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RYAN Hughes banked £100 towards his first car after winning his first tournament on the Cuestars Under-21 Gold Tour.
The Chandler’s Ford teenage overcame clubmate and rankings leader Oliver Sykes 2-0 in the final of the eighth leg at Top Spot Snooker Club, Havant.
Hughes, who turned 17 last Wednesday, was naturally delighted with his success but revealed that his expectations were low after his first group-stage match.
“It feels pretty good,” he said.
“But I wasn’t feeling too good about today after my first game with Oliver because I wasn’t playing very well and he smashed me.
“After that, I started to play all right.”
The former Silver and Bronze rankings winner, who had never before reached a Gold final, progressed from his group in second place.
He then recorded a 2-0 quarter-final victory over Londoner Marcos Dayao, who had beaten Hughes 2-1 at the same stage on the EASB Regional Junior Tour South in Maidenhead the previous day.
Hughes booked a date with 13-year-old Sykes with a fine 2-1 win over home player Elliott Weston.
“That was tough,” he said. “But it was a good game.
“In the first frame, he broke off and I got a 46 from my next visit. In the next frame, I broke off and he got a 56 from his next visit.”
Earlier, Jamie Wilson wrapped up a 2-1 victory over Connor Benzey (Eastleigh) in his first group match with the day’s highest break of 104. It was his first Cuestars century and a fifth in total.
It was also the first ton recorded in a Cuestars Under-21 Gold Tour ranking event since Alexander Ursenbacher, now a Main Tour professional, chalked up a 101 in Gloucester just over six years ago.
The 15-year-old from Havant was eventually knocked out 2-0 in the semi-finals by Sykes after a fine 2-1 victory over reigning rankings champion Bradley Cowdroy (Bournemouth).
Sykes has a 15-point advantage over Cowdroy at the top of the rankings. Weston is ten points further back in third place.
Renowned table fitter Trevor Sanders, who underwent a liver transplant last November, sponsored the event and presented the trophies.
Salisbury Snooker Club hosts the ninth leg of ten on Sunday, April 7.
BREAKS
Jamie Wilson: 104.
Ronnie Sullivan: 76, 64.
Elliott Weston: 75, 56, 50.
Connor Benzey: 51, 51.
Oliver Sykes: 51.
Ryan Hughes: 46, 45.
Marcos Dayao: 40.
GOLD RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Oliver Sykes (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Ryan Hughes (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Steven Hughes (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Riccardo Drayton (Chandlers Ford SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Elliott Weston (Top Spot, Havant); 2nd, Bradley Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 3rd, Dan Sykes (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Chloe White (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Marcos Dayao (Hurricane Room, Kings Cross); 2nd, Jamie Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 3rd, Connor Benzey (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Ronnie Sullivan (Frames, Coulsdon).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): O Sykes 2-1 D Sykes, Wilson 2-1 Cowdroy, Weston 2-1 S Hughes, R Hughes 2-0 Dayao.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): O Sykes 2-0 Wilson, R Hughes 2-1 Weston.
FINAL (£100/£25, 25/18 points): R Hughes 2-0 O Sykes.
Riley’s success opens up title race
RILEY Ellis claimed his third tournament win of the season to blow open the title race on the Cuestars Under-21 Silver Tour.
The 14-year-old from near Royal Wootton Bassett defeated Swindon’s Shane Kearns 2-1 in the final of the eighth leg at Top Spot Snooker Club, Havant.
It means only 11 points separate the two Wiltshire teenagers and two Essex lads with two legs remaining.
Ellis, who had lost 2-1 to Kearns in the round-robin group stages, “found a little bit more” in the deciding frame of the final.
“I didn’t play enough good safety in the second frame,” he admitted.
Earlier, Ellis scraped through his group as one of the two best thirds and overcame Portsmouth potter Samuel Laxton 2-0 in the last-eight.
“It was quite tough,” said Ellis. “He came back well.”
And he reckoned Nat Kidner (Bournemouth) “played really well” in his 2-1 semi-final success.
Summing up the day, he added: “It was really good.”
Ellis is now just two points shy of rankings leader Louie Leighton (Basildon), who was knocked out 2-0 by Kearns in the semis.
Kearns is eight points further back in third - one ahead of Richard Hillgrove (Southend), who went down 2-1 to practice partner Leighton in the last-eight.
The awesome foursome cross cues again in the ninth leg at Salisbury Snooker Club on April 7 and then finish the season on Ellis’s home tables at Chandlers Ford Snooker Club on May 5.
Renowned table fitter Trevor Sanders, who underwent a liver transplant last November, sponsored the event and presented the trophies.
The previous day, Ellis, who won the second leg in Waterlooville and the fourth in London, reached the quarter-finals on the EASB Regional Junior Tour at Racks Snooker & Pool Bar, Maidenhead.
BREAKS
Richard Hillgrove: 48.
Samuel Laxton: 41.
Riley Ellis: 38.
Shane Kearns: 38.
Louie Leighton: 32.
O’Shay Scott: 30.
SILVER RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Louie Leighton (Basildon SC); 2nd, Will Forster (Mayfair, Gosport); 3rd, Dean Russell (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 4th, Callum White (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Samuel Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 2nd, O’Shay Scott (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Richard Hillgrove (Basildon SC); 4th, Oliver Cooper (Frames, Coulsdon); 5th, Keegan Reed (Salisbury SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Nat Kidner (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 2nd, Shane Kearns (Jesters, Swindon); 3rd, Riley Ellis (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Kaine Petty (Salisbury SC); 5th, Mason Wilson (Academy, Basingstoke).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Leighton 2-1 Hillgrove, Kearns 2-1 Scott, Ellis 2-0 Laxton, Kidner 2-0 Forster.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Kearns 2-0 Leighton, Ellis 2-1 Kidner.
FINAL (25/18 points): Ellis 2-1 Kearns.
Back-to-back tournament wins for Donovan
LONDONER John Donovan has now won both tournaments that he has entered on the Cuestars Under-21 Bronze Tour.
The 13-year-old from Somers Town followed up his success in Coulsdon in December by claiming the eighth leg at Top Spot Snooker Club, Havant.
Donovan, who is based at the Kings Cross Hurricane Room and was accompanied by his World Snooker coach John Woods, beat leg-six winner Adam Cowdroy (Bournemouth) 2-0 in the final.
Summing up a long day, he said: “It’s been fun.”
Donovan, who lost to Cowdroy in the group stages, recorded the day’s highest break of 32 in his 2-1 quarter-final victory from 1-0 down against rankings leader Owen Jenkins (Havant).
Reflecting on that crucial tie, he said: “It was a tough match. He got the first frame but I came back with two other frames.”
Nine-year-old Harry Wyatt (Ferndown) knocked in a 30, one below his personal best, in a 2-1 last-eight defeat by Thomas Sharp (Portsmouth).
Second-placed Sharp closed the gap to 14 points after a 2-0 defeat by Cowdroy. It was his seventh semi-final exit out of eight this season.
Tyler Mack (Waterlooville) qualified for his first knockout but went down 2-0 to Eddie Mason (Salisbury) in the last-eight.
Mason progressed to the semis for the first time before going out 2-0 to Donovan.
And third-placed Dylan Smith (Tunbridge Wells) was the big-name casualty from the group of death that contained both finalists.
Renowned table fitter Trevor Sanders, who underwent a liver transplant last November, sponsored the event and presented the trophies.
Salisbury Snooker Club hosts the ninth leg of ten on Sunday, April 7.
BREAKS
John Donovan: 32, 26, 24.
Harry Wyatt: 30.
Thomas Sharp: 27, 22, 22.
Owen Jenkins: 25.
BRONZE RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Owen Jenkins (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 2nd, Thomas McEvoy (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Katie Griffin (Jesters, Swindon); 4th, George Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Thomas Sharp (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 2nd, Tyler Mack (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 3rd, Will Kempson (Salisbury SC); 4th, Sam Walter (Mayfair, Gosport).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Adam Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 2nd, John Donovan (Hurricane Room, Kings Cross); 3rd, Dylan Smith (Victoria SC, Tunbridge Wells); 4th, Freddie Turner (Salisbury SC); 5th, William Thomson (Chandlers Ford SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP D: 1st, Eddie Mason (Salisbury SC); 2nd, Harry Wyatt (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Kostas Ormerod (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Daniel Walter (Mayfair, Gosport); 5th, Ryan Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Donovan 2-1 Jenkins, Mason 2-0 Mack, Sharp 2-1 Wyatt, Cowdroy 2-0 McEvoy.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Donovan 2-0 Mason, Cowdroy 2-0 Sharp.
FINAL (25/18 points): Donovan 2-0 Cowdroy.
By George! A first trophy
A DELIGHTED George Laxton (Portsmouth) has collected his first Cuestars Under-21 trophy.
The 11-year-old Bronze player, receiving a 28-point handicap start, edged Gold Tour player Riccardo Drayton (Chandler’s Ford) in the Plate final during the eighth legs at Top Spot Snooker Club, Havant.
Laxton, who recorded a new high break of 22 in the Waterlooville Sports Bar junior leagues four days previously, rolled the final black in using the rest and an extension.
Six-year-old William Thomson (Eastleigh) lost on the final black to Callum White (Havant) in the quarter-finals.
Despite the large turnout of 44 at the nine-table club and the M27 eastbound being closed, the event was done and dusted by 9pm.
Renowned table fitter Trevor Sanders, who underwent a liver transplant last November, sponsored the event and presented the trophies.
Salisbury Snooker Club hosts the ninth leg of ten on Sunday, April 7.
PLATE RESULTS (ONE-FRAME MATCHES)
PRELIMS: William Thomson (Chandlers Ford SC) beat Freddie Turner (Salisbury SC), George Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar) beat Chloe White (Waterlooville Sports Bar), Ryan Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar) beat Katie Griffin (Jesters, Swindon), Daniel Walter (Mayfair, Gosport) beat Will Kempson (Salisbury SC).
QUARTER-FINALS: Callum White (Waterlooville Sports Bar) beat Thomson, Laxton beat Wilson, D Walter beat Kostas Ormerod (Chandlers Ford SC), Riccardo Drayton (Chandlers Ford SC) beat Sam Walter (Mayfair, Gosport).
SEMI-FINALS: Laxton beat Callum White, Drayton beat D Walter.
FINAL: Laxton beat Drayton.
Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)
The Chandler’s Ford teenage overcame clubmate and rankings leader Oliver Sykes 2-0 in the final of the eighth leg at Top Spot Snooker Club, Havant.
Hughes, who turned 17 last Wednesday, was naturally delighted with his success but revealed that his expectations were low after his first group-stage match.
“It feels pretty good,” he said.
“But I wasn’t feeling too good about today after my first game with Oliver because I wasn’t playing very well and he smashed me.
“After that, I started to play all right.”
The former Silver and Bronze rankings winner, who had never before reached a Gold final, progressed from his group in second place.
He then recorded a 2-0 quarter-final victory over Londoner Marcos Dayao, who had beaten Hughes 2-1 at the same stage on the EASB Regional Junior Tour South in Maidenhead the previous day.
Hughes booked a date with 13-year-old Sykes with a fine 2-1 win over home player Elliott Weston.
“That was tough,” he said. “But it was a good game.
“In the first frame, he broke off and I got a 46 from my next visit. In the next frame, I broke off and he got a 56 from his next visit.”
Earlier, Jamie Wilson wrapped up a 2-1 victory over Connor Benzey (Eastleigh) in his first group match with the day’s highest break of 104. It was his first Cuestars century and a fifth in total.
It was also the first ton recorded in a Cuestars Under-21 Gold Tour ranking event since Alexander Ursenbacher, now a Main Tour professional, chalked up a 101 in Gloucester just over six years ago.
The 15-year-old from Havant was eventually knocked out 2-0 in the semi-finals by Sykes after a fine 2-1 victory over reigning rankings champion Bradley Cowdroy (Bournemouth).
Sykes has a 15-point advantage over Cowdroy at the top of the rankings. Weston is ten points further back in third place.
Renowned table fitter Trevor Sanders, who underwent a liver transplant last November, sponsored the event and presented the trophies.
Salisbury Snooker Club hosts the ninth leg of ten on Sunday, April 7.
BREAKS
Jamie Wilson: 104.
Ronnie Sullivan: 76, 64.
Elliott Weston: 75, 56, 50.
Connor Benzey: 51, 51.
Oliver Sykes: 51.
Ryan Hughes: 46, 45.
Marcos Dayao: 40.
GOLD RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Oliver Sykes (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Ryan Hughes (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Steven Hughes (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Riccardo Drayton (Chandlers Ford SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Elliott Weston (Top Spot, Havant); 2nd, Bradley Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 3rd, Dan Sykes (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Chloe White (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Marcos Dayao (Hurricane Room, Kings Cross); 2nd, Jamie Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 3rd, Connor Benzey (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Ronnie Sullivan (Frames, Coulsdon).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): O Sykes 2-1 D Sykes, Wilson 2-1 Cowdroy, Weston 2-1 S Hughes, R Hughes 2-0 Dayao.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): O Sykes 2-0 Wilson, R Hughes 2-1 Weston.
FINAL (£100/£25, 25/18 points): R Hughes 2-0 O Sykes.
Riley’s success opens up title race
RILEY Ellis claimed his third tournament win of the season to blow open the title race on the Cuestars Under-21 Silver Tour.
The 14-year-old from near Royal Wootton Bassett defeated Swindon’s Shane Kearns 2-1 in the final of the eighth leg at Top Spot Snooker Club, Havant.
It means only 11 points separate the two Wiltshire teenagers and two Essex lads with two legs remaining.
Ellis, who had lost 2-1 to Kearns in the round-robin group stages, “found a little bit more” in the deciding frame of the final.
“I didn’t play enough good safety in the second frame,” he admitted.
Earlier, Ellis scraped through his group as one of the two best thirds and overcame Portsmouth potter Samuel Laxton 2-0 in the last-eight.
“It was quite tough,” said Ellis. “He came back well.”
And he reckoned Nat Kidner (Bournemouth) “played really well” in his 2-1 semi-final success.
Summing up the day, he added: “It was really good.”
Ellis is now just two points shy of rankings leader Louie Leighton (Basildon), who was knocked out 2-0 by Kearns in the semis.
Kearns is eight points further back in third - one ahead of Richard Hillgrove (Southend), who went down 2-1 to practice partner Leighton in the last-eight.
The awesome foursome cross cues again in the ninth leg at Salisbury Snooker Club on April 7 and then finish the season on Ellis’s home tables at Chandlers Ford Snooker Club on May 5.
Renowned table fitter Trevor Sanders, who underwent a liver transplant last November, sponsored the event and presented the trophies.
The previous day, Ellis, who won the second leg in Waterlooville and the fourth in London, reached the quarter-finals on the EASB Regional Junior Tour at Racks Snooker & Pool Bar, Maidenhead.
BREAKS
Richard Hillgrove: 48.
Samuel Laxton: 41.
Riley Ellis: 38.
Shane Kearns: 38.
Louie Leighton: 32.
O’Shay Scott: 30.
SILVER RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Louie Leighton (Basildon SC); 2nd, Will Forster (Mayfair, Gosport); 3rd, Dean Russell (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 4th, Callum White (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Samuel Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 2nd, O’Shay Scott (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Richard Hillgrove (Basildon SC); 4th, Oliver Cooper (Frames, Coulsdon); 5th, Keegan Reed (Salisbury SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Nat Kidner (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 2nd, Shane Kearns (Jesters, Swindon); 3rd, Riley Ellis (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Kaine Petty (Salisbury SC); 5th, Mason Wilson (Academy, Basingstoke).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Leighton 2-1 Hillgrove, Kearns 2-1 Scott, Ellis 2-0 Laxton, Kidner 2-0 Forster.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Kearns 2-0 Leighton, Ellis 2-1 Kidner.
FINAL (25/18 points): Ellis 2-1 Kearns.
Back-to-back tournament wins for Donovan
LONDONER John Donovan has now won both tournaments that he has entered on the Cuestars Under-21 Bronze Tour.
The 13-year-old from Somers Town followed up his success in Coulsdon in December by claiming the eighth leg at Top Spot Snooker Club, Havant.
Donovan, who is based at the Kings Cross Hurricane Room and was accompanied by his World Snooker coach John Woods, beat leg-six winner Adam Cowdroy (Bournemouth) 2-0 in the final.
Summing up a long day, he said: “It’s been fun.”
Donovan, who lost to Cowdroy in the group stages, recorded the day’s highest break of 32 in his 2-1 quarter-final victory from 1-0 down against rankings leader Owen Jenkins (Havant).
Reflecting on that crucial tie, he said: “It was a tough match. He got the first frame but I came back with two other frames.”
Nine-year-old Harry Wyatt (Ferndown) knocked in a 30, one below his personal best, in a 2-1 last-eight defeat by Thomas Sharp (Portsmouth).
Second-placed Sharp closed the gap to 14 points after a 2-0 defeat by Cowdroy. It was his seventh semi-final exit out of eight this season.
Tyler Mack (Waterlooville) qualified for his first knockout but went down 2-0 to Eddie Mason (Salisbury) in the last-eight.
Mason progressed to the semis for the first time before going out 2-0 to Donovan.
And third-placed Dylan Smith (Tunbridge Wells) was the big-name casualty from the group of death that contained both finalists.
Renowned table fitter Trevor Sanders, who underwent a liver transplant last November, sponsored the event and presented the trophies.
Salisbury Snooker Club hosts the ninth leg of ten on Sunday, April 7.
BREAKS
John Donovan: 32, 26, 24.
Harry Wyatt: 30.
Thomas Sharp: 27, 22, 22.
Owen Jenkins: 25.
BRONZE RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Owen Jenkins (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 2nd, Thomas McEvoy (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Katie Griffin (Jesters, Swindon); 4th, George Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Thomas Sharp (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 2nd, Tyler Mack (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 3rd, Will Kempson (Salisbury SC); 4th, Sam Walter (Mayfair, Gosport).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Adam Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 2nd, John Donovan (Hurricane Room, Kings Cross); 3rd, Dylan Smith (Victoria SC, Tunbridge Wells); 4th, Freddie Turner (Salisbury SC); 5th, William Thomson (Chandlers Ford SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP D: 1st, Eddie Mason (Salisbury SC); 2nd, Harry Wyatt (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Kostas Ormerod (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Daniel Walter (Mayfair, Gosport); 5th, Ryan Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Donovan 2-1 Jenkins, Mason 2-0 Mack, Sharp 2-1 Wyatt, Cowdroy 2-0 McEvoy.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Donovan 2-0 Mason, Cowdroy 2-0 Sharp.
FINAL (25/18 points): Donovan 2-0 Cowdroy.
By George! A first trophy
A DELIGHTED George Laxton (Portsmouth) has collected his first Cuestars Under-21 trophy.
The 11-year-old Bronze player, receiving a 28-point handicap start, edged Gold Tour player Riccardo Drayton (Chandler’s Ford) in the Plate final during the eighth legs at Top Spot Snooker Club, Havant.
Laxton, who recorded a new high break of 22 in the Waterlooville Sports Bar junior leagues four days previously, rolled the final black in using the rest and an extension.
Six-year-old William Thomson (Eastleigh) lost on the final black to Callum White (Havant) in the quarter-finals.
Despite the large turnout of 44 at the nine-table club and the M27 eastbound being closed, the event was done and dusted by 9pm.
Renowned table fitter Trevor Sanders, who underwent a liver transplant last November, sponsored the event and presented the trophies.
Salisbury Snooker Club hosts the ninth leg of ten on Sunday, April 7.
PLATE RESULTS (ONE-FRAME MATCHES)
PRELIMS: William Thomson (Chandlers Ford SC) beat Freddie Turner (Salisbury SC), George Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar) beat Chloe White (Waterlooville Sports Bar), Ryan Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar) beat Katie Griffin (Jesters, Swindon), Daniel Walter (Mayfair, Gosport) beat Will Kempson (Salisbury SC).
QUARTER-FINALS: Callum White (Waterlooville Sports Bar) beat Thomson, Laxton beat Wilson, D Walter beat Kostas Ormerod (Chandlers Ford SC), Riccardo Drayton (Chandlers Ford SC) beat Sam Walter (Mayfair, Gosport).
SEMI-FINALS: Laxton beat Callum White, Drayton beat D Walter.
FINAL: Laxton beat Drayton.
Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)