Davis Comes Back Big TimeSeminole Florida Pro Tour / Holiday, FL

by Rick Davis
While his play is often hot or cold, either seizing the event or falling short early, Mike Davis continued a record year for himself as he came back from a first-round loss to take the October 5-7 billiards stop of the Seminole Florida Pro Tour. The only 10-ball tour in existence, it always draws in top players from around the world, including WPA and WPBA pros, as well as a smattering of local and regional greats. This event, the sixth of the season, took in 60 players who battled it out through the strict rules and double-elimination format at Hammer Heads billiard Lounge in Holiday, Florida.
Getting things started the players faced races to 7 through the first two days, and with pros everywhere, a stacked field and tough matches were seen anywhere you looked. Tournament director John DiToro continued to play his best in years as he started by defeating Davis 7-5 then dropped the axe on Richard Broumpton 7-2 and local Southern player Javier Chirino double-hill. Corey Deuel poked his head through, dropping Tommy Kennedy 7-3 and then Dave Broxson 7-4 before taking the long walk to the one-loss side. Ending the day’s highlights, Donnie Mills defeated Robb Saez 7-4, and Tony Crosby sent Thorsten Hohmann west after a 7-5 finish.
The third and final day of the action bumped the races to 8 with a single race to 9 slated for the finals. On the winners’ side everyone was scratching for the top, although it was DiToro who stunned the crowd and reached the summit. DiToro defeated Adam Wheeler 8-3 and Crosby 8-4 to reach the hot seat match, while a huge upset unfolded when long-time tour regular Neil Fujiwara slipped past multiple-event winner Steve Moore double-hill. Fujiwara soon found himself on the wrong end of a 8-4 thumping after facing Rafael Martinez, and then to finish the chart strong, DiToro squeaked past Martinez 8-7 to earn a rest in the hot seat.
On the one-los s side the longest survivor was Davis, who took four matches to reach the final day, eliminating a trio of players by not giving up more than 5 racks total. He then sent Hohmann home after a double-hill finish to end the day. Davis continued his terror in day three by knocking out Gabe Owen 8-7, Moore 8-6, and Saez 8-5 to reach the final six. In the remaining piece of the chart, Louis Ulrich was king as he eliminated Deuel 8-5 and Paul Song 8-6 also to see top-six action.
The final handful of matches blazed by as Ulrich sent Fujiwara home after an 8-5 match and Davis managed one rack better, defeating Crosby 8-4. Now raising the eyebrows of the crowd, Davis was in high gear and drilled Fujiwara 8-1 in the quarterfinals and Martinez 8-4 in the semifinals. Both Martinez, who has numerous top finishes on tour, and Fujiwara, who ended with his best finish in quite some time, played a great event and made Davis work for all he took.
With a single match waiting for either DiToro or Davis to claim, both players had their high and low points. Davis was calling upon any remaining energy after a long weekend, and DiToro was not used to late-night playoffs, having only being active on this single tour. Once the starting pistol shot Davis quickly took over, and before DiToro could answer back, Davis had taken the match 9-2 and capped off an amazing comeback, defying the odds and showing his skill and heart for the game.

Open Results:

1st
Mike Davis

2nd
John DiToro

3rd
Rafael Martinez

4th
Neil Fujiwara

5-6th
Tony Crosby

Louis Ulrich

7-8th
Robb Saez

Paul Song

9-12th
Adam Wheeler

Corey Deuel

Steve Moore

Jason Richko

Davis Makes Impossible billiard Comeback

Florida Pro Tour / Jacksonville, FL

by Rick Davis
The Seminole Florida Pro Tour showcased an amazing comeback by Mike Davis, who worked unbelievably hard to comeback and claim the title. Taking place at Bank Shots in Jacksonville, FL, the double-elimination 10-ball event drew in 47 amazing players for the fifth stop of the season and its first stop back after the three-month summer break.
Throughout the event on the winners’ side it looked like the one of the top pros would take over, even through they exchanged blows, sending one after another to the one-loss side. Then, as the event narrowed its field, long-time supporter, promoter, and tournament director John DiToro suddenly came alive. DiToro started with a 7-5 win over Davis and then defeated top tour regulars Richard Broumpton 7-2, Adam Wheeler 8-3, and Tony Crosby 8-4, among others. On the lower half of the chart Rafael Martinez crept his way along, and after racking up four wins of his own, it was Martinez versus DiToro in the hot seat match.
On the one-loss side Davis was on a mission. Davis took all of his day one matches ending with a double-hill win to eliminate former world champion Thorsten Hohmann. Everywhere there was a great match-up being played, but only the strongest survived, and by Sunday evening that included Davis versus Crosby and Louis Ulrich versus Neil Fujiwara, just shy of the quarterfinals. Fujiwara ousted Ulrich 8-5, while Davis continued his streak. Davis started the day by knocking out former U.S. Open champ Gabe Owen 8-7 and then sent Steve Moore home 8-6, followed by Robb Saez 8-5 and Tony Crosby 8-4. At this point Davis had single-handedly eliminated most of the favorites and certainly some of the nation’s best players.
Back on the winners’ side DiToro sent Martinez west after a double-hill showdown, while Davis lit up Fujiwara 8-1. Davis continued his unstoppable run by ousting Martinez 8-5 to reach the finals.
Facing DiToro, who defeated him in what seemed like ages ago, Davis pounded DiToro with 10 matches worth of momentum before taking the single race to 9 with a 9-2 finish. It was a spectacular finish both for Davis’ comeback and some of the best play DiToro has offered up in years. The Seminole Florida Pro Tour is known for its excitement, and with this kind of field and action, there’s no question why.

Open Results:

1st
Mike Davis

2nd
John DiToro

3rd
Rafael Martinez

4th
Neil Fujiwara

5-6th
Tony Crosby

Louis Ulrich

Manalo Takes Two

Florida Pro Tour / Spring Hill, FL
by Rick Davis
The Seminole Florida Pro Tour swung into Capone’s in Spring Hill, FL, for their fourth event of the season June 2-3. Fighting through the 78-player field and surviving a late defeat, Marlon Manalo came out on top to claim the title, his second of the season.
Keeping alive on the winners’ side tour, Manalo’s countryman Al Lapena was on fire. Starting by defeating recent EnjoyPool.com 9-ball Championship winner Dennis Orcollo 7-4, Lapena drilled a series of opponents before falling hard to Tommy Kennedy. Kennedy had taken a similar path, defeating Warren Kiamco 7-4 along the way, then besting Lapena to reach the top eight. The other half of the chart had tour powerhouses Steve Moore and Manalo tearing things up, destined to meet. Both Moore and Manalo had fairly easy runs to the top with few top players to grind through. Once together, their match inched towards double-hill until finally Moore came out on top.
On the one-loss side Orcollo offered an amazing comeback, taking nine matches to reach the top eight and drilling most of his opposition. The remainder of the one-loss side changed ownership nearly every round, and in the end it was Kiamco 8-6 over Donnie Mills to take the final top eight seat.
In the hot seat match Moore met Kennedy and was upset 8-5 as Kennedy claimed the king of the hill. The carnage erupted then as Manalo eliminated Orcollo 8-3, and Kiamco drilled Lapena 8-1. Manalo continued to make short work of his opponents, knocking out Kiamco 8-3 in the quarterfinals and Moore 8-2 in the semifinals. With a single extended race to 9 waiting for Kennedy and Manalo, the score ground down to double-hill until the final rack fell in favor of Manalo, giving him another Seminole Florida Tour title.
Results:
1st Marlon Manalo
2nd Tommy Kennedy
3rd Steve Moore
4th Warren Kiamco
5th Al Lapena
Dennis Orcollo
7th Tony Ruberto
Donnie Mills

Hatch Gives a billiards Exposition

Seminole Florida Pro Tour / Miami, FL
by Rick Davis
The Seminole Florida Pro Tour sizzled May 5-6 when it pulled in for its latest tour stop at New Wave billiards in Miami, FL, for the season’s third event. Chopping his way through the field, Dennis “The Hatchet Man” Hatch decimated the field to come back from a late loss to claim the top finish.
As the top 16 returned for play on Sunday Hatch bested tour regular Neil Fujiwara 8-3 then pounded “The Prince of pool” Corey Deuel 8-1 to reach the hot seat match. On his way there as well was another tour regular, Donnie Mills, who defeated Marlon Manalo and Steve Moore, 8-7 and 8-3, respectively to face Hatch. In the hot seat Mills was able to turn the tables on Hatch’s streak and sent him west just shy of double-hill, defeating him 8-6.
On the one-loss side rounds flashed by as quickly as the players’ life spans in the event. Manalo caught a gear after his early loss and eliminated tour regulars Dave Grossman and Tony “The Sniper” Crosby, both 8-3, then sent Deuel home as well after an 8-1 shellacking. This put Manalo in the quarterfinals, although for a while it was unclear who would meet him there as favorites changed after each round on the rest of the one-loss side chart. James Roberts eliminated Fujiwara 8-3, but then Tony “T-Rex” Chohan knocked out Roberts by the same margin. Chohan was ousted the next round by Moore, who went on to face Manalo. The quarterfinals became a grinder until Manalo finally squeaked through 8-7.
In the semifinals Hatch began to display his clinic on shooting skills to all those watching as he destroyed Manalo 8-1, including a five-rack string of break and runs. Back in the finals against Mills, the single race to 9 offered even ground, though Hatch opened another five-pack on Mills, and before Mills knew what hit him, the match was over with Hatch coming through 9-4 to claim the latest stop of the Seminole Florida Pro Tour.
Results:
1st Dennis Hatch $2700
2nd Donnie Mills $1800
3rd Marlon Manalo $1400
4th Steve Moore $1000
5th Corey Deuel $850
Tony Chohan
7th Tony Crosby $600
James Roberts
9th Dave Grossman $400
Danny Harriman
Neil Fujiwara
Richard Broumpton

All-Star Field Attends the Florida Pro Tour

by Rick Davis
The second billiard stop of the Seminole Florida Pro Tour’s 2007 season got underway April 28 at Stroker’s in Palm Harbor, FL, where a full field of 64 players entered the event, many of whom include past champions and top touring pros.
Early action on the winners’ side saw 2006 player of the year, Will Bilbrey, defeat the current Florida Pro Tour Championship champion, Robb Saez, 7-5. Other upsets included Danny Harriman’s 7-5 win over Gabe “The Babe” Owen and tour regular Jason Richko’s defeat of Howard Vickery by the same score. Perhaps the most unexpected event so far has been the elimination of road player Chris Bartram, who was defeated by James Roberts 7-4 and then eliminated by Sam Monday 7-5.
Sunday’s action will bring back the top 16 players, and as of the early evening, the winners’ side matches have been determined. Multiple-event winner Dennis Hatch will face Tony “T-Rex” Chohan, while tour regular Dave Grossman faces Bilbrey. The other two parings will show the winner of the season’s first event, Corey Deuel, against Harriman, while “Marvelous Marlon” Manalo clashes with Nathan Rose.
On the one-loss side, it’s every man for himself as players try to stretch to the next day of play. Raul Alvarez and Dave Broxson flew through their evening matches, assuring their spots Sunday as they look forward to playing Hunter Lombardo and Tommy Kennedy, respectively. Many tough matches remain up in the air such as Monday versus Owen, Shaun Wilkie versus Tony Crosby, and Butch Croft versus Saez. That’s not the end of the action, however, as plenty of notable players still remain in contention such as Donnie Mills, Adam Wheeler, and Richard Broumpton.
While all of Saturday’s matches were races to 7, Sunday will bring races to 8 with a single race to 9 in the finals. The event boasts an $8,000-added prize fund that makes the top finish worth $3,500.
Stay tuned to Inside pool Magazine for the latest updates and info on the scorching hot Florida Pro Tour.