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Match Coverage
 Chen Punches Her Ticket to the Finals
Amy Chen secured herself a spot in the finals with a strong 5-2 win over Rhio Anne Flores. The ladies began the match in the 8-Ball set, with Flores striking first. Chen took the next two games, and a 2-1 lead heading in to the 9-Ball set.
The player traded wins in the first two games of 9-Ball before Chen finished off Flores by winning the next two games. Chen will face the winner of the rematch between Flores and Betty Sessions. Flores defeated Sessions earlier in the day.
 Gunn Advances to the Finals
Travis Gunn remained undefeated with a 7-3 win over Chris Walls to advance to the finals. The match began in the 9-Ball set with Walls taking the first game. Gunn bounced back to take the next two games and a 2-1 lead. Walls took the fourth game, but Gunn then went on a run winning the next three games. Walls closed out the 9-Ball set with a win, and trailed by two games.
In the 8-Ball set is was all Gunn. He took the first two games and the match. Gunn will face the winner of the match between Walls and Brian Parks of Bakersfield, Calif.
 Men’s Champion Suffers First Defeat
After cruising through the first two days of competition, defending Men’s champion Jason Rickko suffered his first loss of the tournament to fellow Floridian Chris Walls of High Springs. The pair opened the match in the 8-Ball set, and traded wins back and forth through the first four games. Richko held a 3-2 advantage as they switched to the 9-Ball set.
Walls opened the 9-Ball set with back-to-back wins to take a 4-3 lead. Richko then evened the score at four games a piece. Walls again pulled ahead by one in the ninth game. Richko even the match and then took a brief lead with consecutive wins. With Richko on-the-hill, Walls stepped up to take the final two games, and the match 7-6.
Richko moves on to face Charles Ritchie who lost his first match of the tournament Sunday morning to Robert Hall. Walls advances to face Hall in the winner’s bracket.
 Former Champions Headline Saturday Night Action
Former champions Robert Hall (’01) and Henry Brodt (’98-’99) went head-to-head late Saturday evening in a much anticipated showdown in the winner’s bracket. The match lived up to the hype. Play opened in the 8-Ball set, with Brodt getting on the board first. Hall then reeled off three straight games, to take a 3-1 lead. Brodt rebounded to take the fifth game in the 8-Ball set, to close the gap to 2-3 heading in to the 9-Ball set.
Hall was the first to secure a win in 9-Ball, giving him a 4-2 lead. A poised Brodt then reeled off four consecutive games to take a two game lead over Hall and putting himself on the hill. Unfazed, Hall showed some poise of his own, and took the next three games and the match 7-6.
Hall moves on to face an undefeated Charles Ritchie of Connelly Springs, N.C., on Sunday. Brodt moves to the one-loss bracket to face Carlos Santibanez of Salem, Ore.
Women’s Champion Falls
 Defending Women’s champion Tina Larsen was eliminated from competition late Saturday night by Trinh Lu of Riverside, Calif. Similar to her first match, Larsen opened the match by taking the early lead 2-0 in the 9-Ball set in the race-to-5. Lu would mount a comeback by taking the third game, and then winning three more to take a dominating 4-2 lead heading in to the 8-Ball set.
Larsen again opened the set with a win, but in their eighth game, Lu ousted the defending champion 5-3. Although it wasn’t her strongest showing in the U.S. Amateur Championship, Larsen remains the only woman to secure the title twice.
Richko Off to Strong Start in Title Defense
Defending Men’s champion Jason Richko appears to have picked up right where he left off last year. Richko opened the tournament with a 7-4 win over James Terry of Plano, Texas. In his 2nd Round match, Richko defeated Clayton Fisher of Lawrencevill, Ga., 7-4. Next up for the defending champion is a match up against Stewart Warnock of Valley Cottage, N.Y., on Saturday afternoon.
 Larsen Suffers Early Round Setback
Defending Women’s champion Tina Larsen suffered a 1st Round loss to Rhio Anne Flores of Jersey City, N.J. The match began in the 8-Ball set with Larsen getting on the board first, but it was all Flores from there on out as she closed out the 8-Ball set with consecutive wins to take a 2-1 lead. Flores maintained the momentum when the ladies switched to the 9-Ball set, winning the first three games, and taking the match 5-1. Larsen receives a 2nd bye and will face the loser of the match between Trinh Lu and Elizabeth Zingale. Flores moves on to face Gina Mashburn.
The competition is relentless...
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