Bowen wins Summer Cup – while in France

BOWEN Zhu was enjoying a family holiday in France when news came through that he’d regained the Rotary Summer Cup at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club.

Speaking from across the Channel, the 11-year-old (pictured) said he was “so happy” but “rather surprised” to have won the record breaking 32-day school holiday competition. A 93-point lead built up over the first five weeks proved too much for the chasing pack. Zhu’s game has risen to a new level over the summer. He recorded new high breaks of 46 followed by a 50, which earned him promotion to the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Silver Tour. The budding star, who also won the title in 2014, has been playing competitive snooker for six years. He made his debut in the Eastleigh & District Under-13 League at the age of five.

Seven-year-old O’Shay Scott, whose highest break is 21, finished the 128 hours of snooker based activities and skills training in second place. Steven Hughes pipped Harry Joyce for third spot.

The fourth running of the Rotary Summer Cup attracted a record 27 different players, a record daily average attendance and it saw a record 12 new high breaks set by eight different players.Ten-year-old Oliver Sykes compiled the summer’s highest break of 54. A charitable donation will be made to the Rotary Club of Chandlers Ford & Itchen Valley, which donated the trophy.

The next school holiday competition with World Snooker coach Tim Dunkley is the October Half-Term Cup.

Week 1 winner: Bowen Zhu (on a re-spotted black of a tiebreak frame)

Week 2 winner: Seven-year-old O’Shay Scott

Week 3 winner: Harry ‘The Potter’ Joyce

Week 4 winner: Oliver Sykes (on a re-spotted black)

Week 5 winner: Bowen Zhu (including a first half-century break on the Monday)

Week 6 winner: Steven Hughes (the 2013 champion)

Cuestars Coaching Programme rankings winner: Harry Joyce

Billiards rankings winner: Ryan Hughes

Cricket rankings winner: Bowen Zhu

Overall rankings: Bowen Zhu 223 pts, O’Shay Scott 192, Steven Hughes 188.5, Harry Joyce 187, Ryan Hughes 142.5, Oliver Sykes 136.5, Brett Wallace 111, Oli Line 102, Charlie Pringle 102, Olly Gibbs 85, Joe Hampson 73, Connor Benzey 69, Riley Ellis 51, Byron Tolliday-Watts 46, Sam Warren 45.5, Jack Powell 37, Mickey Joyce 25, Luke Beebe 19, Ally Pollard 14, Ben Colquitt 12, Tom Cowley 11, Lewis Horne 10, Teddy Riches 9, Bradley Cowdroy 7, Hattie Blaker 4, Louie Carroll 4, Lewis Aisthorpe-Buckley 2.

Pictures by Tim Dunkley

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