Hatch Unstoppable in Utica

by Rick Davis

Dennis Hatch

Late on the winners’ side Hatch met regular top finisher Bucky Souvanthong in the hot seat match, and after a great battle Hatch slipped through 9-7. On the one-loss side, tournament director Mike Zuglan was making a comeback as he tried to add the elusive win to his own list of top finishes. Zuglan ousted Hongsavady Vongxay 9-7 then Norm Pomainville 9-5 in the quarterfinals. The last match on the one-loss side featured a great showdown between Zuglan and Souvanthong, each commonly find himself fighting for the top spot. This time around Zuglan was able to close things out a bit quicker and advanced by virtue of a 9-7 win.

With Hatch waiting in the hot seat, Zuglan took aim at him in the finals and stormed through the opening set 9-5 to force a final set in the true double-elimination format. The final set, however, was all Hatch. After winning the first game Hatch opened a five-pack to be up 6-0, and before long that extended to 8-0. Zuglan avoided the skunk with one rack but that was all before Hatch sealed the deal. Taking the final set 9-1, Hatch claimed the event and added another notch to his tour belt.

Results:
1st Dennis Hatch
2nd Mike Zuglan
3rd Bucky Souvanthong
4th Norm Pomainville
5th Dan Hiedrich
Hongsavady Vongxay
7th Bruce Carroll
Damon Sobers