Talmondt back on track

PORTSMOUTH singles champion Mike Talmondt has reignited his bid for a hat-trick of titles on the Cuestars South of England Seniors (40+) Tour.

The ex-professional (pictured) bounced back from a disappointing quarter-final exit in Bournemouth last month to win the second leg at Fareham Snooker Club.

Talmondt pocketed £100 prize money after edging Bracknell star Matt Ford 2-1 on the black in the final of the Dransfields-sponsored event on one of the club’s pair of professional standard Star tables.

But he insisted: “Matt deserved to win the final. He played better than me.

“The table was beautiful but I was cueing across the white all day and I struggled with the pace of it.”

Talmondt took the lead thanks to a delicately played side-spin shot that made the angle to pot a slightly obscured green, similar to his shot on the brown that effectively wrapped up his 2-1 semi-final victory over leg-one winner John Hunter (Andover).

The 43-year-old taxi driver conceded with two reds left in the next but won the decider on the last ball. Ford looked favourite following a 46 break but his opponent clawed back the deficit, potted an ultra-thin pink into the middle, sent the cue-ball up and down the table and potted a tricky high black for the match.

“The pot (on the pink) was easier than the safety so I had to go for it,” explained Talmondt.

FINALISTS: Mike Talmondt (left) and Matt Ford

Earlier, former champion Hunter fluked the pink to beat Martin Wallace (Reading) 2-1 in the quarter-finals.

Ford needed a snooker in the deciding frame of his 2-1 semi-final success over Wayne Muddiman (Southampton).

And new boy Dan Hammond (Winchester) missed the black for a 2-0 victory over Talmondt in his first group-stage match – and lost 2-1.

Ford’s 68 break against Dave Pullman (Wokingham) in the group stages was the day’s highest.

Hunter remains top of the rankings, three points clear of Talmondt and four ahead of Ford.

Woking Snooker Centre hosts the third leg of seven on Sunday, November 20. The top-20 ranked players at the end of the series will play off for £500 prize money in Newbury on April 23.

Leeds-based Dransfields is the UK’s largest independent supplier of gaming and amusement machines to pubs and clubs. For more information, go to www.dransfields.com.

BREAKS

Matt Ford: 68, 62, 58, 46, 41.
John Hunter: 67, 51.
Paul Bateman: 63.
Darren Howard: 60.
Jon Monckton: 56.
Wayne Muddiman: 50, 48, 46.
Nick Birney: 49.
Mike Talmondt: 48, 45, 43, 43, 43, 42, 42.
Dan Hammond: 40.

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP POSITIONS

GROUP A: 1st, Wayne Muddiman (Chandlers Ford Central); 2nd, Martin Wallace (Crowthorne RBL); 3rd, Nick Miles (Ashlett Club, Fawley); 4th, Glenn Gresham (Fareham SC); 5th, Richard Arnold (Salisbury SC).

GROUP B: 1st, Matt Ford (Sunninghill Comrades Club, Ascot); 2nd, Chris Stocker (Sunninghill Comrades Club, Ascot); 3rd, Neil Herd (Salisbury SC); 4th, Neil Carroll (Chandler’s Ford SC); 5th, Dave Pullman (Sunninghill Comrades Club, Ascot).

GROUP C: 1st, John Hunter (Salisbury SC); 2nd, Christopher Howie (Shirley Cons); 3rd, Jon Monckton (Woking SC); 4th, Nick Birney (Liberal Club, High Wycombe); 5th, Alan Thomas (Jesters, Swindon).

GROUP D: 1st, Mike Talmondt (Copnor SC, Portsmouth); 2nd, Dan Hammond (Chandler’s Ford SC); 3rd, David Stewart (Chandler’s Ford SC); 4th, Jean-Marc Bancilhon (Camphill Social Club); 5th, Peter Chin (Jesters, Swindon).

GROUP E: 1st, Darren Howard (Liberal Club, High Wycombe); 2nd, Paul Bateman (Crucible, Newbury); 3rd, Simon Peacock (Salisbury SC); 4th, Steve Ashton (Salisbury SC); 5th, Paul Lawrence (Park Gate RBL).

KNOCKOUT RESULTS

QUARTER-FINALS (£10, 12 points): Muddiman 2 Howard 0, Ford 2 Hammond 0, Hunter 2 Wallace 1, Talmondt 2 Stoker 0.

SEMI-FINALS (£30, 15 points): Ford 2 Muddiman 1, Talmondt 2 Hunter 1.

FINAL (£100/£50, 25/18 points): Talmondt 2 Ford 1.

Pictures by Tim Dunkley

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By Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)