Two days in the life of Riley
A 12-YEAR-OLD budding snooker star from Wiltshire took his game to a new level during a marathon two days of green-baize action.
Riley Ellis (pictured) triumphed in one tournament, was runner-up in another and increased his highest break.
The young potter from the village of Lyneham, near Royal Wootton Bassett, said: “It was really good. It was very tiring but well worth it.”
In fact, Ellis competed in four different competitions in a 48-hour period. On day one, he was in action in the Eastleigh & District Under-13 and Under-19 Leagues at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club, near Southampton.
Following that, he emerged victorious from 18 runners in week-nine of the club’s handicapped Open Series.
Despite running on empty in the deciding frame of the best-of-three final against 54-year-old Phil Morgan, from Salisbury, Ellis found something that he didn’t know he had to get him over the line after a gruelling ten hours of play.
The Year 8 pupil at Royal Wootton Bassett Academy then headed to his home club, Jesters Snooker Club, Swindon, the next day for the third leg of the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Tour.
He chalked up a personal best 38 break in his first round-robin group-stage match against Callum White, a 16-year-old from Havant. After winning his three other matches to qualify for the semi-finals, he overcame Arnie Petty, from Fordingbridge, 2-0 and lost 2-1 to Chloe White, Callum’s 15-year-old sister, in the final.
Ellis moved up to second in the rankings – seven points adrift of clubmate Shane Kearns, who maintained top spot in the rankings despite a 2-1 last-four defeat by Chloe White.
Providing that he gains promotion to the Silver Tour at the end of this season, Ellis will be working towards making his debut on the EASB Regional Junior Tour, one of the feeders for the national under-21 circuit.
Picture by Tim Dunkley.
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By Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)