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JOHN Hunter just needs to turn up in Swindon next month to retain his Cuestars South of England Seniors (40+) Tour title.
Nine days after his 47th birthday, Hunter, who had made two semi-final exits and had been runner-up twice in the four previous legs, picked up his first tournament win of the season on home tables at Salisbury Snooker Club.
And he did it without dropping a single frame.
The defending champion from Andover out-gunned title rival Nick Birney in a late night one-frame shootout to claim maximum points in the fifth leg.
“Neither of us were concentrating too well as it had been a long day,” admitted Hunter, who played and won 13 frames throughout the day.
Wayne Muddiman (Chandlers Ford Central Club), winner of the previous leg in Newbury, saw his bid for top spot ended by a 2-0 last-four defeat by Hunter.
Muddiman and Birney are joint second and 24 points behind the leader.
Making his tour debut was 73-year-old Simon Petrou (Salisbury SC), who is reported to be “quite a character”.
Hunter said: “He did let on he had made 100 breaks in his youth and, for the players he played against, those skills still showed.”
Petrou qualified for the knockout but went down 2-0 to Muddiman in the quarter-finals.
The top two in the Cuestars South Wilts Snooker League met in the first knockout round. Current leader Hunter took out Gary Hart (Salisbury SC) 2-0.
Birney (Liberal Club, High Wycombe) cruised through the group stages without dropping a frame and retained his unblemished record with a 2-0 last-eight victory over Neil Carroll (Chandler’s Ford SC).
A 2-1 semi-final success against Steve Ashton (Salisbury SC) took Birney to his sixth Seniors final in 12 outings. Ashton had beaten Steve Tonks (Ashlett Club, near Fawley) 2-0 in the previous round.
Seniors players are reminded that only the top-16 ranked names will be invited to finals day on May 19 at Fareham Snooker Club. So entry into the sixth and final leg at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon, on Sunday, April 28, is a must for those currently ranked 8-20.
BREAKS
Nick Birney: 76, 56, 53.
John Hunter: 61, 60, 58.
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP POSITIONS
GROUP A: 1st, Wayne Muddiman (Chandlers Ford Central); 2nd, Neil Carroll (Chandler’s Ford SC); 3rd, Alan Thomas (Jesters, Swindon); 4th, Nick Miles (Ashlett Club, Fawley); 5th, Nick Bevan (Salisbury SC).
GROUP B: 1st, John Hunter (Salisbury SC); 2nd, Steve Ashton (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Martin Wallace (Colours, Reading); 4th, David Stewart (Odiham); 5th, Paul Burt (Salisbury SC).
GROUP C: 1st, Steve Tonks (Ashlett Club, Fawley); 2nd, Gary Hart (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Steve Allen (Totton Recreation Club); 4th, Keith Beauchamp (Woking SC).
GROUP D: 1st, Nick Birney (Liberal Club, High Wycombe); 2nd, Simon Petrou (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Richard Arnold (Salisbury SC); 4th, Ray Mears (Sovereign SC, Farnborough).
KNOCKOUT
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points, £10): Muddiman beat Petrou 2-0, Hunter beat Hart 2-0, Ashton beat Tonks 2-0, Birney beat Carroll 2-0.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points, £20): Hunter beat Muddiman 2-0, Birney beat Ashton 2-1.
FINAL (25/18 points, £65/£35): Hunter beat Birney 1-0.
Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)
Nine days after his 47th birthday, Hunter, who had made two semi-final exits and had been runner-up twice in the four previous legs, picked up his first tournament win of the season on home tables at Salisbury Snooker Club.
And he did it without dropping a single frame.
The defending champion from Andover out-gunned title rival Nick Birney in a late night one-frame shootout to claim maximum points in the fifth leg.
“Neither of us were concentrating too well as it had been a long day,” admitted Hunter, who played and won 13 frames throughout the day.
Wayne Muddiman (Chandlers Ford Central Club), winner of the previous leg in Newbury, saw his bid for top spot ended by a 2-0 last-four defeat by Hunter.
Muddiman and Birney are joint second and 24 points behind the leader.
Making his tour debut was 73-year-old Simon Petrou (Salisbury SC), who is reported to be “quite a character”.
Hunter said: “He did let on he had made 100 breaks in his youth and, for the players he played against, those skills still showed.”
Petrou qualified for the knockout but went down 2-0 to Muddiman in the quarter-finals.
The top two in the Cuestars South Wilts Snooker League met in the first knockout round. Current leader Hunter took out Gary Hart (Salisbury SC) 2-0.
Birney (Liberal Club, High Wycombe) cruised through the group stages without dropping a frame and retained his unblemished record with a 2-0 last-eight victory over Neil Carroll (Chandler’s Ford SC).
A 2-1 semi-final success against Steve Ashton (Salisbury SC) took Birney to his sixth Seniors final in 12 outings. Ashton had beaten Steve Tonks (Ashlett Club, near Fawley) 2-0 in the previous round.
Seniors players are reminded that only the top-16 ranked names will be invited to finals day on May 19 at Fareham Snooker Club. So entry into the sixth and final leg at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon, on Sunday, April 28, is a must for those currently ranked 8-20.
BREAKS
Nick Birney: 76, 56, 53.
John Hunter: 61, 60, 58.
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP POSITIONS
GROUP A: 1st, Wayne Muddiman (Chandlers Ford Central); 2nd, Neil Carroll (Chandler’s Ford SC); 3rd, Alan Thomas (Jesters, Swindon); 4th, Nick Miles (Ashlett Club, Fawley); 5th, Nick Bevan (Salisbury SC).
GROUP B: 1st, John Hunter (Salisbury SC); 2nd, Steve Ashton (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Martin Wallace (Colours, Reading); 4th, David Stewart (Odiham); 5th, Paul Burt (Salisbury SC).
GROUP C: 1st, Steve Tonks (Ashlett Club, Fawley); 2nd, Gary Hart (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Steve Allen (Totton Recreation Club); 4th, Keith Beauchamp (Woking SC).
GROUP D: 1st, Nick Birney (Liberal Club, High Wycombe); 2nd, Simon Petrou (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Richard Arnold (Salisbury SC); 4th, Ray Mears (Sovereign SC, Farnborough).
KNOCKOUT
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points, £10): Muddiman beat Petrou 2-0, Hunter beat Hart 2-0, Ashton beat Tonks 2-0, Birney beat Carroll 2-0.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points, £20): Hunter beat Muddiman 2-0, Birney beat Ashton 2-1.
FINAL (25/18 points, £65/£35): Hunter beat Birney 1-0.
Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)