Allison Fisher Wins Great Lakes Classic

Allison Fisher has wrapped up another win at the WPBA (Women’s Professinal billiard Association) Great Lakes Classic, scoring a 7-4 victory over Kelly Fisher in the finals.

In the first semifinal match, K. Fisher met with Sarah Ellerby. Both former snooker pros from the U.K., the players traded the first four racks in the shortened race to 7. Fisher took the lead in the next rack after a safety exchange over the 3 ball. They traded the next two games, and then Fisher took a two-point lead after a dry break by Ellerby, making it 5-3. However, Ellerby parried, taking the next two after a couple of errors on Fisher’s part. Fisher broke and ran out to reach the hill, and Ellerby countered by pocketing two balls on the next rack. Unfortunately for Ellerby, she rattled the 9 ball, and it was all over at that point, as Fisher pocketed the 9 and the 7-5 win.

A. Fisher met with Karen Corr in the second semifinals, and when Corr came up empty on her first break, Fisher cleared the table to take the first rack. The score seesawed to 2-all, at which point Fisher surged ahead to go up 5-2, capitalizing on a few errors by Corr. Undaunted, Corr took the next two racks with the help of a long-rail bank shot. But she missed a key 2-9 combo in the following game, and Fisher took the hill 6-4. Corr came up dry on her last break, and Fisher dished up to win 7-4.

K. Fisher instantly took a 2-0 lead in the finals, but A. Fisher was quick to retaliate and tie things up. Mistakes by both gave each multiple chances, and soon the score rested at 4 apiece. An excellent safety by A. Fisher behind the 8 ball saw her earn ball in hand, and she cleaned the table to take a one-rack advantage. She also broke next and, pocketing two balls, had little trouble running out to reach the hill. K. Fisher broke and made two balls next but rattled her first shot, the 1 ball. Though she got a bit out of line for the 6 ball, A. Fisher had little troubles potting the balls and taking back the Great Lakes Classic title.

Corr has jumped back up to number two in the WPBA rankings, surpassing both Ga Young Kim and Xiaoting Pan, while Anna Kostanian, who came in fifth place, is now ranked sixth.

Results:
1st Allison Fisher
2nd Kelly Fisher
3rd Karen Corr
Sarah Ellerby
5th Anna Kostanian
Jeanette Lee
Xiaoting Pan
Monica Webb
9th Jennifer Chen
Ga Young Kim
Vivian Villareal
Sarah Rousey
Dawn Hopkins
Megan Minerich
Yu Ram Cha
Tiffany Nelson

The Duchess Fends Off Corr for Top Spot for WPBA Allison Fisher and others

Just when it looked as though this would be the year that the duchess of the pool world might finally be dethroned, Allison Fisher closed out the 2006 Classic Tour schedule with back-to-back tournament victories and secured her No. 1 spot well into the New Year.

After struggling (by Duchess of Doom standards) with only one tournament championship win in 2006, Fisher found herself having a cancerous growth removed from under her eye just days before the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship in October.  Not sure whether she should compete in the event, and with Karen Corr right on her heels in the Player Rankings, Fisher decided to go to Albuquerque for the tournament.

Fisher shutout Caroline Pao 9-0 in her first match, and went on to defeat Helene Caukin, Laura Smith and Wendy Jans before finding herself in a hill-hill battle with Helena Thornfeldt.  Fisher would win the match and then defeat Vivian Villarreal in the semifinals.

In the finals, Fisher met Kim Shaw who was having the best tournament of her WPBA career.  Shaw took an early 4-1 lead in the match, but Fisher stormed back to tie it at 4-all.  Fisher would go on to win the match 7-5.  The victory earned her $14,000, while Shaw won $8,600.  Villarreal and Monica Webb tied for 3rd Place and each received $5,700.

The Tour made its last stop of the year in Lincoln City, Oregon, for the WPBA Nationals.  While the event and venue had changed, nothing had changed in Fisher’s game since Albuquerque.

She opened the tournament against recently crowned WPBA Rookie of the Year Xiaoting Pan, who had been somewhat of a spoiler for Fisher in ’06.  A 9-7 win over Pan would set the stage for another outstanding tournament run.

Fisher would lose no more than two games to any of her next four opponents—including good friend Gerda Hofstatter.  In the semifinals, it was a “Battle of Fishers” with Kelly Fisher squaring off against the Duchess of Doom for a spot in the finals.  The Duchess won the match 7-5 and moved on to meet Ga-Young Kim in the finals.  The match went hill-hill before Fisher emerged victorious, going undefeated for her second consecutive tournament.

Fisher took home $14,000 in 1st Place prize money, with Kim receiving $8,600 as the Runner-up.  Kelly Fisher and Karen Corr tied for 3rd Place and both won $5,700.

The 2007 Classic Tour season begins in February in Rocky Mount, N.C.