Top-ranked cards are coming fast and furious, and with such a qualified field, “upset” is a word rarely used, but there have certainly been a few surprises. Last year’s winner Johnny “The Scorpion” Archer was sent to the o­ne-loss side in his first match against Fabio Petroni. Petroni, who did not get a bye and played earlier in the day, was in high gear when it counted. Never relinquishing an early lead, Petroni kept Archer in the chair, putting a five-pack together to reach the hill in the race-to-10 match by a score of 9-4. Petroni, who had been breaking perfectly, finally had to push out, and the resultant over-cut o­n the o­ne allowed Archer to get back to the table, and he quickly took that game. Murmurs of Archer making a miracle comeback where silenced, however, when he uncharacteristically scratched o­n the break. Petroni then took the match 10-4. Larry Nevel, fresh off a win at the Midwest Open in October, was also directed to the “B”-side of the boards after a first-round loss to Ryan McCreesh. Gabe Owen, too, found himself a first-round casualty, losing o­n the hill to Detroit player Hoeksema. Local heroes Steve McAninch and youngster Danny Smith remain unscathed, much to the delight of their following.

The Glass City Open, a tournament with a rich history and a $40,000 guaranteed purse, is being held at the Clarion Westgate Hotel in Toledo and runs through Sunday, November 14. 

Glass City Open.