Svensson beats Belmonte to advance to PBA Scorpion Round of 8

08 December, 2016

PBA National Tour

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In a marquee international matchup between two players who use a two-hand delivery, Jesper Svensson of Sweden defeated three-time reigning PBA Player of the Year Jason Belmonte of Australia Wednesday to join seven other players who advanced to the PBA Scorpion Championship presented by Reno Tahoe USA Round of 8 at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev.

Svensson, who already at 21 years of age owns five career PBA Tour titles including three this season, handed Belmonte (right) a 3-1 loss in the best-of-five-game single elimination Round of 16 match (267-206, 192-257, 244-220, 255-248).

“I got off to a good start but struggled in the second game,” said Svensson (pictured left and above). “I switched to a different ball in the second game but ended up going back to my original ball and was able to strike out to win so I felt fortunate to win that game.

“I had some breaks in the last game and Jason was a bit unlucky,” the 2015 PBA Rookie of the Year added. “The breaks can work for you or against you but this time they came out the way I wanted. At this point in the tournament you just throw the ball the best you can and hope you can keep going.”

Four-time Tour winner EJ Tackett (right) of Huntington, Ind., who earned the top-qualifier berth for Sunday’s PBA World Championship finals, made his second Round of 8 appearance by beating Lonnie Waliczek of Wichita, Kan., 3-1 (181-249, 264-244, 246-246, 250-200. Tackett won one-frame rolloff in the third game). Tackett also advanced to the Round of 8 for the Chameleon Championship.

Also advancing to the Scorpion Championship Round of 8, which is scheduled for Thursday at 4:30 p.m. were Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 3-1; Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 3-2; Kristopher Prather (left), Milton, Fla., 3-1; BJ Moore III, Greensburg, Pa., 3-2; Tommy Jones (below right), Simpsonville, S.C., 3-0, and Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, 3-1.

The 24 players competing in today’s match play rounds advanced from Scorpion Championship qualifying conducted last Wednesday.

After Thursday’s Round of 8, the top four players will advance to the ESPN taping of the Scorpion Championship at 4:15 p.m. PT on Saturday. The Scorpion Championship telecast will air Dec. 25 at 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

All qualifying and match play elimination rounds in the World Series are being covered live, exclusively by PBA’s online live-streaming service, Xtra Frame. For more information, click here.

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PBA Scorpion Championship – Round of 8 Match-ups

Best-of-five single-elimination match play; four players will advance to the ESPN taping of the Scorpion Championship at 4:15 p.m. PT on Saturday.

Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., vs. Jesper Svensson, Sweden
Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, vs. Kristopher Prather, Milton, Fla.
E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind. vs. Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C.
B.J. Moore III, Greensburg, Pa. vs. Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn.

PBA Scorpion Championship – Round of 16

Best-of-five single-elimination match play; eight players advance to Thursday’s Round of 8; losers earn $1,250.

Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., def. Martin Larsen, Sweden, 3-1
(231-192, 200-268, 257-222, 216-213)
Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., def. Dom Barrett, England, 3-2
(190-253, 244-226, 196-256, 207-192, 236-224)
Kristopher Prather, Milton, Fla., def. Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 3-1
(175-213, 202-202 (Prather won one-frame rolloff, 207-186, 205-195)
Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., def. Sam Cooley, Australia, 3-0
(247-161, 245-128, 205-200)

Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, def. Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 3-1
(247-146, 231-237, 192-159, 216-190)
E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., def. Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 3-1
(181-249, 264-244, 246-246 (Tackett won one-frame rolloff), 250-200)
Jesper Svensson, Sweden, def. Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3-1
(267-206, 192-257, 244-220, 255-248)
B.J. Moore III, Greensburg, Pa., def. Matthew O’Grady, South Amboy, N.J., 3-2
(228-198, 255-215, 243-300, 214-245, 198-194)

PBA Scorpion Championship – Round of 24

Best-of-five single-elimination match play; eight players advance to Round of 16; losers earn $700.

B.J. Moore III, Greensburg, Pa., def. Benjamin Canfield, Tempe, Ariz., 3-0
(213-190, 190-172, 204-179)
Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, def. Andrew Graff, Las Vegas, 3-0
(213-193, 254-206, 258-179)
Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., def. Nicholas Kruml, Downers Grove, Ill., 3-1
(215-212, 183-196, 266-204, 206-191)
Martin Larsen, Sweden, def. Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, 3-2
(195-205, 192-230, 247-201, 245-201, 247-235)

Dom Barrett, England, def. Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 3-0
(234-201, 212-211, 221-216)
Jesper Svensson, Sweden, def. Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 3-2
(273-240, 268-242, 216-234, 222-248, 268-257)
Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., def. Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 3-2
(170-278, 216-200, 236-183, 205-238, 248-204)
Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., def. A.J. Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 3-0
(212-206, 202-200, 257-226)

Herbert Bickel