CNY Finale Goes to Sibleyby Bill Rosenberger The CNY 9-Ball Tour held its finale on April 9-10 at Salt City Billiards in Syracuse, NY, and, with some surprisingly good play, Lee Sibley mastered the field. The event drew 36 out of the 47 qualifying players, so the field was tough with names like Gary Empey, Lyn Wechsler, and Seth DelVillano. Players qualified for the final event by playing in at least three of the eight tour stops this season. Many of those in attendance for the weekend tournament were players who had participated in a lot more then three, though. Empey, for example played on every single tour stop, and although he didn't win the finale, he still managed to finish in a tie for fifth. The place not only secured his points championship, but it also completed a season-long streak of money finishes. Another strong player, Jose Mendez, gave a valiant effort on Sunday, as he met Sibley in the hot seat match. But Sibley was unstoppable, earning a 7-4 win, sending Mendez to face DelVillano in the semifinals. After falling to Mendez in the winners' bracket 8-6, DelVillano ousted Paul Merluzzi to advance on the semis as well. This time, he got revenge on Mendez in a big way with an 8-2 victory. In the final match, DelVillano, who is an "AAA" player, had to win eight games, while Sibley, who plays one class lower, had to win seven. The two struggled for control early in the match, with the score reaching 5 apiece. At that point, Sibley took over, capturing the final two games to earn the victory 7-5. After the event was complete, tournament director Mike Renshaw, who snagged a seventh-place finish, expressed adulation for the season's success. "It was a great year. We had over one hundred and forty different players compete this year. We'll be back in the fall." Results: 1st Lee Sibley $775 2nd Seth DelVillano $525 3rd Jose Mendez $400 4th Paul Merluzzi $250 5th Gary Empey, Ray Hart $200 7th Mike Renshaw, Lyn Wechsler $120 Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news from the CNY 9-Ball Tour.
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