Shaw Comes out on Top Again
Mid-American Ladies’ Tour / Bristol, TN
by Lea Andrews
Kim Shaw, who took first place May 30-31 at her first Carolina Ladies’ Tour event, dominated another field of ladies the weekend of June 6-7, taking top honors at the Tennessee State Women’s 9-Ball Championship, the third stop of the Mid-American Ladies’ Tour. The $1,500-added WPBA-qualifier event drew 22 ladies to Bristol’s Borderline Billiards, which is owned by WPBA player Janet Atwell.
Saturday’s play ousted a few contenders, including Atwell and Val Finnie, but the field of eight that returned Sunday was strong nonetheless. Shaw faced Tina Hess, sending her west with a score of 7-1, while Lisa Davids (formerly D’Atri) went hill-hill with Buffy Jolie and came out on top.
Shaw dominated yet another tour stop this weekend.
Jolie met up with Nicole Keeney, who had just put Dawn Fox into seventh place with a score of 7-3, while Hess met up with Katie Pagel, who had put Borana Andoni into seventh with a score of 7-4. Jolie’s second hill-hill match in a row went the same as the last one, putting her in fifth, while Hess had a strong 7-4 win over Pagel.
Hess fell to Keeney 7-3, though, and Keeney went on to face Davids, whom Shaw had bested 7-3 in the match for the hot seat. The semifinal match would determine which lady would qualify for the Women’s U.S. Open, and Keeney fought hard for it, jumping to a 3-0 and then 6-1 lead. In the alternate-break format, Davids broke the final rack. When nothing fell, Keeney was left without a makeable shot on the 1 and she played an excellent safety, tucking the cue ball neatly behind the 3. She used ball in hand to play safe again, and then a third time. When Davids failed to hit the 1 for the third time in a row, the qualifier spot and the right to play Shaw in the finals went to Keeney.
In the single race-to-9 finals, Keeney drew first blood, but Shaw turned the tables and won four racks in a row to make it 4-1 in her favor. It wasn’t long before Shaw held a daunting 7-2 lead. Keeney earned another game after Shaw scratched on a 1-4 carom, but that was her last win—Shaw took the next two to earn first place in her debut on the Mid-American Ladies’ Tour.
Atwell, who was the host this weekend, was slightly preoccupied throughout the event but did manage to pose with Shaw.
Results:
1st Kim Shaw $925
2nd Nicole Keeney $225 + qualifier spot
3rd Lisa Davids $320
4th Tina Hess $220
5th Buffy Jolie $160
Katie Pagel
7th Dawn Fox $120
Borana Andoni
9th Janet Atwell $85
Betty Sessions
Becky Todd
Val Finnie