Wilkie Wins Big on Joss 9-Ball Tour

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Wilkie Wins Big on Joss 9-Ball Tour
Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour / West Hempstead, NY

by Lea Andrews

Shaun “Get Some” Wilkie’s first win on the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour came in the form of a strong, undefeated run through the hard-hitting field of this season’s fifth stop. The $2,000-added event, held November 14-15, drew 35 players to Raxx Pool Room in West Hempstead, NY.

Wilkie blew by Marc Vidal 9-2 to face in the hot seat match Bucky Souvanthong, who’d held Sean Morgan to three games. Wilkie claimed the hot seat 9-6, while Souvanthong moved west to try for the rematch.

On the one-loss side, Joey Korsiak was making a move, getting by Zion Zvi 9-6 to face Nelson Oliveira, who’d had a 9-3 win over Oscar Bonilla. But Olveira managed only one game against Korsiak, who moved on to Morgan. Meanwhile, Al Lapena notched wins over Mike Wong 9-6 and Lenny Savata 9-2 to face Vidal. Lapena’s bid for the quarterfinals was unsuccessful, planting him in fifth 9-5, and Vidal met up with Korsiak, who’d advanced 9-6 over Morgan. Another 9-6 victory put Korsiak up against Souvanthong in the semifinals, and Korsiak’s 9-7 win earned him his spot in the finals.

For the first several games of the true double-elimination final match, a second set seemed inevitable. Korsiak broke and ran the first rack, then the next four after that. When Wilkie finally got his chance at the table, the two traded games to get the score to 7-2, but then Wilkie made his move, taking six racks in a row to reach the hill first 8-7. Korsiak managed to tie it up, and in the final rack, a safety battle determined the winner. Korsiak had a length-of-the-table makeable kick on the 5 ball, which was near the side pocket. The Cue ball hit its mark—or at least, it seemed to. The 5 ball hit both points of the side pocket before bouncing out, leaving Wilkie a run to the final 9 of his first top finish on the Joss Tour.

Another winner this weekend was Reggie Cutlar, who, like all participants (except past winners) who finished out of the money, was automatically entered into a drawing for free entry to December’s Turning Stone Classic. Cutlar’s prize, which also includes a three-night hotel stay, was generously furnished by Raxx Pool Room owner Holden Chin and Joss Cues.

Next weekend’s $5,000-added Ocean State Championship will be held at Snookers’ new Providence location.

Results:
1st Shaun Wilkie $1,400
2nd Joey Korsiak $950
3rd Bucky Souvanthong $700
4th Marc Vidal $550
5th Sean Morgan $400
Al Lapena
7th Nelson Oliveira $200
Lenny Savata