Bob Toomey, Juan Guzman and Paul Bramwell
Juan Guzman picked up his second Tri-State victory in a month with an undefeated performance on Saturday, April 20. He'd gone undefeated in a March 30 stop on the tour, defeating Koka Davladze in the finals. Advancing to the hot seat in this most recent win, Guzman faced Paul Bramwell in the finals, and was down 6-1 before he mounted a rally that completed his undefeated run. The $1,000-added, A-D handicapped event drew 44 entrants to the Cue Bar in Bayside, NY.
Guzman got by Anthony Consenza, Rhio Anne Flores, Mike Hartman and Geoffrey Bauer before running into Bramwell for the first time, among the winners' side final four. A 7-5 win sent Bramwell to the loss side, and Guzman to the hot seat match. He was met there by Bob Toomey, who'd sent Rene Villalobos west 6-1. Guzman got into the hot seat with an 8-6 victory, unaware that he wouldn't win another game until the fifth rack in the finals.
Bramwell moved over to pick up Geoffrey Bauer, who'd survived a double hill match against Koka Davladze, and defeated Basdeo Sookhai 7-4 to reach him. Villalobos drew Luis Jimenez, who'd downed Thomas Rice and Kyle Bubet, both 6-4. Bramwell and Villalobos advanced; Bramwell with a 7-5 win over Bauer, and Villalobos, double hill against Jimenez.
Bramwell won two straight 7-4 matches; the first against Villalobos in the quarterfinals and the second, against Toomey in the semifinals, to earn a second shot against Guzman. Bramwell used that momentum to take an early 4-0 lead in the finals. Guzman took the fifth rack, but Bramwell added two more to reach the hill, ahead by five at 6-1. They were Bramwell's last, as Guzman chalked up a six-pack to first, tie things at double hill, and then complete his undefeated run.
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at the Cue Bar, as well as sponsors Sterling-Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Poison Cues, Ron Tarr Cues, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, and Human Kinetics. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour will be a $1,000-added, A-D handicapped event, scheduled for Sunday, April 28, at BQE Billiards in Jackson Heights NY.
1st Juan Guzman $820
2nd Paul Bramwell $540
3rd Bob Toomey $340
4th Rene Villalobos $200
5th Geoffrey Bauer $130
Luis Jimenez
7th Basdeo Sookhai $100
Kyle Bubet
