Match Coverage

Match-up of Lone Unbeatens

The only remaining undefeated players matched-up this afternoon in both the Men’s and Women’s Divisions. 

In the Men’s Division, Gary Gentry of Evansville, Ind., faced Richard Andrews of Harvest, Ala.  Andrews opened the match winning back-to-back games before Gentry rebounded to take the next three and a 3-2 lead.  The players traded off wins to finish the 9-Ball set tied 4-4.   Andrews took a 6-4 lead after winning the first two games to start the 8-Ball set.  Gentry briefly rebounded to win the next game, but Andrews finished him off with the next game for a 7-5 victory.  Andrews moves on the final round, while Gentry meets Bill McCollim of Freedom, Pa., with the winner advancing to the finals.

In the Women’s Division it was Melinda Huang of Los Angeles versus Michell Monk of Palm Bay, Fla.  The match opened up in the 9-Ball set with Huang winning the first game and Monk taking the second.  Tied 1-1, Huang went on a run and won the next three games for a 4-1 lead.  Monk managed a win in the sixth game, cutting in to the lead, but Huang put the match away in the first game of the 8-Ball set winning 5-2.  Huang advances to the final round, while Monk moves to the one-loss side to face Betty Session of Atlanta.  The winner of that match will face Huang in the finals.

Armstrong Ousted - Sweet Revenge for Poulter

Last year’s Runner-up Amy Poulter had to be a little apprehensive when she saw defending champion Karen Armstrong’s name opposite her’s on the one-loss side of the bracket.  In 2005, Armstrong defeated Poulter, not once, but twice, including their rematch in the finals.  This year, Poulter was prepared to face her nemesis.

The match began in the 8-Ball set with Poulter winning the first game.  Armstrong quickly regained the lead by taking the next two games before the players switched to 9-Ball.  When Armstrong took the first game of the 9-Ball set, and a commanding 3-1 lead, it looked like she would get the best of Poulter once again.  But Poulter mounted an amazing comeback, winning the next four games and the match 5-3 to eliminate Armstrong.

Newcomer Sends Champ to One-Loss Side of the Bracket

U.S. Amateur Championship rookie Michell Monk of Palm Bay, Fla., defeated reigning Women’s  Champion Karen Armstrong Saturday afternoon, sending her to the one-loss side of the bracket.  The match began in the 8-Ball set with Armstrong taking a commanding 3-0 lead.  Monk then went on a run, taking the next three games to tie the match at three games a piece.

Monk opened the 9-Ball set with a win in the first game, but Armstrong battled back to tie the match 4-4, putting both players on-the-hill.  Monk came up big in the decisive ninth game, winning the match 5-4.  Monk now faces Sharmon Young of San Diego, Calif., while Armstrong will face a rematch against last year’s Runner-up Amy Poulter.

U.S. Amateur Championship Heavyweights Square Off

In early Saturday action, Tim Orange of Birmingham, Ala., squared off against Ritchie Idrovo of Tinley Park, Ill.  Orange finished 3rd Place in his first U.S. Amateur Championship last year and Idrovo is a tournament veteran with six appearances having finished as high as 3rd Place in 1997.  The match began in the 8-Ball set with Idrovo opening with a 2-0 lead.  Orange rebounded winning the next two games and tying the match 2-2.  Idrovo again took the lead with a win in the fifth game.  Momentum shifted in Orange’s favor in the 9-Ball set as he went on a 5-0 run and won the match 7-2.  Orange moves on to face local player Andrew Stewart of Marietta, Ga., in the next round of the winner’s bracket, while Idrovo faces Jerry Richburg of Gaston, S.C., in the one-loss bracket.

Former Champions Go Head-to-Head in 1st Round

It didn’t take long for fans to see a marquee match-up in the Women’s Division with defending champion Karen Armstrong and former champion Tina Larsen going head-to-head in the 1st Round. 

They opened the match in the 8-Ball set and Larsen jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead.  Just when it looked like she’d take a two-games-to-none lead, she failed to pocket the 8-ball in the corner, giving Armstrong the second game.  Armstrong closed out the 8-Ball set with a win in the third game and a 2-1 lead.

Armstrong took the first two games of the 9-Ball set before Larsen mounted her comeback.  With Armstrong on-the-hill, Larsen took the sixth game.  But after making an outstanding jump shot to pocket the 2-ball, she missed a shot on the 3-ball in the corner.  Armstrong took advantage of the mistake and won the match 5-2.