D’Andrea Leassear and Shahram Changezi
A relative newcomer to our AZBilliards database (one previous entry; 65th at the US Open 9-Ball Championships in 2021), Pakistan’s Shahram Changezi signed on to the season-opening stop of the Texas-based DL Billiards Tour this past weekend (Sat., Jan. 20). Changezi won a double-hill hot seat match against another newcomer to the database, Jantzen Miller. And then, somewhat more surprising, in the finals he defeated Tommy Tokoph, who’s been contributing entries into his AZBilliards’ profile for 17 years, only two of which featured earnings that were less than four figures; in other words, over $1,000, a lot ‘over’ in his case. The two, three-figure exceptions occurred in the year he entered our database (2007) and seven years later.
This kind of thing can happen, because without the ability to see what an apparent newcomer like Changezi has done at the tables before he arrived to compete on the DL Billiards Tour (as defined by presence in our AZBilliards database), there’s no way of knowing his skill level, generally or precisely. Even if it was three years ago, competing and finishing 65th in the US Open (which earned him $1,000 in prize money) is a clue of course. Knowing further, from multiple sources, that he’s an “accomplished snooker and pool player” helps in understanding how an initially unknown competitor can perform so well among more well-known and established local (regional or national) talent. The $210-added DL Billiards’ season opener drew 21 entrants to Big Tyme Billiards in Spring, TX.
To those unaware of his background in snooker and pool, there wasn’t anything in particular about Changezi’s undefeated run on the DL Billiards Tour that might have indicated his level of talent at the game. In straight-up races to 7, he downed Darryl Amos (5) and Alex Mojica (3) to arrive at a winners’ side semifinal against Bill Fuller. His eventual hot-seat-match opponent, Jantzen Miller, got by Lanard Lane (4) and Andrew Rodriguez (3) to face Shane Petrick in the other winners’ side semifinal. It was Petrick who’d fought Tommy Tokoph to double hill before winning that winners’ side quarterfinal.
Petrick got into his second, double-hill match and lost it to Miller, who advanced to the hot seat match. Changezi joined him after defeating Fuller 7-3. Changezi claimed the hot seat, double hill, over Miller.
On the loss side, Tokoph followed his loss to Petrick with wins over Eric Cantrell 7-5 and Andrew Rodriguez 7-4 to draw Fuller. Petrick picked up Felix Rivera, who’d lost his opening round of play to Javier Allenes Naranjo and embarked on a four-match, loss-side winning streak that had recently eliminated Alex Mojica 7-2 and Juan Longoria 7-5.
Tokoph got by Fuller 7-3, as Rivera was busy ousting Petrick 7-2. Tokoph eliminated Rivera in the quarterfinals and Miller in the semifinals, both 7-2.
It took only a single set of the potential, double-elimination final for Changezi to claim the season-opening title on the DL Billiards Tour. Tokoph brought it to within a game of double hill, but Changezi finished it at 7-5.
Tour director D’Andrea Leassear thanked Billy J. Sharp and his staff at Big Tyme Billiards for their hospitality, the McDermott Pool Cue Official Fan Page for its 2024 sponsorship of the tour, Jason Brodman, Shannon Gallo Petrick (photography) and her “always loving and supportive, wonderful husband, Dennis Leassear.” The DL Billiards Tour will return to Big Tyme Billiards in Spring, TX on the weekend of Feb. 10-11.
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