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Another great Seattle Open!  A little hot, but good players and good games.  Despite the hot weather, I think most people played well and had a good time.  A special thanks to Cameroun Guernsey and Carl Ulman for creating an aggregate player to fill in in for the players who had drop.  I will stay neutral on thanking State Scalpone as he filled in, but he was also one of the players who dropped out.

The following is from memory and subject to correction by players better recollection…

I was fortunate to take home the 2022 title after 3 games with Chris on Sunday.  Sunday started with Jason and Tim facing off in an elimination game and Chris and I playing on the winners side of the double-elimination bracket.  Tim defeated Jason 16-11.  Chris beat me 21-16 taking the match with an attack into corner 4 with a beautiful cut rush to hoop #3 that sealed the deal.   

I then had to face off against Tim in an elimination game.  Tim took early control.  After some out game between yellow and black, he took yellow into the game and was able to make it around to rover.  I was patient and entered at an opportune time and was able to get control of a break.  I ran around and staked out yellow.  Tim made an attempt get a break going, but when he failed, I ran the second break and the 26-16 win. 

That set up the rematch with Chris, with me needing to win twice.  After some back and forth, I had gotten black around.  Chris had red at 4-back and dug out a break for yellow.  He ran yellow around but decline to stake out black.  Rather set black to the south boundary and set a three-ball break in the area of 4-back with blue 20 feet from red and yellow.  As I approached blue to line up for the roquet, Chris realized the mistake.  I hit in and blue around for the 26-21 win.  Game 2 had a lot of back and forth.  After a back and forth, Chris had blue past 1-back.  I got a break with yellow but failed at 1-back, leaving yellow 3 ball-dead.  Chris got control and took blue around and set a break for black at hoop 2.  I failed to hit in with red from south boundary and gave Chris the 4^th ball.  Chris got started but failed at 3.  I was able to develop a break for red.  I ran it around, peeling yellow through 1-back and ultimately staking out blue, but red dead on yellow and blue.  With about 10 minutes left, instead of running to the corners.  I tried to advance.  Got yellow through 2-back and set up in yellow corner.  Chris missed a hi attempt, and with the 3 balls in the corner, I rushed black out to 3-back, and but stuffed the hoop with black right there.  Red stayed in yellow corner.   Chris scored hoop 4 and tried to hit red in the corner but failed.  He had left yellow in position, I took 4-back and ran to black corner.  With very little time left I made one attempt to score 4 -back, abandon and took to the corners, as time had expired.  Chris made a cross-court attempt to hit a corner ball, but came up short, 21-17 for me and the title. 

Order of Finish:

1. Patrick Sweeney
2. Chris Percival-Smith

3. Tim Rapuano

4. Jason Torla

5. Gary Anderson

6. Nick Grey