Defending champions Team Asia dominated Day 2 of the 2015 AM8.com Queen’s Cup taking four of the six matches to lead 7-4, and inched closer to a back-to-back championship, Friday, April 17 at the Newport Mall, Pasay City.
Asians win suspended triples match
| Amit/S. Chen/ParkTeam Asia (4-2) | 1 | x | 2 | x | 3 | 4 | – | – | 4 (Winner) |
| Laurance/Corr/BarrettaTeam West (2-4) | x | 1 | x | 2 | x | x | – | – | 2 |
The three-woman team of Team Asia took the first triples match of the tournament, 4-2, and increased their lead, 4-2, in the overall tally.
After a see-saw battle between the two teams in the first two frames, the Asians got the upper hand when Team West Captain, Ewa Laurance, made a crucial error in the third frame. This allowed Team Asia to clear the table for the lead, 2-1. Moreover, the defending champions tried to add on their lead, but Park Eunji had missed her shot on the 6, and Team West tied it again at 2-apiece.
Unfortunately, it would be the last hurrah for Team West, as Jennifer Barretta scratched on her turn to break when the 2-ball bumped into the cue ball, sinking it. Furthermore, the World Number 1, Chen Siming, got to score off a 1-10 combo, 3-2.
On Chen’s break in the fourth, she pocketed the 3 and 4 balls. Both teams, however, had difficulty with the resulting setup. In turn, Barretta missed on a counter safety to the 2-ball, allowing Team Asia to run out and take the win in this match, 4-2.
Chen Siming continues Asian onslaught
| S. ChenTeam Asia (5-2) | x | 1 | 2 | x | 3 | 4 | – | – | 4 (Winner) |
| BarrettaTeam West (2-5) | 1 | x | x | 2 | x | x | – | – | 2 |
The current top women’s player, Chen Siming, kept Team Asia’s winning streak, upending Jennifer Barretta, 4-2.
Barretta took the first frame when Chen missed on the 6-ball on a jump shot attempt, allowing the American the lead, 1-0. Chen, however, bounced back in the next two frames. Furthermore, the Chinese rising star had a break and run out in the second, and pounced on Barretta’s miscue in the third to take the advantange, 2-1.
Looking to seal the win, Chen had a good break in the fourth rack getting two balls to drop. Barretta missed on the 6-ball in the ensuing play. Chen, however, also missed on the same ball. This time Barretta made sure that her second chance would not be wasted, and tied the game, 2-apiece.
After a defensive sequence at the start of the fifth, Barretta is on the verge of taking the hill, almost clearing the table. The American, however, missed on the 8-ball allowing Chen to take the game, 3-2. It was a smooth final frame for Chen as she broke and ran out, getting the victory, 4-2.
Jennifer Chen takes another for Team Asia
| J. ChenTeam Asia (6-2) | 1 | 2 | 3 | x | 4 | – | – | – | 4 (Winner) |
| LauranceTeam West (2-6) | x | x | x | 1 | x | – | – | – | 1 |
In a battle of a fan against her idol, the fan pulled through. Jennifer Chen bucked nerves to win 4-1 against Ewa Laurance in the second singles match of the day to further the lead of Team Asia.
Both players had several misses on their turn on the table, but it was Chen who made the most of her chances to race to the hill, 3-0. Leading by a wide margin, Chen took the risk in the fourth by attempting on a 2-10 combo. The Taiwanese got contact on the 2-ball, but it did not budge. In the end, a miss from Chen allowed Laurance to get one on the board, 3-1.
Laurance attempted a shot on the 4-ball in the final frame, but, unfortunately scratched. With ball in hand, Chen had set things up perfectly for her to run out the table and get the win, 4-1.
Team West trio finally wins in Day 2
| Amit/S. Chen/J. ChenTeam Asia (6-3) | x | x | 1 | x | x | – | – | – | 1 |
| Corr/Villareal/LauranceTeam West (3-6) | 1 | 2 | x | 3 | 4 | – | – | – | 4 (Winner) |
The veteran tandem of Karen Corr, Vivian Villareal, and Ewa Laurance won the second triples match of the day, 4-1, to stop Team Asia’s winning streak.
Team West breezed through the match as they capitalized on several miscues of the otherwise solid squad of the defending queens. Laurance got Team West the first frame after getting the 10-ball to drop off from a contact on the 3-ball. In the third frame, Corr missed on the 6, and Team Asia cut the deficit to 1, 1-2.
In the following rack, Amit got 1-ball to drop, but scratched as well. This proved to be the turning point of the game as Team West coasted to the win, 4-2.
Amit and Chen take Asia’s seventh win
| Amit/S. ChenTeam Asia (7-3) | 1 | x | 2 | x | 3 | 4 | – | – | 4 (Winner) |
| Barretta/CorrTeam West (3-7) | x | 1 | x | 2 | x | x | – | – | 2 |
The top-rated players of Team Asia did not disappoint. Captain Rubilen Amit and anchor Chen Siming took the next doubles match, 4-2, to regain the four-point cushion of their team in the tournament.
The tandems had a hard time getting balls to drop on their break. In addition, Team Asia and Team West traded wins in the first four frames with the resulting score at 2-apiece. In the following rack, Chen had a successful placement shot on the 1-ball that forced the Westeners to look for options. Unfortunately for Team West, Team Asia was able to run out this table, taking the lead, 3-1.
Karen Corr made a push shot, but the Asians did not try to shoot the 1-ball, giving it back to the Irish veteran. Corr completely missed on a bank shot to the 1-ball, having her own plan turn on her. With ball in hand, Amit took the 3-10 combo to walk away with another win for Team Asia, 4-1.
Team West wins crucial four-on-four
| Team Asia (7-4) | 1 | x | x | 2 | x | x | – | – | 2 |
| Team West (4-7) | x | 1 | 2 | x | 3 | 4 | – | – | 4 (Winner) |
Team West took the pivotal second four-on-four match of the tournament, 4-2, against Team Asia as Day 2 closed.
The Asians took the early lead on the second day in a row in the all-squad battle, 1-0. Team West fought back when Jennifer Chen missed on the 8-ball in the second to tie it up at 1-all. Moreover, Siming Chen did not get the 6-ball to drop in the following frame, and the Westerners capitalized on Cheng’s error to take the frame, 2-1.
Afterwards, the Asians picked it up to take the fourth rack and tie the game yet again, Team West took the next two frames to win the last match of the day, 4-2.
The tournament goes into its final day on Saturday, April 18 at the same venue. Team Asia is looking to get its second Queen’s Cup in a row. Here is the schedule for the last day:
Singles: Karen Corr vs Eunji Park
Doubles – Corr/Barretta vs Park/J.Chen
Singles -Karen Corr vs Siming Chen (Captains pick)
3-on-3 – Laurance/Corr/Villarreal vs S.Chen/Amit/J.Chen
4-on-4 – All players
Singles – Vivian Villarreal vs Rubilen Amit
Singles – Captain’s pick
4-on-4 – All players
