Rademakers wins NWPA Season Opener

On March 21st, the NWPA kick off the 2009 season with the Washington State Championships. 35 women descended on The Parlor Billiards and Spirits in Bellevue, WA to vie for the opportunity to play in the U.S. Open in June. And once again, The Parlor responded with exceptional hospitality. Not only did the beautiful poolroom, excellent food, and welcoming staff help make this tour stop special, but also this would be the first time the NWPA sent a player to the U.S. Open. And with the $750 added by The Parlor, this tour stop was definitely going to bring out the best players.

Saturday morning saw most of the regular players on the tour along with a few newcomers. Last year's NWPA Champion Liz Cole and 2nd place finisher Cindy Sliva were among those favored to win.  But in the end a surprise in the form of Tamara Rademakers from The Netherlands and a solid performance from Shari Ross would dominate the weekend. Tamara marched through the winner's bracket with wins over Adrianne Beach 7-0, Mikki Small 7-2, Suwanna Kroll 7-2, Faye Fang 7-2 and Shari Ross 7-2 to sit comfortably on the point. Shari began with wins over Elizabeth Jensen 7-4, Molly Oliver 7-5, Cindy Sliva 7-3 and Liz Cole 7-3. A loss to Tamara put in her on the b-side where she beat Liz Cole 7-5 to give her a second chance at Tamara. Tamara proved too much for Shari winning the match 9-1. Congratulations to Tamara Rademakers for an excellent win and Good Luck at the U.S. Open.

Next Tour Stop- The Cue Ball in Salem, Oregon on April 18th and 19th. See you there!