For this round and the Bracket Finals, the series will be played in 7-game sets, providing more time for drama between the players as they battle toward high-ranking positions. We begin the round with...
AT&T Hall, Oceanside: Bells v. Kavan. The red cue gets a first crack in this round, playing 7-ball. Oceanside's Bells had a good start to the round, winning game 1 with a four-ball run-out after Victoria's Kavan left the 3 in a favorable position to start the run. Bells leads the series 1-0. The Spurs' Kavan got the win in game 2, surviving a three-ball run from the Waves' Bells to battle evenly and end up taking the 7 to tie the series at 1. Kavan made the last two shots after taking a few scares from Bells, and the successful finish to the game gave him a 2-1 series lead. Kavan kept going in a very back-and-forth game 4, with it finally tipping in his favor after Bells missed contact on the 7, and Kavan made it to the bottom side from ball-in-hand to take a 3-1 lead in the series. Bells survived for the first time facing elimination in game 5, making a five-ball run-out to hold off a hungry Kavan, and she cut the series to 3-2. In game 6, Kavan missed his first attempt on the 7, but Bells couldn't make it either, and Kavan took it the second time, securing the series at 4-2. Kavan couldn't quite capitalize on making three balls from the break in game 7, letting it slip away from him with a miss on the 7 that Bells cleaned up for the win. Kavan still took the series 4-3, and the #45 ranked 7-ball player will know where he's traveling for the bracket final at the end of the series after next.
Intel Center, Diamond: Citrus v. Pedey. The silver cue gets a shot at 7-ball now in this all-Gems series. Citrus took a somewhat aggressive approach to game 1, but it worked out when Pedey missed his bank attempt on the 7 and Citrus knocked it in, taking a 1-0 series lead with her win. Citrus dazzled again in game 2, making a three-ball run in the middle and then cleaning up Pedey's missed attempt on the 7 again at the end to make it a 2-0 series lead for herself. Pedey did much better for himself in game 3, working on a four-ball run, but he couldn't make the 7, and Citrus pounded it to the top left to earn a commanding 3-0 series lead. Pedey finally got a win by finishing off a strong effort in game 4, assembling a six-ball run-out to keep Citrus away from the table and make it 3-1 in the series with his first win. Pedey pulled closer with the win in game 5, starting with a three-ball run and then making the last two balls from ball-in-hand after Citrus scratched, which cut the series to 3-2. Pedey tied the series at 3 with his win in game 6, capitalizing on more shaky play from Citrus, who has completely collapsed after starting so dominant. Citrus finally got things under control, beating Pedey with a well-paced shot on the 6 to line up and bury the 7 at the top right, earning a 4-3 series win. Citrus is ranked #34 for 7-ball, and will play in the bracket final. Pedey is the 60th player eliminated this year, and the first in this round, while Citrus' third kill of the year is friendly fire.
Gillette Center, Swordpoint: Shawn v. Gradley. We return to the red cue for the third of three straight 7-ball series. Boston's Gradley had a very efficient three-ball run-out in game 1, finishing on a highlight reel shot that saw the 5 rattle out of the bottom side while the 7 was bumped to the bottom left for the win and a 1-0 series lead over Swordpoint's Shawn. Game 2 was pretty close as well, with the Blades' Shawn having a slightly better edge until he missed the 7, and the Swifts' Gradley calmly banked it to the top side to win for a 2-0 lead in the series. Shawn got one back in game 3, weathering a four-ball run by Gradley until he missed contact on the 6, leaving Shawn to make the last two shots from ball-in-hand, which he did for a win to make it a 2-1 series. Shawn had a chance to tie things up in game 4, but he shot the 7 a bit short, leaving it in an easy position for Gradley to tap it in and take the win for a 3-1 series lead. Gradley bossed possession in game 5 pretty handily, and while Shawn did get a long bank attempt on the 7, it ended up missing and left near the top side for Gradley to cut in, making it to win and secure the series at 4-1. Gradley didn't get anything on the break, but his next turn in game 6 saw him make the 1 and then a 2-7 combination to the top left for the win and a 5-1 lead in the series. Gradley iced the series at 6-1 with a huge finish in game 7, rocking a six-ball run-out to snag the win. Ranked #32 in 7-ball, Gradley will host Kavan of the Victoria Spurs in the bracket final at Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center in Boston.
AT&T Hall, Oceanside: Snuggle v. Midnight. The blue cue comes into action with a series of 9-ball. Westside's Midnight made a big mistake in game 1, leaving the 2 too close to the 9, and Oceanside's Snuggle took full advantage, caroming the cue off the 2 to pot the 9 at the top right for a win and 1-0 series lead. The Rockers' Midnight didn't let this early setback get her down, as she turned things around with a four-ball run-out to bring game 2 to a close, battling with the Waves' Snuggle before her big finish led her to tying the series at 1. Midnight kept the momentum going in game 3, using a carom off the 7 to pot the 9 in the top right with Snuggle also putting in a decent effort. Midnight now leads the series 2-1 after this win. Snuggle shot straight back with his only shot in game 4, a 1-9 bank combination that saw the 9 jammed off the 1 and into the top right from the bottom left quadrant of the table. This surprise play tied the series again at 2 for Snuggle, shocking Midnight. Once again, Midnight didn't get down from a previous defeat, bouncing back to take the win in game 5 in a fairly standard game that saw the players battle closely. Midnight took a 3-2 series lead. Snuggle bounced back, taking an edge in possession in game 6. Midnight nearly rallied back on a four-ball run, but she missed a long bank toward the bottom left on the 9, and Snuggle tapped it in, tying the series again at 3. In game 7, Midnight couldn't quite finish a three-ball run near the end of the game, but she left Snuggle without a good shot, and he missed the 9. Midnight made it on the second try, giving herself a 4-3 series win with the decisive victory. Midnight is ranked #18 in 9-ball, and has advanced to the bracket final.
HP Field Events Center, Eastside: Chelsea v. Dominic. The blue cue stays up for 12-ball. Eastside's Chelsea started game 1 well on the break, and watched Atlantic's Dominic score a three-ball run before gaining position and making her last two balls for a win and a 1-0 series lead. The Pirates' Dominic made a big five-ball run in game 2, challenging the dominance of the Sharks' Chelsea, but she countered right back with a three-ball run-out to get the win and a 2-0 series lead. Chelsea dominated in game 3, well on her way to victory via a four-ball run when she gave away a wild card ball to Dominic to remove the defense on her last ball. As he tried to kick out of the leave, he potted Chelsea's last ball, handing her the win for a 3-0 lead in the series. Chelsea burst out for another five-ball run in game 4, dominating possession on the turn after her break since Dominic didn't do much on his first turn. Chelsea ended by giving Dominic a wild card ball, but he soon gave it back with a scratch. From the kitchen, Chelsea banked the 9 off the right rail to the top left, sealing the series at 4-0 with her win. Chelsea looked dead to rights after her break left her with the less favorable suit, but she made a highlight reel cut-bank on the 7 off the right rail and deflected off the 15 that defended the bottom side for Dominic, falling in that pocket. Two turns later, Chelsea made her final two balls with Dominic out of position, and she won for a 5-0 lead in the series. Dominic finally stemmed the attack in game 6, getting a win after Chelsea flubbed a shot after he gave her a wild card ball. Dominic took ball-in-hand from the flub, and made his last ball for a win to cut it to 5-1 in the series. Game 7 played pretty tight for not having any implications on the result of the series. It ended with Chelsea giving Dominic a wild card ball but no position, forcing him into missing contact, and then she made her last ball to take the win for a 6-1 series win. Chelsea is ranked #27 for 12-ball, advancing into the bracket final with this campaign.
That's all for the first five series of the round in a half-day of games.
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