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DCC: 9-Ball Down to 11
Jan 30, 2010, 1:08 PM

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The three main divisions of the 2010 Derby City Classic attracted 999 players. On Saturday afternoon, only 11 remain. The 9-ball competition, the last remaining event in the nine days of Derby City's chaos, is currently chugging toward a finish this evening.

Of the 11 players, only Shannon Murphy holds his buy-back option, which means at least four players will be eliminated in the next round of play. The field is headlined by a number of big names, including Alex Pagulayan, Efren Reyes and Rodney Morris.

As the 9-ball division winds down, the chase for the $20,000 Master of the Table award, given to the all-around champion in the three disciplines, has been narrowed to three.

Last year's champ John Brumback currently leads the race, thanks in large part to his second consecutive win in the 9-ball banks event. But Brumback was eliminated this morning, while other contenders are still capable of amassing more points. Only two players are capable of catching the Kentuckian, but those to names are big ones. Reyes, three-time all-around champ, can take the title with a deep run into the 9-ball division. Also, Pagualayan, who finished fourth in banks and ninth in one-pocket, can win, but he'll need some help to do so. Trailing Reyes in points after completion of the first two divisions, Pagulayan will need Reyes to lose early and advance deep into play on Saturday.

For more information, go to www.dcctickets.com for updated scores and current matches.