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Martel Tops Montal on Canadian Tour
Apr 7, 2008, 11:13 AM

Martel faced only one close match en route to his victory.

The first five stops of the season on the Canadian 9-Ball Tour showcased an impressive crop of young stars — led by John Morra and Jason Klatt. But at last weekend's stop in Brossard, Quebec, the veterans of Canadian pool showed they're not ready to pass the torch just yet.

Alain Martel was dominant in his run through the winners-side bracket, facing only one opponent past six games in the race-to-9 format. Edwin Montal, Martel's teammate in the 2007 World Cup of Pool, was equally impressive in his march to the hot-seat match. Both players had no trouble in the right-side semifinals, with Montal topping Erik Hjorliefson, 9-2, and Martel dismantling Stan Tourangeau by the same count.

In the hot-seat match, Martel took an early lead over Montal, eventually closing out the set, 9-5. On the left side, Montal topped Hjorliefson once again, this time by a slightly closer 9-5 margin.

The two elder statesmen of Canadian pool faced off for the second time in the race-to-11 final. Martel was in dead stroke from the get go, jumping out to a 8-1 lead. The "Dancing Bear" took down the $5,000 first prize, coasting to an 11-2 victory.

With his second-place finish, Montal is now the leader in the overall points rankings. John Morra, who was the top-ranked player and winner of two events, was not present.

April 5-6
Le Skratch - Brossard, Quebec
1. Alain Martel $5,000
2. Edwin Montal $2,500
3. Erik Hjorliefson $1,750
4. Adam Smith $1,250