LOS ANGELES - The multiple American champion Pedro Piedrabuena has won an open tournament in Los Angeles. In the final of the Silver Cup, played in the Silver Cue Billiards Club, the PBA player defeated his eternal rival Hugo Patino 35-15. The numbers three and four on stage were Dutchman Raymon Groot and Ricky Caranco.
The tournament was played with 72 players of whom other well-known players were Luis Aveiga, Mazin Shooni, Harry Peña and Javier Vera. The winner took 5000 dollars, the runner-up 4100 dollars, the losing semi-finalists 3300 dollars. The tournament was dedicated to the Mexican billiard player Luis Avila, who died last year.
Pedro Piedrabuena showed up superior in the final match against Hugo Patino, with whom he had fought many battles for the US title. Piedrabuena captured that title 9 times, Patino 4 times. In the match for the top prize in Los Angeles, Piedrabuena was by far the best with 35-15. He finished with a run of 7.
The later winner defeated Raymon Groot in the semi-final by 35-28, Hugo Patino was the better of Ricky Caranco in the other semi-final 35-31.
Dutchman Raymon Groot, who lives in New York and will become a father for the first time in August, played an excellent tournament and defeated Harry Peña in the quarterfinals by 35-34. ''I played in this tournament for the first time with a Predator ultra low shaft, I like that very much'', said the Dutch player, who recently also participated in a big tournament in Mexico with 280 players, which was won by the former world champion juniors, Jose Juan Garcia.
The organisation in the Silver Cue Billiards Club was in the hands of Vicke Pineda, Hugo Ocampo and Ricky Caranca. The tables were from Verhoeven with Royal Pro cloths.
Pedro Piedrabuena celebrates his win at the end of the tournament
Harry Peña, Hector Ocampo, Dutchman Raymon Groot and Hugo Patino