Owen Jenkins, youngest Bronze champion
OWEN Jenkins is another Cuestars Under-21 record-breaker.
The ten-year-old is the youngest Bronze Tour rankings champion in the ten-year history of the junior regional circuit.
Jenkins took a virtually unassailable lead into the tenth and final leg at Chandlers Ford Snooker Club but wrapped things up in style.
He collected his fifth winner’s trophy of the season after beating his Waterlooville Sports Bar clubmate and rankings runner-up Thomas Sharp 2-1 in the final.
“I feel good,” he said. “The last few weeks, I haven’t been on form. But when it comes to Cuestars, I usually perform.”
Reflecting on the nine-month campaign across central southern England, Jenkins added: “It was very tough. They are all getting better and better.
“Thomas has done very well to get second because he was third for most of the season.”
And he is looking forward to the “challenge” of competing in longer matches on the Silver Tour.
“Best-of-threes will be a lot better,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dylan Smith (Tunbridge Wells) compiled a personal best 36 break in the first frame of his 2-1 semi-final defeat by Sharp.
The 11-year-old, who made four finals in his debut season, finished third in the rankings.
Sharp, remarkably, has at least reached the last-four in all ten legs.
Harry Wyatt (Ferndown), in the record books for winning a Bronze final at the age of eight, was fourth.
Freddie Turner (Andover) progressed to the semi-finals for the first time but was knocked out 2-0 by Jenkins.
Jenkins is the first of the new generation of junior league players at Waterlooville Sports Bar to win a Cuestars rankings title.
Jesters Snooker Club, Swindon, hosts the end-of-season finals day with special guest Robert Milkins on Sunday, May 19.
For more information about the event sponsor, visit www.pitman-training.com.
BREAKS
Dylan Smith: 36, 27, 20.
Thomas Sharp: 22.
Harry Wyatt: 21.
Owen Jenkins: 20.
BRONZE RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Owen Jenkins (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 2nd, George Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 3rd, Daniel Walter (Mayfair, Gosport); 4th, Lennon Savage (Chandlers Ford SC); 5th, Eddie Mason (Salisbury SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Thomas Sharp (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 2nd, Will Kempson (Salisbury SC); joint 3rd, Taylor Elliott (147, Swindon) & Ryan Kneller (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 5th, Ryan Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Dylan Smith (Victoria SC, Tunbridge Wells); 2nd, Jaydon Elliott (147, Swindon); 3rd, Katie Griffin (Jesters, Swindon); 4th, William Thomson (Chandlers Ford SC); 5th, Bradley Brewer (Salisbury SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP D: 1st, Freddie Turner (Salisbury SC); 2nd, Thomas McEvoy (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Harry Wyatt (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Jake Sharp (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 5th, Sam Walter (Mayfair, Gosport); 6th, Tyler Mack (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Jenkins 2-1 J Elliott, Turner 2-1 Kempson, T Sharp 2-0 McEvoy, Smith 2-0 Laxton.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Jenkins 2-0 Turner, T Sharp 2-1 Smith.
FINAL (25/18 points): Jenkins 2-1 T Sharp.
Picture by Tim Dunkley
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Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)