2017 Tournament of Champions

We're here for the greatest individual day of the Tournament, where the eight event winners go head-to-head in seven-game series for the title of Champion of Champions. By the end of today's 49 games, one player will stand above the rest. The silver cue will play all day as the quarterfinals begin in Verizon Field Events Center in Pacific with...

Violetta v. Dusky. The game will be Accuracy as Dusky won the coin toss this time. Queens' Violetta had a rough start to game 1, struggling after missing her first shot, but she steadied herself and kept an even score with Archtown's Dusky to force overtime. In overtime, Violetta missed the break and her next shot, allowing Dusky to win 3-4 for a 1-0 series lead. Game 2 went absolutely awful for the Flames' Violetta, who missed her first four shots. The Arrows' Dusky soon began to follow suit, missing later in that stretch as well, causing some frustration on both sides. Dusky righted herself pretty well, earning a 3-7 win to move ahead 2-0 in the series. Game 3 didn't start out so bad, but by the end, it was a mess as well, with both players missing on the last ball and then again for the first three shots in overtime, until Violetta was able to make a ball to win 5-6, cutting the series to 2-1. Dusky rebounded well in game 4, while Violetta had another horrendous outing, missing a number of shots near the end of the game to inflate Dusky's winning score to 1-5 as the Accuracy champion moves into a 3-1 series lead. Dusky had a poor game 5 effort, but she still had a chance to win in the end, as Violetta squandered a lead she held from the start of the game. Both players scuffled on the last three balls, and Dusky's frustration doomed her as she made a ball but scratched to lose 5-6 after Violetta converted from ball-in-hand. The series is at 3-2 for Dusky now. Game 6 was hardly worthy of being the deciding game in a pitiful series, but that's what happened after the two players each racked up massive miss counts in regulation. Dusky capitalized on Violetta getting nothing from the overtime break to win 7-8 to clinch the series at 4-2. Violetta got a bit of consolation at the end, winning a surprisingly calm game 7 by a 2-4 score to make it a 4-3 series. Dusky advances to the semifinals later today.

Rainmane v. Nightfur. The second quarterfinals series will be conducted in Rainmane's preferred Rotation. Midland's Rainmane got off to a good start in game 1, but Royal's Nightfur kept with her pretty closely in the early going, leading to a tied score before Rainmane pushed her way to victory on a three-ball run-out. Rainmane won 8-5, taking a 1-0 series lead with the persistent effort. The Predators' Rainmane looked to keep her momentum going early in game 2 with a four-ball run, but her offense stagnated after this, and she ended up letting the Crowns' Nightfur catch up and get the win at an 8-7 score after missing contact on the 14. The series is tied at 1. Rainmane had another good start in game 3 against Nightfur, who kept it level at first but quickly tailed off. Rainmane had a bit of difficulty with closing out the performance this time, but when Nightfur missed a tap-in on the 12, Rainmane converted for the 8-4 win and she retook the series lead at 2-1. Game 4 saw Rainmane lose control out of frustration, missing a lot of shots despite holding the initial lead. Rainmane's wild play allowed Nightfur to slowly pull back into the game, taking the lead on a three-ball run and eventually making the 13 to win 8-5, retying the series at 2 before the lunch break. Nightfur had better fortune at the start of game 5 than did Rainmane, and this allowed Nightfur to take the early lead. Scratches remained a problem throughout the game, causing a slow march to the win for Nightfur, who took the result 8-3 to pull ahead for the first time in the series at 3-2. Nightfur continued the momentum in game 6, struggling at first but always holding a lead over Rainmane, who caved after a difficult start. Nightfur's last two shots were the 5-9-8 combination to the top right and the 5-10 combination to the bottom right for the 8-2 win and 4-2 series. Rainmane pulled a game back in a gritty battle with Nightfur in game 7. Rainmane trailed at the start of the game, but picked up the pace late and took the 8-6 win to make it a 4-3 series. Nightfur survived in the opponent's event to get to the semifinals.

Blizzard v. Ruby. The third quarterfinals series sees this year's MVP play her preferred 9-ball against a legend. Archtown's Ruby needed only one shot in game 1, as Everton's Blizzard left the 1 and 9 in close proximity after her break. Ruby converted the 1-9 combination to the bottom right to get the win, taking a 1-0 series lead. The Arrows' Ruby was involved at the end of game 2 as well, but after getting run over in possession by the Eagles' Blizzard, who had a four-ball run and more pressure late, Ruby only managed to scratch while making the 9. The unfortunate shot gave the win to Blizzard, tying the series at 1. Ruby replied quite well in game 3, making a five-ball run to own the possession battle against Blizzard, who answered back well but couldn't corral the 9. Ruby made sure to take care of the 9, kicking it to the bottom right perfectly to take the win and a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 was the slowest yet in the series, with big runs never developing. Ruby had a late push on a counterattack, but she couldn't keep the cue on the table, and Blizzard made the last two shots for the win, retying the series at 2. Ruby didn't wait long to strike in game 5, as Blizzard missed a two-rail kick attempt for contact on the 2, illegally touching the 7. Ruby used the ball-in-hand to make the 2-9 combination to the bottom right, a move usually considered unethical, but good enough to give her the 3-2 series lead. Blizzard had some decent attempts in game 6, and it looked as if Ruby's offense would be denied again by a scratch, but Blizzard couldn't get position on the 9 after making the 8, and Ruby cut the 9 to the top right to win and clinch the series at 4-2 to knock out the MVP. Blizzard didn't let the series get out of hand, making a nice four-ball run at the end of the game after wasting an earlier ball-in-hand when Ruby scratched again. Ruby ended up with a 4-3 series win, advancing to face Nightfur in the first semifinal series.

Zach v. Dewey. The Ringer Award winner faces a strong rookie, but it's the rookie's 10-ball that will be played in the last quarterfinal. Oceanside's Dewey put in a three-ball run before a scratch on the opening turn of game 1. Pronger's Zach made a pair of shots on each of his two turns, but he left the 10 at the top right, and Dewey buried it for the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Waves' Dewey had a good start in game 2 as well, making two balls on the break, and the Tridents' Zach butchered a ball-in-hand turn after Dewey scratched. Still, Dewey left the 3 and 10 too close together, leaving a combination for Zach to make to the bottom right for the win that tied the series at 1. Game 3 had a bit of a slow start from Zach's break, although he did make one ball at the start. Dewey would open things up with a later four-ball run, but Zach countered it perfectly, winning on a four-ball run-out to take the series lead at 2-1. Zach didn't have the strongest finish despite a pretty solid effort in game 4, as he hit the 10 too lightly. Dewey had to make a shot from distance to the bottom right, but he was up to the task and got the win, retying the close series at 2. Zach had the better of offense in game 5 by a large margin, highlighted by a five-ball run in the middle of the game. Dewey tried to come back from that, but missed on the 9, and Zach tacked on the last two balls to retake the series lead at 3-2 in another close battle. Dewey did pretty well in game 6, working hard at the end with a three-ball run and four of the last five shots, but he missed the one that counts the most. Zach had a straight shot on the 10 after Dewey missed, and he converted, winning to secure the series at 4-2. Dewey had a much cleaner finish in game 7 after a similar start. Zach had a small amount of offense early, but Dewey followed up a three-ball run with the last two shots to grab the win. Zach still took the series 3-2, and he will face Dusky in the second semifinal series.

Nightfur v. Ruby. In the first semifinal, the poorer-seeded Ruby will play her preferred 7-ball against a competitive opponent in Nightfur. Royal's Nightfur didn't seem very bothered by a poor break from Archtown's Ruby. The two players tangled at first, and then Nightfur made a three-ball run-out, including a two-rail bank on the 6 and a long cut on the 7 to get the win for a 1-0 series lead. The Crowns' Nightfur had an excellent game 2 performance, with a five-ball run on the opening turn, but the 6 proved frustrating. She would eventually make it, but she left the 7 on the table, and the Arrows' Ruby made that one instead, sniping the game away to tie the series at 1. Game 3 was atrociously played on both sides, with misses and the cue twice being sent off the table in frustration. The lack of control eventually gave way for Nightfur to strike the 7 into the top left for the win as she retook the series lead at 2-1. Ruby pulled back with force in game 6, skipping over the shaky play and jittery attempts at runs to beat Nightfur with a pure show of skill. Ruby's recipe for this was a six-ball run-out, more than enough to earn her the win while retying the series at 2. Ruby looked like she could keep the momentum going, but her run ended in three shots, and this led to a tight battle for the second half of game 5. Nightfur came out on top of this battle, striking the 7 to the top left when Ruby couldn't sink it, restoring Nightfur's series lead at 3-2. Nightfur tried to get a run going after Ruby's scratch late in game 6, but Nightfur missed on the 5 at the bottom side. The difficult angle proved no trouble for Ruby, who took the last two balls to win the game and tie the series once more, at 3-all. Ruby had a great start with a three-ball run, but Nightfur would not go down easily. Nightfur made three in a row herself, and added the 7 as her fourth from a tough angle at the top side to take the win and the 4-3 series. Nightfur has again beat an opponent at their own game, earning a trip to the Tournament of Champions Final Series.

Zach v. Dusky. Zach will get his preferred game this time, as he faces Dusky in a series of 12-ball. Pronger's Zach had a solid start in game 1, making a pair of balls on the break, but he lacked positioning for the rest of the game. Archtown's Dusky had no such problems, making a pair of balls on one turn and adding a four-ball run-out on the next through good positioning and execution. Dusky leads the series 1-0. The Tridents' Zach thought he had a decent chance in game 2, but positioning again failed him. The Arrows' Dusky had a solid break and set herself up for later success with good shots toward the end of the game, eventually making her last two from ball-in-hand after Zach missed contact to go ahead 2-0 in the series. Game 3 saw Dusky elevate her game to another level with a five-ball run from the break and decent positioning done on the last ball. Zach made over half of his remaining balls in two turns, but Dusky poked the 12 to the top left to secure the win and a take a 3-0 stranglehold of a series lead. Dusky made one of each on the break in game 4, and while she also made a four-ball run from the break, it wouldn't be enough. Zach added a quick pair of shots to keep it close, and then made a three-ball run-out of tap-ins to get the win on his next turn, pulling back into the series at 3-1. Zach kept his offense in good shape with a pair of balls on the break, culminating in a three-ball run to start. Dusky's offense was a bit scattered, as she missed a few shots and didn't advance her cause very well in the game. Zach eventually shut things down to get the win and move to a 3-2 series. Dusky had the better start in game 6, but she couldn't position her last two balls. Zach charged forward after a delayed start with a three-ball run, and when Dusky missed contact on one of her shots, Zach took the ball-in-hand to make his final shot for the win, tying the series at 3. Game 7 required some patience in setting up shots, and turned into a race for the final pocket at the top left. Zach had gotten onto his last ball first, but Dusky had better positioning, and Zach's feeble attempts to disrupt her play did nothing to help him stay in the series, as Dusky picked up the win for the 4-3 series win. Dusky will be in action again for the Tournament of Champions Final Series.

Dusky v. Nightfur. The Crowns captain finally gets to play her own game, as 15-ball will decide this postseason tournament. Archtown's Dusky had some dangerous bursts of offense early in game 1, but steady play prevailed for Royal's Nightfur, who ended up taking the win on a four-ball run-out at the end of the relatively smooth game for a 1-0 series lead. The Crowns' Nightfur kept her performance steady in game 2, making her share of early shots in a tight battle against the Arrows' Dusky, and then breaking free on a four-ball run. This time though, Nightfur's run ended in a scratch, and Dusky made the last two shots to pick up the win, tying the series at 1. Nightfur wasn't having a bad game 3 until she had to shoot for contact on the 5. The resulting leave gave Dusky a chance to deflect the cue off the 5 to push the 15 to the bottom side, which ended up being a successful shot as Dusky won to pull ahead 2-1 in the series. Nightfur and Dusky dueled again at the start of game 4, with Nightfur having the upper hand this time. Nightfur turned that into a dominant possession share in the second half of the game, as she combined two solid turns with a four-ball run-out at the end, retying the series at 2 after the impressive showing. Nightfur and Dusky combined for a frenetic start to game 5 before a bit of a lull after Nightfur missed on the 6. Nightfur's scratch reopened the offense, and Dusky charged forward, with Nightfur trying to keep up. Dusky would make five of the last six shots, including the 13 and 15 on her final turn for the win to pull ahead again at 3-2. Dusky tried to keep the 15 protected long enough to get her own shot at it in game 6, but Nightfur challenged frequently. Nightfur couldn't make it early, but Dusky's late scratch led Nightfur to a three-ball run-out for the win to tie the series at 3. Nightfur and Dusky engaged in a gritty battle, particularly over the last six balls, where Nightfur had a decent chance to get the win but missed the 15 wide, and Dusky buried it to secure the series at 4-3. Dusky is this year's Champion of Champions, as the Accuracy queen will reign over everyone.

That's it for today's play. Tomorrow begins the team portion of the postseason with the entire Clan Cup, contested between teams of five and organized by club affiliation.