"Hennessee from Tennessee" had already escaped two come-backing challengers, but against Owen he needed to escape the perils of several deficits and then out-finesse the Oklahoman several times before turning the tide at the end 11-10. He also had to survive being down hill-6 with a series of cliffhanger rallies each time just when it seemed as if Owen's ultimate victory was well within the latter's grasp.

The early going featured a series of disputes over the tightness of the balls for the break. Whether this was a psychological ploy by Hennessee, or just the balls refusing to stay in place, matters little; the effect was Pinegar’s winning the first game. Owen then ran three straight games, and they jockeyed back and forth until it was 8-5 in his favor.

Owen allowed Hennesse o­nly o­ne more game before taking the hill at 10-6, but Hennessee fought back from the brink of extinction, from 10-6 to 10-9. In the following game, he had a chance to even the match with a difficult jump shot to the corner but left it short. Owen sank the ball and appeared o­n the verge of closing it out, but after sinking the next couple of balls, he left the cue in a tight spot and could not convert. Hennessee dropped the 7, and then closed out the game to tie at 10-all.

Now it was Pinegar’s turn to leave the door open: he scratched o­n the break. After sinking the 2, Owen thought long and hard about his next shot and chose to hide the cue behind the 7 ball. The two then played cat-and-mouse for several passes with the 4 ball until Hennessee found an opening, canned a tough bank shot, and then closed out the match with a flourish. He now faces Donnie Pinson in the winners’ flight round of eight o­n Saturday, with o­nly two more matches to reach the final four.

The Rusty and Dave Show

Another match that caught the crowd's attention, again in the winners' bracket, was between Rusty Jackson and Dave Matlock. The wily Matlock, a previous winner of this tournament, took the lead and held it all through the match. But o­ne characteristic of both billiards matches and baseball games is this: It ain't over until it's over. Rusty Jackson was never out of this o­ne until the final shot.

Matlock led by 4-1, 6-3, 7-5, and 8-6, but in the next game, seemingly o­n the verge of running out the string, he left the 9 ball hanging o­n the edge of the far corner pocket, and Jackson converted the game to close to 8-7. Then it was Jackson's turn to open the door, as he scratched while attempting a combination shot to hole the 9. But Matlock dribbled a rail-bound lie o­n the 7, and Jackson closed to 8-all.

Then, with a bad leave o­n the 1 ball, Jackson chose to hide it behind two others, leaving his opponent no option but to play safe. A couple more close calls, including a near miss of a 2-9 combo, and it was Matlock's turn to go back in front and then win another game to reach the hill. With another impossible lie, Jackson opted to drop the 9 and scratch, forcing Matlock to clear the table as best he could. He did so in short order and accepted Jackson’s handshake with a sigh of relief.

Other feature winners'-flight matches included: Erman Bullard's deft handling of James Davis, despite the latter's late comeback, 11-9; Barry Emerson's five-game closing run to defeat Tony Mougey, 11-9; David Gutierrez over Kendal Koch, 11-4; Scotty Townsend's 11-5 vanquishing of Arturo Santander; Donnie Pinson over Don Brumley, 11-4; and local boy Nick Hickerson's repeat of his win over Joe Dan Bilyeu (he had also defeated the Ragin' Cajun to win the Mini-Tournament held o­n Tuesday night), this time by an 11-8 tally.

Going … Going …

On the West side, Shannon Daulton survived yet another comeback from a lofty hill-3, this time from Lee Uhles, to win 11-10. Joe Montoya eliminated James Oswalt 11-8, while hometown favorite Bobby Pickle handled Dino Conjardo 11-8. Larry Nevel, Pickle's first-round victim, stayed alive with an 11-4 drubbing of Tony Fargo.

In other matches, David Grossman beat Ricky Williams 11-8; Rich Sager topped Glen Smith 11-4; Jerry Slivka bested Ron Justice 11-6; Nat Green took Rickie Leatherwood 11-8; Mike Moran dropped Doug Young 11-6; Cliff Joyner sent Dallas Roach packing 11-7; Blaine Lee overcame Sam Tush 11-8; Jimmy Reid beat Bruce Hammerstein 11-5; John Watson handled Pat Anson 11-3; Blake Todd mastered Nick Vita 11-6; Chuck Raulston took David Rowell 11-2; and Johnny Stone outdid Scott Smith 11-6.

On Saturday at 1:00 p.m., these elimination match-ups ensue: Daulton vs. Montoya; Pickle vs. Stone; Watson vs. Todd; Lee vs. Reid; Slivka vs. Raulston; Green vs. Joyner; Grossman vs. Sager; and Moran vs. Nevel. At 3:00 p.m., it's the final eight in the winners' bracket showdowns: Hennessee vs. Pinson; Hickerson vs. Townsend; Emerson vs. Bullard; and Gutierrez vs. Matlock.

A deep breath and a cleansing gulp of the beverage of your choice, and the winners face off Saturday evening, each hoping to advance to Sunday's final four and knowing that o­nly two from each flight will make it there. Bobby Pickle still swears he can win this from the back of the pack, as do all the others remaining in the race for the title and the top prize.

But What About the Women?

You’d think that would be enough excitement for o­ne day, but Friday evening also kicked off the women's division. Following a spirited players’ auction for each of the 25 entrants in the field, the ladies faced off for their own opening rounds, with a race to 7 instead of the marathon 11. Among the top names present were the young and rising Monica Webb, Sweden's Helena Thornfeldt, and Sarah Rousey. The opening round saw few surprises and eliminated nobody from among the contenders; it also featured such highlights as two early-teenaged sisters, Allison and Chelsea Hardwick, and a sparky and determined newlywed, Cheryll Edwards.

Friday Results: Edwards over Samantha Patton 7-6; Chelsea Hardwick over Renee Hellard 7-5; Monica Webb over Kathy Sanders 7-3; Jennifer Livingston over Theresa Gifford 7-2; KK Williams over Allison Hardwick 7-2; Paulette Spaulding over Kathy Groves 7-4; Rachael Abbink over Janna Grenard 7-4; Pam Treadway over Morgan Steinman 7-3; Sarah Rousey over Charlotte Miller 7-1.

Play will resume o­n Saturday. Featured matches include Edwards vs. Thornfeldt; Chelsea Hardwick vs. Jan Browning; Webb vs. Donna Favors; Livingston vs. Cindy Hall; Williams vs. Toni Tucker; Spaulding vs. Christie Simpson; Abbink vs. Michelle Ferrell; Treadway vs. Rousey.

The tournament is being held through Sunday, January 12, 2004, with the final matches o­n Sunday afternoon at JOB Billiards in Nashville, TN.

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