Day 5
The penultimate day of the Americas’ Cup began with the last 16 matches, all played as a single game of 500up.
Mike Russell exited the group stage as number 1 performer, and wasted little time in backing up that position with a 500-59 win over local player Grant Thiessen, including breaks of 109,106 & 123.
Number 2 group performer Phil Mumford encountered stiff resistance from Garry Marshall, who scored a respectable 237 points, but aided by a 118 break Mumford eventually ran out a comfortable winner.
Winnipeggers Rick Kendall and Warren Dyer made a game of it against fancied players Devendra Joshi and Chris Taylor respectively. The evergreen Kendall continued fighting until the end against former Asian Champion Joshi, scoring 289 points before succumbing. Warren Dyer also made Chris Taylor work for his 500-292 victory.
An in form Dhruv Sitwala made short work of Canadian Steve Jones; helped by a break of 164 Sitwala restricted his opponent to a mere 80 points.
There were also wins for Nalin Patel, Rob Hall and Martin Goodwill over Guy Heys, Fraser Durham and Daniel Scullion respectively.
The match length increased to 750up for the quarter finals. The match between Rob Hall and Dhruv Sitwala looked like going to the wire when the players were about level on 350 points each. However for the last 60 minutes of the match a dejected Sitwala could only manage a further 20 points, with Hall winning at a canter 750-370.
Devendra Joshi reversed the defeat he suffered to Phil Mumford in the Vimy Ridge with a 750-543 win, aided by his first century of the competition.
Tournament favourite Mike Russell continued his march to the final with a regulation 750-143 win over Nalin Patel which included breaks of 280 and 198.
Martin Goodwill had a tougher time of it however; a long match against the ever improving Chris Taylor was the order of the day, and it was only a late flurry of three 60+ breaks which saw the former English Amateur Champion home in the end.
Semi Final line up:
Mike Russell v Rob Hall
Martin Goodwill v Devendra Joshi