Frisby Finishes First in Chicago Wheelchair Billiards Event
Vaughan PVA Tournament / Darien, IL
by Skip Maloney
Bill Frisby won two hill-hill matches to win the Paralyzed Veterans of America pool tournament at Q Billiards Sports Bar in Darien, IL.
Bill Frisby worked his way through two double-hill matches to defeat Charlie Hans in the finals of the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) 8-ball tournament September 28. While 25 wheelchair players signed on to compete in the $2,800-added event at Q Billiards & Sports Bar in Darien, IL, which would have made it PVA’s largest event to date, only 16 were on hand to compete.
Frisby and Hans faced each other first among the winners’ side final four. Frisby sent Hans to the fifth-place match-up on the one-loss side with his first double-hill victory. Todd Drazy sent Charles Interrante west 7-4 to square off against Hans for the hot seat. Frisby took a 5-3 lead, but Hans fought back to tie it and then reach the hill first. Frisby battled back to win the next two and record his second straight double-hill win.
On the one-loss side, Denny Keehan and Dale Keliin emerged from that side’s final eight to drop Jeff Dolezal and Zack Allen, respectively, into a tie for seventh, before facing Hans and Interrante. Hans and Interrante advanced to the quarterfinals, allowing Keehan and Keliin only two games in total between them. Hans shut out Keliin in their match-up. Hans dropped Interrante into fourth place 5-2 and improved on that score with a commanding victory 5-1 over Drazy in the semifinals.
Bill Frisby and Charlie Hans
In the finals of this first tournament of the Chicago area chapter of the PVA, it was Hans establishing the 5-3 lead and Frisby who caught up to tie it and then reach the hill first. In this case, however, Frisby, the tournament’s senior member at age 66, went on to win the last game and capture the first-place prize.
Results:
1st Bill Frisby
2nd Charlie Hans
3rd Todd Drazy
4th Charles Interrante
5-6th Denny Keehan
5-6th Dale Keliin
7-8th Jeff Dolezal
7-8th Zack Allen
9-12th Dennis Reid
9-12th John Van Gorder
9-12th Brian McFarland
9-12th Chris Billing