We're back with the last full day of the Semifinals. Leading off...
Briana v. Spirit. The silver cue starts the day with 12-ball. Queens' Briana made an impact on a four-ball run in the middle of game 1. Lighton's Spirit couldn't form a response, and Briana took the win for a 1-0 series lead. The Flames' Briana gave up two wild-card balls in game 2, but her offense was aggressive enough to overcome it after the Prestige's Spirit missed on her last ball. Briana won at the bottom right to go up 2-0. Briana picked up stripes to start game 3 and had a smooth turn of offense again, winning with a three-ball run-out. Spirit received a chance to tie with a wild-card ball, but couldn't make a shot. Briana leads the series 3-0. Briana made a pair of solids on the break in game 4, but Spirit answered on a four-ball run. Spirit would scratch later, then recover on a three-ball run-out for the win to cut the series to 3-1. Spirit started well in game 5, but couldn't quite make her last ball before the end. Briana kept close and challenged with a short run before taking her last shot at the top right for the win. Briana holds a 4-1 series lead. Briana had a three-ball run cut short by an illegal contact call, and Spirit used that as a springboard to make three balls over her last two turns. Spirit collected the win and trimmed the series back to 4-2. Spirit was weighed down with overfills in game 7, which partially bailed out Briana's untimely scratch in the middle. At the end, Briana's positioning was better as she made a pair for the win to clinch the series at 5-2. Briana gave away a wild-card ball in game 8, and Spirit's play was too strong to be denied. Spirit took the shots she saw and got the win, cutting Briana's series lead down to 5-3. Briana received a wild-card ball in game 9, but she had to give it back after a scratch, and Spirit moved along after that to earn the win. Briana took the series 5-4 to set a date with the Royal Crowns' Nightfur in the 12-ball finals.
Citrus v. Jake. In 13-ball, the purple cue will hold court. Lighton's Citrus made one of each on the game 1 break, and chose to play stripes. It could have gone either way, but Royal's Jake missed contact on the 8 and Citrus won with a pair for the 1-0 series lead. Game 2 was a mess for both players, although the Crowns' Jake can blame his scratches for his problems. Jake also committed a stick foul that allowed the Prestige's Citrus to make the final pair for a 2-0 series lead. Citrus had a decent start in game 3, but it was Jake stepping up on a six-ball run-out that turned the tides. Citrus' series lead is down to 2-1. Game 4 brought the pace, as Jake began with a three-ball run. Citrus answered with a four-ball run, but Jake made a four-ball run-out for the win to tie the series at 2. Jake kept a high pace in game 5, winning in only three turns with the help of a pair of three-ball runs and a total lack of offense from Citrus. Jake has pulled ahead 3-2 in the series. Jake kept up his attack to start game 6, but his positioning on stripes faltered as Citrus kept things close this time. Citrus then took over in the middle and made the 8 at the top left a turn later for the win to retie the series at 3. Citrus stayed strong on solids in game 7, and she was savvy enough to leave Jake with poor positioning at the end. Citrus made the final pair from ball-in-hand after Jake fouled out of frustration. Citrus retook the series lead at 4-3. Jake had two scratches on his final stripe, denying him a chance to legally sink the 8. Citrus took advantage of that and rallied late to get the win, sealing the series at 5-3. Jake got one back in game 9, chipping his way to victory in a slow battle. Citrus still advanced on a 5-4 series win to take on Lighton Prestige teammate Shiny in the 13-ball finals.
Panda v. Ms. Kitty. Coastal rivals tangle with the green cue in Rotation. Southern's Panda had much more of the offense in game 1 and worked his way to an 8-2 win over Pacific's Ms. Kitty without much trouble. Panda leads the series 1-0. The Monarchs' Panda couldn't get a grip on his offense in game 2, while the Volcanoes' Ms. Kitty kept things relatively clean. Ms. Kitty marched to an 8-4 win to tie the series at 1. Ms. Kitty had a massive four-ball run to start game 3, and that would be her margin of victory as well. Panda covered the initial damage, but Ms. Kitty won 8-4 to go up 2-1 in the series. A much closer start in game 4 gave way as Ms. Kitty grabbed the lead. Panda pushed back with a four-ball run, but that ended in a scratch, and Ms. Kitty took an 8-6 win for the 3-1 series lead. Panda had a four-ball run early in game 5, and he went unchallenged in an 8-2 win to shrink Ms. Kitty's series lead to 3-2. Panda began game 6 with a massive run to take a huge lead, but Ms. Kitty worked a six-ball run before a scratch cut her off. Panda made the 14 from ball-in-hand for the 8-6 win, tying the series at 3 games apiece. Panda needed only three turns to win game 7, highlighted by a four-ball run in the middle and pairs on the first and third turns. Panda beat Ms. Kitty 8-1 to pull ahead 4-3 in the series. Panda didn't have the same pace in game 8, but he wasn't really challenged by a downtrodden Ms. Kitty. Panda walked away with an 8-3 win, securing the series in his favor at 5-3. Ms. Kitty had nothing left for game 9, and Panda was slow but steady in an 8-1 win to complete a 6-3 series win. Panda heads to the Rotation finals versus the Harrison Specters' Slinks.
Shadow v. Waluigi. The red cue is here for 9-ball between two players representing the same team. In game 1, Waluigi won with a pair after Shadow wasn't able to sustain his early pace. Waluigi leads the series 1-0. Shadow had a four-ball run late in game 2, but couldn't make it stick as he missed contact on the 9. Waluigi took the last shot from ball-in-hand, his win giving him a 2-0 series lead. Waluigi nearly made the 1-9 combination to the top left in game 3, but Shadow was able to work a deflection play instead, and he narrowly missed scratching to hold onto the win. Waluigi's series lead is down to 2-1. Shadow looked much more in form in game 4, breaking out with a four-ball run-out after Waluigi couldn't take control on offense. Shadow's late surge helped him tie the series at 2. A return to shaky form arose in game 5, as neither Shadow nor Waluigi was totally comfortable. At the end, Shadow picked off the 9 to the top right to pull ahead 3-2 in the series. Shadow immediately extended his lead in game 6, making the 8 and the 9 to the top left on the break to shock Waluigi. Shadow's lead is now 4-2. A quick back-and-forth in game 7 saw Shadow make an early pair and a late pair, propelling him past Waluigi one more time. Shadow clinched the series at 5-2 with this fast win. It wasn't the most elegant effort, but Shadow found a triple-pot that he followed with a scratch, and then a three-ball run-out on his next turn when Waluigi wasted the ball-in-hand play. Shadow's series lead is up to 6-2. Shadow didn't have the best offense in game 9, but he capitalized on jittery play from Waluigi in the end. Shadow made the 9 to the top left for the win, completing a 7-2 series win to get into the 9-ball finals.
Dewey v. Lionel. The blue cue ends the day with 10-ball. North Modernistic's Lionel had a three-ball run-out in game 1, taking a close win over Oceanside's Dewey for the 1-0 series lead. The Nighthawks' Lionel had a failed jump shot late in a choppy game 2, and that gave the Waves' Dewey possession. Dewey ended that turn with a bank of the 10 to the bottom left for the win to tie the series at 1. Dewey had a bit of an edge on offense in game 3, but his three-ball run ended with a scratch. Lionel took over and made the last pair of balls for the win, restoring his series lead at 2-1. Dewey nearly won on a 6-10 combination in game 4, but it rattled out of the top left after he had slammed a bank of the 5 to the bottom side. Lionel stepped up and sank a 6-8-10 combination at the top left for the win and 3-1 series lead. Lionel didn't corral much offense in game 5, as Dewey made a four-ball run-out with a double-pot of the 3 to the bottom left and the 10 to the top side. Dewey's miracle finish cut the deficit back to 3-2. Dewey nearly won game 6 quickly with a 2-10 bank combination, but that left the 10 at the top left. Lionel never got a clear look for an early finish, while Dewey came around and made a 4-10 combination for the win to retie the series at 3. Dewey kept rolling in game 7, pummeling a few shots in a tense battle with Lionel. At the end, Lionel rattled the 10 out of the top right and Dewey tapped it down for the win and 4-3 series lead. Dewey had a little offense in game 8, but neither player really claimed control. It was a bank of the 10 to the bottom side for Lionel that decided the game, retying the series at 4. Dewey put everything he could into game 9, but he missed the 10 at the end. Lionel sank it to the top right for the win, and Lionel walked off with a 5-4 series win to earn the right to oppose the Lighton Prestige's Spirit in the 10-ball finals.
We'll end the Semifinals tomorrow before playing the Finals from Monday to Wednesday.
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