Tara Williams, Nancy Rios, Kitty Gomez and Jennifer Reyes
Let’s just say Tara Williams has recorded (with us) a lot more cash payouts in pool tournaments (61) than she has trips around the sun, and that she’s older than the number of times she has recorded event victories since she first showed up in the AZBilliards database in 2009 (20). She celebrated her 20th event victory and her birthday by going undefeated at Stop #4 on the Cuetec DFW 9-Ball Ladies Tour, this past Saturday (July 8). The $500-added event (birthday or tournament, take your pick) drew 23 entrants to Rusty’s in Arlington, TX.
Of course, it stands to reason that at the end of the day, several opponents insisted that they’d allowed her to win on her birthday. Highly improbable, to say the least.
“All in good fun,” said tour director Monica Anderson. “Tara had many friends and fans watching her at this event, because she’s a legend here in the DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) area; a champion through and through.”
The birthday girl and event champion certainly performed like she was just a bit late for a party, finishing her undefeated run with just shy of an 80% game-winning percentage (42-11, or, if you’re into fractions, four out of every five games she played). After defeating Kendra Britt (3), Jennifer Pavlovik (1) and Kathy Knuth (0), she arrived at her winners’ side semifinal match against Linda Long sporting an 87% game-winning percentage (21-4). Kitty Gomez, in the meantime, who’d take two shots at spoiling the match-end celebration of a birthday (not intentionally, of course) had a short, roller coaster ride through her first three, opening with a shutout over Francisca Piza Pill, a double-hill win over Krystle Suarez and a 5-2 victory over Jennifer Hooten to arrive at her winners’ side semifinal match against Nancy Rios.
Williams sent Long to the loss-side 5/6 matches 7-2 and was joined in the hot seat match by Gomez, who’d survived a double-hill challenge from Rios (5-3; Rios racing to 4). Williams gave up only a single rack to Gomez in their first outing and claimed the hot seat.
On the loss side, Rios picked up Angie Kirkpatrick, who’d lost an opening round, double-hill match to Robbie Edwards and embarked on a four-match, loss-side winning streak that had recently eliminated Samantha Hall and Kathy Knuth, both 4-1. Long drew Hooten, who’d followed her loss to Gomez with victories over Pavlovik 4-0 and Snowy Belt, double hill.
Rios defeated Kirkpatrick 4-2 and was joined in the quarterfinals by Hooten, who’d shut Long out. Hooten and Rios locked up in a double-hill fight that eventually sent Hooten to the semifinals against Gomez. A second double-hill fight, won by Gomez 5-3, set up the true double-elimination final.
Gomez would start each of the (potential) two matches in the double-elimination final with two ‘beads on the wire’ in a race to 7. Even if she’d wanted to spoil the birthday party, which she most assuredly did not, it would have been hard to do it the way it turned out and as it turned out, it made for an exciting introduction to the birthday celebration it preceded. The first and only set necessary went double-hill. Williams won it and moved on from the double-hill last match to the double-celebration of yet another trip around the sun and the latest victory on her pool resume.
Tour director Monica Anderson thanked the ownership and staff at Rusty’s for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor Cuetec, Fort Worth Billiards Store and Doc’s Billiards Office. The next stop on the Cuetec DFW Ladies 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 9, will be hosted by the VFW in Sherman, TX.
0 comments