Three out three for Ford
MATT Ford has now won all three of the legs he has entered this season on the Cuestars Seniors (40+) Tour.
The 44-year-old from Bracknell climbed to third place in the rankings after his latest success in the fifth event at Jesters Snooker Club, Swindon.
He beat James Height (Shepton Mallet), who won the previous leg at Waterlooville Sports Bar, 2-0 in the final to claim the £120 prize money.
Ford dropped only one frame out of 15 all day – and that was to home player Neil Craycraft in the group stages.
Although he has claimed the end-of-season championship play-off for the past two years, he has never won the rankings title.
Meanwhile, John Hunter (Andover) cleared the table for a monster 134 break in his last-16 victory over Neil Carroll (Southampton).
It equalled the 53-year-old rankings leader’s highest Cuestars break, which was made in a Handicapped Open at Salisbury SC 13 years ago.
But it’s not the highest ever made on the Seniors Tour. That honour is held by Gosport legend Colin Norton with a 140 made in Poole in 2011.
Martin Wallace (Wokingham) then knocked out Hunter, not for the first time, 2-1 in the last-eight. It means second-placed Height closes the gap to eight points. Ford is five points further back in third.
Fifth-placed Paul Lawrence defeated Craycraft 2-1 in the last-eight and, in his first semi-final appearance of the campaign, took Height to a decider.
Raj Puri (Rochester) remains top of the Masters (55+) rankings by a massive 35 points from Carroll and Andrew Darken (Feltham).
The high-quality 32-strong field returned 28 breaks of 40 or more.
It was the perfect turnout for a club with 22 tables. Eight groups of four with the top two going through to a last-16 knockout and all done and dusted by about 7pm. Happy days.
Chandlers Ford Snooker Club hosts the sixth leg of eight on Sunday, February 16.
BREAKS
John Hunter: 134, 52.
Neil Craycraft: 96, 64, 44.
Matt Ford: 71, 67, 66, 55, 53, 47, 46.
Martin Wallace: 68, 58.
James Height: 67, 53, 53, 48, 40, 40.
Jean-Marc Bancilhon: 62.
Neil Herd: 54.
Raj Puri: 51, 50.
Paul Lawrence: 47, 40.
Phil Morgan: 44.
Neil Carroll: 40.
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP POSITIONS
GROUP A: 1st, John Hunter (Salisbury SC); 2nd, David Stewart (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Paul Burt (Salisbury SC); 4th, Graham Leech (Crucible, Newbury).
GROUP B: 1st, James Height (SWSA, Gloucester); 2nd, Neil Carroll (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Herman Desmier (Bournemouth Constitutional Club); 4th, Peter Chin (Jesters, Swindon).
GROUP C: 1st, Adam Denham (Keynsham Cons); 2nd, Stephen Hills (Northfleet Traders Club); 3rd, Raj Puri (Hartley Country Club); 4th, Jon Walker (Potting Shed, Aldbourne).
GROUP D: 1st, Matt Ford (Sunninghill Comrades); 2nd, Neil Craycraft (Jesters, Swindon); 3rd, Chris Rigby (West Byfleet Social Club); 4th, Chris Stocker (Martock Snooker Centre).
GROUP E: 1st, Neil Herd (Salisbury SC); 2nd, Steve Ashton (Salisbury SC); 3rd, George Apperley (Crucible, Newbury); 4th, James Trump (SWSA, Gloucester).
GROUP F: 1st, Paul Lawrence (Park Gate RBL); 2nd, John Monckton (Woking SC); 3rd, Peter Ebbins (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 4th, Jim Robinson (Bournemouth Constitutional Club)
GROUP G: 1st, Jean-Marc Bancilhon (Camphill Social Club); 2nd, Dan Hammond (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Cath Bailey (147, Swindon); 4th, Adrian Gee (147 SC, Swindon).
GROUP H: 1st, Martin Wallace (Crucible, Newbury); 2nd, Phil Morgan (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Pat Patel (Crucible, Newbury); 4th, Jeff Payne (West Byfleet Social Club).
KNOCKOUT RESULTS
LAST-16 (10 pts): Hunter 2-0 Carroll, Wallace 2-0 Hammond, Herd 2-1 Monckton, Ford 2-0 Hills, Craycraft 2-0 Denham, Lawrence 2-1 Ashton, Morgan 2-0 Bancilhon, Height 2-0 Stewart.
QUARTER-FINALS (12 pts, £15): Wallace 2-1 Hunter, Ford 2-0 Herd, Lawrence 2-1 Craycraft, Height 2-1 Morgan.
SEMI-FINALS (15 pts, £40): Ford 2-0 Wallace, Height 2-1 Lawrence.
FINAL (25/18 pts, £120/£60): Ford 2-0 Height.
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Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)