The second day of the round should be a bit fuller than the first. We begin with...
Chevrolet Center, Everton: Goldy v. Spirit. This British Derby is in 12-ball with the silver cue to lead things off today. Everton's Goldy came in hot for game 1, making a four-ball run straight from the break, but she took a bad foul on her next turn. Lighton's Spirit turned in a well-positioned four-ball run and got set for her last shot, which she made a turn later for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Prestige's Spirit ended up with the win in game 2 thanks to slightly better positioning and poor defense from the Eagles' Goldy, who left Spirit open for her final shot, which she made to take a 2-0 series lead. Spirit kept going with a smartly played game 3, waiting for Goldy to slip up, which she did on what was going to be her final set up shot. She left Spirit with a good line on her last ball, and Spirit shot it true to get the win and go up 3-0 in the series. Spirit once again established a position of strength and defense in game 4, blocking a pocket for Goldy, and the host couldn't get around the play. Spirit ended with a double-pot of the 3 in the bottom left and a carom to make a 12-5 combination at the top left, sealing the series at 4-0. Spirit had the better of play from the start of game 5, but she had to play recklessly and give up a wild card ball to Goldy before hammering the 4 to the bottom left for the win, making it 5-0 in the series. Goldy finally overcame Spirit in game 6, and that came after Goldy gave a wild card ball away too. Goldy managed to get set up on her last shot before Spirit could, and she double-kissed it in to get the win, cutting the series to 5-1. Spirit just couldn't get the right shots on her last two balls in game 7, allowing Goldy to meticulously align herself for another win. Spirit took the series 5-2 despite losing the last two games, and she advances her #76 ranked 12-ball bid to a road trip for the bracket final at a venue to be determined.
Home Depot Forum, Web City: Sugar v. Yekaterina Vasilyeva. The silver cue is still on for 8-ball. Web City's Sugar performed a shut out in three turns, including a seven-ball run on the second turn that wowed the crowd as she made the 13 with a masse shot around the 7. She missed the 8, but Victoria's Yekaterina left it open, and Sugar made it that time, going ahead 1-0 in the series. The Spiders' Sugar had a much worse game 2, losing as a cluster buster shot ended up taking the 8 illegally at the bottom right, gifting the Spurs' Yekaterina with a win to tie the series at 1. Yekaterina looked well on her way to getting the win in game 3, working very strongly with a four-ball run. Sugar thwarted this effort, winning on a six-ball run-out that saw a double-pot with the 5 at the bottom side and 6 at the bottom left, and great positioning to finish it off as Sugar reclaimed the series lead at 2-1. Yekaterina hit the highlight reel with a long double-pot of the 3 and 7 to the left corners in game 4. Sugar did hold the late lead, but Yekaterina toppled it with a four-ball run-out of mostly simple cuts to grab the win and retie the series at 2. Yekaterina had a good three-ball run getting her close to the finish in game 5, but Sugar snatched it away with smart positioning on her first two shots, and then a bank on the 8 to the top left to win with a three-ball run out and take a 3-2 series lead. Yekaterina hit the highlight reel again in game 6, making the 15-12-14-10 kick combination to the bottom left. It wouldn't be enough, as she scratched two shots later and Sugar pulled away, winning as she made her last two shots a turn later around Yekaterina's defense. Sugar clinched the series at 4-2 with the win. Sugar made a deep run in game 7 after falling behind to Yekaterina, but she ended up taking the loss as her five-ball run left the 8 in good position for Yekaterina to make it. Sugar still won the series 4-3, and her #78 ranked 8-ball bid will be on the road for the bracket final.
Pepsi Arena, Lighton: Lydia v. Alyssa. The blue cue is in action now for a series of 10-ball. Oceanside's Alyssa rode a lot of pressure from Lighton's Lydia early in game 1, and even Lydia's late three-ball run couldn't buy her the win. Alyssa made the last two shots, winning for a 1-0 series lead. The Waves' Alyssa lost game 2 when she couldn't make the 8 on a long shot. The Prestige's Lydia took it from there, getting good position for a three-ball run-out, which gave her the win and tied the series at 1. Alyssa capitalized on Lydia's inability to strike the 10 from distance in game 3, ending a back-and-forth game with a tap-in at the top right to give the visitor a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 went fine until the 10, where each player missed twice after the end of a three-ball run by Lydia. Her second miss left it open for Alyssa to pot it, and that she did, making it on a glancing hit to the top left for the win, giving her a 3-1 lead in the series. Lydia dominated in game 5, leaving no doubt with consecutive turns of a four-ball run and a five-ball run-out separated only by a miss from Alyssa. This strong effort featured crisp shooting as Lydia picked up a win, getting back to being behind 3-2 in the series. Alyssa had the series in the bag in game 6, as Lydia left the 8 and 10 in close proximity to the top right, but Alyssa took a needlessly casual shot on the combination, and scratched. A three-ball run-out later, Lydia stole the win and retied the series at 3. Lydia completed the comeback with a third straight win, snapping up game 7 with the last two balls falling in her favor after playing fairly tightly with Alyssa. Lydia takes the series 4-3, and the #14 ranked 10-ball player will be the host for the bracket final, coming from this venue. Alyssa is the 62nd player knocked out of the tournament, with Lydia staving off her own elimination in her first kill.
Kraft Forum, Royal: Nightfur v. Princess. The silver cue gets this series of 10-ball. Royal's Nightfur had a poor break in game 1, and this led to forced balance in the game, with both players mixing in solid shots with bad ones. Tysini's Princess didn't have enough of the former, and Nightfur made the 10 on a cut to the bottom right from distance, taking the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Crowns' Nightfur transitioned more to a long game strategy in game 2, and this worked out just as well, as she made a five-ball run-out to shut down the Hummingbirds' Princess again for a 2-0 series lead. Nightfur seemed to have the better of possession early in game 3, but this didn't translate to long term success for the game, as Princess came on strong and took the game when Nightfur missed on the 10, making it a 2-1 series. Game 4 went very quickly, with Princess making a three-ball run on her only turn, highlighted by a kick combination of the 1-2 to the top side. Nightfur made sure she never got back, assembling a very well shot seven-ball run-out, highlighted by brilliant positioning as Nightfur snagged a win to go ahead 3-1 in the series. Nightfur continued a fairly dominant series with a win in game 5, securing the series at 4-1 with a four-ball run-out after a scratch from Princess killed her momentum once again. Nightfur seemed a bit disinterested in game 6, and she played a bit sloppy as a result, with a late foul allowing Princess to set herself up for a three-ball run-out, which she converted to win the game and make it a 4-2 series. Nightfur challenged a bit more in game 7, but she ended up with nothing, as Princess pressed late in the game with a four-ball run and left Nighfur with a lousy shot on the 10. Princess tapped in the miss to get the win. Nightfur took the series 4-3, and the #28 ranked 10-ball player will be on the road for the bracket final.
Microsoft Center, Del Sur: Shannon v. Rainmane. The silver cue continues to be in action with this series of Accuracy. Web City's Rainmane started dominant against a slightly wild Shannon of Southern, but needed Shannon to scratch to get the 2-4 win for a 1-0 series lead. The Spiders' Rainmane fought hard to gain a lead in game 2 after falling behind early, only to miss the last ball twice and give Shannon the 3-4 win that tied the series again at 1. Rainmane made a mess of game 3 for herself, missing frequently at the start and finish to hand the Monarchs' Shannon a relatively easy 2-6 victory, with Shannon now taking a 2-1 series lead with the win. Rainmane fell into a tie after dominating the early stages of game 4, and then had a terrible spot to break the overtime rack up. She tried a soft break, but Shannon shot the 4 to the top left from distance to get the 2-3 win and move to a 3-1 series lead with the gutsy shot. Game 5 was more of the same, with Rainmane playing well enough to get close and then blow it, as she had Shannon in trouble but scratched to give her an out. Shannon took this win 2-4, and this earned her advancement as the series went to 4-1. Rainmane finally got a win in game 6, but it was one of the ugliest Accuracy wins of the tournament a 7-8 monstrosity that neither player should have won. This made it a 4-2 series favoring Shannon with a game to go. Rainmane snagged the win in game 7 as well, as Shannon played through a bit cautiously and lost 2-5 to Rainmane. Shannon claimed the series at 4-3, and the #84 ranked Accuracy player will be on the road for the bracket final.
Kraft Forum, Royal: Marsell v. Smudge. The blue cue is back for its last series of the day, a set of 15-ball. Game 1 saw not much happen outside of the ordinary, with Royal's Marsell gaining momentum late in the game and translating to a win to beat Infinity's Smudge for a 1-0 series lead. The Torpedoes' Smudge bounced back well, working a five-ball run-out after a tight first half of game 2 to pick up a win over the Crowns' Marsell to tie the series at 1 early on. Marsell seemed to have a lot of momentum late in the game, working with the 11 and 12 efficiently. This disappeared as the players exchanged misses on the 13, and then Smudge came out and made a three-ball run-out, highlight by her bank of the 14 to the bottom side to get position on the 15, which she made for the win. Smudge now leads the series 2-1. Marsell had a misguided jump attempt as an effort to get to the 2 came up dramatically short. This gave Smudge ball-in-hand, and she made the 2 before turning for a 3-15 combination to the top right, which she made to win and take a 3-1 series lead. Game 5 was already going at a quick pace before Smudge settled things quite easily, using a crisp 4-15 kick combination to the top right to clinch the series for herself at 4-1, stunning Marsell and the home Royal crowd. Game 6 had just as much pace, with Marsell making a double-pot of the 6 to the top side and 13 to the bottom right to find the highlight reel. Smudge answered with two crazy shots, making the 14 to the top side after the 8 caromed into it, and then she sent the 8 there and the 11 into the top left on a double-pot that involved bounces off the 10. This started a five-ball run, and two turns later Smudge took the win to take a 5-1 series lead in the process. Marsell got game 7, which didn't mean a whole lot, as the shooting was sporadic and not with much intention throughout. Smudge took the series 5-2, and the #93 ranked 15-ball player continues a Cinderella run in the bracket final, where she'll again be on the road. Marsell is the 63rd player to be eliminated, and Smudge collected her first kill of the year with the knockout.
Google Hall, Modernistic: Juno v. Smokey. The red cue gets a look at 9-ball this time. Modernistic's Juno took the game 1 win with a healthy share of possession and a good two-ball run-out finish after Diamond's Smokey missed on the 6 late in the game. Juno took a 1-0 series lead for her win. The Union's Juno came out flying in game 2, making three balls on the break and parlaying into a five-ball run. Her pace slowed, but the Gems' Smokey couldn't do anything and Juno tapped the 9 in on her second try for the win and a 2-0 series lead. Juno went even bigger with a six-ball run to start game 3, and after Smokey flubbed the 7 at the bottom right, she made the last two shots for the win and a 3-0 lead in the series in another dominant outing. Smokey finally got a win in game 4, even as Juno was bearing down with a five-ball run that started with an insane hit on the 4, bouncing off the edge of the top side to drive into the 5 and pot it in the bottom side. Smokey tapped the 9 that Juno left at the top side home to get the win, making it 3-1 in the series. Smokey stepped up again to further stave off the loss, winning game 5 on a three-ball run-out as Juno battled very closely with him in this stanza before fading to allow him to make it a 3-2 series. Juno has reason to be worried now, as she lost game 6 with a scratch after making the 7 to give a strong Smokey ball-in-hand to make the 9. He led the game off with a five-ball run and finished it with the free shot, tying the series at 3. Smokey completed the reverse sweep with a shot into a cluster, drawing the cue off the 4 to take the 9 in the bottom right, and the 7 also fell for good measure. Smokey took the series 4-3, and the #97 ranked 9-ball player, a Cinderella story in every way, will play on the road for the bracket final.
Nissan Hall, Infinity: Shelley v. Nightfur. The silver cue is back with a series of 15-ball. Royal's Nightfur stole game 1 after Infinity's Shelley put on a shooting clinic in the form of two five-ball runs. However, she forgot how to finish a game, missing the 15 twice to set Nightfur up for the win and the 1-0 series lead. The Torpedoes' Shelley took only two shots in game 2, but they worked to sink the Crowns' Nightfur after she made illegal contact. Shelley's first shot was the 1 to the bottom side, and the second buried the 15 as the cue deflected off the 2 to take the winner to the top right, tying the series at 1. Shelley is developing a knack for a patient approach, whereas Nightfur showed a bit more recklessness. Nightfur tried a glancing hit off the 9 to get the 14, but it failed and left Shelley set for the 9-15 combination in the bottom right, which she converted for a win and 2-1 series lead. Nightfur made a big five-ball run and then followed up with a three-ball run-out on the back half of game 4, giving Shelley no chance to be opportunistic this time as Nightfur's win retied the series at 2. Nightfur chose to be the one making the big moves, sending the 8 into a cluster at the top right after Shelley's illegal contact played the 15 into the mess, and after rattling things around, the 15 fell in the that pocket to give Nightfur the win and a 3-2 series lead with the lucky shot. Sensing that the opportunities to steal games away had disappeared, Shelley took control of game 6 late in the proceedings, making a four-ball run-out to snatch it away from Nightfur at the end and get a win to tie the series at 3. Shelley was surprised by how game 7 ended, as she fired the 7 into the 15 and watched it bounce around. While the 7 was getting bumped, the 15 took a flick and headed to the top left, where it landed for a lucky victory. Shelley won the series 4-3 to advance her #48 ranked 15-ball bid into the bracket final.
Apple Center, Todavía: Sierra v. Yekaterina Vasilyeva. The last series of the night is Rotation with the silver cue. Victoria's Yekaterina didn't as much dominate as did Todavía's Sierra fail to get any offense going. Yekaterina took game 1 in an 8-0 shutout, despite taking her time and not putting up any significant runs to gain the 1-0 series lead. The Stills' Sierra made a big comeback when she awoke from her slumber to start the series. The Spurs' Yekaterina had a nice lead in game 2, but she couldn't close it out, as Sierra twice tied her before going ahead on an 8-6 win to tie the series at 1. Sierra got even better in taking game 3, working a five-ball run from ball-in-hand after an error by Yekaterina, and then holding on to take the game 8-2 to make it a 2-1 lead for herself at the end. Yekaterina bounced back with a strong effort in game 4, coming from behind against Sierra, who pulled away at one point, to win on a four-ball run-out that included the highlight reel double-pot of the 10 to the top left and 15 to the top right to take a late lead with a good leave on the winning shot. Yekaterina's win retied the series at 2. Sierra bounced back very easily, slowly building a lead not unlike the way Yekaterina did in game 1. Sierra ended up getting threatened late in game 5, but she closed it out with a long shot on the 10, winning 8-3 to retake the series lead at 3-2. Sierra needed a couple chances on the 11 to finally close out another strong performance with an 8-4 win in game 6, but she did it on her third try and clinched the series at 4-2, knocking out the rookie wonder. Sierra iced the series at 5-2 with a come-from-behind win in game 7, winning 8-5 with a four-ball run-out to once again stun Yekaterina in the end. Sierra is ranked #38 for Rotation, and she'll play in the bracket final. Yekaterina's glorious rookie campaign is over, the 65th player knocked out of the tournament, and Sierra has her first kill of the year.
Tomorrow, we'll play some more. We're tracking to a finish on Saturday for this round, a rare weekend of games.
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