Tucker Takes Two for the Win
Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour / Providence, RI
by Skip Maloney
In something of a roller coaster ride, Joe Tucker returned from a defeat among the winners’ side final four to take both sets of a double-elimination final from Matt Tetreault and capture his first win on the Joss Northeast Open 9-Ball Tour. Playing in his home room, Snooker’s Café and Billiards in Providence, RI, Tucker was joined by 46 other entrants on the weekend of May 2-3, for the $2,000-added event, with a total purse of $5,760.
From among the winners’ side final four, Tetreault and Tom McGonagle struggled to get into the hot seat match. Each survived a hill-hill battle, but the hot seat match was much more decisive, with Tetreault shutting out McGonagle and waiting for what turned out to be Tucker’s return.
On the one-loss side, it was Tom D’Alfonso and Dave Grau emerging from among the final 12. D’Alfonso advanced to the quarterfinals with a 9-6 win over Damon Sobers, but Grau dropped into the tie for fifth with a 9-5 win by Tucker. Tucker then got tangled up in his second hill-hill battle in the quarterfinal match versus D’Alfonso, defeating him and advancing for a second shot at McGonagle in the semifinals. Tucker took advantage, dropping McGonagle into third place with a 9-5 win and turning to face Tetreault.
In the double-elimination final that followed, Tetreault and Tucker battled back and forth to hill-hill before Tucker prevailed, forcing a second set. After a break, the two resumed and continued the battle that had characterized the opening set. Tucker’s break came when the scored was tied at 7-7. Tucker won the next rack to reach the hill first and then closed out the match at 9-7.
In something of a roller coaster ride, Joe Tucker returned from a defeat among the winners’ side final four to take both sets of a double-elimination final from Matt Tetreault and capture his first win on the Joss Northeast Open 9-Ball Tour.
Results:
1st Joe Tucker $1,460
2nd Matt Tetreault $1,000
3rd Tom McGonagle $800
4th Tom D’Alfonso $600
5th Damon Sobers $400
Dave Grau
7th Bob Madenjian $250
Nelson Oliveira
9th Steve Goulding $150
Pete Ziernak
Tim Perry
Chris Leal