Bournemouth away-day joy for Birney
HIGH Wycombe’s Nick Birney posted three breaks of more than 40 to land a first Cuestars Open snooker tournament win of the season.
Birney fired in runs of 48, 46 and 42 to defeat Guildford’s Paul Quinnell 3-0 in the final at the Green Baize Snooker Club in Bournemouth.
Making only a second start of the season, Birney, based at High Wycombe’s Liberal Club, pocketed £50 and climbed to tenth in the rankings.
Big-hitter Quinnell, in his first Cuestars appearance since November 2007, chalked up four half-centuries – 62 and 56 in a 3-0 first-round win against Chris Downer (Bournemouth), 59 in a 3-2 victory over rankings leader Neil Craycraft (Swindon) and 52 as he overcame Mark Silvester (Portsmouth) 3-1 to reach the final.
Craycraft scored a 56 against second-placed Dion Baker (Portsmouth) in the first round.
After a 3-1 first-round exit to Birney, Liam Tinne (Salisbury) beat Dean Matthews (Reading) 2-0 in the Plate final. The pair are joint seventh after seven of the ten tournaments across the South of England.
Birney became the seventh different winner of Cuestars Open events this season. Nathan Williams, Craycraft, James Sumner, Sebastian Worrall, Billy Castle and Shane Castle all have one victory each.
RESULTS:
LAST 16 (five points): Alan Childs (Salisbury SC) bt Fred Pearce (Burgh Heath, Surrey) 3-0, Nick Birney (Liberal Club, High Wycombe) bt Liam Tinne (Salisbury SC) 3-1, Dennis Hushley (Copnor SC, Portsmouth) bt Nat Day (Rileys, Reading) 3-1, Duncan Humphreys (Salisbury SC) bt David Volante (Jesters SC, Swindon) 3-2, Neil Craycraft (Jesters SC, Swindon) bt Dion Baker (Copnor SC, Portsmouth) 3-0, Paul Quinnell (Rileys, Guildford) bt Chris Downer (Green Baize, Bournemouth) 3-0, Mark Silvester (Cowplain Club) bt Mason Sawyer (Colours, Reading) 3-1, Ron Ellis (Burgh Heath, Surrey) bt Dean Matthews (Rileys, Reading) 3-2.
QUARTER-FINALS (eight points): Birney bt Childs 3-2, Hushley bt Humphreys 3-1, Quinnell bt Craycraft 3-2, Silvester bt Ellis 3-0.
SEMI-FINALS (12 points – £10): Birney bt Hushley 3-0, Quinnell bt Silvester 3-1.
FINAL (25/18 points – £50/£20): Birney bt Quinnell 3-0.
PLATE:
QUARTER-FINALS: Tinne bt Baker 2-0, Pearce w/o Downer, Matthews bt Day 2-1, Volante bt Sawyer 2-0.
SEMI-FINALS (one point): Tinne bt Pearce 2-0, Matthews bt Volante 2-0.
FINAL (five/three points – £15 winner): Tinne bt Matthews 2-0.