Carl Bodeker, Daniel Herring & Tony Top
The logjam at the top of the Dallas-Ft. Worth 9-Ball Tour standings at the end of the second stop was broken up this past weekend, March 20-21. Going into the $1,500-added event that drew 78 entrants to Stixx & Stones Billiards in Lewisville, TX, there were three competitors at the top of the tour standings, all with 200 points – Jalal Alsarisi and Jeff Sullivan, winners of the 1st and 2nd stops on the tour, respectively and Robbie Cleland, who’d finished in the tie for 13th in the opening stop and 4th in February. Daniel Herring, though one of the five members among the top 10 on the tour to have, at this point, competed in all three events, had started slow, finishing in the tie for 25th the first time out in January and then, 4th last month. He jumped to the head of the line when he came from the loss side to double dip Tony Top in the finals of the third stop.
After being awarded an opening round bye, Herring’s path to the winners’ circle went through Dustin Hammock, Chris Gaither, Trevor Oullette, and Norman Small to arrive at a winners’ side semifinal match against Carl Bodecker. Top, in the meantime (also with an opening round bye), defeated Jimmy Fujimori, Donnie Gregory (double hill), Ruben Flores and Jorge Villareal to arrive at his winners’ side semifinal versus TJ Davis.
With Davis racing to 9 in their matchup, Top advanced to the hot seat match 8-7. Bodecker survived a double hill battle that sent Herring to the loss side and then followed him over, when Top claimed the hot seat 8-4.
On the loss side, Herring opened his campaign against Eric Smith, who was working on a four-match, loss-side winning streak that had recently included victories over Villareal 7-1 and a double hill win, in which he’d come from 8-0 down to defeat the higher-ranked James Davee 7-8. TJ Davis drew Greg Sandifer, who’d lost a winners’ side quarterfinal match to Bodecker and then downed Phillip Autieri 8-3 and Norman Small 8-5.
Davis downed Sandifer 9-3 and in the quarterfinals, faced Herring, who’d eliminated Smith 8-3. Herring came out strong against the one-point-higher-ranked Davis and allowed him only four racks to win it 8-4, which, in turn, gave Herring a rematch against Bodecker in the semifinals.
Though Herring was the one-point-higher-ranked competitor in that semifinal rematch, he came out just as strong, and allowed Bodecker only two racks to earn his spot in the finals 8-2. In the first set of the true double elimination in a straight-up race to 8, Herring chalked up another 8-2 win. Top got five in the second set, but it wasn’t enough, as Herring completed his run 8-5.
The event’s top finishing competitors at three ranking levels and three top finishing Ladies took home $60 prizes. Chouie Almora and Veronica Perez split the $60 as the last Level 4 competitors standing. Jorge Villareal was the last Level 5 and Darrell Smith was the last Level 6. Three women split the Ladies prize – Monica Anderson, Veronica Perez and Chouie Almora.
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Stixx & Stones Billiards for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor CueTec and Associate title sponsor Fort Worth Billiards Superstore. The DFW 9-Ball Tour will be at Snookered Billiards and Bar in Frisco, Texas next month, for a $1,500-added event, scheduled for the weekend of April 17-18.
