Back-to-back tons for Benzey
CONNOR Benzey fired in back-to-back centuries during a tournament in London.
The 16-year-old (pictured) had never before hit three figures away from home tables at Chandlers Ford Snooker Club.
It came in the penultimate leg of the EASB Regional Junior Tour South at Upton Park Snooker Centre.
Benzey made a 105 clearance and a 101 in successive frames against his clubmate Riccardo Drayton in the round-robin group stages.
He then lost 2-0 to beaten finalist Jack Haley (Harlow) in the last-eight.
Meanwhile, Bradley Cowdroy dropped to second place after a 2-1 semi-final defeat by Haley.
English Under-14 Champion Olly Gibbs also fell at the last-four stage, going down to new rankings leader Alex Clenshaw (Harlow).
In the previous round, Cowdroy had beaten Steven Hughes 2-0, Gibbs had overcome third-placed Oliver Sykes 2-0 and Aidan Murphy was knocked out by Clenshaw.
As well as picking the balls out for two tons against Benzey, Drayton had a day to remember. Two weeks after the Bronze Tour player recorded a 65 break to earn promotion straight to Gold, he won two of his four matches on his debut on the under-20 circuit.
The 12-year-old recorded a 2-0 victory over Marcos Dayao (London) and a 2-1 success against James Beaven (London). In his other two games, he lost 2-0 to Benzey and Cowdroy.
And Jamie Wilson missed out on a quarter-final place on frames difference.
The 14-year-old beat Elias Martin-Beris (London) and Hughes, both by 2-1 scorelines, and lost 2-0 to Haley.
Tournament director Clive Brown said: “It was the best standard I’ve seen on the Regional Junior Tour for a long time.”
The sixth and final leg is at the South West Snooker Academy, Gloucester, on April 15.
Picture by Tim Dunkley
Have you got any snooker news?
Send me your snooker news now. It doesn’t have to be from a Cuestars tournament. E-mail me details or contact me via Facebook and you could be on the Cuestars website and in your local newspaper. E-mail: [email protected]
Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)