We've got Preliminary matches today, as the second and third seeds in each event's Finals battle for the right to face the top player. These series, both today and on Thursday, are nine games each. We begin with...
Honda Driftwood Coliseum, Pearl: Watermelon v. Dewey. The red cue acts as the host in this 10-ball series, welcoming the blue cue representative. Oceanside's Dewey made a quick strike in game 1, using the empty break from Pearl's Watermelon to pot the 1 in the top side and the 2-10 combination through traffic to the top right. Dewey's good shooting gives him a 1-0 series lead. The Waves' Dewey kept game 2 quick as well, getting the 10 close to the top right on his break. The Surfers' Watermelon made the 1, but only made contact on the 2. Dewey used the 2 to spin the cue into the 10, which fell in the top right for another win and a 2-0 series lead. Game 3 was the first game to go through the full rack, and while Dewey started well, Watermelon used the extra turns to play a little defense against him before busting out on a five-ball run after Dewey missed on the 6. Watermelon's run turned out to be a winner, with her good positioning helping her pull back to 2-1 in the series. Game 4 had a solid start, with Dewey taking a fair amount of the possession while Watermelon chipped in with some good shots herself. In the end, Dewey would follow up a three-ball run with the 10 on his third try to get the win after Watermelon left it short at the top left. Dewey leads the series 3-1. Game 5 featured a lot of short and choppy runs, with Dewey working in pairs while Watermelon's game was highlighted by a trio of shots. Watermelon had a chance to win late, but after cutting the 8 to the bottom right, she couldn't get the 10 from a slightly different angle. Dewey tapped it in to push his series lead to 4-1. Game 6 saw Watermelon play more defensively to keep Dewey pinned, and it worked, as his possession cratered for the game. Dewey did pick up a nice surge in the middle, but Watermelon soon countered on a three-ball run, and almost banked the 10 to the top side, but it rattled out. Dewey struck it to the top left to secure the series at 5-1. Dewey continued to play well, but lacked urgency in game 7, showing no problems with a scratch as he potted the 8. Watermelon capitalized on this, evening possession and making the last two balls to make it a 5-2 series. Game 8 started with a massive surge by Dewey on a three-ball run, but Watermelon chipped back and the game went deep with some short exchanges late. Dewey got the last laugh with a ball-in-hand shot on the 10 that he made after a scratch by Watermelon. Dewey holds a 6-2 series lead after the close finish. Dewey dominated possession outright in game 9, with a four-ball run over the middle and a three-ball run-out to end it with a 7-10 combination to the top left from distance, stunning Watermelon as Dewey wins the series at 7-2. Dewey will travel to Nissan Hall in Infinity to face another rookie, the Torpedoes' Solaris, in the final series. Watermelon is the 123rd eliminated player, and Dewey has his third kill of the year, a team kill on the Surfers.
Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Ms. Kitty v. Leonette. An all-Volcanoes series is set in 7-ball, as the red cue champion hosts her blue cue-wielding teammate. Ms. Kitty kept full control of game 1 in her hands, making the 5 on the break and then converting the 3-7 combination to the bottom right to end the game with a four-ball run-out for the win and a 1-0 series lead over Leonette. Neither player wanted to cede the 1 in game 2, as the 2-7 combination was lined up well, but Ms. Kitty missed it after making the 5 and the 1. Leonette immediately replied with a three-ball run to get onto the 7, but she missed, and Ms. Kitty couldn't counter. Leonette won with a bank and pinch on the 7, weighted perfectly to deflect the double-kissed 7 to the bottom right for the win, tying the series at 1. Ms. Kitty had a highlight in game 3, making the 1-5-3-4 kick combination to the bottom right. Ms. Kitty would close the game as well as she started it, driving the 6 to the bottom left before a bank on the 7 to the bottom side for the win. Leonette had her chances, but couldn't do enough to prevent going down 2-1 in the series. Ms. Kitty wasted no time in game 4, striking with the 2 on the break, and then the 1-7 combination taken well to the top right for the win. Leonette was surprised not to get a shot, as Ms. Kitty once again shut her out to extend the series lead to 3-1. Ms. Kitty didn't get anything on the break in game 5, but Leonette only potted one ball herself in the game. Ms. Kitty picked up the slack, working a six-ball run-out on her second turn, the massive surge lifting her to another win and a 4-1 lead in the series. Game 6 featured some sloppy play as the players wear down from the series. Ms. Kitty struggled immediately, and Leonette wasn't a lot better, but it looked like she deserved the win. Leonette's failed bank on the 7 left it too close to the bottom side, where Ms. Kitty clinched the series win at 5-1 with a short shot. Ms. Kitty allowed herself to calm down a bit in game 7, scratching early and missing a tough cut on the 5 that led Leonette to a three-ball run-out for a close win to pull the series back to 5-2. Leonette took things upon herself to get another win in game 8, striking the 7 to the top right on the break as Ms. Kitty couldn't do anything about this one. The series now stands at 5-3 to Ms. Kitty. Leonette remained strong early in game 9, making most of the early shots, but Ms. Kitty got on a four-ball run-out in the end, including a beautiful triple hit on the 6 that drifted into the top right, allowing Ms. Kitty a long tap-in on the 7 at the bottom left. Ms. Kitty took the series 6-3, and she has earned the trip to Starbucks Arena in Archtown to face her club-mate and the Arrows captain Ruby for the championship. Leonette is the 124th player eliminated this year, and Ms. Kitty took her fourth kill of the year.
Starbucks Arena, Archtown: Dusky v. Gradley. The silver cue is the host this time against the blue cue's representative in this Accuracy series. Game 1 was a horrible showcase for both players, as Boston's Gradley took an early lead due to sloppiness by Archtown's Dusky. The last ball puzzled both players, and overtime eventually came around, where Dusky missed twice and Gradley finally made the 2 to the bottom side to win 6-7 for a 1-0 series lead. The Swifts' Gradley at least got game 2 off to a good start with his break, but he and the Arrows' Dusky made a mess of things early on. Gradley held the initial lead, but slipped behind again late, and Dusky wouldn't bail him out this time, hanging on for her own 3-4 win to tie the series at 1. Gradley never had a lead to blow in game 3, falling behind immediately after an awful break from Dusky. Gradley fell into a tie twice, but wasted both opportunities with misses, and missed again on his last shot as Dusky took the win 3-5 to move ahead 2-1 in the series. Dusky never had a chance in game 4, as she scratched on the break and missed a handful of early shots after that. Gradley faded a bit after his strong start, but he held on this time, pushing Dusky down to grab the 2-5 win, good enough to retie the series at 2. Game 5 featured some of the best play of the series, as Dusky fell behind early, and Gradley nearly made it stand to the end despite Dusky's good pressure. Gradley missed on his last shot, and missed again on the overtime break, ultimately dropping a 1-2 result to Dusky, who retakes the series lead at 3-2. Gradley fell behind early in game 6 this time, but he managed to flip the script from the previous game. Dusky slipped into a tie by missing her last shot in regulation, allowing Gradley to force overtime. Dusky made her first shot in overtime, but missed on the second one, and Gradley locked down a 3-4 win to tie the series once more at 3. Gradley made a ball on the break in game 7, but this would come back to bite him at the end. With the game tied, Gradley missed on the last ball, allowing Dusky a tap-in to win 2-3, which gave her the advantage at 4-3. Game 8 saw Dusky do everything in her power to decide the series quickly. Gradley helped her cause quite a bit, running up a deficit early on, and Dusky happily led the game. Dusky would fade late, but she did enough to hold onto the 2-3 win to secure the series at 5-3. Dusky played a perfect game 9 to bring the series to a close, watching as Gradley halfheartedly shot his early shots before settling in to keep the game respectable. Dusky surged to an 0-3 win to take the series 6-3, earning her a shot at the championship against a Northeastern rival, the Eagles' Puff III at Chevrolet Center in Everton. Gradley is the 125th played to be knocked out, and Dusky earned her second kill of the Tournament.
BMW RockDome, Westside: Goatee v. Debby Ryan. The red cue returns as host in this 12-ball series against the silver cue's champion. Westside's Goatee ripped a five-ball run from the break in game 1, forcing Southridge's Debby to take a defensive position. Debby succeeded at this, but in the end, she potted Goatee's last ball for her after a five-ball run herself to make it close. Goatee leads the series 1-0. The Rockers' Goatee had much less fortunate positioning in game 2, and her desperate attempts to make it work gave the Defenders' Debby two wild-card balls, which she put to good use when Goatee missed contact on her last turn. Debby made her last ball to the bottom left from ball-in-hand to tie the series at 1. Debby had a solid break in game 1, but couldn't produce a potted ball. Goatee countered from here, electing to take solids, which seemed like the more favorable suit. After a short run, Goatee found herself out of position, and Debby quickly evened the game. Debby pulled ahead later in the game, making her last two shots after Goatee couldn't get the 7 to the top left. Debby now has a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 saw some difficult play in the middle of the game, particularly as Goatee missed contact in feeble attempts to get better positioning. Debby couldn't muster a counterattack, and Goatee had enough time to bring the game to a close with a nice pair of shots at the end, retying the series at 2 with the laborious effort. Debby gave away a wild-card ball in game 5, which didn't look like it would be a good thing given Goatee's firm break, but Goatee had some trouble with her shots from distance. Debby played patiently, getting in position and striking her last ball down before Goatee could pot her last two, which gives Debby a 3-2 series lead in a series that has slightly favored her throughout. Game 6 was an entire mental lapse for Debby, who potted three balls illegally in a pocket where she had already made a shot, and she gave Goatee a wild-card ball as well. Goatee obviously benefited from all of these gifted possession moments, picking up the win with relative ease to tie the series again at 3. Goatee was falling behind again in a pivotal game 7, watching as Debby controlled the pace of the game and aligned herself for a three-ball run-out. Goatee challenged her with a three-ball run, and Goatee strategically gave away a wild-card ball that happened to be the fulcrum of the Debby's plan. Without the intermediate shot, Debby missed on the 14, and Goatee made the 4 at the bottom side to win for a brilliant 4-3 series lead. Goatee didn't want to let this series escape her, so she made a solid three-ball run on the opening turn. Debby was immediately put in a scramble, and while she did pull even initially, Goatee stormed away on a three-ball run-out in the end to get the win, sealing the series at 5-3. Goatee cracked a pretty good break in game 9, and the competition stayed high as the players dueled with their last two balls. Goatee goaded Debby into a bad kick that sank one of Goatee's shots, and Goatee took care of the other one before Debby could finish the game. Goatee won the series 6-3, advancing to the final series against the Tridents' Zach at Pronger's Ford Forum. Debby finds herself as the 126th eliminated player, with Goatee picking up her fourth kill of the year, eliminating the Defenders as a whole.
Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Chicky Phil v. Rainmane. The red cue again plays host on the Coast, opposing the silver cue's champion of Rotation this time. Pacific's Chicky Phil fell behind early in game 1 to Midland's Rainmane who performed quite well. Chicky Phil wouldn't go down easily though, and his six-ball run-out brought him all the way back for an 8-6 win and a 1-0 series lead. Chicky Phil made sure not to get so far behind in game 2, as the Volcanoes' newcomer took the early lead. The Predators' Rainmane pushed him toward the end of the game, but Chicky Phil was solid, making the 12 on a bank to the bottom side for the 8-4 win and a 2-0 lead in the series. Rainmane refused to quite, battling with Chicky Phil just about shot for shot in game 3. Rainmane fell behind again late in the game, but hauled in a three-ball run-out after Chicky Phil missed on the 11, enough to give her the 8-6 win to make it a 2-1 series. Rainmane didn't exactly dominate in game 4, but Chicky Phil couldn't seem to make a shot for most of the game. Rainmane played very slowly, adding to her score one of two at a time until a three-ball run-out sealed the 8-1 win to tie the series at 2 after the sloppy game. Rainmane had a chaotic start to game 5, working a five-ball run on her second turn to build up a large lead. Chicky Phil pressed well after that in an attempt to catch up, but Rainmane held him off defensively for long enough before she struck to win 8-4, earning the series lead for the first time at 3-2. Rainmane had the lead for most of game 6, but she didn't seem very comfortable with her shot. Things slowed down for a bit just after the halfway mark, and then Chicky Phil pulled ahead on a three-ball run. Chicky Phil ended with an 8-6 win on his next turn, retying the series at 3 as he gears up for the final stretch. Scoring came in pairs in game 7, with Rainmane making a few pairs before Chicky Phil answered with one of his own. Chicky Phil tried to play defense, but Rainmane countered him for her final pair in an 8-2 win that puts her ahead in the series at 4-3. Game 8 started with Chicky Phil taking over after Rainmane had no shot to take. Rainmane soon countered, and she wrestled the lead away, a lead she would hold onto the end with an 8-5 win going in her favor as she clinched the series at 5-3. Chicky Phil didn't seem to recognize that the series was decided, putting in an excellent performance in game 9. Chicky Phil had potted six balls before Rainmane got on the board, and she couldn't begin to mount a rally before Chicky Phil iced the win at 8-3. Rainmane still took the series 5-4, and advances to the championship series in Del Sur against Southern Monarchs captain Panda at House of 10 Windows. Chicky Phil is the 127th player knocked out, and Rainmane staves off elimination again to get her fourth kill of the year.
Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Ms. Kitty v. Rosalina. The other half of the venue doubleheader is in 15-ball, between the red cue and blue cue representatives. Game 1 saw neither side really grab game 1, with a drawn-out fight on the 1 and short runs populating the rest of the performance. Diamond's Rosalina picked up the win on the 15 when Pacific's Ms. Kitty missed it, giving Rosalina an uninspiring 1-0 series lead. Game 2 went a bit more smoothly, as the luck factor came into play more. The Gems' Rosalina probably had the better of the play, with a late four-ball run carrying her over the top, including her double-pot of the cue deflecting off the 11 to take the 14, which became an 11-12 combination across the table. Ms. Kitty had a chance to win, but missed the 15 at the bottom left again, and Rosalina's tap-in gave her a 2-0 series lead. Ms. Kitty had a clearly better offensive performance in game 3, working with a four-ball run as her highlight and multiple pairs of shots as well. However, a frustrated Rosalina proved dangerous, as she ended with a pair of shots after two consecutive miscues earlier. Rosalina's winner was a spinning shot on the 13 that drove into the 15 and sank it at the top right to move to a 3-0 series lead. Ms. Kitty continued to have a fair amount of possession, although game 4 was a bit less forgiving in terms of offense. Rosalina struggled in particular, as she didn't get a lot of clear shots. Ms. Kitty had two swipes at the 4-15 combination, once potting the 10 to the top right on an unintended deflection, and then missing at the bottom right the second time. Rosalina took her chance on the same shot and converted to win, grabbing a stranglehold 4-0 lead in the series. Ms. Kitty had virtually all of the offense after Rosalina scratched on a break that saw her pot two other balls. Rosalina felt frustrated by her lack of offense, and then she came alive on a four-ball run late. Ms. Kitty tried to counter, making the 13, but Rosalina potted the 14 and then accidentally but successfully banked the 15 to the bottom right from the left rail to win the game and clinch the series at 5-0. Ms. Kitty had another good game in attack in game 6, working her way onto a chance at the 4-15 combination after an earlier foul by Rosalina. Ms. Kitty didn't give it enough pace, and the 15 stayed on the table. Rosalina took the same shot at the bottom right and scored it, pushing her advantage to 6-0. Game 7 brought Ms. Kitty's misfortunes to a comical level, as Rosalina's first two turns ended in scratches to give Ms. Kitty an easily dominant share of possession. Rosalina didn't intend for her hit on the 5 to pot anything, but the 12 came back to the top side, and the 8 bumped the 15 to the top right to put her ahead 7-0, while the crowd departs the arena to avoid watching what would be an unprecedented sweep should it happen. Game 8 didn't feature much good play on either side, and frustrations rose, with Ms. Kitty angry about Rosalina's pursuit of the sweep and Rosalina more annoyed with missing a lot of shots. Ms. Kitty had the first crack at the win, but her shot on the 15 drifted wide of the top left, and Rosalina cut it in for an 8-0 lead in the series. Rosalina took a dominant edge in game 9, pushing hard for the sweep, but Ms. Kitty did everything in her power to keep the 15 safe. In the end, it worked out, as Ms. Kitty drilled the 15 to the bottom left for her only win, denying Rosalina a sweep as the series ends 8-1. Rosalina's dominant series puts her in the championship against the Royal Crowns' Nightfur at Kraft Forum.
Home Depot Forum, Web City: Shiny v. Blizzard. The red cue gets one more series, playing 8-ball against the silver cue representative. Everton's Blizzard appeared to have game 1 locked down almost immediately, working a five-ball run that ended in a scratch. Web City's Shiny fired back with a more measured attack, and she capitalized on Blizzard's struggles with the 5, which held the visitor up long enough for Shiny to do a three-ball run-out for the win, good for a 1-0 series lead. The Eagles' Blizzard nearly saw history repeat itself in game 2, as her early four-ball run ended in a scratch, and her offense faded from there. The Spiders' Shiny applied balanced pressure well, and forced the issue defensively, but her shot on the 15 let her down, and Blizzard made the 8 to tie the series at 1 with her win. Game 3 saw Blizzard scratch on the break, a disappointing start compounded by a later four-ball run and a three-ball run after that from Shiny. These two runs got her close to the 8 due to a scratch, but Shiny couldn't put it away, and Blizzard pulled back on a four-ball run-out to get the win and take a 2-1 series lead. Blizzard led off with an unspectacular break in game 4, but she had a steady offensive presence early on. Shiny charged back with a seven-ball run, getting onto the 8 but missing contact on a cut, and then missing her bank attempt on the next turn. Blizzard picked up the slack over those two turns, and ended up winning with a tap-in on the 8 to put her ahead 3-1. Save for the flair of a big run by Shiny, game 5 went much the same way as its predecessor. Blizzard had a little early offense, Shiny dominated the middle of the game but came up just short, and Blizzard went on a four-ball run-out to win again, rising to a 4-1 lead in the series. Shiny had a nice surge of offense with a five-ball run in game 6, helping her get around the defense and early offense of Blizzard. Shiny's next turn saw her take a chance on the 8, but Blizzard's 10 got slightly in the way of the carom off the 8, and the cue spun into the top left as the 8 fell in the bottom left. This gifted the series to Blizzard at 5-1 with the loss by Shiny. Blizzard again held a fairly strong lead in game 7 through a powerful offense, but her last two balls left her frustrated, and Shiny did enough defensively to stymie Blizzard before ripping a four-ball run-out to cut the series to 5-2. Game 8 saw a lack of interest catch up with the players, as neither player put much into their effort. This led to a fairly stagnant performance until Blizzard picked up a late three-ball run-out to top Shiny and grab the win for a 6-2 lead in the series. Game 9 also showed a bit of the lethargy, although Shiny seemed interested in getting another win. She wouldn't get the chance to, as Blizzard battled back with a good run to get onto the 8, and she made it on her next turn for the win and a 7-2 series win. Blizzard looked good in this series, and she advances to face the Flames rookie Violetta at Ebay Center in Queens for the championship. Shiny is the 128th player eliminated, and Blizzard earned her fifth kill of the year.
Amazon Field Exhibition Hall, Golden: Valencia v. Dani. The silver cue plays host in the last series today, going against the blue cue's best in 9-ball. Offense was hard to come by in game 1, as Web City's Dani struggled a bit early on. Golden's Valencia also had some issues, but she fixed it with a four-ball run-out, ending on a 7-9 combination to the top right for the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Pilots' Valencia showed a more confident offense in game 2, making a four-ball run. She slipped up on the 7, but the Spiders' Dani couldn't make anything of her mistake, and Valencia used a three-ball run to win again, putting her lead at 2-0. Dani clawed back a bit of offense in game 3, as Valencia lost her edge a bit in possession. Dani's strong performance ended with a three-ball run-out that gave her the win, cutting the series to 2-1. Valencia returned to form in game 4, with Dani doing well initially, Valencia keeping things close in the early going, and then a four-ball run-out dropping in Valencia's favor at the end to restore a two-game advantage as the series shifts to 3-1. Game 5 saw Dani take another strong start to things, keeping Valencia at bay for quite awhile. Valencia took over with a three-ball run, but worried she had peaked too early, until Dani left the 9 short at the top left after an off-target shot. Valencia cleaned up the rebound to grab another win, pulling her series lead to the brink at 4-1. In game 6, the play went back and forth even more, as neither player could really develop a run. Dani got the raw end of this deal when she made the 8 but missed on the 9 at the bottom right, leaving another simple tap-in for Valencia to use to seal the series at 5-1. Valencia showed some mercy after a tough start in game 7, having a chance to get the win on a 6-9 combination but electing to just go for the 6. It failed, and Dani swooped in to grab a three-ball run-out on her final turn, making it a 5-2 series with the late push. Valencia brought game 8 to a well-earned early ending, after battling a bit slowly with Dani for the early part of the game. Valencia worked into position after making the 4, and cranked a hard angle 5-9 combination to the top right without scratching to make it a 6-2 series in her favor. Valencia made game 9 fairly quick by starting with a three-ball run, setting the tone that Dani would emulate in the final turn. Dani found her offense quite effectively with a four-ball run-out to make it a 6-3 series in the end. Valencia advances to the final series in Everton, facing off against the Eagles' Blizzard at Chevrolet Center. Dani is the 129th player eliminated, and Valencia took her third kill to do so.
That's all for this part of the Finals. On Thursday (or possibly Wednesday if there's time), we end the regular season portion of Tournament 2017 with the A-level Championships. The eight winners for that will head to the Tournament of Champions.
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