By Craig Teal
April 23, 2023
Tournament Chart:
Brian's CueSport Streams:
Cue Sports Nova Scotia’s season for Open class events culminated on April 22 & 23 with the annual Open 9-Ball Provincial Championships, generally regarded as the crown jewel of CSNS events. 45 players entered in the Open Division. The event was held at Doolys Portland in Dartmouth.
There was a strong field of contenders in the Open Division, leading to several top favorites and former champions being ousted before the money rounds. On the A-Side, the final 4 players left undefeated had Jeff Saulnier taking on Adam Cormier in one match, while Chris Penney and Bruce Lilly battled in the other match. Cormier won his match in resounding fashion 9-1, while Penney edged past Lilly hill-hill. Cormier then continued his strong play forcing past Penney 9-6 to sit in the hot seat. The money rounds on the B-Side started with Evan Paul, Wayne Thibodeau, Christopher Bright and Bruce Abadilla all advancing in their matches over 9th-12th place finishers Guy Tremblay, Jon Kynock, Justin D'Eon, and Davis Atkinson, respectively. Paul went on to defeat Thibodeau 9-8, with Abadilla sending Bright packing 9-5, leaving the unsuccessful combatants in 7th-8th position. Paul then marched past Saulnier 9-3, leaving Saulnier in 5th-6th place, along with Lilly, who dropped another heartbreaker on the hill, this time to Abadilla. Evan Paul went out in 4th place, losing to Abadilla 9-4, and Abadilla in turn lost to Penney 9-5 to finish 3rd.
In the final match, Cormier jumped out early to a 4-0 lead in a race to 11. Penney clawed back to make it close at 5-4 down. They traded racks until the score was knotted at 7 all. They exchanged racks again for a period with Cormier reaching the hill first at 10-9 scoreline. From there, both players had their chances to close out the match, but Penney was able to pull even at 10 apeice, and then have the result go his way in a tense, pressure filled final rack. It was Chris Penney’s first CSNS Open 9-Ball Provincial win, having been a runner-up on two previous occasions, in 2005 and 2009. For Cormier, with the way he excelled all weekend, it will not be his last crack at a Provincial title.
Chris Penney earned the right to represent Nova Scotia at the CBSA Open 9-Ball Nationals to be held later this year.
There was a second chance event for players with fargo rating of 525 or below. Brian McNamara beat Joe Robichaud in the final among 8 players.
The winning ticket drawn for the CSNS fundraising 10-Ball Break & Run contest was held by Carlyle Brannen, attending his first CSNS event. Carlyle partnered with Davis Atkinson to have Davis attempt the break and run for a potential $1000 pot. Atkinson made a ball on the break, but the cue ball locked up frozen to another ball, not offering any reasonable attempt to continue the run. Having made one ball on the break earned $100 for the duo. This being the last Open classed event of the year, the 10-Ball Break & Run pot will carry over to next season.
Thanks to the staff a Portland Doolys for taking care of the crowd's refreshment needs all weekend. It also took a village to organize and keep the event running along. Thanks to Dale Brimicombe, Bruce Lilly, Janet Ritcey, and others that helped pitch in. Brian McNamara was his usual dedicated self, streaming on both days, and putting in long hours doing so. The CSNS season is winding down with Amateur Provincials for Men and Women over the next 3 weekends – Amateur 9-Ball in New Glasgow April 29-30, Amateur 8-Ball at Doolys Burnside May 6- 7, and Amateur 10-Ball at Doolys Port Hawkesbury May 13-14.
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