Comebacks and Firsts Highlight Planet Pool Stop

Comebacks and Firsts Highlight Planet Pool StopBy Bill RosenbergerThe Planet Pool 8- and 9-Ball Tour had a full weekend of events on April 16-17 at Breaktime Sports Grill & Pub in Salisbury, MD. All of the four fields were packed with top tour players, along with a few who made their mark with come-from-behind wins.The weekend kicked off with the open and ladies' 8-ball event, and while both fields were small, the competition was still at its highest. only seven women entered the bracket, but only one could win, and Sheree Adams proved the champion with a 5-2 victory over Kathleen Lawless in the finals. Adams had to come through the west side to earn the win, as she also ousted Wendy Safford in the semifinals.The open 8-ball division drew 20 players, including points leader David Hunt, who came in with two victories on the young season, but Hunt bowed out in fourth place thanks to Danny Bell. Instead, it was Ed Deska who dominated the tournament, capping off an undefeated weekend with a 7-4 win over Larry Averman.The hot 8-ball play rolled over into the 9-ball events as well, starting with a dramatic finish in the open division. The 48-player field included Mike Davis, Lee Holt, Brandon Shuff, and Kevin West, but it was Jerry Slivka's west side run that brought him back to the finals.Early on Sunday, Slivka was bested 9-3 by Davis, who continued his own path to the finals with a 9-6 win over Holt in the hot seat match. Meanwhile, Slivka took his game to the one-loss side to face Alvin Thomas in the quarterfinals. Although Slivka came out a winner, Thomas celebrated his highest Planet Pool finish.Holt and Slivka then matched up in the semifinals, and once again, Slivka slipped through with a 7-5 win to set up a rematch with Davis in the finals. And this time the match was close, with neither Holt nor Slivka gaining the upper hand at all. After the score reached 5 apiece, the two traded games until Slivka held a slim 9-8 lead. In the last two racks, though, Slivka ran the table to earn the hard-fought victory 11-8.Finally on Sunday night, the women finished up their 9-ball tournament with an undefeated victory from Ellen Yu. Her win came against Malea Haacke, who came through the one-loss side after falling 7-6 in the third round to Teresa Savage. Haacke reached the finals with a slim 5-4 win over Amanda Pasko in the semifinals, propelling her to the finals. Early on, Haacke and Yu were on an even scale, but Yu finished the match off strong, winning 9-3 to claim her first-ever Planet Pool victory.Open 8-Ball Results:1st Ed Deska $3502nd Larry Averman $2503rd Danny Bell $1504th David Hunt $100Ladies' 8-Ball Results:1st Sheree Adams $1302nd Kathleen Lawless $853rd Wendy Safford $50Open 9-Ball Results:1st Jerry Slivka $1,0002nd Mike Davis $6003rd Lee Holt $4004th Alvin Thomas $2755th Kevin West, Buddy Chilton $1757th Fred Scott, Brandon Shuff $120Ladies' 9-Ball Results:1st Ellen Yu $3502nd Malea Haacke $2303rd Amanda Pasko $1604th Kathy Friend $1305th Marcie Hanifee, Teresa Savage $85 Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news from the Planet Pool 8- and 9-Ball Tour.

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