Defending Champ Hatch Felled in Valley Forge

Defending Champ Hatch Felled in Valley Forge
Eight left undefeated in Gabriels Pro Players Championship

by Paul Berg, InsidePOOL Magazine Staff
As the spectacle of the bustling Super Billiards Expo swirls around and a plethora of tournament options are open to their amateur spectators, eight of the top pros in the UPA have risen to the occasion. Featuring former back-to-back winner of this event, Johnny Archer, this group of undefeated players has a distinct edge on those with one loss, who will spend a few more rounds this evening whittling down the field. Last year’s winner Dennis Hatch will not be in action in the arena set aside for the Gabriels Open 9-Ball Professional Players Championship.
Hatch went two and out with losses to Charlie Williams and Rafael Martinez-Chavez. Many great names litter the chart on the one-loss side, thanks to some dazzling play from the undefeated contenders. While Archer may be the most imposing figure in the winners’ bracket, two less heralded players are turning in the most impressive match work. Detroit’s Ronnie Wiseman is in dead punch, having handed Troy Frank a 10-0 defeat. The bagel is even more rare in the alternate-break format used here, and considering Frank played an impressive match to beat Filipino stalwart Warren Kiamco 10-9 just last night, Wiseman’s merciless control of the cue ball becomes that much more impressive. Another man exceeding expectations is one-pocket wizard Cliff Joyner, who has marched through backroom battler John Macias, 2005 winner Shawn Putnam, and today turned in a sterling 10-3 victory over Charles “Hillbilly” Bryant.
Rodney Morris and Larry “The Truth” Nevel are both running out swiftly and remain unbeaten, while 2005 runner-up Fabio Petroni and the mercurial Corey Deuel are also unblemished. Ryan “The Genie Man” McCreesh rounds out the ranks on the A-side following a 10-8 win over Jose Parica. These eight will screw back together tomorrow afternoon, while some sense is made of the competitive B-side this evening.
The Inside POOL staff took some time out from checking innumerable tournament brackets to spend some time with our uncle Vito. Joe Gannascoli, who played Vito Spatafore on “The Sopranos” until the character met an untimely end, is making connections and doing favors for favors all around the Expo. His “Cue to Die For” is being produced by Rockwell Billiards, and the actor has taken a shine to the billiards community. Gannascoli sums up his newfound entrepreneurial ethic well: “If they’re gonna kill me by stickin’ a pool cue up my [expletive], I’m gonna make somethin’ out of it.” Bada bing, pool fans.

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Inside Pool Magazine publishes billiard news. Definitive Synergy creates pool and billiard management software.