Hewitt Trumps the Field at 10-Ball Challenge

Hewitt Trumps the Field at 10-Ball Challengeby Mark WhitesideAfter a two-day delay because of the heavy snowfall that blanketed much of the East Coast from the mid-Atlantic region to Maine, the Trump Marina 10-Ball Challenge got under way on Tuesday, February 18, 2003 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. on hand was an international field of 92 players that contained half a dozen world champions, including Francisco Bustamante, the 2002 InsidePOOL Magazine Player of the Year; Ralf Souquet; Efren Reyes, who won more tournament prize money in 2002 than any other player; and Earl Strickland, the 2002 WPA World 9-Ball Champion.
Danny Hewitt, a 26-year-old French Canadian from Montreal, Quebec, had to be talked into the New Jersey trip by his good friend Alex Pagulayan, and after his first-round loss to countryman Claude Bernatchez, the odds of him emerging from the event with the $20,000 first prize must have seemed miniscule. As Hewitt began his journey on the one-loss side of the board, the winners’ bracket was moving steadily forward. In the end, Ronnie Alcano, the smooth-stroking young star from the Philippines whose style reminds one of Francisco Bustamante, with the super loose grip, limp wrist, and soft stroke, faced Hall of Fame player Jim Rempe, whose steady, slow play secured the hot seat. In the meantime, Hewitt was advancing steadily through the one-loss bracket until he and Bustamante were the final players with only one bullet left to fire. Hewitt’s found the mark, as he defeated our Player of the Year 10-5, depositing Bustamante in fourth place. Next he faced Alcano, where he squeaked out a 10-9 win to move forward to face Jim “King James” Rempe in the finals. Rempe had won seven matches in a row in order to occupy the king seat. By contrast, Hewitt, after losing his first match, had to win 11 matches in a row with his back to the wall to reach the same point. The final match was tight all the way through, with neither player gaining a large advantage. Through the first dozen games, Hewitt gained a two-game margin a couple of times but was unable to pull away before Rempe tied the score at 6-6. From that point forward, the scores were as follows: Hewitt 7-6, tie 7-7, Rempe 8-7, tie 8-8, Rempe 9-8, tie 9-9, hill-hill. In the deciding game, Hewitt drove the cue ball off of the table on the break, giving Rempe ball-in-hand. Rempe made the 1 and 2 before playing safe off the 3. A short safety battle ensued on the 3 until Hewitt again gave Rempe ball-in-hand. Rempe made the 3 and then the 4, but in the process he hid himself from the 5. Again, a short safety battle ensued and Hewitt, failing to hit the 5 ball, gave Rempe his third ball-in-hand of the game. Rempe, with five balls on the table between himself and $20,000, cashed in the 5 and then the 6, but in the process rolled squarely behind the 9. He was able to hit the 7 but not to sink it. Hewitt was then faced by a simple four ball out that he easily converted for the first major title in his professional career .

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