In the Amateur event of the Predator Tour stop on the weekend of March 17-18, Ron Mason chalked up five wins on the loss-side, including three double hill matches, to eventually wreak vengeance on the man in the hot seat, Kapriel Delimelkonoglu, who sent him there. The $500-added Amateur event, run concurrently with an Open/Pro event, drew 62 entrants to Steinway Billiards in Astoria, NY.
They met first among the winners' side final eight, when Delimelkonoglu sent Mason west 7-3, and advanced among the final four winners to face Mike Fisher. Joining them were Daniel Dagotdot and Lidio Rasea. Delimelkonoglu got into the hot seat match with a 7-2 victory over Fisher and was joined by Dagotdot, who'd sent Rasea west 7-5. In a double hill hot seat match, Delimelkonoglu prevailed, and waited for Mason's return.
Mason moved to the loss side and ran right into a double hill battle against Glenn Ramsey. Three of the four matches that decided the four-way tie for ninth place went double hill. Once past Ramsey, Mason picked up a forfeit victory over Ray Feliciano and drew Fisher, coming over from the winners' side final four. Rasea, coming over as well, drew Jack Smith, who'd gotten by Yusuf Khan, double hill and Victor Nau 7-4. Mason advanced to the quarterfinals on the heels of a second double hill battle, this time against Fisher, and faced Rasea, who'd downed Smith 7-1.
Mason then dropped Rasea into fourth place with an 8-4 victory, turned his attention to a third double hill struggle, this time against Dagotdot in the semifinals. Mason prevailed again, 9-8, to earn a second shot against Delimelkonoglu. In the single, extended race-to-9 finals, Mason reached seven games first to force the extension and finished up ahead by five racks, 9-4, to secure the event title.
Thanks were extended to the ownership and staff of Steinway Billiards, as well as sponsors Predator Cues, The National Amateur Pool League, Delta-13 racks, Poison Cues, PoolOnTheNet.com, and NYCGrind.
