Well, I'm back from Mohegan Sun, and it was a four player, single elimination, one day event with the same field as last year: Fisher, Corr, Lee, Thornfeldt.
Usual format, a match consists of two races to five and a playoff rack if the two races are split. Alternate break, nine racked on the spot (really!), call the nine, and nine on the break didn't count, though a player making the nine on the break would retain control of the table after it was spotted. Pretty tight pockets, a pleasant surprise.
Semifinal #1: Corr vs Fisher
In recent years, Allison and Karen had always been, at least seemingly, seeded to meet in the final, but not this time. The first semifinal was Fisher vs Corr. Fisher came out on fire to go up 3 - 0, and Corr was off her usual form in the first set, which Fisher won easily. Corr caught a stroke early in the second set, but with two balls left for a 2 - 0 lead, she scratched on the seven ball, so it was 1 - 1. Allison outlasted Karen in a generally well-played set to advance to the final.
Semifinal #2: Lee vs Thornfeldt
The first set was hotly contested, but at 3 - 3, Lee was quite fortunate to hook Thornfeldt after a missed four-nine combination. This proved the key roll in the first set, won by Lee. The second set looked like a laugher. Lee led 4 -1 and was four balls from victory when she missed a very easy six ball. Thornfeldt made the most of it, winning that rack, and then playing great pool to pull the set out, forcing a one-rack playoff. Lee won the lag, but Thornfeldt was the one that had the first real chance to run out. It came down to Helena having to make a tough four ball into half a pocket, and she wasn't up to it. Jeanette then ran out to reach the final against Fisher.
The Finals: Lee vs Fisher
It was a repeat matchup of the 2003 final won by Lee, and I'm sure Allison had revenge on her mind. The first set was an exciting one, settled by a most unusual occurrence. At double hill, it was Lee's break, and she hit a fantastic break, making a ball and leaving a simple shot on the one that provided easy access to the two, after which she'd have, in my estimation, a table she should run over 70% of the time. But then, I noticed which ball she made on the break, it was the nine! As noted earlier, nine on the break didn't count in this event. And then came the unkindest cut of all. The referee spotted the nine ball a fraction of an inch from the cue ball and Lee could no longer see the one, and the nine was too close to jump over it. Jeanette had no choice but to push, and Fisher repsonded with a fantastic safety. Lee missed the kick and that was the end of her chance in set one, won by Fisher. In set two, Fisher played well, and Lee was off form. Fisher's sweep of the two sets gave her a well-deserved title and the 25,000 that comes with it.
Other than the participating players, other noteworthy professional attendees that I noticed were Jean Balukas, Gerda Hofstatter, Monica Webb, Julie Kelly, Dawn Hopkins and Mike Zuglan. In addition, Mr T, the great benefactor of women's pro pool, was there.
Well, that's about the size of it.
Usual format, a match consists of two races to five and a playoff rack if the two races are split. Alternate break, nine racked on the spot (really!), call the nine, and nine on the break didn't count, though a player making the nine on the break would retain control of the table after it was spotted. Pretty tight pockets, a pleasant surprise.
Semifinal #1: Corr vs Fisher
In recent years, Allison and Karen had always been, at least seemingly, seeded to meet in the final, but not this time. The first semifinal was Fisher vs Corr. Fisher came out on fire to go up 3 - 0, and Corr was off her usual form in the first set, which Fisher won easily. Corr caught a stroke early in the second set, but with two balls left for a 2 - 0 lead, she scratched on the seven ball, so it was 1 - 1. Allison outlasted Karen in a generally well-played set to advance to the final.
Semifinal #2: Lee vs Thornfeldt
The first set was hotly contested, but at 3 - 3, Lee was quite fortunate to hook Thornfeldt after a missed four-nine combination. This proved the key roll in the first set, won by Lee. The second set looked like a laugher. Lee led 4 -1 and was four balls from victory when she missed a very easy six ball. Thornfeldt made the most of it, winning that rack, and then playing great pool to pull the set out, forcing a one-rack playoff. Lee won the lag, but Thornfeldt was the one that had the first real chance to run out. It came down to Helena having to make a tough four ball into half a pocket, and she wasn't up to it. Jeanette then ran out to reach the final against Fisher.
The Finals: Lee vs Fisher
It was a repeat matchup of the 2003 final won by Lee, and I'm sure Allison had revenge on her mind. The first set was an exciting one, settled by a most unusual occurrence. At double hill, it was Lee's break, and she hit a fantastic break, making a ball and leaving a simple shot on the one that provided easy access to the two, after which she'd have, in my estimation, a table she should run over 70% of the time. But then, I noticed which ball she made on the break, it was the nine! As noted earlier, nine on the break didn't count in this event. And then came the unkindest cut of all. The referee spotted the nine ball a fraction of an inch from the cue ball and Lee could no longer see the one, and the nine was too close to jump over it. Jeanette had no choice but to push, and Fisher repsonded with a fantastic safety. Lee missed the kick and that was the end of her chance in set one, won by Fisher. In set two, Fisher played well, and Lee was off form. Fisher's sweep of the two sets gave her a well-deserved title and the 25,000 that comes with it.
Other than the participating players, other noteworthy professional attendees that I noticed were Jean Balukas, Gerda Hofstatter, Monica Webb, Julie Kelly, Dawn Hopkins and Mike Zuglan. In addition, Mr T, the great benefactor of women's pro pool, was there.
Well, that's about the size of it.
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When Allison wants revenge she seems to almost always get it. 
) Thorsten Hohmann who has an explosive break to say the least had multiple dry breaks in his finals with Engert, this is huge when your playing short races alternating break nine ball.