As most of their personal battles have gone, Gerda Hofstatter and Allison Fisher took their title match in the Brunswick Billiards National 9-Ball Championship to the wire Sunday evening at the Treasure Island Resort & Casino in Red Wing, Minn., with H ofstatter upending the two-time defending champion 7-6 for the WPBA's national crown. In a seesaw battle, Hofstatter recovered from a 6-5 deficit to snare her second straight tour title (having won the Leisure Bay New Olreans Classic in November). And in doing so, the Austrian-born Hofstatter earned a possible shot at Fisher in January's ESPN Ultimate Challenge.

"Our matches almost always go to the hill," said an ecstatic Hofstatter after the match. "So I figured this would be the same. I'm just so happy to have won this tournament the way I did, beating Allison twice and Jeanette. This is a wonderful feeling."

Hofstatter took early command of the match, aided by three combinations on the 9 ball to take a 4-2 lead. On one ocassion, the object ball double-kissed the 9 into the corner pocket, and on another, a safe kick on the 1 ball resulted in the 9 dropping.

"Everything was going my way at the start," said Hofstatter. "But I missed a 2-9 combination that would have put me ahead 5-2, and the match changed Allison's way."

Fisher rallied with several outstanding runs, and appeared headed for victory, leading 6-5 and breaking. But several poor safety plays in the final two games allowed Hofstatter additional opportunities. In the fina l rack, Fisher failed to run out with cue-ball-in-hand after Hofstatter had scratched while pocketing the 3 ball.

"I overhit the 4 ball," said Fisher. "I didn't get on the 5 like I wanted and got bad shape on the 6."

Hofstatter regained contro l of the table and negotiated the final four balls for the $16,000 top prize. Fisher earned $9,000 for second.