Memphis Classic II Begins SaturdayBy Steve TrinwardMemphis Classic II, Paul Frankel's o­ngoing production, is alive and well in the city Elvis built, with competitors rolling in from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Indiana, Missouri, and Mississippi, as well as a sizable local contingent. The tournament is being held throughout this weekend at Highpockets o­n Old Summer Road, just east of downtown Memphis.There were 53 players, including three women, who signed up for Friday night's mini tournament, a single-elimination, race-to-7 showdown. It featured a number of top name players, from Dave Matlock, Gabe Owen, and Ronnie Allen to recent Music City runner-up Chuck Raulston, and Memphis defending champion Shane McMahon. The early action included a "luck of the draw" face-off between Matlock and Raulston, and the wily veteran squelched the younger player 7-2.
Other slight surprises included seeing two of the three women in this open event surviving to the second round and then giving their male opponents more than they wanted. Although being spotted two games o­n the wire as a handicap, both Julie Gabriel of Hazelwood, MD, and Lisa Marr (pictured right)showed clear table skills: Marr bested Hein 7-2 before falling to Richard Pierce in a close o­ne; Gabriel bested John Jeans and then nearly outlasted Sam Baratz before a dry break at 6-all allowed him to run the table for a 7-6 squeaker.Saturday, the main event kicks off at noon, in a double-elimination, race-to-9 format, concluding o­n Sunday.Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news in the sport of billiards and pool.
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