See and Murphy Advance to US Open 10-Ball Hot Seat Bout

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See and Murphy Advance to US Open 10-ball Hot Seat BoutThrillers on the A-side, six left with one loss in fourth Qlympics main event

by Paul Berg, InsidePOOL Magazine Staff
In dramatic contests with a certain déjà vu quality compared to their victories last night, Huidji See and Shannon Murphy have continued undefeated runs to the penultimate step to the top of a Qlympics podium. Both escaped 11-10 tonight in U.S. Open 10-ball play at the Clarion Conference Center in Louisville, and can focus on their bids for straight pool supremacy until the winners’ bracket final on Thursday. For the young all-around threat from Cincinatti, OH, it would take another comeback against a veteran, while See would have to hold on to a second lead against a dangerous foe.
Rafael Martinez-Chavez is a consummate professional with champion-level skills in all games, the type that Murphy aspires to be. Having upended another touring regular and in-state competitor in Columbus’ Chris Bartram from a 7-2 lead last night, Murphy started working back down 6-3 against Martinez and the alternate break. He was only able to momentarily close the gap to 6-5, as Martinez escaped spinning cue bumps of other balls for position repeatedly on his way to a 10-7 edge.
Murphy showed resolve, clearing at any opportunity as Martinez’s break faltered, and then capitalizing when Martinez took one chance too many, bumping the 10ball with only one other left on the table and getting hooked for position. Murphy cleaned up, and then ran out from Martinez’s empty break for a tie at ten games each. His own break pocketed the 4 and 6balls, and Murphy executed two slices down the rail in succession with opposite spins to get to the 3ball. There, the 21 year-old checked the 5-10 combination in the side, and rolled from the 3ball to it, knocking it off for the 11-10 victory. Martinez was stuck in the chair for the last two racks the same way Bartram had been, and will have to work his way back from the loss after playing straight pool tomorrow.
Holland import See jumped on Atlanta resident Louis Ulrich 4-1 at the outset of their match, and like the lead he managed to maintain against John Schmidt the night before, See would stay in control until the climax. Ulrich took four straight from that initial advantage, tying the match at four with a well executed three foul and breaking and running for a brief 5-4 lead. Utilizing strong defense and a few fortunate rolls, crucially kissing into a shape for a razor thin 2-10 carom to go up 9-5, See seemed to be in control. Occasional spurts of trouble with the cue ball on the break kept him from ever running away however, and like the night before, See watched a top player rally only to fall short. Ulrich brought the score to hill-hill, but after a sequence of safeties for every ball in the case game, See got a suitable look at the three to run out from, and claimed an 11-10 ticket to the winners’ bracket final with Murphy.
There is a European on the one-loss side also, as Finland’s Joonas Ohtonen continues to stay in the mix he followed to the Great Southern Classic II in Atlanta after extending his trip to the states beyond the U.S. Open 9-ball Championships. Ohtonen has notched victories over Tony Mougey and Jason Miller. The lanky Finn will have Dee Adkins, who came through an all-Ohio hill-hill comeback win over Bartram, the second one the reigning Derby City St. Louis Louis award winner suffered in two nights. In a match that will deal the loser a cashless finish and a 7th/8th place tie, the winner of Ohtonen and Adkins can look forward to Ulrich.
Bartram’s road partner lost to him in the first round, but Jason Klatt will play for a shot at the cash after wins over weeklong after-hours nemesis Adam Behnke and David Dlugach. Klatt’s opposition will come from Gabe Owen, who is fortunate to have so many different colors and styles of Mueller embroidered shirts to sweat through, because the charts are keeping him the busiest. With an 11-9 victory over Schmidt that was tight throughout, Owen kept his hopes in 10-ball alive to go along with his unbeaten run in the U.S. Open 14.1 Straight Pool Championship thus far and his second place finish in the One Pocket last week. Rafael Martinez awaits the winner of Klatt and Owen, another strong contender in the all-around race.
In daytime straight pool action tomorrow, Owen and See will clash alongside Martinez and Miller in the final four of the winners’ bracket. A ring game is also in the offing, as the boys from TheActionReport.com are at it again. Currently, it stands at a six man affair with a $250 stake each, with $500 added by the promoters for a $2,000 winner take all race to thirteen games. Murphy, Adkins, Ohtonen, Behnke, Bartram and Ulrich are slated to be the competitors. Stay tuned to InsidePOOLmag.com for inevitable adjustments to that humdinger and all the latest from the Qlympics in the home of bank pool.
Correspondent’s note: Your IP correspondent would like to thank fellow site scribe Tom Fryer, inimitable local railbird Stan “Candyman” Mutt and tournament director Ken Shuman for contributing information to these reports. Hit ’em where you want to guys, and again, thanks for the extra eyes, ears and melons.

See Squeaks by Schmidt a Second Time at Qlympics

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See Squeaks by Schmidt a Second Time at QlympicsU.S. Open 14.1 Straight Pool Championship unfolds with four unblemished

by Paul Berg, InsidePOOL Magazine Staff
Any reprisal of Danny Harriman and John Schmidt’s straight pool bout from this week will come in the one-loss bracket of the U.S. Open 14.1 Straight Pool Championship. Both have suffered defeats today, Schmidt a narrow loss to his ouster on the winners’ side of the concurrent U.S. Open 10-ball Championship last night. Huidji See has enjoyed his arrival at the Qlympics, giving Schmidt all he can handle and reaching the latter stages at both events in Louisville.
For Harriman, 2006 World All-Around Champion Jason Miller was too much, and while unheralded as a straight pool player, won handily. Miller will play Rafael Martinez-Chavez next, who has notched solid victories over Dee Adkins and Shannon Murphy.
Gabe Owen has shown resilience despite a grueling schedule created by his after hours play and not receiving any of the twenty-eight first round byes between the two tournament charts. With three victories under his belt, “The Babe” can look forward to See, who was runner-up at the World Straight Pool Championship earlier this year. His win over Schmidt came on the heels of an 11-9 victory in 10-ball last night, and like that escape, See would again have to hold off a charge from “Mr. 400.”
With a 79 ball run out of the gate, See once again took a commanding lead over Schmidt, but made mistakes from there. Schmidt gradually capitalized despite frustration which at one point boiled over to a snapped shaft, a new one screwed on as he worked his way to 135-132 lead in the race to 150 points. The results from the break shot there forced Schmidt to abandon his 37 ball run and initiate safety play, which See replied ably to. With a soft roll of the cue ball off the head rail into the stack, Schmidt took a foul, and See was forced to do the same, coaxing whitey back to near its original position and bringing the score back to 134-131.
Schmidt swung at a ball in the stack, missed and seemingly left the game in See’s hands, but having run 12, a slow-rolled key ball shot at the 12-ball hung up for Schmidt, who trailed 143-134. He knocked in the hanger and got shape on the 3ball to break open a rack that held exactly enough balls for him to reach the finish line. Drawing into the stack and sending the cue ball all the way up the table from a successful break shot, Schmidt began a familiar string of self-deprecatory banter as he worked through initial difficulties.
“I’ve got no chance to make a shot in this spot,” Schmidt said before starting off with a long strike of the 13ball down the rail. “You’re a big favorite with me shooting this,” Schmidt told See before cutting the 1ball into the side from a steep angle and recovering position. Schmidt seemed to have the clinching balls picked apart after solid shooting from there, but with four left, Schmidt missed a slight cut into the corner, and scattered the balls as that 6ball lay hanging, having reached 146 to See’s 143, and conceding the match without making him bridge the last rack.
“I didn’t deserve to win,” See said to a group of spectators afterward. “Neither of us did.” Straight pool play will resume tomorrow, as the U.S. Open 10-ball Championship returns to the fore this evening. Check back with InsidePOOLmag.com later for results from the winners’ bracket semifinals, where young Murphy will try his hot hand against the cagey Martinez and Louis Ulrich will tackle See.

Glass Goes All the Way on McDermott Billiards Tour

Posted by admin as Billiard Tour News - ACS All American Tour

Glass Goes All the Way on McDermott Billiards Tour
McDermott All-American Tour / Las Vegas, NV

by InsidePOOL Staff
Tim Glass went unscathed at the November 10 stop of the McDermott All-American Tour to take first place over Rick White. Hosted by the Las Vegas cue Club in Las Vegas, NV, this $500-added event drew 32 billiards players in a double-elimination 8-ball format on 7-foot bar boxes.
In the hot seat match, Glass glided past Kenny Miller 5-3. Earlier in the A-bracket quarterfinals, Miller dispatched Sam Smith 4-2, Ted Banas clipped Davis Toothman 5-4, White out-pointed Carrie Halvorson 6-2, while Glass aced his match. The A-side semifinals featured Glass outplaying White 5-4, while Miller eclipsed Banas 4-4.

In the B-side bracket White stopped Toothman at fifth place by a 6-4 margin, while Banas eliminated Sam Smith at the same placement 5-2. In the one-loss side semifinals White toppled Banas, and White kept his hot hand in the B-side finals by ousting Miller in another hill match 6-3. The final match between Glass and White was nip and tuck until Glass won the first set on the hill 5-4 to take the title.

Results:
1st Tim Glass
2nd Rick White
3rd Kenny Miller
4th Ted Banas
5th Sam Smith
Davis Toothman
7th Carrie Halvorson
Chris Sheerin
9th Henry Nogiec
Gene Pasieka
Latrelle Smith
Ron Allen

BCA Renews Expo Management Contract: Glasgow On Board Through 2010

Posted by admin as Billiards Industry News - Information

BCA Renews Expo Management Contract: Glasgow On Board Through 2010
The Billiard Congress of America (BCA) today announced it has renewed its International Billiard Home Recreation Expo management contract with William T Glasgow, Inc., through 2010.
“The Glasgow organization is all about impeccable service and results,” said BCA President Ivan Lee. “We receive outstanding reviews from Expo exhibitors and attendees alike with regard to the services of the Glasgow organization. With such input, the BCA Board voted unanimously to extend our relationship with Glasgow through 2010. We look forward to working closely with their organization to constantly improve the Expo.”
William T Glasgow, Inc., is a professional trade show management company with 20 years of producing trade shows for clients both in the United States and internationally. Glasgow employs an experienced staff of trade show professionals whose backgrounds combined span more than 120 years of service in the trade show and convention industries.
“We have enjoyed our working relationship with the BCA for the past 11 years,” William T. Glasgow, Sr., president. “We are pleased and excited that the BCA has extended our contract through 2010 and look forward to our continued relationship.”
About Billiard Congress of America
Founded in 1948, the Billiard Congress of America is a non-profit trade organization dedicated to growing a united, prosperous and highly regarded billiard industry through BCA leadership. The BCA seeks to enhance the success of its members and promote the game of billiards though educational, marketing and promotional efforts, annual industry trade shows, tournaments and other programs designed to encourage billiards as a lifestyle and make pool everybody’s game. For more information, visit Bca-pool.com or call 866.852.0999.