the hot seat match by Gomez, who sent Vickio to the loss side 7-4. Bayaua put up a double-hill fight against Gomez, but Gomez finished the set to claim the hot seat.
On the loss side, Vickio picked up Kyle Yi, who, following his opening round loss to Bayaua, went on a seven-match winning streak that would take him as far as a rematch against Bayaua in the semifinals. He’d recently eliminated Damion Manning 7-1 and squeaked by Daniel Forster, double hill. Perez drew Shabib, who’d followed his loss to Bayaua with three straight, including a double-hill win over Kenny Price and 7-3 victory over Son Khuu.
Yi chalked up loss-side win #6, downing Vickio 7-2. He was joined in the quarterfinals by Shabib, who’d eliminated Perez 7-4.
Apparently both Yi and Shabib wanted a second shot against Bayaua because they battled to double hill in the quarterfinals for the privilege. Yi prevailed, and though he’d do one rack better in the semifinals vs. Bayaua than he had in their earlier matchup, it was Bayaua who got his own second shot at the man in the hot seat waiting for him by ending Yi’s day 7-4.
It was about a two-hour, 40-minute wait between the conclusion of the double-hill hot seat match and the conclusion of the semifinals. Spectator expectations about the variable value of momentum, combined with an idle hot seat occupant may have led them to envision, at minimum, a two-set final. It didn’t happen. In approximately 20 minutes, Gomez closed out the event with a 7-2 opening set victory over Bayaua.
Isaac wins four to claim Women’s title.
With six opening-round byes, two competitors in the Women’s event – Jackie Forster and Ming Ng – advanced through a single match to arrive among the eight competitors participating in what was, in the short field, the winners’ side quarterfinals. Forster won two straight, double-hill matches to arrive at a winners’ side semifinal against Gail Eaton. Ng was sent to the loss side 7-5 by Robyn Petrosino, who joined eventual winner, Kelly Isaac in the other one.
Isaac downed Petrosino 7-3, while Eaton advanced to the hot seat match with a shutout over Forster. Isaac claimed the hot seat 7-4 over Eaton.
On the loss side, Ming Ng drew and defeated Cheyenne Valdez 7-3 before picking up Forster and defeating her 7-1 to advance to the quarterfinals. She was joined by Ariel O’Neal, who’d become victim to Forster’s second straight, double-hill victory on the winners’ side and in order, defeated a Petrosino family pair; Terry (the mother and soon-to-be grandmother) 7-3 and 7-5, her pregnant daughter, Robyn, who is expecting her first child in a few months.
Ng defeated O’Neal 7-3 in those quarterfinals and then shutout Eaton in the semifinals that followed. That kind of momentum might have dictated a two-set final, but Isaac took the opening set 7-4 to claim the event title.
Tour director D’Andrea Leassear thanked Cody and Jessica Parish, as well as their Bogie’s East staff for their hospitality, along with Jason Brodman (for financial donations that helped Leassear “make the event more fun”) and her husband, Dennis “for always supporting and helping with the tour’s events.” The next stop on the DL Billiards Tour (#3), scheduled for June 10-11, will be hosted by Bogies West Billiards in Houston, TX.
0 comments