Bustamante Heats Things Up at U.S. Open Warm Up

Bustamante Heats Things Up at U.S. Open Warm UpGetting into fine form at the Planet Pool 9-Ball Tour’s U.S. Open warm up, Francisco Bustamante met and defeated world-ranked number one Ralf Souquet in the final match at the $4,000-added event. The field was open to the first 64 players, and every last spot was filled as players flocked to Great Slates in Cambridge, MD, September 4-5, 2004.Santos Sambajon kept the match for fourth placed against Allen Hopkins in his control, repeating his win of their match earlier in the day when Hopkins was sent to the one-loss side with a 9-6 win by Sambajon. Hopkins made the most of his opportunity of a rematch by taking it hill-hill before Sambajon took the final match 7-6.The hot seat match between Souquet and Bustamante was fairly one-sided, with Bustamante winning the match while his opponent trailed at 2. Souquet demonstrated why he was number one in the world, though, when he made an impressive comeback bid against Sambajon in the match for third place. Sambajon started the match playing perfectly, getting out to a 6-0 lead in the race to 7 but handed the table to Souquet in rack seven when he scratched on the break. Souquet ran four racks without his opponent even getting to the table to close the deficit 6-4. Sambajon made it to the table in the next two games but could not get past Souquet’s safeties to claim either of them to clinch the win. He could only watch in amazement as his lead slipped away, and Souquet came back with seven straight racks to take the win 7-6.Meeting up again in the final match, Bustamante was in command when he faced off against Souquet. one spectator speculated that the tough match against Sambajon in the semifinals must have taken it out of Souquet because “Busta” jumped out to a 3-0 lead. The players then traded racks to bring the score to 4-1, but Bustamante soon raced into the lead again, making it to nine while Souquet trailed at two. Souquet tried getting back into the game with a similar comeback that he displayed in the previous match but it wasn’t enough. Bustamante took the final racks he needed for the win, defeating Souquet 11-6.Results:1st Francisco Bustamante $2,0002nd Ralf Souquet $1,2003rd Santos Sambajon $7504th Allen Hopkins $500

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