DiPietro & Meraglio Capture Planet Pool Wins

DiPietro & Meraglio Capture Planet Pool WinsBy Bill RosenbergerA fiery field of 93 players gathered at Bill & Billie's Cuesport in Arnold, MD, for the second 9-ball event on the Planet Pool Tour. As always, many of the top players from the northeast chalked up their cues in hopes for a victory.The February 26-27 event included UPA pro Mike Davis, along with top Planet Pool players Keith McCready, Ryan McCreesh, Joe DiPietro and Brett Stottlemyer. As the field became smaller, two players continued to play surprisingly well. Kevin West, who plays sparingly on the tour, earned his second-highest finish ever, while WPBA pro Sueyen Rhee finished in ninth place, her best in the open field.As the final few matches commenced, West and DiPietro remained the two hottest players. DiPietro was undefeated heading into his hot seat match with McCreesh, while West had a nine-match winning streak going, all coming in the one-loss side. West fell in his first match against Steve Fleming 7-5 but proceeded to oust each of his opponents one by one. In the quarterfinals, he faced Brandon Shuff, and after another tough win, West moved onto the semifinals. Over in the hot seat, McCreesh managed to come back from an early deficit to put the match at hill-hill, but a 3-9 combo by DiPietro in the final game earned him the 9-8 win and sent McCreesh on to face West. The hot seat battle took its toll on McCreesh, and he could never find a steady rhythm against West, falling 7-5 and finishing in third place. Meanwhile, West took his eleven straight wins to the finals to face DiPietro.Whatever the reason, West couldn't find his stroke in the finals against DiPietro, who raced to an 8-3 lead. After one more tally by West, DiPietro rolled onto an easy 11-4 victory, but both players deserved applause for their amazing weekend play.The ladies' division was also full of life, as 28 competitors filled the bracket. As Sunday's matches rolled on, four players emerged as contenders. Amanda Pasko, Kathy Friend, Jin Hee Park, and Tina Meraglio all made it to the final four, with Friend and Meraglio battling it out for the hot seat. From the onset, Friend had the advantage, earning a 7-2 win and reaching the finals. After Park ousted Pasko 5-4, Meraglio took out Park 5-2 to earn her way back for a rematch with Friend in the finals.In the finals, it looked like two different players, as Meraglio completely dominated the match. Friend watched from the spectator's chair for the most part, only getting to the table enough to muster one game, as Meraglio captured the title 9-1.Open Results:1st Joe DiPietro $1,5002nd Kevin West $1,0003rd Ryan McCreesh $6304th Brandon Shuff $4005th Don Steele, Brandon Sluzalis $2707th Joe Cataldi, Greg Sabins $1709th Sueyen Rhee, Alvin Thomas, Jerry Slivka, Keith McCready $120Ladies' Division1st Tina Meraglio $5002nd Kathy Friend $3303rd Jin Hee Park $2204th Amanda Pasko $150 Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news from the Planet Pool 9-Ball Tour.

Pool Balls and Billiard Balls at LOW PRICES!!!

About the Author:
Inside Pool Magazine publishes billiard news. Definitive Synergy creates pool and billiard management software.