Hron’s Victory Years in the Making

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!

VIDEO: TOURNAMENT CENTER

Randy Buehler and Brian David-Marshall close out Pro Tour-Geneva.

TOP 8 DOWNLOADS

top 8 bracket

Quaterfinals

(1) Shingo Kurihara

(8) Ervin Tormos

(4) Jim Herold

(5) Takuya Osawa

(2) Kenji Tsumura

(7) Willy Edel

(3) Mike Hron

(6) Marijn Lybaert

Semi-finals

Shingo Kurihara, 3-1

Takuya Osawa, 3-0

Kenji Tsumura, 3-1

Mike Hron, 3-1

Finals

Takuya Osawa, 3-1

Mike Hron, 3-1

Champion

Mike Hron, 3-2

Click on the images to navigate to the Pro Tour-Geneva Blog, Craig Jones' Player Diary, and the Geneva Podcasts.

EVENT COVERAGE

by Brian David-Marshall
Column:: Wait For It: An Interview with Mike Hron
by Ted Knutson
Finals: "The Best Match I've Ever Seen"
Takuya Osawa vs. Mike Hron
by Tim Willoughby
Semifinals: By Hook or by Crookclaw
Takuya Osawa vs Shingo Kurihara
by Scott Johns
Semifinals: Irresistible Force
Mike Hron vs. Kenji Tsumura
by Ted Knutson
Quarterfinals: All-Out War
Willy Edel vs. Kenji Tsumura
by Scott Johns
Quarterfinals: Dig Those Fancy Suspenders
Marijn Lybaert vs. Mike Hron
by Craig Jones
Quarterfinals: Down With the Sickness
Jim Herold vs. Takuya Osawa
by Tim Willoughby
Quarterfinals: Rough and Tumble in the Top 8
Ervin Tormos vs. Shingo Kurihara
by Event Coverage Staff
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 Scott Johns
Round 15: Go for the Throat!
Mike Hron vs. Jim Herold
by Tim Willoughby
Round 15: A Team Player
Kenji Tsumura vs. Sebastian Thaler
by Hanno Terbuyken
Feature: Iplaysevencreaturesindraft.dec
by Event Coverage Staff
Draft Viewer: Draft 5
by Ted Knutson
Round 14: A Good Man, and Thorough
Guillaume Wafo-Tapa vs. Rogier Maaten
by Tim Willoughby
Round 13: The Broken Mirror Match
Osyp Lebedowicz vs Quentin Martin
Round 13: Pods

by Scott Johns
Round 12: A Turkey, Rubin
Ben Rubin vs. Olivier Ruel
by Ted Knutson
Round 11: More Statuary than a Sculpture Garden
Jim Herold vs. Takuya Osawa
by Tim Willoughby
Round 10: Dancing the Two-Step
Pierre Canali vs. Ben Rubin
Round 10: Pods

by Event Coverage Staff
Draft Viewer: Draft 4
by Scott Johns
Round 9: Taking the Loss
Mike Hron vs. Takuya Osawa
by Tim Willoughby
Round 8: "Ew…"
Richard Hoaen vs. Johan Sadeghpour
by Event Coverage Staff
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 Tim Willoughby
Round 7: Red All Over
Jon Sonne vs. Kenji Tsumura
Round 7: Pods

by Scott Johns
Round 6: "You Wouldn't!"
Rasmus Sibast vs. Olivier Ruel
by Ted Knutson
Round 5: The Melancholy Blues
Jon Sonne vs. Osyp Lebedowicz
by Ted Knutson and Craig Gibson
Photo Essay: Magic, Slope Style
by Tim Willoughby
Feature: Play the Game, Learn to Ski
by Scott Johns
Feature: Important Changes to Rules and Penalties
by Tim Willoughby
Round 4: Stop All the Clocks
Quentin Martin vs. Luis Scott-Vargas
Round 4: Pods

by Scott Johns
Round 3: Down the Drain
Makihito Mihara vs. André Coimbra
by Ted Knutson
Round 2: No Friendlies
Quentin Martin vs. Geoffrey Siron
by Tim Willoughby
Round 1: Fly, My Pretties!
Sam Gomersall vs. Olivier Ruel
by Event Coverage Staff
Draft Viewer: Draft 1
Round 1: Pods

by Brian David-Marshall
Preview: Setting the Top 8 Table
by Event Coverage Staff
Info: Day 1 Player List
by Event Coverage Staff
Info: Day 1 Country Breakdown
by Event Coverage Staff
Info: Fact Sheet

INFORMATION


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