Hill-Hill Battles Populate WPBA Championships
WPBA Tour Championships / Hollywood, FL
by InsidePOOL Staff
Hill-hill was the way to go in the first round of the WPBA Tour Championships, held this week at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL. The 64-player event is the culmination of the tour’s 2009 season, and defending champion Monica Webb is determined to hold onto her title.
Webb escaped a hill-hill nail-biter over New Mexico’s Anna Kostanian in the first round, squeaking by 9-8 to play Nicole Keeney in the next round, who had just defeated Julie Mason-Comitini 9-8. Tracie Hines bested Ireland’s Val Finnie 9-8, while another Irish lass, Julie “Motor Molly” Kelly won her hill-hill match against Cathy Metzinger.
Former junior champion Eleanor Callado fell 9-8 to Kelly Fisher, as Sarah Rousey was bested 9-8 by Vicki Paski. Another Fisher, Allison this time, escaped a hill-hill bout against Belinda Calhoun and advanced to the next round 9-8.
Other tour heavyweights survived the first round unscathed. Helena Thornfeldt sent Liz Lovely to the one-loss side 9-7, Jasmin Ouschan whitewashed newlywed Supadra Geronimo 9-0, Karen “The Irish Invader” Corr bested Michell Monk 9-2, Jeanette Lee dusted Dawn Hopkins 9-1, and Xiaoting Pan demolished Rachel Eliazar 9-0.
Webb is looking to defend her Hard Rock Casino WBPA title this week.
In the second round, Kyone Sone was the winner of her hill-hill match, this time against the tour’s number-one player, Ga Young Kim. Sone had bested Melissa Morris 9-5 in the first round, while Kim dealt Liz Cole a 9-0 donut.
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