Larry Kressel (Photo courtesy of Action Pool Tour)
Larry Kressel jumped up about eight slots in the Action Pool Tour rankings (from #15 to #7) with an undefeated, June 22-23 weekend on the tour. Kressel downed Dave Hunt twice in the event that drew 39 entrants to Q-Master Billiards in Virginia Beach, VA.
Kressel squared off against Chris Futrell in one winners' side semifinal, as Hunt took on tour director Ozzy Reynolds in the other. Kressel sent Futrell packing, westbound 9-5, as Hunt defeated Reynolds 9-3. In their first of two, Kressel sent Hunt to the semifinals 9-7.
On the loss side, Reynolds picked up R.J. Carmona, who'd defeated Max Schlothauer 7-5 and Nilbert Lim 7-1. Futrell drew the tour's current ranking leader, Brett Stottlemyer, who'd gotten by Chad Pike 7-4 and Eric Moore 7-1. Reynolds and Stottlemyer went down in identical 7-3 losses to Carmona and Futrell, who moved on to face each other in the quarterfinals.
The final two, loss-side matches proved to be double hill struggles. Futrell won the first of these in the quarterfinals against Carmona. Futrell and Hunt, both looking for a second chance against Kressel, battled to double hill in the semifinals until Hunt prevailed and got the chance. Kressel took the final set 9-5 to claim the event title.
The victory left Stottlemyer atop the tour rankings, with Reynolds moving into second place, ahead of Dominic Noe, who finished in this event, tied for 17th place. Hunt's second place finish moved him up a slot or two in the rankings, from his former #6 position into third, behind Reynolds and Noe.
