First win for Hubba Bubba kid

BRISTOL’s demon potter Aidan Murphy reckons sporting a tartan waistcoat in honour of his visiting relations was the key to success on a regional snooker circuit.

The ten-year-old’s Scottish grandparents had never seen him play before but travelled south for the second leg of the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Tour.

And they were in the audience as bubblegum fanatic Murphy (pictured), dubbed the Hubba Bubba Kid, blew away Steven Hughes (Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club) 2-0 in the final at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon.

Murphy is based at Bristol Conservative Club and plays snooker and pool in the local league as well as pool for his county. He made his Cuestars debut in Salisbury last month and was knocked out in the quarter-finals by the eventual tournament winner David O’Callaghan.

Dad Derek said: “Aidan has been playing since he was knee high and wants nothing more than to be a professional when he grows up.

“He was chuffed to bits to have won a Cuestars trophy. Let’s hope it’s one of many.”

Hughes, who lost in the Bronze Tour final for the second successive time this season, is one point behind joint ranking leaders Murphy and O’Callaghan.

The 13-year-old from Chandler’s Ford had seen off clubmate Connor Benzey 2-1 in the semi-finals, as he did in Salisbury last month.

Jesters lad Shane Kearns enjoyed a successful Cuestars debut, eventually losing 2-1 to Murphy in the last-four.

The third leg of eight is at Greenbaize Snooker Club, Bournemouth, on Sunday, December 7.

BREAKS

Aidan Murphy: 27, 24, 24, 21.

BRONZE RESULTS

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, David O’Callaghan (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 2nd, Charlie Pringle (Chandler’s Ford SC); 3rd, Bowen Zhu (Chandler’s Ford SC); 4th, Victor Balgariev (Jesters, Swindon); 5th, Ryan Hughes (Chandler’s Ford SC).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Aidan Murphy (Bristol Conservative Club); 2nd, Steven Hughes (Chandler’s Ford SC); 3rd, Keegan Reed (Salisbury SC); 4th, Dan Smith (Woking SC); 5th, Oliver Sykes (Chandler’s Ford SC).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Adam Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 2nd, Harry Cook (Woking SC); 3rd, Harry Wilson (Copnor SC, Portsmouth); 4th, Liam Ashman (Player’s, Westbury); 5th, Lewis Wilson (Copnor SC, Portsmouth).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP D: 1st, Connor Benzey (Chandler’s Ford SC); 2nd, Shane Kearns (Jesters, Swindon); 3rd, Stefan Djakovic (Jesters, Swindon); 4th, Albert Warren (Salisbury SC); 5th, Connor Shaw (Greenbaize, Bournemouth).

QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Kearns beat O’Callaghan 2-1, Murphy beat Cook 2-0, S Hughes beat Cowdroy 2-1, Benzey beat Pringle 2-0.

SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Murphy beat Kearns 2-1, S Hughes beat Benzey 2-1.

FINAL (25/18 points): Murphy beat S Hughes 2-0.

Report by Tim Dunkley.