Painter Crowned VA 8-Ball Champ
VA State 8-Ball Championship / Virginia Beach, VA
by Lea Andrews
Famed Q-Master Billiards in Virginia Beach, VA, hosted the 2009 VA State 8-Ball Championship May 16. With 32 players vying for the win, the competition was fierce, but Mike Painter stayed strong, outlasting the field and walking away with the cash, the title, and entry to the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships in October.
Painter was undefeated up until the hot seat match, when he came up against Eric Moore. Moore and Painter had just sent Nigel Francis and Chris Futrell west, respectively, with matching 5-3 scores, and although Painter was able to reach the hill against Moore, it was Moore who closed out the match 5-4.
On the left side of the bracket, Francis met up with Troy Miller, who bested him 5-3, while Futrell was able to come out on top of a hill-hill match against Curtis Coleman. Against Miller, though, Futrell was unable to mark up a game, and Miller went on to face Painter in the semifinal match.
Painter’s hill-hill loss to Moore perhaps spurred him on as he fought to get back to the finals, and he did so with a convincing 5-1 win, relegating Miller to third place.
In the true double-elimination finals, Painter would have to win two sets to claim first, but his opponent was not going to make it easy for him. Moore fought to end the finals with one set, taking it hill-hill just like their last match. In this match, though, it was Painter who sunk the final 8 ball, pushing the second set and putting them off on equal footing. But it was Painter who gained the most ground, notching up wins and clinching the victory with a final score of 5-2.
Famed Q-Master Billiards in Virginia Beach, VA, hosted the 2009 VA State 8-Ball Championship May 16.
Results:
1st Mike Painter $500
2nd Eric Moore $300
3rd Troy Miller $200
4th Chris Futrell $150
5th Nigel Francis $100
Curtis Coleman
7th Rey Jan Carmona $75
Dave White