Thomas Sansone
Thomas Sansone had cashed in six events on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour since last November when he stepped to the tables this past weekend (July 30-31). They’d been his only recorded cash finishes in competitive pool and he was looking to do better. And did. Sansone, who had finished as high as third, at a tour stop earlier in the month, went undefeated through the $500-added event that drew 42 entrants to Breaktime Billiards in Winston-Salem, NC.
The luck of the bracket draw gave Sansone an opportunity to square off against a couple of tour veterans, as well as some, like him, relative newcomers. He defeated tour veterans Don Lilly and Jason Blackwell on his way to a winners’ side semifinal matchup against Orlando Marcus, who’s recorded fewer cash finishes on the tour than he has, in about the same amount of time. Chris Turner, in the meantime, back from a 10-year hiatus away from the tables, drew Eric Stanton in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Sansone downed Marcus 6-4 and in the hot seat match, faced Turner, who’d sent Stanton to the loss side 6-3. Sansone claimed the hot seat 6-3.
On the loss side, Marcus and Stanton walked right into their second straight loss, as (bad) luck would have it, in the first money round. Marcus picked up Don Lilly, who’d chalked up a forfeit win from Hunter White and defeated the room owner’s son, Jas Makhani 6-3, to reach him. Stanton drew Jason Blackwell, who’d recently eliminated Daniel Adams 6-4 and James Brown 6-2.
Lilly and Marcus locked up in a double hill fight that eventually sent Lilly to the quarterfinals, where he was joined by Blackwell, who’d eliminated Stanton 6-2. Blackwell then recorded something of an unexpected shutout over Lilly in those quarterfinals.
The ‘last three standing’ – Blackwell, Turner and Sansone, waiting in the hot seat – were all looking to chalk up their first win on the tour. Turner spoiled Blackwell’s bid in the semifinals 6-2 and then, there were two.
It was Sansone who ended up claiming his first title. He completed his undefeated run with a second 6-3 win over Turner in the finals.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Breaktime for their hospitality and welcomed them aboard as new sponsors of the tour. He also thanked title sponsor Viking Cues, BarPoolTables.net, Dirty South Grind Apparel Co., Realty One Group Results, Diamond Brat, AZBilliards.com, Ridge Back Rails, and Federal Savings Bank Mortgage Division. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this weekend, Aug. 6-7, will be a $250-added event, hosted by Mickey Milligan’s in New Bern, NC.
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