Fisher Ends ’05 Right Where She Started – No. 1

The Duchess of Doom Allison Fisher capped off another stellar Tour season by retaining her No. 1 ranking for yet another year.  After a disappointing 4th Place finish in June at the Southeast Classic, Fisher was back at the top of her game in August when the Classic Tour made its annual stop in Peoria at the Par-a-dice Casino.

Fisher defeated Helena Thornfeldt in the finals for her fourth consecutive Midwest Classic title.  Jennifer Chen and Monica Webb tied for 3rd Place.

From there Fisher had her sights set on the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship in October.  Having not won the U.S. Open title since the turn of the millennium, Fisher was determined to bring the championship back from Albuquerque, N.M.  She did just thatwith a 7-6 victory over arch rival Karen Corr in the finals.  Monica Webb finished in 3rd Place.

In mid-November the tour headed North to the season-ending National 9-Ball Championship at the Chinook Winds Casino in Lincoln City, Oregon.  With a sizeable lead over No. 2-ranked Karen Corr, Fisher had a comfortable margin of error to retain the coveted top spot.

The National 9-Ball Championship would belong to Korean star Ga-Young Kim however.  Kim knocked Fisher from the tournament, then went on to defeat Monica Webb in the semifinals and Vivian Villarreal in the finals 7-6.  It was Kim’s first Classic Tour victory of the year.

Fisher finished in 4th Place, but high enough to ensure she’d retain a firm grasp on the No. 1-ranking heading in to 2006.

For more information on the WPBA, visit them online at http://www.wpba.com/.

VICKI PASKI TO BE INDUCTED INTO WPBA HALL OF FAME

On November 9, 2005, veteran professional pool player Vicki Paski will be inducted into the Women's Professional Billiard Association (WPBA) Hall of Fame in front of her peers; the assembled field of the 29th annual Cuetec Cues WPBA National 9-Ball Championships. The induction will take place at the Chinook Winds Casino in Lincoln City, Oregon, during the WPBA's Annual Banquet.

Paski, of Grand Ledge, Michigan, is the only charter member of the WPBA (formed in 1976) still in professional competition. Through her long and illustrious career as a professional pool player she has racked up plenty of honors and titles including a national championship, Sportsperson of the Year, and WPBA President's awards. Under her presidency (1992-1996) the WPBA's highly successful ESPN televised Classic Billiard Tour was launched (1993) and the first national qualifying systems and regional tours were established.

According to fellow top player and ESPN commentator Ewa Laurance, "Vicki's contribution to our sport has allowed so many women the opportunity to successfully compete as professional pool players. Everyone in the WPBA owes her a huge debt of gratitude for the mark she's made on women's pool and this honor reflects our respect for her game and her dedication."

Paski, along with the other 63 world's best female pool players will be in Lincoln City, Oregon next week (November 9-13) for the ESPN/ESPN2 televised Cuetec Cues U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships. The event is one of eight ESPN televised pool events on the Women's Pro Billiard Tour this year.