The Prestige have the breaking rights against the Eagles in their series, played out on the field. Lydia will oppose Goldy for 7-ball. Lighton's Lydia wasted no time in picking up the win, grabbing the 7 off the break as it fell in the top side to down Everton's Goldy and give Lighton a 1-0 series lead in the British Derby. Spirit and Blizzard square off in the first of their three meetings, 8-ball. Blizzard kept the Eagles level with a big six-ball run-out to get the win in her game, as the Prestige's Spirit lost a bit of ground late. The series is tied at 1 as Lydia and Goldy return for 9-ball. Lydia seemed to have a lot of pace in this game for Lighton, but she faltered late, as Goldy had a chance and missed on the 9 but got a second chance and made it, lifting Everton ahead 2-1 in the series. For 10-ball, it will be Acorn against Goldy. Goldy had a three-ball run before she missed on the 7. Acorn made it for the Prestige, but scratched at the same time, and Goldy gave the Eagles another win with her shot on the 8 from ball-in-hand that she drew over to the 10, potting the 8 in the top right and 10 in the bottom right. Everton leads 3-1 as Spirit and Blizzard meet again in 12-ball. Spirit gave up a wild card ball, and this greatly hurt the Lighton star's chances. She played a smothering defense until she no longer could, illegally potting her own ball and giving Blizzard ball-in-hand for her last two shots, which she made to give Everton the big 4-1 series lead. Acorn will match with Cleo for Rotation and 15-ball as the Prestige send their captain to save their season against the Eagles' weakest player. The Eagles' Cleo nearly lived up to that title, blowing a huge lead as the game went tied at 7. She was bailed out when the Prestige's Acorn missed the 15 narrowly at the bottom left, and she tapped it in for an 8-7 win to seal the series at 5-1 for Everton. They met again in 15-ball, with the game going well at first but quickly devolving into lazy shooting and fouls. The end of the game was nothing short of sloppy, with Cleo getting the win on her second try at the 15 after Acorn, while frustrated, just smacked it around the table. Cleo potted it and made it 6-1 for Everton in the series. Spirit and Blizzard will close out the series with Accuracy in a lame-duck game. Spirit and Blizzard played evenly throughout the Accuracy match, but Spirit missed one late and took a 1-2 loss as the Eagles finish the series in a 7-1 win, sending them through to the quarterfinals.
The Spurs will play with the breaking advantage here, sending Kavan out against the Surfers' Wings for 7-ball for a series inside the Exhibition Center. Pearl's Wings had an early four-ball run in the game, but Victoria's Kavan answered with a three-ball run-out to take the win and a 1-0 series lead. Captains Spice and Watermelon have 8-ball as their first of three head-to-head meetings. Watermelon had a dominant stretch in her appearance, ending with a misplay, as her missed contact with the 5 resulted in the 8 falling illegally in the bottom side. The Spurs' Spice didn't do anything productive and took the win for a 2-0 series lead over the Surfers. Kavan and Wings are back for 9-ball. Kavan had a slight edge in this game, but he nearly gave it away when he missed on the 7, scratching in the process. Wings fired a double-pot of the 7 and 8 to the top left, but missed a bank on the 9, and Kavan made it for the win. Victoria leads the series 3-0, with Yekaterina and Cowzart coming on for the first of their three games. Yekaterina had her struggles with 10-ball, but she buckled down to stay competitive for the Spurs. The Surfers' Cowzart looked better until he missed on the 9. Yekaterina made it and the 10 for the win, putting the Spurs in the driver's seat with a 4-0 series lead. Now, Spice and Watermelon play 12-ball, and Watermelon had a nice three-ball run to establish herself, including a big double-pot of the 5 to the top right and 7 to the bottom left. Watermelon failed to get her last ball in position, and Spice picked her way through the rest of the game quickly, stealing the win away and securing Victoria's advancement as they lead Pearl 5-0. Yekaterina and Cowzart are back for both Rotation and 15-ball. In Rotation, Yekaterina started hot the Spurs and never cooled off, marching with a three-ball run-out to an 8-0 shutout of the Surfers' Cowzart, which gave Victoria a 6-0 series lead. In 15-ball, Yekaterina pushed the pace of play in a solid effort on both sides, but Cowzart struck at the end with a three-ball run-out to take the win and make it 6-1 in the series. Spice and Watermelon close out the series with Accuracy. This went fairly well, although Spice nearly had a total collapse late in the game. She saved it quick enough and turned the tables on Watermelon, who missed her last shot with a weak hit. Spice won 3-4, and the Spurs finished the series up 7-1 to advance to the quarterfinals.
Back out on the field, the Sharks play the home role to the Torpedoes. Captains Graham and Smudge are in for 7-ball. Eastside's Graham started with confidence, but his first miss shook it and a scratch shattered it, allowing Infinity's Smudge a four-ball run-out for a win and 1-0 series lead. Niki opposes Whiskers in 8-ball, which saw the Sharks' Niki employ a four-ball run, throwing the Torpedoes' Whiskers off just enough so that Niki could make the 8 on her next shot and win, tying the series at 1. Chelsea will go against Smudge for 9-ball. The game went fine, with both players getting their shots in, until the 9. This proved difficult, with Smudge finally making it from ball-in-hand to give Infinity a 2-1 series lead. The same players met for 10-ball, and the result was the same. The play was good in the early stages, the 9 proved difficult, and Smudge emerged with the victory in the end, lifting the Torpedoes to a 3-1 series lead over the Sharks. Chelsea gets her third and final game in 12-ball against Whiskers, with Chelsea getting a bit lost at the end of the game, but Whiskers accidentally going with it as well, and making both of Chelsea's last two balls to gift her the win. Eastside cut the series to 3-2 after the flub from Infinity's player. Niki steps in against Shelley for Rotation and 15-ball. Rotation saw the Torpedoes' Shelley bolt ahead with a five-ball run, but the Sharks' Niki played resiliently. She stayed until the bitter end, where Shelley finally iced the game at 8-7 after missing a previous chance, and this gave the Torpedoes a 4-2 series lead. In 15-ball, Shelley played patiently, waiting for Niki to slip up, and she did near the end of the game, giving Shelley a golden opportunity to win, and she did so by making the last two shots. Shelley's win secures advancement as Infinity leads the series 5-2. Graham and Whiskers will play in the finale, a game of Accuracy. Whiskers dominated in this one, with Graham hardly offering a challenge in the 2-6 loss he took. Whiskers' win made it 6-2 in the series win, sending the Torpedoes to the quarterfinals.
Back inside, the Warriors have breaking rights against the Cascades. Gizmo will challenge Roxy in 7-ball. Central's Gizmo had a bit of a difficult time at the start, but he rounded into form at the end, winning with a three-ball run-out against a punchless Roxy of Freedom. Central leads 1-0 with their MVP Dustin going against Stinky in 8-ball. The Warriors' Dustin didn't play like an MVP, allowing the Cascades Stinky a four-ball run to pull ahead, and then he set Stinky up for an easy finishing shot to tie the series at 1. Gizmo is called on to go against Roxy again in 9-ball. Roxy had this game under control, working a late four-ball run, but she botched it with a kick attempt far off target, and Central's Gizmo made the 9 from ball-in-hand to top Freedom's Roxy. Central leads the series 2-1. Twilight and Nikolai get the 10-ball starts. The second half of this game drew far more interest than the first. Twilight made the 7 with a three-rail kick, but it was illegally potted. Nikolai responded with a three-ball run, but he missed on the 10, and Twilight put it away, with the Warriors owning a 3-1 series lead after her win. Twilight stays on for Central, opposing the Cascades' Stinky for 12-ball between Reality club members. Stinky desperately tried to hold on in the game, but the Freedom player couldn't stop giving away wild card balls to Twilight, helping ease her discomfort at bad shooting positions. She eventually got the win after he missed contact in the name of keeping a shot in line. Twilight's win makes it a 4-1 series lead for Central. Dustin looks to close the series up in his Rotation game against Roxy. Roxy kept the Cascades alive, weathering an attack from the Warriors' Dustin early in the game before emerging on a six-ball run-out for the win by an 8-4 score. This cut the series to 4-2. Dustin, whose best strength is coming from behind, gets a third try in 15-ball against Nikolai. Dustin finally got one right, battling closely with Nikolai until the 12 came up. This was a challenging ball, but Dustin picked up a three-ball run-out in the end and got the win for Central, clinching the series at 5-2. Twilight and Stinky pair up for the final game, Accuracy. Twilight played fairly relaxed in this game, while Stinky did well for pride for the Cascades, as Stinky took the 1-3 win over the Warriors' Twilight, but Central claimed the series 5-3 to head into the quarterfinals.
The next three series will be outside to help prepare for the festivities indoors for the day's final series. The Lumberjacks send Fluffina against Easter of the Stills for 7-ball. Todavía's Easter did her part, keeping up with Maplewood's Fluffina until she could strike, making the last two balls for a 1-0 series lead. Bryant and Leonardo play 8-ball, with Bryant coming out on a top after a five-ball run saw him navigate a flustered Leonardo of the Stills. Bryant got good position for his last shot, and buried it to help the Lumberjacks tie the series at 1. Fluffina and Easter return for 9-ball. Maplewood's Fluffina was slightly better than Todavía's Easter this time, getting the late possession and winning to put her team up 2-1 in the series. Fluffina remains on for the Lumberjacks for 10-ball, while Leonardo is back for the Stills. Leonardo seemed to have a decent amount of momentum after Fluffina sent a ball over the edge of the table, and he eventually won by making the last two balls on his second turn after Fluffina of the Lumberjacks sent the cue over the rail as she jumped to make the 5. Leonardo's win ties the series at 2. Diddley makes his debut in the series against fellow debutante Sierra in 12-ball. Todavía's Sierra got the win despite giving up a wild card ball in the game, as Diddley couldn't find a good position, and Sierra gently kicked the 7 into the top side. Maplewood is behind 3-2 in the series now. Diddley stays in against Easter for Rotation. Easter once again proved valuable for the Stills, waiting for Diddley to stall out and then beating the Lumberjacks player 8-4 on a late surge herself. Easter gave her team a 4-2 series lead, which puts them in total control now. Diddley will have to reverse his fortunes in 15-ball, as another loss to Sierra puts his team out of the tournament. Diddley's annoyance spilled over when he scratched after making the 8, and two shots later, Sierra clinched the series for Todavía by making the 15 off a deflection from the 10 to the bottom left. This made it 5-2 in the series. Bryant and Sierra get the last game, Accuracy. Due to excess frustration, the game was called in a 5-5 draw, resulting in the Stills taking the series 5-2-1. They'll face the Warriors in the quarterfinals
Continuing with the outdoors series, we have the Hummingbirds breaking against the Knights. Stars Princess and Kiwi will battle in 7-ball. Terrace City's Kiwi missed contact with the 6 late in the game, opening things up for the struggling Princess of Tysini to finish off the last two shots for a 1-0 series lead. Charli and Jennifer get the 8-ball nods. The Hummingbirds' Charli thought she had the game under control as she pieced together a four-ball run, but it ended with a scratch as she made the 8, and that gifted the game to the Knights' Jennifer, tying the series at 1. Leandra has her chance to go against Kiwi now, in 9-ball. Tysini's Leandra missed on the 5, a critical mistake in a game with as much talent as this one. Terrace City's Kiwi shut the door from there with a three-ball run-out after a strong effort, giving her team the 2-1 series lead. Princess is next up against Kiwi for their second meeting in 10-ball. This game was always going to have a short end, but the Hummingbirds' Princess accelerated her own demise, missing contact on the 2. Kiwi's ball-in-hand netted the 2-10 combination to the top right to put the Knights ahead 3-1 in the series. For 12-ball, Leandra goes against Jennifer. Leandra saved the day for Tysini, putting up a four-ball run to pace her attack after Jennifer struggled to develop momentum. Leandra had to battle against a defensive Jennifer late in the game, but she got the win and cut the series to 3-2 as Terrace City still leads. Charli is against Oreo for Rotation. Charli burst out to a massive lead for the Hummingbirds, and while Oreo tried to pull back into it for the Knights, she was quickly shut down. Charli capped the game at 8-2, tying the series at 3 to add extra value to the final games. Leandra will play against Oreo this time in 15-ball. Both players were streaky, making for a thrilling game all around. Leandra led off with a four-ball run to give herself a nice advantage, but Oreo later replied with her own four-ball run. Leandra shot this down with a six-ball run-out, leading Tysini to a 4-3 series lead over Terrace City with one regulation game to go. Charli and Jennifer will battle in Accuracy, as the Hummingbirds want to end it quick. Charli couldn't finish the series off, falling behind Jennifer quite early. Jennifer made the lead hold up and won 3-5, tying the series at 4 and forcing a tiebreaker between Princess and Oreo. That game was left-handed 8-ball. Princess had a four-ball run end in a scratch in the overtime game, but she got the win anyway, as Oreo's hit on the 2 resulted in the 8 falling in the top left. Princess got the win to give Tysini a 5-4 series win, setting themselves a date with the Torpedoes in the quarterfinals.
The final outdoor series comes from under the lights between the breaking Gems and Monarchs. Citrus and Nicole have the 7-ball appearances. Southern's Nicole took the win with a three-ball run-out, making a sharp deflection off the 6 to bury the 7 in the top right, taking a 1-0 series lead over Diamond and Citrus. Smokey and Shannon square off for 8-ball. The Monarchs' Shannon let a four-ball run late in the game go to waste, as she missed contact with the 8, and the Gems' Smokey made the last two shots for the win, tying the series at 1. Citrus and Nicole return to play 9-ball. Nicole tried and failed to thread the needle between the 4 and 9 for Southern, illegally potting the 9 to gift Diamond's Citrus a win that puts her team ahead 2-1 in the series. Pedey and Shannon will play 10-ball. Shannon played well for the Monarchs, driving possession throughout the game as the Gems' Pedey was erratic and had two bad scratches to give it away to Shannon. Her win tied the series again at 2. Pedey stayed in to oppose Panda in 12-ball. This game appeared to be a marathon, with each player pacing himself nicely. However, once they got on to their final balls, they went all out to keep themselves ahead. Southern's Panda nearly won with a kick on the 7 toward the top side, but Diamond's Pedey won as he drove the 12 to the bottom left, putting them ahead 3-2 in the series. Citrus draws Panda for the Rotation game, trying to put the Gems farther ahead. The Monarchs' Panda again had a critical miss due to hitting too softly, and this allowed the Gems' Citrus to key up a three-ball run-out, breaking out of the tie and into an 8-5 win to push the Gems ahead 4-2 in the series, a win away from moving on. Smokey will get his turn with Panda in 15-ball. Smokey was charging late in the game for Diamond, working his way to a four-ball run that stopped dead when he missed the 11-15-12 combination to the top right. He left the 11-15 combination lined up, and Southern's Panda converted it to make it a 4-3 series. Smokey goes against Shannon for Accuracy. Shannon made the highlight reel with a 6-7-10-11 combination to the top right. A troublesome final ball inflated both scores by two shots, leaving the Monarchs' Shannon with a 3-5 win over the Gems' Smokey. The series heads to a tiebreaker, pitting Pedey against Nicole in Quidditch Rules 10-ball. Nicole had a four-ball over the middle of the game, and then cashed in when she left Pedey with a bad shot on the 10. He missed, leaving it short at the bottom right, and she tapped it in, completing the upset as the Monarchs advance with a 5-4 series win to the quarterfinals against the Spurs.
Finally, the Swifts host the Harrison Specters inside the Exhibition Hall as they look for a third major title this year. Gradley and Twinkie II start for 7-ball in a rematch of their preliminary battle in the championship round. Just as she did in the tournament, Harrison's Twinkie II bested Boston's Gradley again, making the last two balls after he choked on the 6. Harrison leads 1-0, and the 8-ball players are Puff II against her sister Twinkie II. In this game, Twinkie II choked by scratching on the 8 after shooting it from distance, costing the Specters a win as the Swifts' Puff II didn't need to complete the comeback to tie the series at 1. Patches and Sydney are next for 9-ball. Patches absolutely dominated the game, working an early six-ball run and then closing with a three-ball run-out, shutting out Harrison's Sydney and barely letting her shoot at all as Boston takes a 2-1 series lead. Puff II and Twinkie II have their second meeting in 10-ball. Puff II started with a four-ball run, and needed only a bit of help as Twinkie II glanced the 10 as she tried to hit the 8, with the Specters' star falling to the Swifts' player at the end as Puff II brushed the 10 to the top left. The Swifts hold a 3-1 series lead, and send Patches up for 12-ball against Sydney. Patches did very well at the start to pick and choose her shots well, and get herself set up for the last two balls. Sydney had to play catch up but she couldn't get set up at all, and Patches waited patiently to emerge with the win for a 4-1 series lead, putting Boston on the brink of bumping Harrison. Gradley and Brownie match up for Rotation and 15-ball. In Rotation, Gradley was quick to build a lead for the Swifts, and while the Specters' Brownie made her challenges late, she really couldn't cut into the lead, and Gradley casually iced it at 8-2 to secure the series at 5-1. In 15-ball, Boston's Gradley also grabbed the win, although he had to battle with Harrison's Brownie a bit, as she left the 15 short at the top right and then threatened it a couple of times. Gradley held on to get the win on a 12-15 combination to end a three-ball run-out and give Boston the 6-1 series lead. Puff II and Sydney will play the final game of Accuracy, bringing the first round to a close as well. Puff II couldn't handle the game, and things got worse as the game went on, with Sydney finally ending on a 5-6 win. Boston took the series 6-2, punching a ticket to the quarterfinals, ready to face the Eagles.
The quarterfinals should be up tomorrow, and then the semifinals and finals on Friday.
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