It's the last day of bracket-divided play. We have six series on to end the sixth round of action, beginning with...
GE Stadium Events Center, Southridge: Bianca v. Noelle. Two underrated players meet in the blue cue's last series of the round, in 10-ball. Southridge's Bianca put the 10 in on the break in game 1, but didn't attack well later in the game. Central's Noelle would make four of the last five balls to pick up the win, going ahead 1-0 in the series. The Warriors' Noelle did the same thing to start game 2, which featured less organized offense between the two players. The Defenders' Bianca had plenty of chances to build her offense late in the game and she let them go, while Noelle tapped the 10 to the bottom left to claim the win, going up 2-0 in the series. Noelle scratched while making two balls on the break in game 3. Bianca had a lackluster first turn, but made the 7-10 combination to the top right after Noelle's three-ball run came to an end with a miss on the 7. Bianca's win cut the series to 2-1, favoring Noelle. Bianca made the 10 on the break again to start game 4. Noelle didn't have the best offense, faltering late after having a chance to answer Bianca's four-ball run. Bianca would clutch her performance at the end, taking the 10 Noelle missed for the win to tie the series at 2. Noelle made an early three-ball run in game 5, and added a five-ball run on her next turn as well. Bianca stepped up on the last turn to make a pair of shots for the win, poaching the win to take a 3-2 series lead. Noelle didn't have the cleanest of performances in game 6, but she still had a chance at the end before butchering a tap-in at the top side on the 10. Bianca served the 10 to the top left for the win, continuing her streak to clinch the series at 4-2. Noelle finally got a win again in game 7, challenging Bianca from the very start and getting lucky that Bianca missed on the 10. Noelle put it away to leave Bianca with a 4-3 series win, which puts the host into the Finals. Bianca went 19-11 in the event to earn her spot, and she took her fifth kill of the year to make Noelle the 151st eliminated player.
Audi Hall, Terrace City: Oreo v. Zach. The silver cue's first appearance of the day comes in Accuracy. Pronger's Zach had a deficit in game 1 three times, but he stayed close and pushed on Terrace City's Oreo. At the end, Oreo had two quick misses, and Zach surged forward for the 3-4 win to take a 1-0 series lead with a savvy finish. The Tridents' Zach missed first in game 2, but he successfully baited the Knights' Oreo into missing as well. Zach then battled with Oreo before the host's positioning fell apart, allowing Zach to take a relatively easy 1-4 win for the 2-0 series lead. Zach made a ball on the break in game 3, but he would have a later double-pot that proved very costly to him. Oreo used the advantage late in the game to push Zach around, eventually claiming a 2-5 win for herself to cut the series to 2-1. Oreo barely kept game 4 close enough, but she managed to drag Zach down with a couple of late misses, and he couldn't do anything with his overtime break. Oreo made her shot, a 4-5 win helping her to tie the series at 2. Oreo kept going with a positive game 5 performance. The early going went well for both players, but Zach soon slipped far behind as the bottom right gave him some troubles. Oreo held her ground, winning 2-5 to pull ahead 3-2 in the series. Oreo had a triple-pot from the break in a very good start in game 6. Oreo unfortunately had a pair of misses later in the game, and Zach held on with a long shot at the end to win 1-2, retying the series at 3. Zach had a ball on the break in game 7 as well, giving him the advantage early on. Oreo stayed close for the first half of the game, but she fell off with a pair of misses, and Zach closed the door with another 1-2 win. Zach took the series 4-3, and he went 20-10 on the bracket prior to the Finals. Oreo is the 152nd player out of the Tournament, giving Zach his fourth kill this year.
Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Ice Cream v. Shadow. Two strong opponents clash in the red cue's finale series in 12-ball. Boston's Ice Cream made quick work of game 1, attacking on a four-ball run and getting good positioning thanks to a directionless style from Web City's Shadow. Ice Cream easily took the win in four turns, good for a 1-0 series lead. The Spiders' Shadow showed a lot more intensity in game 2, making a three-ball run. The Swifts' Ice Cream had some questionable decision-making on her turns, allowing Shadow to claim the win without much challenge, tying the series at 1. Shadow had nothing on the game 3 break, allowing Ice Cream to claim stripes early on. Shadow bounced back with a four-ball run on his next turn, and he had decent positioning, never in fear of Ice Cream catching him. Shadow made a pair of shots on his last turn, earning the win for a 2-1 series lead. Ice Cream answered with five balls over two turns in game 4, putting Shadow under significant pressure. Shadow made his best attempt to play for positioning and defense, but he missed a kick on the 2 toward the bottom side, and Ice Cream made her last ball from there for the win. The series is tied at 2. Ice Cream had some good play early in game 5, but she had to bunker at the bottom left to protect it from Shadow's last shot. Ice Cream scratched a couple of times, trying to ignite a later run, but she removed her defense, and Shadow eventually slammed the 6 home for the win to regain the series lead at 3-2. Shadow started with a three-ball run early in game 6, but he went cold until making a late pair to pull even with Ice Cream. This wasn't enough, as Ice Cream tapped her last shot in at the top left for the win on the next turn, evening the series again at 3 games apiece. Ice Cream showed a bit too much gusto on the game 7 break, potting two for herself, one for Shadow as a wild-card ball, and sending the cue off the table. As the game progressed, Shadow lost the wild-card ball and gave one to Ice Cream, which allowed her a critical option at the end, as she made the 6 in the vacant bottom side for the unlikely comeback win. Ice Cream took the series 4-3, doing the minimum 18-12 on the bracket to reach the Finals. Shadow's two bids this round both failed, making him the 153rd player eliminated, while Ice Cream gets her second kill this year. This is the Swifts' second team-kill as the Spiders will go home without a medal.
Google Hall, Modernistic: Daisy v. Patches. Representatives from strong teams meet in 8-ball with the silver cue here. Boston's Patches ripped a four-ball run on her first turn, which Modernistic's Daisy answered with a five-ball run. Both players skidded to a slower stretch at the end, with Patches winning on a pair of shots for the 1-0 series lead. The Union's Daisy countered a pair of shots on the game 2 break from the Swifts' Patches with a magnificent eight-ball run-out. Daisy used brilliant positioning and a perfect touch on the 8 to the bottom left at the end for her one-turn win to tie the series at 1. Patches had a quick three-ball run in game 3, looking to regain control of the series with such an attack. She didn't get the chance, as Daisy took a seven-ball run-out a turn later, weaving around with her shots to grab another impressive win for the 2-1 series lead. Daisy wouldn't get a miracle run to bail her out in game 4, as Patches used three turns of positive offense to pace her attack. Patches won with a pair of shots, sending the 5 and then the 8 to the top left while Daisy had only one ball down. The series is tied again at 2. Patches began with a fierce six-ball run in game 5, which Daisy countered on her second turn to make things even before she scratched. Patches made her last ball and then put the 8 in the top right, but she scratched, giving the win away to Daisy, who takes the pivotal 3-2 series lead. Patches and Daisy exchanged three-ball runs early in game 6, keeping an even battle until Patches unraveled Daisy's defense with a five-ball run-out, including banks on the last two shots. Patches' brilliant shooting helped her get a clean win here, tying the series once more at 3. Daisy and Patches engaged in a tight game 7, neither player able to string a long run together but never wasting their turns on offense. Daisy faltered on the 8 at the end, leaving it at the top left, and Patches converted, taking the win for a 4-3 series win to get to the Finals. Patches went 19-11 on the bracket, and took her fourth kill of the year to make Daisy the 154th eliminated player. This also served as a club-kill against Celebrity and a team-kill on the Union.
Subway Arena, Stonebridge: Hershey v. Celestia. Young players play the penultimate series of the day in 7-ball with the silver cue. Stonebridge's Hershey made three balls on the break and won three shots later with a 5-7 combination to the bottom right, taking a 1-0 series lead before Oceanside's Celestia took a shot. The Wolves' Hershey eased up a bit in game 2, allowing the Waves' Celestia to take a couple of shots this time. Hershey still held a majority of the offense, winning on a three-ball run-out to push his series lead to 2-0. Hershey assembled another strong attack in game 3 with a five-ball run in the middle of the game, but he left the 7 standing. Celestia took no time to pot it at the end, poaching a win to get on the board in the 2-1 series. Celestia finally enjoyed all of the offense in game 4, beginning with a pair on the break to start a four-ball run, and she made the other three balls as well, but her bank on the 7 led to a scratch that gifted Hershey the win. Hershey leads the series 3-1 despite not potting a ball in the most recent victory. Hershey didn't have a lot to be proud about in game 5, struggling for offense for much of the game before eventually beating Celestia on a three-ball run-out. Hershey's win here sealed the series in his favor at 4-1. Hershey did everything but win in game 6, taking a six-ball run from the break but just whiffing on the 7 at the top right. Celestia buried the 7 in the top side for the win, cutting the series back to 4-2. Hershey didn't quite connect on his late offense in game 7, allowing Celestia to scoop another win by cleaning up on the 7 at the top right. Hershey settled for a 4-3 series win here to get to the Finals, having gone 21-9 in the event. Celestia is the 155th player out of the Tournament, while Hershey takes the first kill of his career. The Wolves team-killed the Waves with this series win.
Audi Hall, Terrace City: Quincy v. Crystal. A hotshot rookie takes on a dominant captain in the final bracket-level series, using the silver cue in Rotation. Terrace City's Quincy got two balls on the break, and then he assembled a four-ball run later to hold off Queens' Crystal, who had a small counterattack but fell 8-4 to Quincy after her scratch. Quincy leads the series 1-0 early on. The Flames' Crystal had plenty of chances to generate offense in game 2 with three scratches by the Knights' Quincy. Crystal scratched once herself early to keep things close, but she pulled away on an 8-5 win at the end to tie the series at 1. Quincy bounced back with a cleaner game 3 performance, building his lead on a four-ball run and adding to it on a couple of later turns. Quincy had trouble finishing the game, allowing Crystal to rally enough to tie it, but she missed the 14 and Quincy made it for the 8-7 win to restore a series lead at 2-1. Quincy started out well enough in game 4, but he got passed when Crystal made a five-ball run to take the lead for herself. Quincy tied the game with a pair of shots, but Crystal ran away again on a three-ball run-out for the 8-5 win, tying the series at 2. Crystal came up empty on the break in game 5, and her aggressive style early on allowed Quincy to stake out a lead. Two turns of offense restored a lead for Crystal, and she made a pair of shots at the end to close an 8-5 win, pulling ahead 3-2 in the series. Crystal had a solid break in game 6, but she stood no match for Quincy, who was determined to make the final game of this series count for something. Quincy attacked at a steady pace, winning 8-3 with a pair of shots including a banked 11 to the bottom right to secure the victory. The series is tied at 3. Quincy brought his absolute best in game 7, struggling off the break but making a five-ball run out of nothing to pressure Crystal. Quincy stayed strong, finishing with an 8-0 win to clinch the series at 4-3, and he goes to the Finals with an 18-12 record from the bracket. Crystal is the 156th player eliminated, the last before the Finals, giving Quincy his fourth kill this season.
That's it for the brackets. We switch over to cross-cue action, with the cue used in the remaining series being the higher-ranked player's cue. Rankings for the Finals are determined by record in event, with the tiebreaker being event qualifying rank. The Preliminary Finals (loser earns Bronze) will be on Monday, while the Championship Finals (winner earns gold, loser takes silver) will be on Wednesday.
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