Samuel Laxton claims fourth junior title at WSB
ALL three divisional winners of the Wednesday Junior Snooker League at Waterlooville Sports Bar were decided on the final day of the season.
Samuel Laxton secured his third successive Division 1 title and a fourth in total.
The 14-year-old beat Thomas Sharp in his third match to make it impossible for runner-up Jamie Wilson to overtake him.
It’s been a remarkable year for the young potter from Portsmouth.
Last May, Laxton produced the performance of his career to claim the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Tour Championship play-off in Swindon.
He is currently in sixth place in his debut season on the Cuestars Silver Tour.
He and Dean Russell are members of the Copnor Xcels team that won the Portsmouth league’s Peter Rook Cup final a fortnight ago.
And next month he travels to Leeds for the last-16 of the English Under-14 Championship.
Junior league organiser and World Snooker coach Tim Dunkley reckons Laxton lacks self-belief – despite his successes.
He said: “Samuel’s ability to win snooker matches is legendary.
“The overall standard in the junior leagues continues to rise but still Samuel manages to come out on top.
“I just wish he had as much belief in his own ability as his peers and I have.”
Meanwhile, Zak Truscott won the top group to take third place from Cuestars Bronze Tour rankings champion-elect Owen Jenkins.
Russell was undefeated in the second group to claim the Division 2 crown.
Three victories helped Jake Sharp pip Antony Terroni for first place in Division 3 on frames won.
A new 20-week season kicks off next Wednesday at 4.30pm.
Two days earlier, the in-form Billy Reid won the top group in the Monday Junior Snooker League and climbed to fourth in Division 1.
Reid’s only defeat was at the hands of Ryan Wilson, another player producing results which six months ago would have seemed impossible.
Elsewhere, Jamie Wilson became the youngest finalist in the six-year history of the annual Club Championship at Chandlers Ford Snooker Club.
The 15-year-old from Havant pocketed £50 after losing 3-1 to Alex Dunkley.
And his run of 85 against Connor Benzey in the last-eight was one point shy of a share of the £10 high-break prize.
World Snooker coach Tim Dunkley runs snooker sessions for under-19s from 4.30-6.30pm every Monday and Wednesday and junior pool sessions from 4.30-6.30pm every Thursday at Waterlooville Sports Bar.
Picture by Tim Dunkley
From left: Dean Russell, Samuel Laxton, Jake Sharp.
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)