Just what the (trainee) doctor ordered
A PERSONAL best 43 break was just the tonic for medical student Karan Chadda.
Last season’s Cuestars Silver Tour player (pictured) had been trying for two-and-a-half years to break through the 30-break barrier.
And the 19-year-old from Southampton had not picked his cue up for four months, apart from the odd game of pool in the bar at the University of Cambridge.
Chadda, who has completed one term of a six-year course in medicine, made his run against Olly Gibbs (Gosport) in the week-18 final of the Open Series at Chandler’s Ford SC.
Trailing Gibbs 1-0 in the best-of-three final, Chadda went on a potting spree that ended seven points short of 50. He won the decider on a re-spotted black.
Meanwhile, it’s getting tight at the top of the rankings with eight tournaments left. Mickey Joyce leads David Stewart by one point. Dan Sykes is two points further back. The top-ten ranked players will share at least £1,200 prize money at the end of the 26-week season.
WEEK-18 RESULTS (23 RUNNERS)
Prelims: Charlie Pringle 2 Dan Sykes 1, Steven Hughes 2 Sarah Pendarves 0, John Brazil 2 David Stewart 1, Olly Gibbs 2 James Budd 0, Gary Tomkins 2 Mark Benzey 0, Oliver Sykes 2 Oli Line 0, Ryan Hughes 2 Austen Petty 1.
Last-16: S Hughes 2 Pringle 0, Gibbs 2 Brazil 0, O Sykes 2 Tomkins 1, R Hughes 2 Paul Allen 0, Mickey Joyce 2 Pete Jordan 0, Brett Wallace 2 Joe Organ 1, Grahame Hughes 2 Christopher Brown 0, Karan Chadda 2 Connor Benzey 1.
Quarter-finals: Gibbs 2 S Hughes 1, O Sykes 2 R Hughes 0, Joyce 3 Wallace 1, Chadda 2 G Hughes 0.
Semi-finals: Gibbs 2 O Sykes 0, Chadda 2 Joyce 1.
Final: Chadda 2 Gibbs 1.
Plate final: Allen 2 C Benzey 0.
Breaks: Chadda 43, M Benzey 40, Joyce 37 & 34, D Sykes 32, Stewart 31,
Top 10: Mickey Joyce (Basingstoke) -23 h/cap, 114 pts; David Stewart (Odiham) -12, 113; Dan Sykes (C/Ford) -19, 111; Charlie Pringle (C/Ford) 28, 95; Oliver Sykes (C/Ford) 27, 88; Pete Jordan (Bitterne) 16, 87; Olly Gibbs (Gosport) -1, 87; Steven Hughes (C/Ford) 11, 84; James Budd (Fareham) -28, 82; Christopher Brown (Romsey) 28, 77.
Report and picture by Tim Dunkley.