We're back in action for this round, with the expectation that the round will finish on Tuesday. Let's start the morning session with...
Ebay Center, Queens: Max v. Marsell. Two veterans go at it in 9-ball with the silver cue to lead off the day. Whitewater's Marsell struck first in game 1, and he played a bit of early defense against Queens' Max, who answered with a short run on his next turn. He missed on the 5, and left it in position for Marsell to take the 5-9 combination at the top right for the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Shores' Marsell did even better in game 2, never letting the Flames' Max get to the table in this appearance. Marsell made the 2 on the break to the top side, and three shots later, he deflected the cue off the 4 to send the 9 to the bottom right for the win on a four-ball run-out for a 2-0 lead in the series. Marsell took a more patient approach in game 3, and nearly lost it when Max took a shot at the 4-9 combination toward the bottom right, but the 9 wouldn't fall. Marsell used the 4 as a deflector again, and took the 9 for the win and a 3-0 series lead. Game 4 was the first in the series to go the distance, and it saw Marsell make a late four-ball run, only to be denied the win when Max stepped in for the last two balls to get the win. Marsell still leads the series 3-1. Marsell countered very quickly in game 5, needing just two shots to get the win. Marsell made the 1 at the bottom side, and then shot into a cluster with the 2, 3, and 9, with the 2 bumping the 9, which then deflected off the 7 and into the bottom side for the win and the series at 4-1. Marsell didn't have the easiest time in game 6, taking a couple of tough shots that didn't go where he wanted. Max showed more control, and had a four-ball run that almost went to waste when he missed on the 9. Marsell couldn't make the last ball either, so Max potted it on his second try for the win to cut the series to 4-2. Marsell got ran over in possession in game 7, and Max had a four-ball run and plenty of other good shots to get the win. Marsell still took the series 4-3, advancing to face the Pilots' Valencia at Golden's Amazon Field Exhibition Hall in the bracket finals. Marsell picked up his first kill of the year, while Max becomes the 87th player eliminated from the Tournament.
Starbucks Arena, Archtown: Ruby v. Celestia. The silver cue remains in action for 7-ball in this series. Archtown's Ruby had a rough break in game 1, but recovered to make a pair of balls on her second turn. Oceanside's Celestia also had an empty first turn, but her second turn netted her the win with a five-ball run-out, good for a 1-0 lead in the series. The Waves' Celestia maintained a dominant possession form in game 2, with a pair of three-ball runs to sandwich one made shot from the Arrows' Ruby. Celestia's second of these runs was good for the win, giving her a 2-0 advantage. Ruby finally took control of the offense in game 3, making a four-ball run over the middle that could have been more as she had a locked-in shot, but Celestia denied her again. Celestia made the 6 that Ruby left behind, and then poked the 7 to the bottom right for the win, giving herself a 3-0 series lead. Game 4 went very slowly on both sides, as neither player was as accurate as they'd prefer. Celestia had a nice push toward the end, getting a shot at the 7 that she left short at the top left. Ruby, who had stayed just about even, tapped the 7 in to get on the board in the 3-1 series. Ruby made things a bit more interesting with her break in game 5, getting the initial hit on the rack, and then a secondary shatter that pushed the 7 to the top left for the win, making it a 3-2 series after her remarkable shot kept Celestia away from the table. Celestia did everything except win in game 6, as Ruby's empty break led Celestia to a six-ball run, deflating the crowd before her miss on the 7 brought them to life and Ruby's tap-in on the 7 to tie the series at 3 sent them into a frenzy. Ruby completed the series comeback in game 7, using a smart defensive play when she needed to shoot at the 2. Missing contact would have led to Celestia taking a combination attempt on the 7, so Ruby knocked the 7 away intentionally, giving Celestia a lesser shot. Celestia made the 2, but the 3 gave her trouble, and Ruby soon had a counterattack with a three-ball run-out, including a lucky potting of the 5 and a bank on the 7 to the bottom side to win. Ruby took the series 4-3, and will host the Commerce Tradewinds' Lorde at this venue in the bracket finals.
McDonald's Hall, Atlantic: Isabella v. Chris. The red cue is ready to go for 8-ball after the lunch break. Capital City's Chris struck first in game 1, making a three-ball run on his first turn before a scratch. Atlantic's Isabella countered to pull even, but Chris would eventually break out again, working a five-ball run-out with good positioning for the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Sharpshooters' Chris didn't have a bad game 2, making a ball on the break and getting a late run, but the Pirates' Isabella took a major share of possession with a four-ball run, and she made the last two balls before Chris could catch up completely. This tied the series at 1. In game 3, Chris had all of the offense, with a pair of shots early and a four-ball run on his second turn after Isabella couldn't make anything fall. Chris' game would end in disaster, as his unnecessarily risky shot on the 4 succeeded at the top left, but the 8 also went down illegally at the bottom side, gifting the win to Isabella. This gave the host a 2-1 series lead. Chris played a similar style in game 4, taking a quick five-ball run on his first turn to pressure Isabella. This worked for much of the game, although Isabella countered with a good defense to frustrate Chris before making a five-ball run herself. Chris then made the last two balls to win, retying the series at 2. Isabella countered with confidence in game 5, getting a nice opening run, and then, after a lull in play in the middle, closing the game out with a few nice shots as well. Chris had no answer for Isabella this time, as the host reclaims the series lead at 3-2. Chris fired right back in game 6 with a four-ball run on his first turn. He slowed the pace from here, but Isabella was unable to make any impact on a comeback attempt, and Chris sealed the game with his last two shots for the win, tying the series once more at 3 games apiece. Isabella had the hotter start in game 7, and she made it count in the end, holding off a disjointed final effort from Chris before she could make her last two balls and earn the win. Isabella's close victory gave her the series at 4-3, and she will learn her opponent for the bracket final in a couple of series, but she knows she will host it. Chris finds himself as the 88th player eliminated, while Isabella records her first career kill.
Intel Center, Diamond: Citrus v. Panda. The blue cue comes on for this Rotation series. Diamond's Citrus dominated game 1 from the start, making a ball on the break and quickly adding a few more over two turns to build her lead. Southern's Panda got a couple of them back, but Citrus ran off with a three-ball run-out to get the 8-2 win and earn a 1-0 series lead. The Monarchs' Panda had to mount a comeback in game 2, as the Gems' Citrus got off to another good start, but Panda soon tied the game. Panda then took the lead with a three-ball run. Citrus pulled back close with a three-ball run later on, but Panda made his last ball to win 8-6 and tie the series at 1. Game 3 went back and forth between the players, as Citrus had the early lead, but Panda came back to take the lead, then battled with Citrus in the middle before pulling away to an 8-5 win. Panda's big finishing performance, amid mounting frustration, gave him a critical 2-1 series lead over his host. Game 4 took a bit of time to get going, with Citrus continuing her strong starts. Panda pulled back with a three-ball run to take the lead, which Citrus immediately answered with a three-ball run, but Panda had one more three-ball run in the bag to win 8-7 and take a 3-1 advantage in the series. Panda continued the comeback tour in game 5, as Citrus once more pulled out to a lead in the early parts of the game. Panda's rally this time consistent of a five-ball run to get to the edge of a win, and then a patient wait until he struck on the 13 to win 8-5 for the 4-1 series advantage. Panda had his best performance in game 6, working a four-ball run from the break, and taking a large lead before Citrus could get on the board. Panda closed down the game at 8-5 after a comeback by Citrus came close but didn't work. Panda holds a 5-1 lead in the series. Panda had the early lead in game 7 as well, but he couldn't hold off Citrus this time, as the determined host got a consolation win by an 8-5 score to make it a 5-2 series. Panda will return to House of 10 Windows in Del Sur to host Citrus' Gems teammate, Rosalina, in the bracket final.
Home Depot Forum, Web City: Shiny v. Dreamy. Two wily veterans get the next series, battling in 8-ball with the red cue in its last series today. Swordpoint's Dreamy made a big comeback with a choppy run in game 1 to challenge Web City's Shiny, but Dreamy came up short on the 8, and Shiny made the last two balls in the game for the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Spiders' Shiny showed a bit more intensity than the Blades' Dreamy in game 2, attacking well at the start to build a lead, and then holding Dreamy back at the end. Shiny surged to the win with a four-ball run-out on her final turn, giving herself a 2-0 series lead with the well-played burst. Dreamy had a much better performance in game 3, as Shiny struggled for most of the game, making only one ball at a time. This didn't hold up very well against a six-ball run from Dreamy, whose surge paced her attack until she could get on her last ball and the 8 to get the win and make it a 2-1 series. Dreamy kept her good play going at the start of game 4, making a five-ball run from the break, and while Shiny had some early struggles, she pulled back into the series on short runs. The players ended up meeting on the 8, where Dreamy's lack of finish allowed Shiny to take the game with a tap-in for the win and a 3-1 lead in the series. Game 5 saw Dreamy return to her previous form, making a nice run early on to get the lead. However, the finish was more of the same for Dreamy, as she left the 8 standing too long and scratched on her best chance at it. Shiny took this as a chance to make a four-ball run-out from the kitchen, and she succeeded with a bank on the 8 to the bottom left for the win to clinch the series at 4-1. Shiny eased up her offense a bit in game 6, not quite attacking with the same comeback mentality. This was fine to Dreamy, who charged forward early and then broke apart a cluster later to get on a four-ball run-out for a win that might have been too late but valued nonetheless. The series still favors Shiny 4-2. Game 7 saw Shiny get off to a good start again, clustering all of Dreamy's balls into the bottom right corner area. Shiny made the last straggler for Dreamy, a critical mistake that saw Dreamy rally back for a six-ball run-out to get the win. Shiny won the series 4-3, and heads to McDonald's Hall in Atlantic to face the Pirates' Isabella in the bracket final. Dreamy is the 89th player eliminated from the Tournament, and Shiny has her second kill of the year. The Blades are also done for this Tournament as a team.
Subway Arena, Stonebridge: Prism v. Bear. A rookie takes on a captain in 10-ball with the blue cue for this series. Stonebridge's Prism controlled the offense for much of game 1, making a ball on the break and ending with a three-ball run-out after some slow play and a lot of missed shots from Whitewater's Bear. Prism took a 1-0 series lead with her decent performance. The Wolves' Prism had a bit more work to do in game 2, as the Shores' Bear had a better offense this time. Bear likely had a majority of possession before the 7, but things went sour for him here, and Prism ended the game on another three-ball run-out for the win and a 2-0 series lead. Prism couldn't resist take game 3 early after a scratch by Bear left the 2-10 combination lined up. Prism converted this shot to the top right for the win, grabbing a stranglehold 3-0 series lead in the process. Prism had a good game going early in game 4, but things changed when Bear struck with an illegal 7-3 combination to the top right for fear of Prism taking an inevitable ball-in-hand to win again. This disrupted her, and while she made the 4, she missed on the 5. Bear had a four-ball run, and then added the 10 a turn later to get the win and survive in the now 3-1 series. Prism had a good rebound performance in game 5, and by the middle of the game, she nearly double-potted the 6 and the 10. Her miss opened the door for Bear to make the 7 and then bank the 8 to the top side and glance the cue off the 9 to take the 10 at the top right. Prism's series lead shrunk again to 3-2. Game 6 saw Prism take back a bit more possession after a hot start from Bear. Things were just about even when Prism illegally sank the 6 to the top side. Bear allowed her turn to continue, and her cut on the 8 to the bottom right caromed back to double-tap the 10 into the top right, giving Prism the win and a 4-2 series clincher. Game 7 saw Prism's second turn end the game quickly, as Prism made a three-ball run-out after Bear had a weak shot on the 1. Prism's winning shot was a 3-10 cut combination to the bottom side to give her the 5-2 series win. Prism will host her club-mate and the Oceanside Waves' Dewey in the bracket final at this venue. Bear is the 90th player eliminated, and Prism has her second kill of the year.
Samsung Arena, Whitewater: Shaggy v. Debby Ryan. The silver cue closes the day after dinner with some 12-ball. Southridge's Debby quite nearly made an incredible run in game 1, taking five of her six balls on her first turn to immediately pressure Whitewater's Shaggy. In the end, Shaggy couldn't defend the top left, and Debby tapped her last shot in for a 1-0 series lead. The Defenders' Debby blasted two balls in on the game 2 break, but it appeared that the Shores' Shaggy would more greatly benefit when she made a four-ball run. Debby shut that down quickly on her second turn, striking the 10 to the top left to ignite her own four-ball run, which ended the game in a win for Debby, who now holds a 2-0 series lead. Shaggy provided more of a challenge in game 3, meeting Debby head-on this time. Debby had a couple of unfortunate scratches to slow her down, and when she luckily made the 10, she also gave Shaggy a wild-card ball by making the 5. Shaggy surprised everyone with a brilliant kick on the 6 to the top left, and followed that with an even better bank on the 2 to the bottom left for the win. Shaggy's performance cut the series to 2-1. Both players wanted the well-distributed solids in game 4, and on her second turn, Debby got the chance, quickly pacing herself to a lead. Shaggy took a defensive posture until she rallied with a three-ball run. Shaggy couldn't complete the rack, leaving herself vulnerable, and Debby needed only two turns to pot her last ball for the win and a 3-1 lead in the series. Debby had a good start in game 5 as well, but this one didn't last very long. She battled at first with Shaggy, but Debby gave away a wild-card ball, and one lucky bank and a good set-up shot put Shaggy firmly ahead. Debby tried to position her remaining shots, but it failed, and Shaggy pulled the series back to 3-2. Shaggy picked up one of each on the break in game 6, but she chose stripes as her suit for the game. This proved to be a smart choice, as Debby would bust the cluster and distribute stripes well around the table, allowing Shaggy a fairly easy time. Shaggy got the win with a well-played three-ball run-out to tie the series at 3 despite mild pressure from Debby. Shaggy had an excellent game 7 start, but she soon gave up a wild-card ball to Debby. Shaggy went undeterred by this at first, but positioning the 10 at the top side was difficult, and Debby had enough time to make five balls before Shaggy could pot her final one, as Debby took the win and the 4-3 series. Debby advances to the bracket final with this win, and she picked up her third kill of the year, making Shaggy the 91st eliminated player.
That'll be all for today. Tomorrow will be a lot like today, with the series more spread out through the day, and then Tuesday will be a shorter day to accommodate end-of-round activities and personal commitments. Later tonight, Week 30 of cricket comes to a close, starting in about two hours.
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