North American Open Hits PittsburghBy InsidePOOL Staff  A field of 61 players flocked to Pittsburgh, PA, for the second stop of the North American Open Tour. The event, being held at the Hilton Hotel, started at 3:00 p.m. Sunday and will run through Thursday, February 24.
The field includes some the top players in the world, including Johnny "The Scorpion" Archer, Santos Sambajon Jr., Danny "Kid Delicious" Basavich, Rodney Morris, Keith McCready, and Gabe Owen. Basavich, who was featured in the February 14 issue of Sports Illustrated, quickly ousted local player Greg Lok 11-1. The up-and-coming player has to be considered a favorite, especially since he has finished very high in his last few events, which includes a December win in Reno, NV, and most recently, the Ocean State 9-Ball tournament. But, that's not to discount any of the other competing pros who are looking to start the 2005 season off on the right foot. Updated Pittsburgh Image Gallery
Archer, Morris, and Sambajon each received first-round byes, and a few others, including Ryan McCreesh, Mike Davis, and McCready will play their first matches Monday morning. All six are competing in the Joss Tour's Turning Stone Casino Classic in Verona, NY. Some of Sunday night's marquee match ups also include Corey Deuel against Stan Osborne, Charlie "Hillbilly" Bryant facing David Rowell, Thorsten Hohmann versus Terry McGaha, and Gabe Owen against Nate McGaha. Referee Scott Smith has penciled in match times of 7:00, 9:00, and 11:00 p.m. for today, with Monday's action kicking off at 11:00 a.m. as the first-round finishes up. Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news from the North American Open Tour.
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