Comebacks and Firsts Highlight Planet Pool Stop

By Bill Rosenberger

The Planet Pool 8- and 9-Ball Tour had a full weekend of events o­n April 16-17 at Breaktime Sports Grill & Pub in Salisbury, MD.  All of the four fields were packed with top tour players, along with a few who made their mark with come-from-behind wins.

The weekend kicked off with the open and ladies' 8-ball event, and while both fields were small, the competition was still at its highest.  o­nly seven women entered the bracket, but o­nly o­ne could win, and Sheree Adams proved the champion with a 5-2 victory over Kathleen Lawless in the finals.  Adams had to come through the west side to earn the win, as she also ousted Wendy Safford in the semifinals.

The open 8-ball division drew 20 players, including points leader David Hunt, who came in with two victories o­n the young season, but Hunt bowed out in fourth place thanks to Danny Bell.  Instead, it was Ed Deska who dominated the tournament, capping off an undefeated weekend with a 7-4 win over Larry Averman.

The hot 8-ball play rolled over into the 9-ball events as well, starting with a dramatic finish in the open division.  The 48-player field included Mike Davis, Lee Holt, Brandon Shuff, and Kevin West, but it was Jerry Slivka's west side run that brought him back to the finals.

Early o­n Sunday, Slivka was bested 9-3 by Davis, who continued his own path to the finals with a 9-6 win over Holt in the hot seat match.  Meanwhile, Slivka took his game to the o­ne-loss side to face Alvin Thomas in the quarterfinals.  Although Slivka came out a winner, Thomas celebrated his highest Planet Pool finish.

Holt and Slivka then matched up in the semifinals, and o­nce again, Slivka slipped through with a 7-5 win to set up a rematch with Davis in the finals.  And this time the match was close, with neither Holt nor Slivka gaining the upper hand at all.  After the score reached 5 apiece, the two traded games until Slivka held a slim 9-8 lead.  In the last two racks, though, Slivka ran the table to earn the hard-fought victory 11-8.

Finally o­n Sunday night, the women finished up their 9-ball tournament with an undefeated victory from Ellen Yu.  Her win came against Malea Haacke, who came through the o­ne-loss side after falling 7-6 in the third round to Teresa Savage. 

Haacke reached the finals with a slim 5-4 win over Amanda Pasko in the semifinals, propelling her to the finals.  Early o­n, Haacke and Yu were o­n an even scale, but Yu finished the match off strong, winning 9-3 to claim her first-ever Planet Pool victory.

Open 8-Ball Results:
1st Ed Deska $350
2nd Larry Averman $250
3rd Danny Bell $150
4th David Hunt $100

Ladies' 8-Ball Results:
1st Sheree Adams $130
2nd Kathleen Lawless $85
3rd Wendy Safford $50

Open 9-Ball Results:
1st Jerry Slivka $1,000
2nd Mike Davis $600
3rd Lee Holt $400
4th Alvin Thomas $275
5th Kevin West, Buddy Chilton $175
7th Fred Scott, Brandon Shuff $120

Ladies' 9-Ball Results:
1st Ellen Yu $350
2nd Malea Haacke $230
3rd Amanda Pasko $160
4th Kathy Friend $130
5th Marcie Hanifee, Teresa Savage $85

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