(l to r): Kim Pierce & Kelly Jones
Kelly Jones became the third winner on the 2019 Jerry Olivier Ladies Tour, going undefeated through a field of 27 entrants. Jones had to face the winner of the tour’s season opener (Terry Petrosino) once and the runner-up in the second tour stop (Kim Pierce) twice to claim the title. The $2,000-added event was hosted by Diamond Sports Bar and Grill in Port Arthur, TX.
Jones ran into Pierce first in a winners’ side semifinal, as Petrosino squared off against Courtney Peters. Jones sent Pierce to the loss side 7-3 and in the hot seat match, faced Petrosino, who’d survived a double hill match versus Peters. Jones claimed the hot seat 7-5 and waited on the return of Pierce.
On the loss side, Pierce picked up Hien Tong, who’d recently defeated Michelle Abernathy 7-5. Peters drew Michelle Yim, who’d eliminated Margaret Fox 7-2 to reach her.
Pierce gave up only a single rack to Tong and advanced to the quarterfinals. She was joined by Peters, who’d battled to double hill before eliminating Yim. Pierce gave up another single rack to Peters in those quarterfinals and advanced for a two-month delayed rematch against Petrosino in the semifinals; they’d met in a winners’ side semifinal in February’s season opener.
As noted by, among others, Don Corleone in The Godfather and Kahn Singh in a Star Trek movie, “revenge is a dish best served cold” and Pierce feasted on this one, downing Petrosino 7-4 in those semifinals, for a second shot at Jones in the finals.
The ‘dish’ didn’t get served in the finals. Though the match came within a game of going double hill, Jones edged out in front at the end to win 7-5 and claim the event title.
Tour representatives thanked Tony Nguyen and his staff at Diamond Sports Bar and Grill for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor Jerry Olivier Cues and MzTam.com. The next stop on the Jerry Olivier Ladies Tour, scheduled for June 8-9, will be hosted by JR Pockets in Denton, TX.
