At the now-famous (previously just well-known) Steinway Billiards in Queens, NY, on the weekend of September 19-20, Zion Zvi and Stephen Dempsey won their respective Open/Pro and Amateur events on the Predator Tour. The $500-added (each) events drew 83 entrants (Amateur) and a very short field of seven in the Open/Pro event.
A single match, and a bye (to tour director Tony Robles) set Jorge Rodriguez up against Frankie Hernandez in one of the Open/Pro winners' side semifinals, while Robles and Mhet Vergara squared off in the other. Rodriguez sent Hernandez to the loss side 7-2, and in the hot seat match, met Robles, who'd survived a double hill match against Vergara. Robles went on to survive a second double hill match, this one versus Rodriguez, to claim the hot seat.
On the loss side, Zion Zvi, who'd been defeated by Frankie Hernandez in the event's opening round, got by Michael Yednak 7-2 to pick up Vergara. Juan Guzman was awarded a bye before facing Hernandez. Zvi defeated Vergara 7-4, as Hernandez was busy defeating Guzman 7-1.
Zvi took the quarterfinal match versus Hernandez 7-3, and then eliminated Rodriguez, double hill, in the semifinals. He downed Robles 7-4 in the finals to claim his second 2015 Open/Pro Predator title.
In the Amateur event, Stephen Dempsey won five on the loss side to meet and defeat Henry Hernandez in the finals. He'd been sent to the loss side by Gene Hunt, who advanced to Hernandez in a winners' side semifinal. Bob Toomey and Ambi Estevez met up in the other. In a pair of tightly contested battles, Hernandez defeated Hunt 7-5, as Toomey survived a double hill match versus Estevez. Hernandez claimed the hot seat 8-4 over Toomey.
On the loss side, Estevez ran into Dennis Lake, who'd shut out Joe DeVito and defeated Abel Rosario 7-3 to reach him. Hunt drew a re-match against Dempsey, who'd started his loss-side run with victories over Juan Guzman 7-1 and Elvis Rodriguez 7-4. Dempsey downed Hunt by the same score (7-1) that had sent him to the loss side. By the same score, Estevez eliminated Lake.
Dempsey won the quarterfinal match versus Estevez 9-6, and then defeated Toomey in the semifinals 10-9. He completed his run with a 9-5 victory in the finals to claim his first Predator title.
