28-day Summer Cup decided on final black

THE 2015 Rotary Summer Cup was decided on the final ball of the final frame on the final day.

It vindicated Ryan Hughes’ decision to forego a wet Bank Holiday Monday in Chichester.

The 13-year-old (pictured), who was 5.5 points in front of defending champion Bowen Zhu in the overall rankings, cut short a long weekend caravanning with his family to defend his lead on the 28th day of the under-18 school holiday competition at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club.

Other results meant that the winner of the tense and low-scoring last frame between Hughes and Zhu would be crowned champion.

Six reds had been potted before the first colour was sunk. Ten-year-old Zhu led 9-7 with ten reds gone and 19-16 going into the colours before Hughes eventually rolled the championship clinching ball along the top cushion into a corner pocket.

“I just kept calm and stroked it in,” said the Year 9 pupil at Thornden School, who has now won five school holiday titles.

Zhu had the consolation of picking up the week-five trophy, to add to his week-one and two awards. And he was one of five Summer Cup players to beat their highest breaks in various competitions over the holiday period.

Hughes qualified for the quarter-finals once in the five events he entered during his debut season on the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Tour. He chalked up a personal best 35 clearance in Fareham in April and finished 16th in the rankings.

The next school holiday competition is the Autumn Half-Term Cup (October 26-30).

Top ten final rankings: Ryan Hughes 173.5 pts, Bowen Zhu 168, Oliver Sykes 152.5, Connor Benzey 129, Charlie Pringle 109, Harry Joyce 93.5, Steven Hughes 70, Oli Line 64, Harvey Banger 60, Olly Gibbs 33.

Picture and report by Tim Dunkley