WPBA 9-Ball Open
- Thread starter Johnnyt
- Start date
Evaluating the play through the brackets alone is a very inexact science, but just for the fun of it, I'll take a shot, realizing in full that I may totally embarrass myself.
Nothing too earth shattering going on in Rhode Island quite yet. The sixteen seeded players went a combined 29-3 in their 32 matches on the winners side, with Julie Kelly and Kim White losing double hill and Melissa Herndon losing 9-7. Let's add that nobody should be surpirsed by Webb's win over Ouschan. Jasmin is a great player, but Monca is also one of the elite, and came 5th at the BCA pro event and 5th again at WPBA Florida.
The winners bracket gives us some fine matches tongiht, with the winners assured of a place in the single elimination portion of the tournament. Here's what's on the slate and how I see it:
Allison Fisher vs Vivian Villareal
Having beaten Abbink 9-3 and Hines 9-8, Allison is hard to gauge. Sounds like she's vulnerable, but I think she'll get past Vivian in this one.
Helena Thornfeldt vs Melissa Little
Melissa has some firepower, so she's got a shot, but Helena has quietly played some solid pool this WPBA season, beating Ga Young Kim convincingly at the BCA pro event and coming second at WPBA Michigan City. I'm liking Helena a lot in this one.
Ga Young Kim vs Laura Smith
I see a little more maturity in Ga Young's game this year than last, and she's having a fine year on tour. Laura smith is a craft veteran player who rarely beats herself, but I'm guessing she won't have an answer for Ga Young's powerful game.
Monica Webb vs Megan Minerich
Megan is an upset specialist, but Monica is solid as a rock and rarely loses to an unseeded player. Monica gets the nod here.
Xiaoting Pan vs Sarah Ellerby
Sarah's game has matured a lot in the last year or two, and her #9 ranking is no fluke. If she breaks well, she should have a chance to pull off the upset of #3 Pan.
Kelly Fisher vs Tiffany Nelson
Normally, this would seem a tossup between two players with very big breaks, but Kelly Fisher's dominating 9-3 win over Atwell would lead me to believe she's back in form, so I'm picking Kelly.
Gerda Hofstatter vs Kim Shaw
This is, perhaps the toughest match to handicap in this round. Kim nearly won this event a year ago, caught from behind by Allison Fisher in the final. Still, there's much to recommend Gerda, as she has played well of late. I'm picking Gerda in a very close one.
Karen Corr vs Jeanette Lee
Karen has lost just one rack in her first two matches combined. Enough said. Sure sounds like she brought her "A" game.
Well, we shall see.
Nothing too earth shattering going on in Rhode Island quite yet. The sixteen seeded players went a combined 29-3 in their 32 matches on the winners side, with Julie Kelly and Kim White losing double hill and Melissa Herndon losing 9-7. Let's add that nobody should be surpirsed by Webb's win over Ouschan. Jasmin is a great player, but Monca is also one of the elite, and came 5th at the BCA pro event and 5th again at WPBA Florida.
The winners bracket gives us some fine matches tongiht, with the winners assured of a place in the single elimination portion of the tournament. Here's what's on the slate and how I see it:
Allison Fisher vs Vivian Villareal
Having beaten Abbink 9-3 and Hines 9-8, Allison is hard to gauge. Sounds like she's vulnerable, but I think she'll get past Vivian in this one.
Helena Thornfeldt vs Melissa Little
Melissa has some firepower, so she's got a shot, but Helena has quietly played some solid pool this WPBA season, beating Ga Young Kim convincingly at the BCA pro event and coming second at WPBA Michigan City. I'm liking Helena a lot in this one.
Ga Young Kim vs Laura Smith
I see a little more maturity in Ga Young's game this year than last, and she's having a fine year on tour. Laura smith is a craft veteran player who rarely beats herself, but I'm guessing she won't have an answer for Ga Young's powerful game.
Monica Webb vs Megan Minerich
Megan is an upset specialist, but Monica is solid as a rock and rarely loses to an unseeded player. Monica gets the nod here.
Xiaoting Pan vs Sarah Ellerby
Sarah's game has matured a lot in the last year or two, and her #9 ranking is no fluke. If she breaks well, she should have a chance to pull off the upset of #3 Pan.
Kelly Fisher vs Tiffany Nelson
Normally, this would seem a tossup between two players with very big breaks, but Kelly Fisher's dominating 9-3 win over Atwell would lead me to believe she's back in form, so I'm picking Kelly.
Gerda Hofstatter vs Kim Shaw
This is, perhaps the toughest match to handicap in this round. Kim nearly won this event a year ago, caught from behind by Allison Fisher in the final. Still, there's much to recommend Gerda, as she has played well of late. I'm picking Gerda in a very close one.
Karen Corr vs Jeanette Lee
Karen has lost just one rack in her first two matches combined. Enough said. Sure sounds like she brought her "A" game.
Well, we shall see.
sjm said:
i was there for that one SJM. i remember it being kinda odd at the time.
also remember the first pro match i ever saw in person. i walked into the penthouse at the Riviera and saw Vivian Villarreal playing Tina Pawloski, which was, of course, also in 1999.
DCP
Is it me, or is this tournament on an accelerated schedule? There are already down to the final 8? I was surprised to see some women eliminated Thursday night...I am assuming this is due to what Sarah said, ESPN is filming the final 8 matches. If so then yay, my pal Jenn has made the TV rounds! Not bad after losing her first match and for a new Mom 
.
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jeanette did indeed beat jasmine 9-8. jasmine should have won but rattled a ball in the jaws and jeanette completed the runout. it was a great match! and it was nice to see a player show a little emotion with the win!
final 16 starting at 10pm, well closer to 11 wasnt so hot. i had to leave to make sure i got back home w/o falling asleep. just 4 quarter final matches today taped by espn.
brian
brian
final 16 starting at 10pm, well closer to 11 wasnt so hot. i had to leave to make sure i got back home w/o falling asleep. just 4 quarter final matches today taped by espn.
brian
brian
Finally saw the results form Friday's play (the results were not online even at 2:00 AM NY time, so I guess they played well into the night) and it sure looks like form is holding in Rhode Island in a big way. The WPBA's top six ranked players are all among the last eight in the event and they have a combined match record of 24-0. Of course, today they begin squaring off against each other, so some of the mightly will begin to fall.
Joining them will be undefeated Kim Shaw, who has, once again, found her comfort zone at the US Open, continuing to build on a strong second place finish a year ago.
Also joining them will be NYC favorite, AZB Ask the Pros columnist, and new mother, Jennifer Barretta, whose win over eighth ranked Helena Thornfeldt was the only instance in which a player from the loser's bracket advanced to Saturday's play. I'm sure Jenn will do everything in her power to impress little Max.
I was sizing up the idea of driving up to Rhode Island today, but, after a significant effort, I couldn't even get a rent-a-car, so that idea is out the window. Amtrak is simply too much trouble for this fella. Should be quite a show today in Rhode Island, and I'm incredibly jealous of all those who will be there checking it out.
Joining them will be undefeated Kim Shaw, who has, once again, found her comfort zone at the US Open, continuing to build on a strong second place finish a year ago.
Also joining them will be NYC favorite, AZB Ask the Pros columnist, and new mother, Jennifer Barretta, whose win over eighth ranked Helena Thornfeldt was the only instance in which a player from the loser's bracket advanced to Saturday's play. I'm sure Jenn will do everything in her power to impress little Max.
I was sizing up the idea of driving up to Rhode Island today, but, after a significant effort, I couldn't even get a rent-a-car, so that idea is out the window. Amtrak is simply too much trouble for this fella. Should be quite a show today in Rhode Island, and I'm incredibly jealous of all those who will be there checking it out.
Snapshot9 said:What's up? You picked X Pan to win it all, and now you think she will lose her next match?
I also pick Kim Shaw over Gerda, I know about them Texas Girls! ....
I'm still picking Pan to win the title, but with all the big guns left, she'll certainly have to earn it.
NYC cue dude
Banned
just got done texting with jen. She said she plays allison tonight at 7pm. Her performance here is quite remarkable. Particularly because since the birth of her son max, jen has dedicated herself to him. Her shift in priorities has left pool a distant 2nd in her life. Although she still loves to play, her alloted practice time has certainly diminished in the last year.
I sure hope she can catch some lightning in a bottle and snap this thing off!
Rg
I sure hope she can catch some lightning in a bottle and snap this thing off!
Rg
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I know the WPBA has a lot of up and coming players at this time, but one that catches my eye to maybe make it into the top ten by years end is Anna Kostanian. I haven't seen her play in person, but she is winding her way through the ranks and has beat some top players along the way. Johnnyt
I also am very impressed by Anna, she came through Atlanta a few weeks ago and won a Sunday 9 Ball tourney at Johnny's new room. She beat a strong local player in the finals 5-0.
She is a very very smart player, her defensive game was what I was most impressed by and I think she is still in her teens!
She is a very very smart player, her defensive game was what I was most impressed by and I think she is still in her teens!
John Barton
New member
Come on Kelly - Time to get Pan off your back. Pan is so TOUGH - if you all think Jasmin is a machine she is nothing compared to an in-stroke Pan.
The new breed of Chinese players are being coached by top Taiwanese coaches and they truly play just about perfect. The girl who is ranked fifth in China just recently placed 4th in a large tournament that featured China's top players, men and women, playing together.
I am rooting for Kelly in this one - I predict that if she gets by Pan then she will win the US Open. GO KELLY!!!!
The new breed of Chinese players are being coached by top Taiwanese coaches and they truly play just about perfect. The girl who is ranked fifth in China just recently placed 4th in a large tournament that featured China's top players, men and women, playing together.
I am rooting for Kelly in this one - I predict that if she gets by Pan then she will win the US Open. GO KELLY!!!!