Sunday 12/10/00 12:30 AM  (Est)
by Michael M. Mazek

Winless in 2000, Jeanette Lee assured herself a spot in the title match of the year's final event Saturday night. Lee, who missed several tournaments early in the year after undergoing back and shoulder surgery, thumped top-seeded Allison Fisher, 9-4, then roared back from an 8-3 deficit to stun second-seeded Karen Corr, 9-8, to reach the final match of the 2000 Women's Professional Billiard Association National 9-Ball Championship at the Soaring Eagle Resort & Casino in Mt. Pleasant, Mich. Lee, whose ranking in the association recently plummeted to 10th, is guaranteed $7,000 from the $80,000 prize fund. First place would earn her $10,000 and her first win of the year.

Fisher rebounded to earn a spot in Sunday's televised matches by defeating Jennifer Chen, 9-4. Helena Thornfeldt will join Fisher, Lee and Corr in the final four. Thornfeldt knocked Gerda Hofstatter from the event, 9-8. Hofstatter had lost her winner's bracket semifinal match to Corr, 9-1.

The opening match Sunday (1 pm EST) will pit Fisher against Thornfeldt. The winner of that match will draw Corr in the semifinal (3 pm EST). Lee will play the semifinal winner in the championship match, scheduled for 5 pm EST.


Winner's Bracket Semifinals
(seeding in brackets)

Jeanette Lee [10] 9 - Allison Fisher [1] 4
Karen Corr [2] 9 - Gerda Hofstatter [5] 1

Winner's Bracket Final

Lee 9 - Corr 8

Loser's Bracket
(loser eliminated)

Jennifer Chen [6] 9 - Vivian Villarreal [3] 4
Ewa Laurance [7] 9 - Loree Jon Jones [9] 7
Nicole Mancini [24] 9 - Dawn Hopkins [13] 1
Helena Thornfeldt [4] 9 - Belinda Campos [17] 8

Jennifer Chen 9 - Ewa Laurance 7
Helena Thornfeldt 9 - Nicole Mancini 4

Allison Fisher 9 - Jennifer Chen 4
Helena Thornfeldt 9 - Gerda Hofstatter 8