Hernandez Scares Field on HalloweenBy Bill Rosenberger  Frankie Hernandez didn't have to dress up in a scary Halloween costume to strike fear in his opponents. on Sunday, October 31, all Hernandez did was show up with his cue.
The event, held at Castle Billiards in East Rutherford, NJ, attracted a light but talented field, and Hernandez took control early and often. In an early second-round match, he met the young and talented Josh Brothers, the Hampton Ridge Tour points leader. The experienced Hernandez confidently tortured Brothers not with his game but with his mind. Tournament director Jose Burgos, who finished tied for ninth, said that Hernandez wears the younger players down by getting into their head. "It really frustrates Josh, and that's enough of an advantage for Frankie when it comes to time to play." Hernandez eventually took the match 7-3. Hernandez continued on to meet Brandon Shuff in the hot seat and easily took that match 7-4 to earn a spot in the finals. Shuff then headed to the semifinals to take on Rob Hart, who had knocked out Carmen Lombardo in the quarterfinals. In that match, Lombardo and Hart battled back and forth, with neither grabbing much of a lead. With the score tied at 3-all, Hart slowly pulled away to win 7-5. However, Hart fell to Shuff by the same score in the semifinals. In the finals, Hernandez and Shuff faced one another again. Hernandez jumped out to a 4-0 lead and built it to 5-1. Shuff took four straight racks to tie it at 5- all, but Hernandez commanded the table the rest of the match, winning 9-5. Hernandez has won all three Hampton Ridge events he has played in, and, according to Burgos, would probably have won the points championship had he competed on a full-time basis. Instead, it was Brothers' tie for ninth that earned him enough points to be crowned champion. Results: 1st Frankie Hernandez 2nd Brandon Shuff 3rd Rob Hart 4th Carmen Lombardo 5th Sean Walkie, Matt Krah 7th Reggie Harrell, Lee Holt 9th Jose Burgos, Wally Muhammad, Kent Wuethrich, Josh Brothers Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news from the sport of billiards and pool.
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