Anthony Meglino (Ryan Acosta – 1801 Photography)
Anthony Meglino has already made about half of what he made at the tables all of last year and it’s barely March. He cashed (according to our records) in six events last year; three of them at Derby City, one on the Predator Sunshine State Pro Am Tour and two at the Meucci Classics. He’s already cashed in five (that we know of) this year; two on the Predator Sunshine State Pro Am, one on the first of a Bi-Annual pair of events, held under the auspices of AH tournaments and two, at Beyond Billiards in Davie, FL. The most recent Beyond Billiards event – the Beyond 10-Ball Open Tournament – was held this past weekend (Mar. 6-7) and saw Meglino go undefeated to chalk up his first recorded win since he captured an event title on the Sunshine State Pro Am Tour almost exactly two years ago (March 11-12, 2019).
To win it, though, Meglino had to win his final three matches against the competitor who’d won the Beyond Billiards’ Super 9-Ball Open last month (Randy Epperson), the competitor who was that event’s runner-up (Tony Robles) and a seasoned Florida veteran, who’d won seven on the loss side for the right to meet him in the finals (Raymond Linares). The $200-added event drew 32 entrants to Beyond Billiards.
Meglino’s path to the winners’ circle actually went through Linares twice. Meglino opened his campaign with a 7-1 win over Steve Goulding before meeting and defeating Linares 7-4 in the second round. Meglino went on to defeat Cristian Vanegas 7-3, which set him (Meglino) up for a winners’ side semifinal match against Randy Epperson. Tony Robles, in the meantime, got by Raul Alvarez and Rick Sanchez, both 7-5, before defeating Howie Salstein 7-1 and drawing Sam Kantar in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Meglino dispatched Epperson to the loss side 7-3 as Robles, doing what he’d done in the previous Super 9-Ball Open, sent his winners’ side semifinal opponent over; in this case, Kantar 7-1. Also, as he had done in the previous event, Robles followed his winners’ side semifinal opponent over to the loss side, when his hot seat match opponent defeated him; in this case, Meglino, 7-3.
Linares had opened his loss-side campaign with a 6-2 win over Erick Poveda and then survived the first of two double hill matches he’d face, against Chris Filippelli. He went on to defeat Jhay Powell 6-3 and get through another double hill fight, against Bishop Ramcharan, to draw Epperson. Kantar, in the meantime, drew Rick Sanchez, who was also working on a four-match, loss-side winning streak, which had started when he’d been defeated in the second round by Robles. Sanchez had most recently eliminated Dror Ami 6-2 and Yusan Alvarez 6-4.
Kantar stopped Sanchez’ run with a double hill win that sent him to the quarterfinals. He was joined by Linares, who chalked up his 5th loss-side win 6-3 over Epperson. Linares defeated Kantar 6-4 in those quarterfinals.
Robles was, of course, looking to get back into the finals as he had done in the 9-Ball tournament last month. This time, though, he’d have been hoping that he wouldn’t have to share the victory as he’d done with Epperson, when they’d opted out of a final. He never got the chance. In an almost predictable double hill fight between the two veteran competitors, Linares prevailed and got a second shot against Meglino in the hot seat.
While Meglino came into the event looking to claim his first victory in two years, Linares came into it looking for his first victory in three months. Linares had yet to cash in 2021, but had cashed three times on the Predator Sunshine State Pro Am Tour last year, including a bar box victory at the tour’s stop in November. Meglino completed his undefeated run with a 9-3 win over Linares in the finals.
According to Beyond Billiards’ owner Eduardo Gomez, Tony Robles will conduct a Straight Pool Clinic at the Davie, FL location on Sunday, March 21. The event will touch upon the sport’s history, fundamentals, techniques and patterns. RSVP to secure your spot at 954-434-3487. The venue will hold another Beyond 9-Ball Open Tournament on Sunday, April 11.
