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SNATCHING a few hours’ sleep on a sofa in a snooker club is not the best preparation for an important tournament the next day.
Or perhaps it is.
West Sussex cueman Simon Dent admitted he was shocked to claim his second successive win in the fourth leg of the English Masters Tour South.
The new rankings leader from Shoreham-by-Sea had played in a Pro-Am the previous day at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon, got his head down after 4am and finished the Masters final at half-past midnight.
Dent, who beat Russell Huxter (Saffron Walden) 3-2 in the final, said: “The day was the normal blend of seeing good friends and rugged, competitive snooker.
“I was sleeping on the sofa at Coulsdon the night before at 4.10am as I played in the Pro-Am the day before. So winning the event was a shock.
“I was pleased to win at Coulsdon and having back-to-back wins is even better.”
Squeezed between his victory in the third leg in Woking and the trip to south London was the small matter of the IBSF World Masters Championship in Egypt.
The 47-year-old, who went out 4-3 to the eventual champion Phisit Chandsri (Thailand), said: “Whilst it was disappointing to lose in the last-16, I’m pleased to have got that far which I would likely not have done without the past few months’ practice and tournament play.”
And he sent out a rallying call for more over-40s to join the masters circuits.
“I know there is some good quality out there and I would welcome them to try to get high enough on the rankings to have that chance to play for England in the European, World and Team events,” he said. “Potentially, I think the Masters Tour could be even more competitive that the Men’s.”
Second-placed Aidan Owens (Lowestoft) knocked in the day’s highest break of 82 in a 3-2 quarter-final defeat by Dent. Leg-one winner Matt Ford (Bracknell) slipped to third after a group-stage exit.
The fifth leg of six is at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club on Sunday, February 28, 2016.
Tim Dunkley
EASB Media Officer South and World Snooker coach
The English Association of Snooker & Billiards is the national governing body for the amateur game in this country. For more information about competitions, rankings lists and results, see www.easb.co.uk.
Or perhaps it is.
West Sussex cueman Simon Dent admitted he was shocked to claim his second successive win in the fourth leg of the English Masters Tour South.
The new rankings leader from Shoreham-by-Sea had played in a Pro-Am the previous day at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon, got his head down after 4am and finished the Masters final at half-past midnight.
Dent, who beat Russell Huxter (Saffron Walden) 3-2 in the final, said: “The day was the normal blend of seeing good friends and rugged, competitive snooker.
“I was sleeping on the sofa at Coulsdon the night before at 4.10am as I played in the Pro-Am the day before. So winning the event was a shock.
“I was pleased to win at Coulsdon and having back-to-back wins is even better.”
Squeezed between his victory in the third leg in Woking and the trip to south London was the small matter of the IBSF World Masters Championship in Egypt.
The 47-year-old, who went out 4-3 to the eventual champion Phisit Chandsri (Thailand), said: “Whilst it was disappointing to lose in the last-16, I’m pleased to have got that far which I would likely not have done without the past few months’ practice and tournament play.”
And he sent out a rallying call for more over-40s to join the masters circuits.
“I know there is some good quality out there and I would welcome them to try to get high enough on the rankings to have that chance to play for England in the European, World and Team events,” he said. “Potentially, I think the Masters Tour could be even more competitive that the Men’s.”
Second-placed Aidan Owens (Lowestoft) knocked in the day’s highest break of 82 in a 3-2 quarter-final defeat by Dent. Leg-one winner Matt Ford (Bracknell) slipped to third after a group-stage exit.
The fifth leg of six is at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club on Sunday, February 28, 2016.
Tim Dunkley
EASB Media Officer South and World Snooker coach
The English Association of Snooker & Billiards is the national governing body for the amateur game in this country. For more information about competitions, rankings lists and results, see www.easb.co.uk.