We may not end up with five series today after a slow start to the action. We'll see what can be done as we begin with...
Acorn v. Sage v. Twinkie III at Pepsi Arena, Lighton. Sage had a good run to claim the lows as her suit in game 1, and Twinkie III followed up by claiming the highs and eliminating Acorn's mediums. Sage couldn't get anything going on her second, leading to a five-ball run-out by Twinkie III for her first win. Game 2 featured choppier runs from all of the players. Sage took highs first, followed by Acorn with the lows, but it was Twinkie III who did a lot of damage in defense of the mediums. It didn't hold up, as Sage took out Twinkie III one shot before beating Acorn to earn her first win. The balanced start to game 3 didn't last all that long, as Twinkie III found herself in a good position with the lows. She broke free on her second turn for a five-ball run-out, taking Sage out on the fourth shot before ending with Acorn to earn her second win. Acorn had a couple of chances to go on deep runs in game 4 to defend his highs, but both unraveled early. The first did see him bench Sage, while the second left Twinkie III with a relatively easy cut on his last ball for her third win, despite the visitor not quite playing at her best. Game 5 saw a different approach from Twinkie III, who had to defend a troubled medium set. Acorn and Sage had targeted her early, but she struck back with a decent run on her second turn. Acorn had a chance to pick up the win late, but missed his kick on the 9, and Sage took over, ousting Acorn and then Twinkie III for her second win. Sage had an incredible start to game 6 with an eight-ball run, and she added one more ball on her second turn, but her inability to finish off the lows cost her late in the game. Twinkie III originally claimed the lows, and then scratched to give Acorn his second turn, where he weakened Sage dramatically. Sage knocked Acorn back out of the game, but left Twinkie III's 5 standing, and Twinkie III made Sage's 10 to earn her fourth win against all odds. Sage started in game 7 with a four-ball run to protect the mediums, and Acorn took the highs on a short run as well. Twinkie III wiped Sage out on a five-ball run on her second turn of the game, but Acorn made the last shot to beat Twinkie III for his first win. Game 8 saw Twinkie III establish herself with the lows quite well, but she had some worries when Acorn launched a six-ball run on his second turn. Twinkie III put the scare down with a three-ball run-out, beating Sage and then Acorn to clinch the series on her fifth win. Both of her opponents failed to qualify for further play.
Vincent Sullivan v. Easter v. Ted at Volkswagen Stadium Events Center, Viewpoint Sound. Ted's mediums were not looking good after a strong break by Vincent gave him lows, and Easter took highs early. Easter had a scratch that gave Ted life, and he held on long enough to beat Vincent after the latter had taken Easter out of the game. Ted picked up his first win. Easter and Ted had some words in game 2, as Ted was in a vulnerable position after his second turn. Ted's threats were no concern for Easter, who wiped him out on a five-ball run before picking off Vincent on her next turn, taking her first win in her usual confident form. Game 3 started with another big Easter run, this time with her going eight in a row before falling. Ted was the first to claim a suit, picking the mediums before ending Vincent's game on the tail end of his four-ball run. Easter needed two turns to take out Ted, but she did it for her second win. Easter had total control with a five-ball run on her second turn of game 4, as she took the highs to protect. Vincent made some progress, but his third turn was empty, and Ted took him out first to secure one point before claiming his second win as he completed a four-ball run-out. Easter had the best start to game 5, but she also featured in the worst play of the game, scratching early on to bring both of her opponents to full strength. Vincent and Ted combined to take her out, with Ted dealing the last blow, and he then took out Vincent a couple of turns later for his third win against the rookie with a lack of finishing. Ted had a good start in game 6, taking a six-ball run to leave both Vincent and Easter weaker. Vincent eventually betrayed Easter, and Ted finished her off, but Vincent scratched to bring her back in the game. Ted then won with the last two shots, taking Vincent out before Easter, who beat on a bank of the 13 to the bottom side for his fourth win. Easter had the big opening run in game 7, going on a five-ball binge. Vincent followed this up by taking the medium set after Easter claimed the highs, leaving Ted in a vulnerable spot with the lows. Ted struck back well, and his second turn saw a three-ball run that wiped Vincent out of the game, but Easter had just enough defense on her last high to prevent Ted from winning, and Easter ended up taking her third win instead. Easter ripped a six-ball run to open game 8 in great form as she defended the highs. Ted screwed up on his first turn and didn't get a second chance when Vincent knocked him out on a three-ball run. Easter and Vincent tangled from here, with Easter prevailing for her fourth win of the series to pull even in wins with Ted. Vincent had a nice opening run in game 9 to get himself established with the highs, but Ted went on a seven-ball run to take him out, while also giving himself a huge advantage head-to-head with Easter. She tried to stay in the battle, but Ted had her beat in two turns as her defensive strategy failed. Ted advances with five wins, while Easter qualifies on the edge at 15 points, and Vincent is out with just 4 points.
Misty v. Shaggy v. Rainmane at BMW RockDome, Westside. Game 1 went painfully slowly after Misty's scratch on the break. Shaggy had the early lead, and held it for most of the game as she defended highs, but after Misty took herself out, Rainmane had no trouble making Shaggy's last two balls for her first win. Shaggy looked a lot more decisive in game 2 with her shooting, claiming highs on her first turn. Misty challenged with the medium set, but she found herself in trouble after Rainmane's second turn. Shaggy spared Misty, winning on a five-ball run-out that saw her down Rainmane first. Shaggy gathered her first win of the series. Misty took over the pace of play in game 3 after an early scratch from Shaggy disrupted her performance. Rainmane did get the healthier lows, leaving Shaggy with the mediums, but Shaggy and Misty combined to push Rainmane back. Shaggy had knocked her out, but scratched on the play, leaving Misty to bank Rainmane's 3 to the top left before banking Shaggy's 10 to the bottom right for her first win. Shaggy ended up taking the lows after a nice start to game 4, but Rainmane quickly claimed the mediums and attacked Misty's highs. Shaggy's protection of her mother allowed Rainmane to keep all of her balls on the table for quite awhile, but Misty put her own last ball in danger to make a play on Rainmane. Shaggy followed up with a four-ball run-out, taking Misty out first to grab the win, her second. Misty wouldn't take game 5, as she and Shaggy combined to quickly dispatch Rainmane's lows. Shaggy did the work, completing the effort on a five-ball run that left Misty in a tough position. The two exchanged shots for awhile, but Misty forced Shaggy to score her third win of the series. Shaggy returned the favor after Misty dispatched Rainmane on her second turn in game 6, with the two of them taking highs and lows to wipe out Rainmane's mediums. Misty did a three-ball run to get set to take Shaggy out, and then beat her on the next turn for her second win. Misty found herself in a precarious position with the mediums in game 7, as Rainmane attacked them fiercely in defense of her highs. Rainmane didn't last long, as Misty and Shaggy beat her in two turns, and then Shaggy picked up the win a couple of turns later with the significant advantage over Misty. It was Shaggy's fourth win of the series. Shaggy put the series at an end in game 8, as Rainmane wiped Misty out on a seven-ball run and Shaggy countered with a four-ball run-out to pick up her fifth win of the series. Both Misty and Rainmane will fail to qualify for future action.
Goatee v. Leonardo v. Nibbles at BMW RockDome, Westside. This series started with another sloppy game 1, in which Goatee had control until a scratch saw her become the first player out. The scratch revived Nibbles, who eventually got around Leonardo to take his first win. The original play through of game 2 began on Friday, but was postponed due to quality of play concerns. On Saturday, Nibbles initiated the replay with a successful effort, picking lows early. Goatee found herself in a precarious position but still nearly won the game, falling short with her three-ball run. Nibbles then ousted her and Leonardo on consecutive shots for his second win. Nibbles had a seven-ball run to open game 3, and Leonardo took Goatee out on his first shot on his turn, which became a six-ball run-out that also knocked out Nibbles in the quick battle. Leonardo scored his first win. Leonardo had a healthy start to game 4, but a scratch gave Nibbles and Goatee a ball back each. Nibbles blasted a six-ball run on his first turn, damaging Leonardo drastically, and while Leonardo knocked out Goatee on a late three-ball run, he couldn't beat Nibbles, who picked up his third win with an easy cut on the 14 to the top right. Nibbles had the best attack of game 5 with a seven-ball run to protect his lows on his second turn, but he left too much for Goatee, who won with a four-ball run-out that saw her take out Leonardo on the second shot with an 8-13 combination, and then Nibbles two shots later with good positioning. Goatee's win was her first of the series. Nibbles had a nice four-ball run on his second turn of game 6, protecting his mediums. This helped set up a close finish, as Leonardo's narrow miss and Goatee's short run left things level for Nibbles, who beat Leonardo and Goatee on consecutive shots for his fourth win. Leonardo had a big seven-ball run, including collateral damage, on his first turn of game 7, but it took Goatee out of the game and left Nibbles too weak to counterattack. Leonardo won with a pair of shots against Nibbles on his next turn, creating his second win of the series. Nibbles had a brilliant game 8 performance, taking the mediums to defend against Leonardo and the highs. Goatee played an even game, favoring neither player, and Nibbles prevailed in the end, taking Goatee out first and then Leonardo to secure the series with his fifth win. Neither of his opponents will enter secondary qualification.
Sweetheart v. Briana Livilotti v. Goldy at Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston. Game 1 started a bit slowly, as Briana had highs to herself for two turns before Sweetheart claimed the lows. Goldy picked up steam later on, knocking Sweetheart out with a five-ball run before narrowly missing on Briana's 12 twice. Briana potted Goldy's 6 on her second try for her first win. Briana wasted no time in attack in game 2, using a nine-ball run with collateral damage to destroy the low set as she defended the highs. Goldy did well to claim the mediums, a formality enabling her to get a point when Briana ended the game on the next turn with a bank of the 9 to the top right for her second win. Briana attacked with three balls on the break, one of each suit, to spark an eight-ball run in game 3. Sweetheart was able to take and defend the highs, and after Briana scratched on her second turn, Sweetheart knocked her out and followed up on Goldy for her first win. Sweetheart dominated the early parts of game 4 as she protected the highs, but Goldy and Briana each scratched to keep the other one in the game, and this allowed Goldy to last long enough to pick off Sweetheart's last three balls for her first win. Goldy didn't set the tone in game 5, but she protected the lows against Sweetheart and the mediums to lead to a tight finish after Sweetheart took out Briana. Sweetheart couldn't take them both, and Goldy's last shot narrowly won her a second game. Sweetheart can thank a scratch for derailing her effort in game 6, as it gave Goldy a little more leverage with which to protect her highs. Briana again found herself as the first player out, and Goldy then beat Sweetheart after the latter failed on a trick shot attempt. Goldy has three wins in the series now. Sweetheart cranked an eight-ball run at the start of game 7, an epic performance that wiped the highs off the table. Briana made sure that was Goldy's problem as she executed a four-ball run, and then battled with Sweetheart toward the end of the game. Sweetheart got the upper hand and won for her second victory of the series. Sweetheart had a good start to game 8, and while Briana missed her chance to make a quick impact, Goldy's selection of the high set failed her when Sweetheart attacked on her second turn. Goldy hung around awhile, but Briana knocked her out on a later run before Sweetheart scooped up her third win of the series. Game 9 featured a nice pair of four-ball runs from Briana and Goldy, which helped to leave Sweetheart in deep trouble. Briana would off Sweetheart after her short run, but Briana didn't finish off Goldy, and Goldy shot back to take her fourth win of the series. Goldy took highs after a great break in game 10, and Sweetheart countered by taking lows later after a scratch from Briana, which would ultimately be her downfall. Sweetheart wiped her out, and then battled with Goldy, who had a brilliant play to pot the 12 off the cue with a carom and then using collateral damage to get to Sweetheart's last ball. Goldy stayed alive to pick up her fifth win, advancing to the second round. Sweetheart's 13 points aren't enough to advance, nor are Briana's 9.
Graham v. Jack v. Rosalina at FedEx Forum, Eastside. Jack had a solid four-ball run to set the tone in game 1, as he defended the highs, and he went unchallenged until a massive five-ball run-out by Graham. Jack had failed to put Graham away, and he responded with a knockout on Rosalina shot before dispatching Jack in his first win. Jack again played a bit too casually at the end of game 2, but with Graham out thanks to a four-ball run by Rosalina, it was Rosalina reaping the benefits of Jack's poor finishing ability. Rosalina needed two chances to pot his 2 at the top left, but she took the win. Graham had a good game 3 performance, picking his highs later in the process but defending them well. Jack and Rosalina had trouble stringing offense together, but they had mutually assured destruction at the top right pocket to keep them focused on Graham. It didn't matter, as Graham took them both out with a three-ball run-out, with Rosalina gaining the point for being finished off second. Graham has two wins now. Graham hogged game 4 all to himself, blasting a ten-ball run-out from the break, including a brilliant fifth shot that somehow pushed the 10 to the top left to keep the burst going. Rosalina and Jack split a point for the game, while Graham pulls away with his third win. Rosalina started the game on a four-ball run, putting pressure on Jack, who missed on his first turn. Graham took the highs to combat Rosalina's lows, and Graham found himself first out as Jack mounted a short run near the end of the game. He failed to complete the effort, and Rosalina took out Jack with a pair of tap-ins for her second win in five games. Jack and Graham made a big effort, spearheaded by Jack's six-ball run to start game 6, but Rosalina countered with a six-ball run to knock Graham from the game before Jack ousted her on a tap-in for his first win of the series. Game 7 saw another concerted effort from Graham and Jack to pin Rosalina, but she managed to get the lows as an isolated suit. Rosalina's second turn saw her bench Jack, and she battled closely to the finish with Graham, with Rosalina prevailing for her third win of the series. Graham and Rosalina had a spirited duel in game 8 as well, with Rosalina taking the lows and Graham taking the highs on his first turn. Jack played quite a role with two scratches, stretching the game until Graham picked them both off with a three-ball run-out for his fourth win of the series. Graham went on a six-ball run to lead off game 9, and Jack followed up attacking against Graham's highs, with Rosalina getting one good turn in before Graham offed her. Jack still got the upper hand on Graham to earn his second win of the series. Graham didn't have much to work with early in game 10, but his second turn saw an explosion with an eight-ball run-out, ousting Rosalina before hurtling through the last three balls for Jack. Graham clinched the series with his fifth win, and denied both of his opponents an opportunity to qualify further as they finish at 11.5 points each.
Mams v. Gal Gadot v. Bianca at Volkswagen Stadium Events Center, Viewpoint Sound. Gal did a lot of the work in game 1 on both of her turns, but it was Bianca who prevailed with a five-ball run-out in the end, taking Gal out a shot before ousting Mams, who had little impact on the game. Bianca took her first win of the series. Mams and Bianca had much more involvement early in game 2 this time, especially with a deep run by Mams to protect her highs. Gal didn't get much out of her only turn, and Mams iced the game with a pair of shots after a four-ball run by Bianca left everyone with one ball on the table. Mams earned her first win, while Gal got a point in second place. Gal picked up the pace a bit in game 3 with her defense of the mediums, with plenty of pushback by Bianca to disrupt the effort. Mams couldn't produce much on her second turn, and Gal ripped a five-ball run-out for her first win, sparing the point to Mams. Gal drew first in game 4, taking the mediums again, and she ended up working together loosely with Mams to take out Bianca first again, as her highs couldn't hold up. Gal tried to turn on Mams earlier, but Mams still took her second win easily. Bianca, tired of being walked over in this series, attacked in game 5. Mams had an empty break and Gal scratched on her first and what would be only turn in the game, opening the door for an eleven-ball run-out with collateral damage for Bianca to pick up her second win and force her opponents to split a point. Mams had a strong run early in game 6, taking the mediums to protect. Gal followed up with the highs, and the game remained even until Gal scratched, negating her knockout on Bianca. Mams betrayed Gal shortly after that, and then beat Bianca a turn later for her third win of the series. Game 7 went by in three turns, as Mams opened with a five-ball run and chose to protect the lows. Bianca fired back with a five-ball run that knocked Gal from the game without having taken a turn, and left Mams with just one ball. Mams shot straight back on a four-ball run-out, jamming the 14 off the 2 and into the bottom right for her fourth win. Mams didn't get very much at the start of game 8, allowing Bianca to step in and claim the highs. Gal attacked both of them while defending the lows, and then a four-ball run from Bianca on her next turn took Mams out. Gal tried to organize a run, but she couldn't do it, and Bianca took her third win of the series. Bianca had a nice run on her second turn of game 9, but the seven-ball streak didn't help her at all as she took out Gal and left Mams with two easy shots to earn her fifth win of the series. Mams advances to the second round, while Gal and Bianca will be sitting out the rest of the tournament.
We'll be back with five series on Monday.
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