Montal captures James Tour stop
CANADA-BASED Filipino Edwin Montal continued his amazing run in the Stan James Tour by winning his second tour event in a row in Montreal, defeating promising teenager John Morra, 11-7, in the finals after earlier beating the youngster, who has become a force on the tour, 9-7, in a battle for the hot seat.
Morra forced a rematch with Montal after emerging from the losers’ bracket by defeating Alain Martel for the second time in the tournament, 9-5.
But Montal, whose game was described by AZ Billiards as “rock solid all weekend,” never played a close match until Danny Hewitt took him to the hill.
After his close 9-8 victory over Hewitt, Montal had to get by sharpshooter Morra twice and he did so with style.
With only a single event remaining on the tour calendar for this season, Montal has a score of 525 points for a comfortable lead over Martel with 385 with Jeff Kennedy and Danny Hewitt close behind Martel.
Montal is expected to wrap up the Stan James Tour title after the final event in Toronto during the last weekend of April.
Earlier in the tour stop at Breakers Billiards & Bistro in Kelwona, Montal beat 2004 World Pool champion Alex “The Lion” Pagulayan, 9-7. Pagulayan eventually finished fifth.
Pegged as the underdog in his clash with Pagulayan, Montal never trailed in the match and later took his low-key attitude into the arena for his battle with former Canadian champion John Horsfall to win a 9-8 cliffhanger.
AZ Billiards described it as a “marvelous match,” that came down to a single rack. It appeared to be going Horsfall’s way when he snookered himself on the five-ball.
When Horsfall missed the kick, Montal easily swept the remaining balls to get to the hot seat.
Horsfall led, 4-0, against Paul Potier in the losers’ bracket showdown but Potier clawed back to win, 9-8, and faced Montal in the final. Ronnie Nathanielsz
CANADA-BASED Filipino Edwin Montal continued his amazing run in the Stan James Tour by winning his second tour event in a row in Montreal, defeating promising teenager John Morra, 11-7, in the finals after earlier beating the youngster, who has become a force on the tour, 9-7, in a battle for the hot seat.
Morra forced a rematch with Montal after emerging from the losers’ bracket by defeating Alain Martel for the second time in the tournament, 9-5.
But Montal, whose game was described by AZ Billiards as “rock solid all weekend,” never played a close match until Danny Hewitt took him to the hill.
After his close 9-8 victory over Hewitt, Montal had to get by sharpshooter Morra twice and he did so with style.
With only a single event remaining on the tour calendar for this season, Montal has a score of 525 points for a comfortable lead over Martel with 385 with Jeff Kennedy and Danny Hewitt close behind Martel.
Montal is expected to wrap up the Stan James Tour title after the final event in Toronto during the last weekend of April.
Earlier in the tour stop at Breakers Billiards & Bistro in Kelwona, Montal beat 2004 World Pool champion Alex “The Lion” Pagulayan, 9-7. Pagulayan eventually finished fifth.
Pegged as the underdog in his clash with Pagulayan, Montal never trailed in the match and later took his low-key attitude into the arena for his battle with former Canadian champion John Horsfall to win a 9-8 cliffhanger.
AZ Billiards described it as a “marvelous match,” that came down to a single rack. It appeared to be going Horsfall’s way when he snookered himself on the five-ball.
When Horsfall missed the kick, Montal easily swept the remaining balls to get to the hot seat.
Horsfall led, 4-0, against Paul Potier in the losers’ bracket showdown but Potier clawed back to win, 9-8, and faced Montal in the final. Ronnie Nathanielsz
