Held at the ACBS Clubrooms : 14-15 March 2009

A very strong field os players (in the men’s event) with some old faces returning.  Good to see Richard Parata back playing tournaments once again.

Also a good standard of dress was met, particularly by most of the new players.  The qualifiers were mainly in ranking order except for Cliff Keach losing his match to Ross Bennett 4/1 and missing out to Ross on frame differential for the fourth spot in Section 2.  Jon Grimley played like a man possessed to beat last year’s winner, Chris Bowman 5/1.  Glen Coutts beat Sean Stevenson 5/2.  Matt Edwards was too strong for Tony de Fontenay winning 5/1.  Rumour has it that Tony entered the tournament by mistake thinking it was 9-ball.  Jimmy Henry had a long battle with Ross Bennett with Jimmy eventually winning 5/3 after some very good tactical play by both players.

In the Semi-finals two old foes in Jimmy Henry and Glen Coutts had a great match.  Glenn was unlucky not to go out to a 4/0 lead.  While cleaning up all of his balls he potted the black off his last one while trying to clear the black ball, but went on to take the match 5/2.  In the other Semi Matt was too good for Jon overpowering him 5/1.

The Final between Matt and Glenn was a potting match with not much safety play and some very good clearances by both players.  Glenn missed a couple of blacks in the sixth frame to even the match at 3-all.  Matt cleared up in the seventh frame to go 5/2 ahead.  Glenn had a brilliant clearance in the next frame to come back to 5/3.  In the eighth frame Glenn went in-off the break and Matt then cleared to the black missing a fairly east pot and Glenn cleared up.  In the tenth and final frame Matt got a ball off the break and cleared to take the match 6/4 taking the title on his first season to Auckland.

Men’s Quarter-finals: J Henry bt R Bennett 5/3, G Coutts bt S Stevenson 5/2, M Edwards bt T de Fontenay, J Grimley bt C Bowman 5/1.
Men’s Semi-finals: G Coutts bt J Henry 5/2, M Edwards bt J Grimley 5/1.
Men’s Final: M Edwards bt G Coutts 6/4.

Unfortunately there was a very small field of four in the women’s event.  The draw was sent out with only two to qualify, however it was queried as to why there was no semi-final and it was pointed out that with a section of four you could not have four qualifiers.  I agreed to find out and change the post-scection play to include semis if allowable.  It was confirmed we could play semis and a final.  Unfortunately this decision did possibly upset Aimee Black who was a first-timer in the APA 8-ball Regionals and a top qualifier, who then lost to Licinda Prescott in the Semis, 5/3.

The NZPA does need to update all tournament formats as there have been a number of changes to ranking tournaments in the last four years.

In the other Semi-final Lorna beat Connie 5/3.  Lorna proved too strong in the final winning 5/3 and claiming the title for the fourth time.

Women’s Semi-finals: L Prescott bt A Black 5/3, L Frost bt C Adams 5/3.
Women’s Final: L Frost bt L Prescott 5/3.

Individual “Player Profiles” have been updated
Tournament History has been updated