Nevel Wins Midwest Pro 9-Ball Event

Nevel Wins Midwest Pro 9-Ball EventBy Tom MartinWisconsin native Larry Nevel, who arrived too late to play in the one-pocket event, bested a star-studded field at the Midwest Expo. Nevel cruised though the winners’ side undefeated, sending Chicago’s own Marco Marquez to the one-loss bracket in the hot seat match with an 11-7 win. Marquez recovered to post a convincing win over Shannon “The Cannon” Daulton, leading 9-1 and finally closing the door at 11-5. Thus earning a chance for revenge, Marquez squared off again with Nevel in the single-set final, but Nevel never looked back after gaining a 2-0 lead, and while Marquez closed the gap to one game at 3-2, showing the he definitely “had game,” he never again got within two games, and Nevel took advantage of his powerful break to pull ahead and win 11-5. Nevel pocketed $2,800 and a trip to the Bahamas, while Marquez collected $1,100 for second place.
In the 75-player women’s 8-ball event, it was Tammie Jones who reigned supreme, despite a determined challenge by Amy Latzko. Latzko, whose only loss came earlier Sunday to Jones during the winners’ bracket final, dominated the first set 5-1. Jones took the first game of the second set, and while a scratch in the second game resulted in a 1-1 tie, Latzko was unable to capitalize on the few mistakes by Jones, never winning another game as Jones rolled on to a 5-1 victory.Detroit’s John Binion bested the 250 players that entered the Open 8-ball division. Like the other two events, the finals were a replay of the hot seat matches, and Binion suffered a disheartening loss to Chicago’s Manuel Chau, where he scratched on the 8 ball at hill-hill. In the two-set finals, however, Binion’s determined and focused play proved too much for Chau, whose erratic play resulted in the first set going 5-1 to Binion. The second set was all Binion. Despite several because of to the alternate-break format, both players had difficulty making balls on the break. Chau showed signs of exhaustion as he missed several makeable balls, resulting in a 4-0 deficit. Chau finally made several balls on the break in the fifth game, but upon hanging a straight in 4 ball, he quickly conceded the table and the match to Binion. Binion received $2,400 and the all-expenses paid trip for first place, while Chau had to settle for the $1,150 second-place prize. Dave Coles, long-time friend of Larry Nevel and also from Wisconsin, finished third.In the 25-player Senior’s event, Willie Munson made it a senior “sweep” as he came back from the one-loss side to defeat Frank D. of Moline, IL, two straight sets, 5-4 and 5-0, scores which were identical to his victory in the senior 9-ball event held earlier.Fifteen-year old John Morra from Canada continued his string of junior titles, winning the 15-18-year-old 9-ball tournament, besting Barry Hall of Uniontown, PA. Christ “Spike” Aiardo, one of three brothers in the Behnke family, took first in the 14-and-under tournament.With daily raffles for Bahama vacations, trips to Disney World, and cues and cases, the excitement for spectators and players at the Midwest Expo was not limited to the green felt. While players and vendors were there to make money, a cue raffle organized by John Collins of Fury and Bludworth, raised more than $1,300 for Janice, wife of cue maker Leonard Bludworth who is in the hospital awaiting a liver transplant. While surely relieved that the Midwest Expo ended successfully and relatively without a hitch, promoters Bob and Edyie Romano were already making preparations for their recently announced upcoming event at Disney World in Orlando, FL. Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news in the sport of billiards and pool.

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