We're getting close to the end of this round, with some tougher series on the schedule today. We begin in...
Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Sydney Sierota v. Bianca. The red cue makes the start today with some Accuracy. Harrison's Sydney played quite well in game 1, only missing one shot late in the game. Southridge's Bianca made a solid effort to keep pace, but she couldn't quite hold on, dropping the game 1-3 as Sydney earned a 1-0 lead for herself. The Specters' Sydney didn't do nearly as well in game 2, but the Defenders' Bianca also took a massive step back. The players were even for much of the early part of the game, but Bianca crumbled after awhile, and Sydney was just able to hold on to get the 4-6 win to take a 2-0 series lead. Sydney returned to dominance in an epic performance for game 3. Sydney didn't miss at all, making an early miss from Bianca all the more critical. Bianca didn't play poorly, but she had no chance to win as Sydney took the game 0-3 for a 3-0 lead in the series. Sydney tried to back up such a game with another one, but she got about halfway through before falling into a tie with Bianca in game 4. Bianca had the upper hand at the end of the game after Sydney's scratch while making the 14. Bianca made the last ball to force overtime, where Sydney's break was empty and Bianca made the 3 for a 2-3 win to cut the series to 3-1. Game 5 saw Sydney return to holding a lead for awhile, although it took half of the game to develop after an awful break from Bianca. The break proved to be detrimental to Bianca, as it caused her later problems, and Sydney held on just enough to take the game 3-5 for a 4-1 series. Game 6 took a lot of resemblance to game 2, except it was Bianca with the lead in a sloppy and inefficient performance on both sides. Despite already having the series, Sydney showed much frustration with her play, unable to keep up with Bianca, who took the 4-6 win to make it a 4-2 series for now. Sydney also had some trouble in game 7, although she had pulled the game even before intentionally missing the last ball to prevent a pointless overtime session. Bianca gladly accepted the 2-3 win, making it a 4-3 series win for Sydney, who heads to Chevrolet Center in Everton for a Northeast Division bracket final against the Eagles' Puff III. Bianca's impressive rookie campaign ends with her as the 92nd player eliminated, and Sydney has her first kill of the year.
Ebay Center, Queens: Crystal v. Twinkie III. The red cue's last series of the day is a battle in Rotation between stars. Queens' Crystal had a decent start in game 1, but Whitewater's Twinkie III twice held the lead. Crystal came back from the first deficit, but Twinkie III assured herself the win with a deflection off the 13 to make the 14 at the top right for an 8-5 win and a 1-0 series lead. The Shores' Twinkie III played a patient and defensive game 2, working to great effect as the Flames' Crystal didn't have a clean shot for the first half of the game. Twinkie III scratched while potting the 6, and Crystal erupted with a six-ball run, but her light hit on the 13 didn't fall, and Twinkie III made it and the 14 for an 8-6 win, holding off Crystal to go ahead 2-0 in the series. Crystal kept herself afloat in game 3, getting a nice lead early on as Twinkie III's break went rather unfavorably for her. Twinkie III rallied back to tie, but Crystal retook the lead before Twinkie III tied it again, ending with a miss on the 15. Crystal tapped it in for the 8-7 win to cut the series to 2-1. Crystal stayed calm at the start of game 4, but a scratch on a shot that should have given her the lead rattled her. Twinkie III began to slowly pull away, making shots in pairs as she marched steadily to the 8-2 win to push the series lead back to 3-1. Game 5 saw a balanced start, as neither player could maintain a lead for the first half of the game. Things changed with a bad miss by Crystal on the 8, allowing Twinkie III to pick up a lead, and she made that stand with a double-pot of the 10 to the bottom right and the 12 to the top right for the 8-4 win that secured her the series at 4-1. Twinkie III had a three-ball run from the break in game 6, pacing her attack early on, and it didn't seem that Crystal would get out of her own way with mishit shots. Crystal did recover in the end after Twinkie III had a scratch, as Crystal used ball-in-hand to start a five-ball run-out for the 8-7 win to make it a 4-2 series. Crystal did better in game 7, although she also showed her frustrations when shots didn't go in. Crystal got a couple of double-pots, and Twinkie III let Crystal do as she pleased in the 8-0 result that made it a 4-3 series. Twinkie III travels to Verizon Field Events Center in Pacific for a bracket final against the Volcanoes' Chicky Phil. Twinkie III took her second kill of the year to make the feisty Crystal the 93rd player eliminated.
Apple Center, Todavía: Bells v. Slinks. The silver cue is up for some 15-ball in this series between veterans. Todavía's Bells had an interesting start to game 1, getting a commanding break but some defensive positions that led her and Westside's Slinks to frustrations. Slinks had a bit of offense in the early going, but Bells settled down and succeeded when the game opened up, as the host picked up a four-ball run-out for the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Stills' Bells produced another exciting but frustrating break, with no clear shot for the Rockers' Slinks on the 1. This led to escalating tensions throughout the game, as easy shots went unmade and the players began to grind on each other. A missed contact by Slinks on the 13 gave Bells a chance at a three-ball run-out, which she made for the 2-0 series lead. Bells had a weaker break in game 3, but it turned out alright, as Slinks couldn't make contact on the 1 from her position, and Bells used the ball-in-hand to make the 1 and then accidentally but legally sink the 15 in the bottom right after hitting the 2 into a cluster. Bells' surprisingly quick win gives her a 3-0 lead in the series. Bells had a great game 4, making a nice run early on before illegal use of the stick ended that turn. Slinks couldn't get much going, allowing Bells a four-ball run that saw her pot the 6 and then the carom took the 15-8 combination to the top right before she made the 7. Slinks had a ball in between that run and Bells' next turn, a three-ball run that saw her miss on the 13 initially before making it while scratching, giving Slinks ball-in-hand on the 15. Slinks was true, getting a win to pull into the 3-1 series. Slinks had an awful break in game 5, which initially gave Bells a few problems but ultimately worked out fine in the end. The players exchanged offense without much trouble in the middle of the game, and Bells had a three-ball run late before missing on the 14. Slinks made it, but couldn't get position on the 15, and Bells tapped it in on the last shot for the win to clinch the series at 4-1. Game 6 started off a bit slowly as the players seemed to lose their aggravated edge for a second. A few misses reignited the nastiness of their playing styles, and Bells broke free on an eight-ball run. Slinks had a chance to counter at the end, but missed on the 13, and Bells made a three-ball run-out for a dominant win and a 5-1 lead in the series. Bells didn't have the best effort in game 7, and Slinks had trouble just getting onto shots. Bells had a try at the 6-15 combination to the bottom side, but missed. Slinks tried to deflect off the 6 to tap-in the 15, but missed the deflection and ended up hitting it directly, taking a loss. Bells won the series 6-1 and advances to host the bracket final at this venue. Slinks is the 94th player to be eliminated from the Tournament, while Bells has her second kill of the year.
Starbucks Arena, Archtown: Dusky v. Nicole. The silver cue remains in action for the next series, playing Accuracy. Archtown's Dusky had a messy start in game 1, missing an early shot, but she would soon settle down, and Capital City's Nicole began to fall apart with a stretch of misses in the middle of the game. Dusky held on for the 1-4 win to move to a 1-0 series lead. The Arrows' Dusky had a stronger break in game 2, but she wouldn't need the benefits in this game. The Sharpshooters' Nicole missed on her first shot, and she couldn't hold a tie for any length of time, falling behind and staying there as Dusky cautiously picked her way to a 2-4 win for a 2-0 lead in the series. Dusky again made a ball on the break in game 3, and she held a lead for quite awhile due to another early miss by Nicole. Dusky fell into a tie briefly, but two turns later, Nicole missed, and Dusky cruised on her way to another win, going ahead 3-0 in the series with the 1-3 win. Nicole finally got something going as Dusky missed early in game 4. Nicole kept her shot calm and accurate, and Dusky slowly descended into a large deficit. Nicole would miss once more at the end, but she took the win 2-5 to cut the series to 3-1. Nicole blasted a huge break in game 5, getting almost all the balls near rails or pockets. This made for easy tap-ins early in the game, and things were close throughout. Dusky faltered first, but Nicole couldn't stay perfect near the end. Dusky then made the ball Nicole left short, leaving Nicole with no shot on her next attempt. Dusky's ruthless play paid off as she won 1-2 to secure the series at 4-1. Dusky again made a ball on the break in game 6, her third such effort, but she fell behind rather quickly against Nicole's strong shooting. Nicole had the lead in her hands late in the game, but she missed thrice and allowed Dusky to force overtime, where a scratch on the break doomed Nicole. Dusky made her shot for the 5-6 win to push the series to 5-1. Dusky had the lead for most of game 7, but a couple of misses at the end of the highly competitive battle set her down. She had one that tied the game, and then missed on the last ball to give Nicole a 1-2 lead when she made the tap-in to end it. Dusky still took the series 5-2, and will be on the road at Diamond's Intel Center to oppose the Gems' Citrus in the bracket final.
Home Depot Forum, Web City: Dani v. Spot. The blue cue comes for its debut today with some 9-ball. Web City's Dani made two balls on the break in game 1, but that would be just about it for her offense for most of the game. Pronger's Spot did best in the middle of the game, but Dani got back into it by making the last two balls for the win and a 1-0 advantage in the series. Game 2 took an interesting turn after a slow start, as both players ignored the fact that the 3 was still on the table. It wasn't noticed until an illegal hit by the Spiders' Dani on the 6, which gave possession to the Tridents' Spot as the player to make the realization. Spot made the 9 by deflecting the cue off the 3, good enough to tie the series at 1 with his win. Spot controlled possession quite well in game 3, making a three-ball run with his spicy break, and then adding a three-ball run later in the game. Dani had a pair of balls between that, and Spot's last miss was on the 9, which Dani corralled rather easily to get the win and a 2-1 series lead. Spot battled hard again in game 4, but he couldn't seem to get any runs going for himself. He also stopped Dani from assembling a big run of her own, but Dani got by with a few more short bursts, including making the last two balls after Spot missed on the 7. Dani's win made it a 3-1 series in her favor. Dani had her most confident outing in game 5, working well at the start and then piecing together a big five-ball run-out after Spot just couldn't get his offense going. Dani's big finish led her to a 4-1 series lead, giving her enough to advance on. Spot had a better game 6 effort, but there wasn't a whole lot of offense on either side. The play was uneven and poor on both sides, and Spot managed to get around Dani with the last two shots to pick up the win, cutting the series to 4-2. Game 7 saw a further decline in play quality, and the tempers fired up again on a rough day for shooting. Dani had a late three-ball run, but left the 9 standing for Spot to tap-in, making the series look a little better than it was. Dani took a 4-3 series win, and will stay here to host another rookie, the Oceanside Waves' Celestia, in the bracket final.
Cisco Arena, Tysini: Leandra v. Nightfur: The silver cue is back to wrap up its day with some 15-ball. Tysini's Leandra had some good shots for herself in game 1, but Royal's Nightfur frequently played with a more dangerous edge. While it didn't work great at first, Nightfur was there to support her late four-ball run with a shot on the 15 after Leandra missed it. Nightfur converted for the win to take a 1-0 series lead. The Crowns' Nightfur didn't have as much offense in game 2, as the Hummingbirds' Leandra took a large share of possession, particularly early on. Without much to do, Nightfur stayed alert for a chance to strike, and she got it at the end when Leandra faltered on the last run. Nightfur took care of business to move to a 2-0 lead in the series. Leandra staved off disaster in a much stronger game 3, which featured both players making more of their shots through metered aggression. Leandra got the better of this, as Nightfur couldn't put anything together late in the game. Leandra stepped up with a five-ball run-out for the win, pulling the series back to 2-1. Leandra had a crazy amount of possession in game 4, making a four-ball run, a six-ball run, and a three-ball run that ended in a scratch. This late scratch gave Nightfur all she needed to make the 15 from ball-in-hand and re-up her series lead to 3-1. Game 5 was a tale of three runs. The first was a four-ball run from the break by Nightfur, who took a wrecking-ball approach and only stopped when the 14 held firm. It would be a casualty on Leandra's five-ball run in response, and she ended after the 8 proved too tough for her. Nightfur gave it a go but couldn't pot it, leading Leandra to a six-ball run-out for the win. This cut the series again to 3-2. Leandra seemed to have the better of play in game 6 as well, continuing her surge of possession, but it wouldn't hold up. The quality of the possession went down, and Nightfur easily struck on a three-ball run-out, deflecting the cue off the 11 to take the 15 in the top right to seal the series at 4-2. Nightfur kept her possession decent in game 7 until a big run at the end that made it look as if she could get another win. However, Nightfur missed on the 15, and Leandra tapped it in to make it a 4-3 series, which sees Nightfur off to Apple Center in Todavía to face the Stills' Bells in the bracket final. Leandra is the 95th player to be eliminated, and Nightfur took her second kill of the season, which also exterminated the Hummingbirds.
Ford Forum, Pronger: Spot v. Violetta. The last series of the day is in 8-ball with the blue cue. Queens' Violetta seemed to have the better of the early play in game 1, taking a lead with a four-ball run. This burst did not sustain her offense long-term, as Pronger's Spot figured things out with his shot and picked up the win on a four-ball run-out for the win and a 1-0 lead in the series. The Tridents' Spot had a good start in game 2 with a four-ball run, only to see the Flames' Violetta surge forward with a six-ball run to take the lead. Spot tried to counter, but it failed, and Violetta cut in the last two shots to win, tying the series at 1. Spot had almost all of the early offense in game 3, alternating the roles of each player once again. Violetta eventually got her offense going, putting some pressure on Spot until he scratched. Violetta had to try a kick on the 11, but she failed to connect, and Spot hit a masse to put the 1 in the bottom right before cutting the 8 into the top right for the win. Spot holds a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 had a bit of everything, with Spot taking a slow start, watching Violetta attack with a five-ball run that ended in a scratch, and then Spot's three-ball run to make it close. Violetta still had first dibs on the 8, but she missed, and Spot made the last two shots for the win and a 3-1 series lead. Violetta took the lead and then scrapped for it throughout all of game 5 with Spot, battling back and forth with matching three-ball runs at first. Violetta then sank a ball for Spot, but he couldn't complete his run, and Violetta pulled ahead again. Spot failed to catch up this time, and Violetta grabbed the win to cut the series back to 3-2. Violetta started and ended game 6 with three-ball runs, while Spot attacked well but couldn't quite keep up in the middle of things. Violetta's final shot was a tough cut on the 8 to get the win, tying the series at 3 to set up a big finale. Game 7 could have gone either way, as both players felt the pressure and couldn't put in their best efforts. The game itself resembled the series, with Spot doing well early, only to falter later, and Violetta won both the game and the series when she finally knocked down the 8 to take the series 4-3. Violetta will head home Ebay Center in Queens to host the Diamond Gems' Pedey in the bracket final. Violetta also has her first career kill and a major arrow in her quiver against Spot, the leading Rookie of the Year candidate who is the 96th player eliminated.
That's all for today. Tomorrow, we end the round with only six series scheduled, as we match closer to the end of the regular season of the Tournament.
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