Reymart Lim
For the second week in a row, Reymart Lim returned from a hot seat loss to meet and defeat its occupant and capture an event title. On the weekend of July 15-16, he captured a Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball title at Q Master Billiards in Virginia Beach, VA. On the weekend of July 22-23, the tour traveled to Raleigh, NC for the $1,000-added North Carolina State 10-Ball Open, and Lim, once again, was defeated in the hot seat match (by Keith Bennett) and returned from a semifinal, against last year's runner-up, Mike Davis, to down Bennett in the final and claim the title. The event, held under the auspices of the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour drew 54 entrants to Brass Tap & Billiards in Raleigh.
Lim advanced through three rounds to compete in a winners' side semifinal against BJ Ussery. Bennett, in the meantime, got through his first three opening rounds and met up with Brian White. Bennett and White locked up in a double hill battle that eventually sent Bennett to the hot seat match, where he was joined by Lim, who'd sent Ussery west 7-5. Bennett claimed the hot seat (as had Tim Monk the week before) 7-4.
Ussery moved over and picked up Mike Davis, who'd been defeated by White in a winners' side quarterfinal and was working on a modest, two-game, loss-side winning streak. He'd downed David Hunt and James Blackburn, both 7-3 to reach Ussery. White drew Cory Morphew, who'd eliminated Corey Sykes 7-4, and Glen Russell, Sr. 7-5.
White and Ussery picked up their second straight and eliminating loss. Morphew eliminated the possibility of a Davis/White re-match by shutting White out. Davis joined Morphew in the quarterfinals match by downing Ussery 7-4.
Davis and Morphew battled to double hill in the quarterfinals before the last 10-ball dropped, advancing Davis to the semifinals against Lim; a sort of 'old school' (Davis) versus moderately 'new school' (Lim) matchup. 'New school' won the day, as Lim eliminated Davis 7-4.
In another and third straight 'old school' versus 'new school' battle in the finals, 'new school' claimed the title. Lim took the single race to 9 (9-4) to capture the NC State 10-Ball Open title.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Brass Tap & Billiards, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Delta 13 Racks, AZBilliards and Professor Q Ball. The next stop on the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for July 29-30, will be hosted by Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN.
