Aidan wins Q School place in Joe Perry Super Series

A BRISTOL teenager has landed one of the richest prizes in junior snooker.

Aidan Murphy pocketed more than £1,000 in prize money and received a free Q School place for winning the Cuestars Joe Perry Under-21 Super Series.

Oliver Sykes (Chandler’s Ford) and Murphy were the joint leaders going into the third and final leg at Waterlooville Sports Bar – and they met in an all-or-nothing semi-final. Victory for either would secure the title.

Sykes took a 2-0 lead but Murphy made a couple of good clearances under pressure to force a decider and then prevailed in a tense fifth frame.

The 18-year-old champion went on to beat former professional Jamie Wilson (Havant) 3-1 in the final.

In the equally tense second semi, Bradley Cowdroy (Bournemouth) was 2-1 up against Wilson, who took the match to a decider with a quick-fire 91 break.

Both players had opportunities in the fifth frame but it was Wilson who made the decisive contribution to win 3-2.

Major money winners over the three events were: Aidan Murphy £1,070, Oliver Sykes £772, Jamie Wilson £430 and Bradley Cowdroy £300.

The Q School place, worth £600, was provided by Cuestars ambassador Joe Perry.

Sykes’s 132 in the group stages of the second leg in Coulsdon was the highest break of the series. Michael Waring from snookerhub.co.uk sponsored the high break at a pound a point.

Cuestars sponsor Marc Lockley from snookercrazy.com presented the prizes.

The third leg was sponsored by Pitman Training and Waterlooville Sports Bar.

BREAKS

Oliver Sykes: 130, 99, 71, 68, 55, 55, 52.
Jamie Wilson: 116, 91, 88, 86, 51.
Connor Benzey: 99, 65, 58, 41.
Simon Bubb: 89, 64, 43.
Bradley Cowdroy: 78, 78, 73, 65.
Aidan Murphy: 77, 63, 57, 55, 48.
William Thomson: 70.
O’Shay Scott: 67.
Evan Plummer: 58, 58, 52, 43, 42.
Harry Wyatt: 58.
Will Forster: 48.
Ronnie Sullivan: 44.
John Donovan: 40.

RESULTS

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, O’Shay Scott; 2nd, Evan Plummer; 3rd, Ronnie Sullivan; 4th, William Thomson; 5th, Riley Ellis; 6th, Mason Wilson.

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Bradley Cowdroy; 2nd, Connor Benzey; 3rd, Oliver Sykes; 4th, Dylan Smith; 5th, John Donovan; 6th, Thomas McEvoy.

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Jamie Wilson; 2nd, Aidan Murphy; 3rd, Will Forster; 4th, Harry Wyatt; 5th, Simon Bubb; 6th, Elliott Johnson.

QUARTER-FINALS (£30): Sykes 3-0 Scott, Murphy 3-0 Benzey, Cowdroy 3-1 Sullivan, Wilson 3-0 Plummer.

SEMI-FINALS (£70): Murphy 3-2 Sykes, Wilson 3-2 Cowdroy.

FINAL (£500/£200): Murphy 3-1 Wilson.

Picture, from left: Aidan Murphy, referee Phil Watson, Jamie Wilson, Marc Lockley from snookercrazy.com.

By Tim Dunkley and Chris Wyatt