Robert Piersa chalked up his first win on the New England 9-Ball Series, going undefeated on the tour’s fourth stop. Piersa was challenged by Michael Mathieu twice; once in the hot seat match and again in the finals. The $500-added event, held on Sunday, October 21, drew 42 entrants Yale Billiards in Wallingford, CT.
Piersa (A+) was the winner of the event’s upper bracket, while Mathieu (C+) picked up the lower bracket win. Piersa had downed Nick Bousquet (B) 8-1 in the finals of the upper bracket, while Mathieu was busy sending Anthony Petruzzelli (C+) to the loss side 5-3 in the winners’ side final of the lower bracket. Piersa claimed the hot seat with a 9-1 victory over Mathieu and waited on his return.
On the loss side, Petruzzelli picked up Ryan Hemingway, recent winner over Eddie Estep and, in the first money round, Bruce Evens, both 5-3. Bousquet drew William Gibbs, who’d gotten by Lazar Gurevich 6-1 and Tim Lavigne 6-3.
Hemingway advanced to the quarterfinals 5-2 over Petruzzelli, and was met by Bousquet, who’d eliminated Gibbs 6-2. Bousquet won the quarterfinal 7-3, but had his three-match, loss-side winning streak stopped by Mathieu, who, racing to 5 against Bousquet’s 6, gave up only a single rack in the semifinals.
Mathieu double his hot seat score, but it wasn’t nearly enough. Piersa chalked up his requisite 9 to win the match and claim the event title.
Tour director Marc Dionne thanked the ownership and staff at Yale Billiards, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Molinari, Bert Kinister, AZBilliards, Inside English, Professor Q-ball’s National Pool and 3-Cushion News, Delta 13 Racks, MJS Construction, Bob Campbell, Championship Cloth, and OTLVISE Billiard Mechanics of America.
The next stop (#5) on the New England 9-Ball Series will be the Don Clemons Memorial Tournament. Scheduled for November 4, the $500-added event will be hosted by Buster’s Billiards in Somersworth, NH.
