Jas Makhani
In a 52-entrant field that included eight women and five junior competitors, not including four juniors recently aged-out of the ‘Under-18’ category, 14-year-old Jas Makhani won his first regional tour event this past weekend (July 1-2). The feat was accomplished at his literal and figurative ‘home’ room, Breaktime Billiards in Winston-Salem, NC, owned by his father, Sundeep (Sonny) Makhani. The event was the $500-added, 3rd Annual Anthony Mabe Memorial, held under the auspices of the PremierBilliards.com’s Q City 9-Ball Tour.
The young Makhani’s play at the tables was “absolutely spectacular,” said Q City 9-Ball Tour director, Herman Parker. “His play was unreal, both he and Niko Konkel.” Parker also noted the performance of 11-year-old Jacob Hyatt, who won three matches on the winners’ side of the bracket before being sent to the loss side by Makhani and then, winning two on the loss side before being eliminated. Hyatt became the youngest competitor to ever cash on the Q City 9-Ball Tour.
Also joining the surprising list of junior competitors to fare well at this event was Noelle Tate, 13, who finished in the money and was awarded an extra $50 as the top finishing female. Both of Noelle’s losses went double-hill; her second-round, winners’ side loss to Mark Bolton and her last match, battling for the 7/8 spot against Brian Bagwell. Older sister, Bethany, competed as well, and though she didn’t make it into a money round, she did earn the distinction of having defeated the Anthony Mabe Memorial’s defending champion, Christy Norris, in the opening round of play. Some of the other junior competitors will have their names come up as we make our way through the narrative regarding who beat who and by how much, starting now.
The four competitors who found their way into the tournament’s winners’ side semifinal were either juniors, recently aged-past-18 juniors or just beyond. Actual junior Jas Makhani drew a ‘just beyond’ junior, Graham Swinson, while two former Billiards Education Foundation Junior Champions, Landon Hollingsworth (18U Boys – ’21, ’22) and Nathan Childress (14U Boys – ’15, ’16) went head-to-head in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Makhani got into the hot seat match 6-3 over Swinson and faced Hollingsworth, who’d defeated Childress in a tight, back-and-forth battle that was only decided in the 16th of its 17 possible games, 9-7. With Hollingsworth racing to 9, Makhani claimed the hot seat 6-6.
On the loss side, Swinson picked up Brian Bagwell, who’d defeated Gary South 7-5 and ended Noelle Tate’s five-match, loss-side winning streak, double hill, 7-3. Childress drew the 11-year-old Jacob Hyatt, who’d followed his winners’ side loss to Makhani with victories over Ulysis Reyes 4-1 and Rolando Marcus 4-4 (Marcus racing to 7; Marcus had previously defeated Landon Hollingsworth’s younger brother, Cameron Hollingsworth 7-4).
Both competitors that advanced to the quarterfinal gave up only a single rack in battling for the right to get there; Bagwell, downing Swinson 7-1 and Childress, eliminating Hyatt 9-1. Bagwell eliminated Childress 7-5 in those quarterfinals, but allowed Hollingsworth to leap-frog over the semifinals, right back into the finals, by forfeiting to him.
Hollingsworth was not able to pick up any momentum, normally associated with playing the semifinals as the hot seat occupant sits idle. He did, however, have the advantage of turning around almost immediately after the hot seat match to face Makhani a second time.
Makhani, who played both sets of the finals with three ‘beads on the wire’ in a race to 9, took a commanding lead in the opening set, reaching the hill first at 5-5, ahead by four racks. Hollingsworth demonstrated his mettle by winning the next four to take that opening set.
Makhani showed his mettle in the final match.
“Normally, at that age,” said Parker of Makhani’s play in the second set, “it’d be hard to come back from losing the opening set the way he did; on the hill and giving up four to lose it.”
“But,” he added, “Jas refocused and played flawlessly in that second set.”
“Flawlessly,” as in giving up only a single rack to Hollingsworth. Makhani won the set 6-1 and claimed his first title on the tour.
Parker thanked Sundeep Makhani and his Breaktime Billiards staff for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor, PremierBilliards.com. He also noted that the event paid homage to its namesake.
“It was a great weekend all around,” Parker said. “We shared some great Anthony Mabe stories, ate good food and watched some great pool. Breaktime in Winston-Salem is an awesome room.”
Parker went on to thank sponsors Bar PoolTables.net, Realty One Group Results and TKO Custom Cues (Kirk Overcash), Dirty South Grind Apparel Company (Angela Harlan-Parker), Diamond Brat (Tonya Crosby), Federal Savings Bank/Mortgage division (Alex Narod) and AZBilliards. The next stop on the PremierBilliards.com’s Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this weekend (July 8-9), will be hosted by Janet Atwell’s room, Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN.
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