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Archer Wins Turning Stone Classic VIII
Feb 25, 2007, 11:40 PM

John Morra’s Cinderella-story run at the Turning Stone Classic VIII ended on a sour note when his game turned into a pumpkin and Johnny Archer fitted himself for the glass slipper.

After 17-year-old Morra scuttled tough Filipinos Santos Sambajon, 9-5, and Jose Parica, 9-8, to take the hot-seat, he met Archer in the final of the $25,000-added 9-ball event. A little stiff from a two-hour layoff, Morra failed to capitalize on the few chances Archer gave him and quickly fell into an 8-2 hole. Archer, 39, took his time in dismantling his young opponent, eventually emerging with a 13-4 victory.

“I could have used a couple more rolls, but he played better than me,” said Morra, a former BCA juniors champion who hails from Toronto.

Archer avenged his one loss in the 128-player tournament by beating Parica, 9-6, in the losers’ bracket final. He put an exclamation point on the victory by snapping in the 9 on his final break. Playing loose, gabbing with the crowd, and feeling confident after surviving the one-loss side, Archer seemed the sharper player from the start of the final.

“I think my experience played a part there,” said Archer, the consensus 1990s Player of the Decade and the most dominant American of the last 20 years.

“[Archer] is the toughest guy to beat in a final,” said Parica, who took home $3,800 for his third place finish. Morra won $5,300 for his best-ever finish in a major pro event, and Archer pocketed $8,000 for first.

Archer’s victory was his second in a row at the Joss Northeast Tour’s Turning Stone event, held twice a year at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, N.Y. He successfully defended his title from the Classic VII in fall 2006.