Pool: 2016 A-level Bracket Quarterfinals (Third Round) - Day 6

We're back, pushing toward the finish of this round. We begin with a series from...

Nissan Hall, Infinity: Gabe v. Lionel. The red cue is in action, playing 10-ball, to lead off the day. Infinity's Gabe made a four-ball run-out in game 1, getting the early win with some precise shooting against a spotty Lionel of Commerce. The win came on a cut of the 10 to the top left, and put Gabe up 1-0 in the series. The Tradewinds' Lionel had a much better game 2, starting things off with a four-ball run and keeping good possession numbers. The Torpedoes' Gabe nearly won, but scratched as he made the 10, and Lionel's good game was rewarded with an easy shot to win, tying the series at 1. Game 3 saw a lot of scratches, making it a bit of a choppy game. Gabe ended up with the win after Lionel missed on the 9, as Gabe proved able to get position off the 9 to hit the 10 to the bottom left, and this made it a 2-1 series lead for the host. Gabe secured the series with his win in game 4, outplaying Lionel throughout in a game that saw defense take center stage. Lionel undid his efforts when he missed the 9, setting Gabe up for doable cuts that he converted to earn a 3-1 series lead. Gabe ended the series quite effectively, taking the better of play in game 5 and winning with a three-ball run-out. Gabe beat Lionel 4-1 in the series, and advances his #19 ranked 10-ball bid to the bracket semifinals, where he'll play host in a series.

Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Leonette v. Twilight. The red cue stays in for a series of 8-ball. Pacific's Leonette had an amazing break, but two scratches undid her efforts, and Central's Twilight took control. Leonette did a five-ball run to catch up, only to see Twilight pull away and win on her second try at the 8, a bank to the top right that made it a 1-0 series lead for the visitor. Game 2 seemed to be the game neither player wanted to win, as both made plenty of mistakes. One of the Warriors' Twilight's mistakes was a late scratch, but it worked, as the Volcanoes' Leonette followed the 8 in with the cue, giving Twilight a win and a 2-0 series lead. Twilight looked well on her way to clinching in game 3, running seven balls from the break. She fell apart after scratching, giving up a pair of four-ball runs to Leonette, who won the game with the second of those runs, and made it a 2-1 series. Leonette took a huge lead in game 4, resulting in Twilight attempting to play aggressive defense. This nearly worked, as Leonette proved inefficient in finishing, but she did get the job done, winning to tie the series at 2. Game 5 took a frenetic pace, with Leonette tallying a six-ball run from the break. Twilight one-upped that with a seven-ball run on her turn, missing the 8 just wide at the bottom left. Leonette came up big, banking the 5 to the top side and then striking the 8 for the win, completing the comeback for a 3-2 series win. Ranked #56 in 8-ball, Leonette advances to the bracket semifinals, where she'll play in Swordpoint's Gillette Center against the Blades' Shawn.

Microsoft Center, Del Sur: Panda v. Roxy. The blue cue is on now for a series of 7-ball. Freedom's Roxy got a bit lucky in game 1, as Southern's Panda couldn't quite bank the 7 in the bottom right, and Roxy was there to strike it in for a win after a tight game, giving her the 1-0 series lead early on. The Cascades' Roxy had a much bigger role in determining game 2, finishing it on a three-ball run-out, highlight by her crafty bank of the 6 to the bottom right. This gave her a 2-0 lead over the Monarchs' Panda. Game 3 was much sloppier, with both players having trouble finding legal contact through the defense. In the end, another error by Panda ended this campaign of his, as he tried to jam the 7 but the cue bounced back and touched his cue illegally. Roxy made the 7 from ball-in-hand to clinch the series at 3-0. Roxy went up 4-0 with her game 4 win, which took some time after a three-ball run that saw her and Panda both have two misses each on the 7 before she could put it away to get the victory. Game 5 saw a lot of balance and solid defense between the players, with Roxy again taking the late edge as Panda couldn't find a finishing shot at all. Roxy swept the series 5-0, and the #78 ranked 7-ball player will know her bracket semifinals opponent at the end of the series after next.

Intel Center, Diamond: Pedey v. Kiwi. The game is still 7-ball, but the silver cue is in for this series. Terrace City's Kiwi came up with the win in game 1 even though it seemed as if Diamond's Pedey had a slightly better game. Kiwi did have a simple finish on the 7, good for the win to take a 1-0 series lead. In game 2, it was the Knights' Kiwi surging toward a win with a four-ball run late in the game, but she pulled the 7 wide at the top right, and the Gems' Pedey cut it to the bottom side for the win, tying the series at 1 with an opportunistic shot. Pedey had a highlight reel shot with his precision 2-6-4 combination to the top right. The good times soon ended for him, as he missed on the 3, and Kiwi came in for a four-ball run-out of semi-difficult shots, winning to take the series lead back at 2-1. Pedey answered in a choppy game 4, getting the win by making the last two balls in a game that saw difficulties making one, let alone two. Kiwi was not sharp in her appearance, helping Pedey to the win to retie the series at 2. This proved critical for game 5, where Pedey smashed the 7 into the bottom side off the break, completing the comeback for a 3-2 series win. Pedey is ranked #51 in 7-ball, and will face Gems teammate Citrus at this venue in the bracket semifinals. Pedey will play as the visitor in that series. With the loss, Kiwi is the 47th player eliminated from the tournament, and Pedey has his second kill of the year.

Starbucks Arena, Archtown: Sally v. Smokey. The blue cue is back for the third and final series of 7-ball in this stretch. Diamond's Smokey ended up with the game 1 win in a game that saw neither player take full control. Archtown's Sally couldn't bank the 7 in, setting up Smokey's win for a 1-0 series lead. In game 2, another late miss resulted in the Arrows' Sally taking a loss, as she just clipped the 4 softly near the bottom side after making the 3. The Gems' Smokey took over, making the 4 and cutting the 7 to the top right to win and take a 2-0 lead in the series. Sally again proved to have difficulties in stringing anything together, and while Smokey was far from perfect, he made the shots that mattered to get the win and a 3-0 series lead. Sally simultaneously made shots and got herself set up for the long run in game 4, working a four-ball run-out that saw the first two shots move the 7 into a good position, and the last two be simple makes to cut Smokey's lead to 3-1 in the series. Smokey got a bit lucky with his win in game 5, hammering the cue into the 5 at a bad angle, and the 7 bounced around before finding the bottom side for the win. Smokey won the series 4-1, and the #87 ranked 7-ball player heads just a bit east of home to face Roxy of the Cascades at Freedom's Toyota Arena in the bracket semifinals. The win sends Sally packing at the 48th player eliminated, and Smokey has his second kill of the year.

Toyota Arena, Freedom: Nikolai v. Missy. Speaking of the venue, it hosts a 10-ball series with the red cue in its last appearance of the day. Game 1 saw the players struggle from the break, especially Capital City's Missy, who was unsuccessful from medium distance or longer. Freedom's Nikolai did step in with a cut on the 9 and another on the 10 to win for a 1-0 series lead. The ending of game 2 was forgettable and poor, as both players couldn't score either the 9 or the 10 quickly. The Sharpshooters' Missy ended up with the win after a couple of bad misses by the Cascades' Nikolai, but tensions are simmering in the 1-1 series. Missy found her form a bit quicker in game 3, winning with a four-ball run-out after Nikolai left the 6 short at the bottom side. Missy shot very accurately and won for a 2-1 series lead. Missy tried to play game 4 in Nikolai's head, and it nearly worked. When he illegally made the 4, she let him continue his turn by deferring, and he made the 7 but had no shot on the 8. Missy made the 8 on a kick to the bottom right, but her attempt at the classic finish failed, and Nikolai hammered the 10 to the top side, retying the series at 2. Nikolai did the most impressive defensive move ever unintentionally, just barely brushing into the 9 late in the game as he had all the momentum. Flustered, Missy tried a kick that failed, and Nikolai took the 9 and 10 from ball-in-hand for the 3-2 series win. Ranked #11 in 10-ball, Nikolai will host Missy's brother and Central Warriors star Gizmo in the bracket semifinals at this venue. Missy is the 49th player to be eliminated after this loss, with the rookie Nikolai just barely holding on to earn his first kill of the season without being knocked out himself.

Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Twinkie II v. Zach. The blue cue is back again, this time for 9-ball. Harrison's Twinkie II started a bit slow, but Viewpoint Sound's Zach never capitalized. Twinkie II ended up having a clear path to victory with a four-ball run-out giving her the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Specters' Twinkie II lost a bit of control after a game 2 scratch, and the Meteors' Zach went all out for the equalizer, striking a six-ball run-out with authority to get the win and tie the series at 1. Twinkie II looked to be coming back around in game 3, striking the 8 very strongly, but she scratched in the bottom side, and Zach buried the 9 from ball-in-hand to deflate Twinkie II's efforts with his win, and Zach took a 2-1 series lead. Zach nearly made a similar mistake in trying to get onto the 7, but Twinkie II would also scratch on the 8, and Zach had ball-in-hand to make the 9 and clinch the series at 3-1 with his win in game 4. Twinkie II was on the verge of another good game in game 5, but she blew a three-ball run with an errant shot on the 9. Zach made it on a tap-in and took the series 4-1 with the win here. Ranked #85 in 9-ball, Zach will play in the bracket semifinals.

Home Depot Forum, Web City: Shiny v. Princess. Last year's star and this year's biggest surprise tangle in 10-ball with the silver cue to end the afternoon. Tysini's Princess needed a big strike on the 10 to get the win in game 1, although Web City's Shiny didn't play as well as she'd like to, giving Princess a 1-0 series lead. Game 2 started and ended with the Hummingbirds' Princess making the 10. She potted it on the break to begin with, resulting in a reset, and then she staved off a three-ball run from the Spiders' Shiny to get the 10 on her second try for a 2-0 series lead. Shiny killed any hopes of making a comeback when she scratched on the 9, and Princess buried the last two shots to get another win pretty easily, going ahead 3-0 in the series after the trying game. Princess ripped a mighty break in game 4, scattering things well enough for a four-ball run-out to materialize after a few turns between her and Shiny. Princess made that big final run and won again for a 4-0 series lead. Shiny did much of the heavy lifting in game 5, but a deft make on the 7 from Princess set her up for the 10, and she buried it easily to make it a 5-0 sweep with her win. Ranked #50 in 10-ball, Princess will travel to Kraft Forum in Royal to face the Crowns' Nightfur in the bracket semifinals.

Cisco Arena, Tysini: Princess v. Oreo. First though, Princess comes home to battle Oreo in 15-ball with the silver cue. Terrace City's Oreo spoiled the homecoming with a game 1 win, battling Tysini's Princess evenly until Oreo did a three-ball run followed by making the last two balls to take a 1-0 series lead with a late burst. Game 2 went fine until it got to the 10, where both players collapsed into mediocrity. The Hummingbirds' Princess emerged victorious, taking the 15 from ball-in-hand after the Knights' Oreo scratched. This tied the series at 1. Princess took a 2-1 series lead with her win in game 3, potting the 15 at the top left after Oreo left it short in a competitive battle between the two players. Oreo fired back with a dominant ending to game 4, working to build a five-ball run-out with good pace on her shots to get positioned well. Princess challenged early on, but Oreo's shut down tactics at the end gave her a win to retie the series at 2. Game 5 was far from exemplary on either side of the table, but Princess stepped up after Oreo scratched and finished the game with the last two balls from ball-in-hand. Princess took the series 3-2, and the #40 ranked 15-ball player will host Mams of the Viewpoint Sound Meteors at this venue in the bracket semifinals.

Pepsi Arena, Lighton: Spirit v. Goatee. The silver cue continues a tour with a series of 12-ball. Lighton's Spirit had a break that was a bit too good, potting one of each to give Westside's Goatee a wild card ball. This came back to bite Spirit, who tried to make a late rally, only to see Goatee go the other way to win the game for a 1-0 series lead. The Prestige's Spirit was the one receiving the wild card ball in game 2, as the Rockers' Goatee made an error early on. Spirit needed a bit of time to get set, and Goatee nearly got herself set in the process, but Spirit closed with a three-ball run-out to retie the series at 1. Game 3 went cleanly, with no player holding an advantage. Goatee pulled out to an early lead in the game, but got stuck going for the top side with the 13. As she struggled, Spirit got set up well and needed only two turns once she started her rally to get the win, with plenty of time to spare as she surged to a 2-1 series lead. Spirit had most everything aligned the way she wanted it in game 4, but Goatee had other plans, performing a three-ball run to gain the lead and then striking her final ball past Spirit's defense on her last shot to get the win, retying the series at 2. Goatee ripped a five-ball run at the start of game 5, putting the pressure on Spirit very early in the deciding game. Spirit calmly answered with a three-ball run, and established defense at the bottom right that Goatee needed. A scratch later, Spirit was able to jam Goatee at the top left with the two the visitor had on the table at that point. Goatee had to pot one illegally, and this gave Spirit ball-in-hand to pot the 11 on a bank to the bottom side before depositing the 10 and 12 in the bottom corners for the brilliant win and a 3-2 series win. Spirit is ranked #76 in 12-ball, and the star heads to Chevrolet Center in Everton battle fellow star Goldy, the Eagles captain, in a British Derby to take place in the bracket semifinals. Goatee is the 50th player eliminated this year, and Spirit has her first kill of the year.

Google Hall, Modernistic: Ms. Puppy v. Puff I. After seeing their teammates twice battle last round, the other pair of Union players meet up for a series among friends, with the silver cue up for 9-ball. Puff I enjoyed the view from afar in game 1, as Ms. Puppy ran the table from break to 9, dominating with perfect shooting and planning to take a 1-0 series lead. Ms. Puppy lacked the same dominance in game 2, and it looked as if Puff I would take the win, but a scratch as she made the 9 gave Ms. Puppy a significantly less-hard-earned win for the 2-0 series lead. In game 3, Ms. Puppy found herself unable to strike the 8 from distance, and it came back around for Puff I to pot it and then bank the 9 into the top side for the win, cutting the series to 2-1 with a very heady play. Ms. Puppy made a shot from distance on the 9 in game 4, after Puff I failed on a similar shot, and this clinched the series at 3-1 for Ms. Puppy with the snipe from a terrible spot on the table, proving her value to the team. Puff I made sure she'd leave with a decently close series, winning game 5 with a bold four-ball run-out at the end to stunt Ms. Puppy's play. Still, Ms. Puppy took the series 3-2, and advanced her #42 ranked 9-ball campaign into the bracket semifinals.

GE Stadium Events Center, Southridge: J. Garcia v. Starlight. The blue cue comes on to end the day with 15-ball. Game 1 started well with Southridge's Garcia providing a good break, but things got tough on the 2. Pacific's Starlight eventually caused havoc with a missed 2-15 combination, and Garcia converted the same shot to the bottom right for a win and a 1-0 series lead. The Defenders' Garcia again held an edge in possession in game 2, working a four-ball run over the middle as part of her solid attack against the Volcanoes' Starlight. The end was pretty close, but Garcia struck the 15 to the top left on a good cut to win and take a 2-0 series lead. Game 3 came to an early end thanks to savvy shooting Garcia employed to keep Starlight away from the table. Garcia weaponized the 4, using it as a caroming device to pot the 7 in the top side. It rested near the 15, where Garcia used a 4-15 kick combination along the right rail to the bottom right to get the win, securing the series at 3-0. Garcia made only one mistake in game 4, which was missing contact with the 4 after getting herself into an unfavorable position. Starlight used the ball-in-hand to prevent the sweep, burying a 4-15 combination to the bottom right to make it 3-1 in the series. Garcia had to wait a bit longer than usual to pick up the win in game 5, but she made it after Starlight was called for illegal contact with the 14. Garcia made a three-ball run-out and won the game, taking the series 4-1. Ranked #51 in 15-ball, Garcia will travel to Starbucks Arena in Archtown to meet the Arrows' Ruby in the bracket semifinals.

We'll be back with a full slate tomorrow, in what should be the second-to-last day of the round.