Tzu-Chien Wei Claims Top Honors at the 2024 WPBA Raxx Mezz Invitational
The 2024 WPBA Raxx Mezz Invitational, held at the Raxx Pool Room, Sports Bar & Grill in West Hempstead, New York, marked the WPBA's return to New York after nearly two decades. The event ended with a remarkable victory for Tzu-Chien Wei, who went undefeated throughout the tournament to claim her latest title.
Bracket: https://digitalpool.com/tournaments/wpba-raxx-mezz-invitational/bracket
Event Highlights:
Tzu-Chien Wei's outstanding performance culminated in a thrilling finals match where she faced Kristina Tkach, overcoming her with a score of 10-8. Wei's path to the finals was formidable, with victories over Jennifer Kraber, Erica Testa, Susan Williams, Sara Rocha, and Bean Hung. In the hot seat match, she secured her place in the finals by defeating Tkach 8-6.
Kristina Tkach demonstrated her relentless competitiveness by making her second consecutive finals appearance, showing she is on the brink of a major breakthrough. Her journey included wins over Chihiro Kawahara, who finished fourth, Lonnie Fox-Raymond, Janet Atwell, and two critical victories over the #2 ranked Kelly Fisher.
Final Standings:
1st Place: 🥇 Tzu-Chien Wei - $10,000
2nd Place: 🥈 Kristina Tkach - $6,000
3rd Place: 🥉 Kelly Fisher - $4,000
4th Place: 💰 Chihiro Kawahara - $3,000
5th-6th Place: 💰 Bean (Meng-Hsia) Hung, Kristina Zlateva - $2,300 each
7th-8th Place: 💰 Bojana Sarac, Wang Wan-Ling - $1,600 each
9th-12th Place: 💰 Sara Rocha, Margarita Fefilova, Briana Miller, Yuki Hiraguchi - $1,200 each
13th-16th Place: 💰 Ashley Benoit, Brittany Bryant, April Larson, Ashley Rice - $900 each
17th-24th Place: 💰 Angela Janic, Allison Fisher, Caroline Pao, Kaylee McIntosh, Susan Williams, Krystal DePelsMaeker, Janet Atwell, Veronique Menard - $600 each
Venue and Future Prospects:
The Raxx Pool Room, with its vibrant atmosphere and top-notch facilities, proved to be an ideal setting for the WPBA's long-awaited return to New York. The success of this event has ignited hopes for future competitions in New York, promising more thrilling encounters and showcasing the best in women's professional billiards.
Upcoming Events:
Looking ahead, the WPBA has an exciting lineup of events. The 2024 WPBA Biker Week Showdown will take place in Laconia, New Hampshire, from June 12-15, bringing the thrill of professional women's billiards to Biker Week. Following closely, the $40,000 Added WPBA Soaring Eagle Masters is set to occur in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, from June 19-23, promising top-tier competition and entertainment.
This event was not only a celebration of the exceptional talent displayed by its participants but also underscored the WPBA's dedication to enhancing the visibility and prestige of women's billiards worldwide. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all competitors for their remarkable performances. A special thank you to the event organizers and sponsors, particularly the owner of Raxx, Mr. Holden Chin, and promoter Caroline Pao. Mezz Cues played a crucial role in supporting the event, and our commentators—Upstate Al, Lonnie Fox-Raymond, Michael Yednak—along with special guests Mika Immonen, Marcus Chamat, Allison Fisher, Michael Badstuebner, Shanelle Loraine, Ashley Benoit, and others contributed immensely to making this event a resounding success.
For a complete breakdown of match scores, updated WPBA rankings, and the entire tournament bracket, visit http://wpba.com/rankings and http://digitalpool.com
