Finals Set at Carolina Classic
WPBA Carolina Classic / Durham, NC
Jeanette "The Black Widow" Lee is going into her first WPBA final this year.
Jasmin Ouschan and Jeanette Lee will face off in the final match of the WPBA Carolina Classic Sunday afternoon. This event is being hosted by the American Tobacco Historic District Campus in Durham, NC, and boasted a 64-player field.
Newcomer Ouschan and tour veteran Vivian Villareal met in the first semifinal of the afternoon. In the race to 7, shortened because of ESPN taping, Ouschan quickly took a 2-0 lead, almost pocketing the 9 ball on her break in the second rack. Villareal was forced to jump to make contact with the 1 ball in the third game, and she left the table wide open for Ouschan, who cleared it to go up another game. Though the Austria won the safety battle in the fourth rack, she lost the one in the following as Villareal ran out from the 4 ball to make it 4-1 Ouschan. The young Austria gained more ground with a break and run, and then, when Villareal played a weak safety in the next rack, she dished up to reach the hill 6-1. Only one more game and Ouschan was on her way to the finals for the second time at a WPBA event.
View the WPBA Carolina Classic single elimination brackets
View the WPBA Carolina Classic double elimination brackets
In the second semifinal match, Jeanette “The Black Widow” Lee and Line Kjorsvik of Norway had less of a lopsided bout. Lee took the first game after Kjorsvik missed the 6 and then broke and ran the next to take an early 2-0 lead. However, Kjorsvik countered, capitalizing on errors by Lee in two consecutive racks to draw even. They traded the next four games, which were peppered with safety battles, to make it 4-all. A nicely played 4-9 carom put Kjorsvik ahead briefly, but Lee quickly returned to form when Kjorsvik missed the 3 ball in the following game, allowing Lee to make it 5 apiece. Attempting to reach the hill, Kjorsvik ran out to the 9 ball but got out of line and missed, handing the hill to Lee instead. In the final rack, Kjorsvik was forced to jump to hit the 8 ball and left a tough long shot for Lee. Undaunted, Lee stepped up and coolly pocketed the 8 and 9 to reach the finals.
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