Karl on course for first Masters title
KARL Townsend continued his remarkable record as the Cuestars Masters Tour stopped off at The Crucible Sports & Social Club Reading for the first time.
The Northolt cueist has now won nine of the 13 events he has entered on the Snooker Hub-sponsored midweek circuit for players aged 55 and over.
Townsend takes over top spot in the rankings after beating serial finalist David Moritz (Pinner) 2-0 to claim the £100 prize in the sixth leg.
Moritz – who drops to second place, but only by six points – finished runner-up for the fourth successive event.
Beaten semi-finalist Andy Norman (Brighton) is fourth, behind four-time and defending champion John Hunter (Andover).
Dave Jones (Cuffley, Herts) impressed by making the last-eight on his debut.
Organises thanked Crucible manager Jasmine for looking after the 20-strong field so well. All the players enjoyed the conditions.
Greenbaize Snooker Club, Bournemouth, hosts the seventh leg of ten on Wednesday, February 12.
To find out more about the amateur game, visit snookerhub.co.uk.
BREAKS
John Hunter: 68, 55, 52, 52, 46, 42.
Dave Jones: 59, 43.
Karl Townsend: 57, 54, 53, 50, 40.
Mark Thomas: 54, 43.
David Moritz: 45.
RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, David Moritz (Shots, Watford); 2nd, Mark Evans (Crucible, Reading); 3rd, Andy Darken (Feltham Constitutional Club); 4th, David Stewart (Chandlers Ford SC); 5th, Ray Grall (Hayes WMC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Karl Townsend (Rickmansworth RBL); 2nd, Bob Toulouse (Sovereign SC, Farnborough); 3rd, Paul Burt (Salisbury SC); 4th, Steve Ashton (Salisbury SC); 5th, Dennis Tristram (Shots, Watford).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, John Hunter (Salisbury SC); 2nd, Dave Jones (Lyonsdown SC); 3rd, Neil Carroll (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Mark Burrell (Jesters, Swindon); 5th, Malcolm Slark (Salisbury SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP D: 1st, Andy Norman (Castle SC, Brighton); 2nd, Mark Thomas (Shots, Watford); 3rd, Phil Butler (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 4th, John Rees (Lyonsdown SC); 5th, Kevin Morris (Woking SC).
QUARTER-FINALS (10 pts): Townsend 2-1 Thomas, Norman 2-0 Toulouse, Moritz 2-0 Jones, Hunter 2-0 Evans.
SEMI-FINALS (£25, 15 pts): Townsend 2-0 Hunter, Moritz 2-1 Norman.
FINAL (£100/£50, 25/18 pts): Townsend 2-0 Moritz.
Picture: David Moritz (left) and Karl Townsend.