Hron’s Victory Years in the Making
Friday, February 09, 2007
日本語の取材へ | Français
Drafting in a block that's all about time, Pro Tour-Geneva showcased a win years in the making. American Mike Hron defeated Takuya Osawa of Japan 3-2 in a thrilling final featuring huge life swings and haymaker punches, punctuated by a Spectral Force-Phthisis staredown.
In the fifth-game final against Pro Tour-Prague champion Osawa, Hron ran out his big brute, Spectral Force, with the championship on the line, despite knowing that Takuya had three Phthisis in his deck. What Hron didn't know is that at least the last two turns, Osawa had all three in his hand, just waiting for that seventh land to allow him to hardcast the massive 
removal spell. But Osawa's deck chose not to cooperate, and Hron captured the champion's trophy and the $40,000 first prize. With the win, Mike snapped a six-year drought for U.S. players in Limited Pro Tours, dating back to Mike Pustilnik's win at Pro Tour-Los Angeles 2001.
Hron, a Madison, Wisconsin native, hails from the same area as Hall of Famer Bob Maher and has been The Great One's draft guru. Coincidentally, Hron's debut on the Pro Tour came way back in Pro Tour-Chicago 1999 - an event that Maher happened to win.
Skiing, booster drafting with friends, witnessing an epic final - Pro Tour-Geneva won't soon be forgotten. Congratulations to Mike Hron, and we'll see you at Pro Tour-Yokohama on April 20!
| Quarterfinals | | Semifinals | | Finals | | Champion |
| 1 | Shingo Kurihara | | Shingo Kurihara, 3-1 | | | | |
| 8 | Ervin Tormos | | Takuya Osawa, 3-1 |
| | | | |
| 4 | Jim Herold | | Takuya Osawa, 3-0 | | Mike Hron, 3-2 |
| 5 | Takuya Osawa | | |
| | | | |
| 2 | Kenji Tsumura | | Kenji Tsumura, 3-1 |
| 7 | Willy Edel | | Mike Hron, 3-1 |
| | | | |
| 3 | Mike Hron | | Mike Hron, 3-1 |
| 6 | Marijn Lybaert | | |
Click on the images to navigate to the Pro Tour-Geneva Blog, Craig Jones' Player Diary, and the Geneva Podcasts.
| EVENT COVERAGE | INFORMATION |
- Column:: Wait For It: An Interview with Mike Hron
by Brian David-Marshall - Finals: "The Best Match I've Ever Seen"
Takuya Osawa vs. Mike Hron by Ted Knutson - Semifinals: By Hook or by Crookclaw
Takuya Osawa vs Shingo Kurihara by Tim Willoughby - Semifinals: Irresistible Force
Mike Hron vs. Kenji Tsumura by Scott Johns - Quarterfinals: All-Out War
Willy Edel vs. Kenji Tsumura by Ted Knutson - Quarterfinals: Dig Those Fancy Suspenders
Marijn Lybaert vs. Mike Hron by Scott Johns - Quarterfinals: Down With the Sickness
Jim Herold vs. Takuya Osawa by Craig Jones - Quarterfinals: Rough and Tumble in the Top 8
Ervin Tormos vs. Shingo Kurihara by Tim Willoughby - Feature: Thoughts on the Top 8 Draft
by Event Coverage Staff - Decklists: The Top 8 Decks
by Event Coverage Staff - Draft Viewer: The Top 8 Draft
by Event Coverage Staff - The Top 8 Draft: Complete Pack List
by Event Coverage Staff - Feature: The Top 8 Players
by Event Coverage Staff
- Round 15: Go for the Throat!
Mike Hron vs. Jim Herold by Scott Johns - Round 15: A Team Player
Kenji Tsumura vs. Sebastian Thaler by Tim Willoughby - Feature: Iplaysevencreaturesindraft.dec
by Hanno Terbuyken - Draft Viewer: Draft 5
by Event Coverage Staff - Round 14: A Good Man, and Thorough
Guillaume Wafo-Tapa vs. Rogier Maaten by Ted Knutson - Round 13: The Broken Mirror Match
Osyp Lebedowicz vs Quentin Martin by Tim Willoughby - Round 13: Pods
- Round 12: A Turkey, Rubin
Ben Rubin vs. Olivier Ruel by Scott Johns - Round 11: More Statuary than a Sculpture Garden
Jim Herold vs. Takuya Osawa by Ted Knutson - Round 10: Dancing the Two-Step
Pierre Canali vs. Ben Rubin by Tim Willoughby - Round 10: Pods
- Draft Viewer: Draft 4
by Event Coverage Staff - Round 9: Taking the Loss
Mike Hron vs. Takuya Osawa by Scott Johns - Round 8: "Ew…"
Richard Hoaen vs. Johan Sadeghpour by Tim Willoughby - Info: Day 2 Player List
by Event Coverage Staff - Info: Day 2 Country Breakdown
by Event Coverage Staff
- Decklists: 6-0 Drafters on Day One
by Event Coverage Staff - Round 7: Red All Over
Jon Sonne vs. Kenji Tsumura by Tim Willoughby - Round 7: Pods
- Round 6: "You Wouldn't!"
Rasmus Sibast vs. Olivier Ruel by Scott Johns - Round 5: The Melancholy Blues
Jon Sonne vs. Osyp Lebedowicz by Ted Knutson - Photo Essay: Magic, Slope Style
by Ted Knutson and Craig Gibson - Feature: Play the Game, Learn to Ski
by Tim Willoughby - Feature: Important Changes to Rules and Penalties
by Scott Johns - Round 4: Stop All the Clocks
Quentin Martin vs. Luis Scott-Vargas by Tim Willoughby - Round 4: Pods
- Round 3: Down the Drain
Makihito Mihara vs. André Coimbra by Scott Johns - Round 2: No Friendlies
Quentin Martin vs. Geoffrey Siron by Ted Knutson - Round 1: Fly, My Pretties!
Sam Gomersall vs. Olivier Ruel by Tim Willoughby - Draft Viewer: Draft 1
by Event Coverage Staff - Round 1: Pods
- Preview: Setting the Top 8 Table
by Brian David-Marshall - Info: Day 1 Player List
by Event Coverage Staff - Info: Day 1 Country Breakdown
by Event Coverage Staff - Info: Fact Sheet
by Event Coverage Staff
| | 1. Mike Hron | $40,000 | | 2. Takuya Osawa | $22,000 | | 3. Kenji Tsumura | $15,000 | | 4. Shingo Kurihara | $14,000 | | 5. Marijn Lybaert | $11,500 | | 6. Jim Herold | $11,000 | | 7. Willy Edel | $10,500 | | 8. Ervin Tormos | $10,000 |
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