Status Quo at Turning Stone Classic

by Rick Davis

The Turning Stone Classic X was in full swing Friday at the Turning Stone Hotel and Casino in Verona, NY. Day two of the four-day event started to offer some thrills, although no upsets have occurred. As the evening rounds started to take shape the top pros began to merge together, while others are set to play this evening.

In the day’s early winners’-side matches Johnny “The Scorpion” Archer barely escaped from Dave Fernandez double-hill when Fernandez came up dry on his break, leaving Archer to run out for the 9-8 win. From that point many of the top pros enjoyed a free ride today as long as they could avoid a loss from a random competitor. Mike Davis, Robb Saez, Steve Moore, and Mika Immonen are all comfortable on the winners’ side with no serious threat expected until Saturday’s action. The rest of the top players, however, are already locked in against each other. The evening rounds tonight feature Tony Robles versus Tony Chohan, Archer versus Edwin Montal, and Thorsten Hohmann versus Shin Park. In that same round a Canadian showdown will take place when Erik Hjorleifson faces Jason Klatt—sure to be an interesting match.

The only notable match to finish early has been Dennis Hatch, who obliterated Karen Corr 9-0 in the 8 p.m. round. Corr now heads west where she will join WPBA compatriots Val Finnie and Julie Kelly, who have yet to begin their one-loss side rounds, as well as Liz Ford and Ewa Laurance, who have each already taken a one-loss-side win.

The night will complete after the 10 p.m. round comes to a close, and 16 players will remain on the winners’ side going into day three as they all keep their eye on the $8,000 top prize from the $41,000 prize fund.

Stay tuned to InsidePOOLmag.com for the latest news and updates from this event.