Ex-pro Castle back in the Cuestars winners enclosure
FORMER professional Billy Castle has won his first Cuestars event for nearly five years.
The 29-year-old from Reading enjoyed a four-year stint on the World Snooker Tour following his last success in April, 2017.
He was back in the winners enclosure after beating Londoner Marcos Dayao 3-1 in the final of the third leg of the Championship Tour at Top Spot Snooker Club, Havant.
Castle, who pocketed £150 in prize money, leads the Cuestars Satellite Rankings (which includes prize money from all events) after collecting £4,000 for reaching the quarter-finals of the 2022 BetVictor Snooker Shoot Out in Leicester.
The high-quality 22-strong field returned 28 breaks of 50 or more. Castle’s massive 130 in his 3-1 quarter-final victory over Wayne Townsend (Northolt) was the best of the bunch.
Dayao is second in the rankings, two points adrift of front-runner Mickey Joyce (Basingstoke), who went out 3-1 to Castle in the last-16.
Jason Pusser (Bournemouth) beat Ross Barker (Oxford) 2-0 in the final of the plate, a competition for players losing their first match in the main event.
Waterlooville Sports Bar hosts the fourth leg of seven on Sunday, March 6.
RESULTS (BREAKS)
PRELIMS: James Budd 3-2 James Hawes, Ryan Hughes 3-0 Steven Hughes, Liam O’Shea (57, 56) 1-3 Dhar Lilly, Steve Nevett 3-2 Jason Pusser (60, 58), Cameron Holt 1-3 Wayne Townsend (98, 63, 60), Dan Hall 1-3 Neil Herd.
LAST-16: James Budd 3-2 Ryan Hughes (64), Dhar Lilly (65) 3-1 Steve Nevett, Wayne Townsend 3-0 Neil Herd, Billy Castle (68, 64) 3-1 Mickey Joyce (53), Adam Stacey 0-3 Connor Benzey (58), Ross Barker (72) 1-3 Marcos Dayao (60), Jamie Wilson (80) 3-2 Jack Dady, Simon Dent 3-1 James Leader.
QUARTER-FINALS: James Budd 0-3 Dhar Lilly (56, 51), Wayne Townsend (50) 1-3 Billy Castle (130, 66), Connor Benzey (73, 61) 2-3 Marcos Dayao (61, 60), Jamie Wilson 3-1 Simon Dent.
SEMI-FINALS (£35): Billy Castle 3-0 Dhar Lilly, Marcos Dayao (70) 3-1 Jamie Wilson Joyce.
FINAL (£150/£70): Billy Castle (58) 3-1 Marcos Dayao.
PLATE RESULTS (BREAKS)
PRELIM: Adam Stacey (51) 2-1 Jack Dady, Steven Hughes 1-2 Cameron Holt.
QUARTER-FINALS: Adam Stacey 0-2 Cameron Holt, Dan Hall 0-2 Jason Pusser, James Hawes 1-2 Ross Barker, Liam O’Shea 2-0 James Leader.
SEMI-FINALS: Jason Pusser 2-0 Cameron Holt, Ross Barker (75) 2-0 Liam O’Shea.
FINAL (£30/£10): Jason Pusser 2-0 Ross Barker.