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The McDermott Cue New England Women's Tour held a WPBA qualifying tournament April 29-30, 2006 at Shooters Billiards in Southington, CT. At the start of a match players often wish each other good luck or say, "play well." In this event either saying was appropriate. It took great skill to win the event but a sprinkling of fortuity along the way certainly helped.
The hot seat match featured Nicole Mancini and Sharon Weis. Weis won the lag and put three balls in on the break. She made one more ball before Mancini arrived to finish off the rack. Mancini also sunk three balls on her break. Ironically, it would be the last time Mancini made any balls on the break in this match. Weis came to the table once during the rack but it was Mancini who pocketed all nine balls. Weis also was not able to make any balls in the game, perhaps because the 9 ball found its way into a pocket early in the rack. Game four was also a short rack that went to Mancini. One can only wonder if this affected Weis' mental state in game five as she approached the table with the 1 ball hanging in the pocket. Weis made the one but scratched. Mancini ran out, putting her ahead 5-0. The situation wasn't looking much better for Weis as she scratched on the 4 ball in game six. Mancini looked poised to run out but missed the 9 ball shot, allowing Weis her first win this match. Weis went on to pocket all the balls in game seven to bring the match score to 5-2 in Mancini's favor. Weis was able to win one more game in this match but could not catch up to Mancini who won 7-3.
On the one loss a side a newcomer to the NEWTour known only as Asia advanced steadily through the rounds. Along the way she defeated former NEWTour winners Carol Clark and Erica Testa. Right before playing Asia Testa eliminated Morgan Steinman, the winner of the last NEWTour event and one of the favorites for this one. Asia 'The Golden Child' made it to the semi-final match against Sharon Weis. Weis got an early lead in the match and at one point was ahead 6-3. Asia fought back and got all the way to the hill herself. It was a great effort but not enough to beat Weis who won 7-6 and went on the rematch Mancini in the finals.
Mancini won the first three games of the final match but Weis, who was not about to let her get as far ahead of her as she did in the hot seat match, won the next two games. Mancini won the next two games to put the match score at 5-2 in her favor. Weis took game eight but was not able to make any balls on the break in game nine. Mancini ran the first seven balls, played a safe from which Weis was not able to make a legal hit, and ran out to bring her to the hill at 6-3. The tide of the match seemed to be turning in Weis's favor when Mancini missed a shot with ball-in-hand and Weis caromed in the 9 ball. The momentum carried into the next game which Weis won to almost catch Mancini with a score of 6-5. The tide must be fickle because in game 12 both players scratched but it was Mancini who ran the last four balls to win the match 7-5.
Nicole Mancini will be playing at the WPBA Florida Classic to be held June 28 - July 2, 2006 at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
Results:
1- Nicole Mancini $500 and $500 paid entry into the WPBA Florida
Classic
2- Sharon Weis $300
3- Asia $200
4- Erica Testa $100
5/6-Morgan Steinman $50.
Carol Clark $50.
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