Focused Sullivan takes early lead in Bronze

A YOUNG Surrey snooker player delivered a performance and a post-match interview that belied his tender years.

Ronnie Sullivan spoke about the importance of focusing on his own game after winning the first leg of the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Tour.

The 12-year-old from Chipstead defeated first-time finalist Riccardo Drayton 2-0 to claim maximum points at Waterlooville Sports Bar.

Now established as one of the early favourites for the rankings title, Sullivan insists there is “no one” he is looking at over his shoulder and he is “not worried” about his rivals.

“I’m just focusing on myself,” he said. “As long as I get myself to where I want to be, then I’ll be winning.

“I just want to win the next one and keep doing that. Once you’ve won the next one, it’s history. Done. Just move on.”

Talking about his opponent from Chandler’s Ford, he said: “A first final is probably a lot of pressure for him.

“In my first final, I lost 2-0 (to last season’s rankings winner Riley Ellis in Havant in February). I really wasn’t in that final because the pressure was too much.”

Sullivan topped his round-robin group – despite losing to his Frames Sports Bar clubmate Oliver Cooper – before beating eight-year-old O’Shay Scott (Chandler’s Ford) 2-1 in the last-eight and Rio Smith (Portsmouth) 2-0 in the semi-finals.

“I knocked a few breaks in which I was pleased with,” added the Ewell Castle School pupil. “But I could have done better.”

Cuestars debutant Samuel Laxton (Portsmouth) went down 2-0 in the semis to Drayton, who had knocked out another new boy, Mason Wilson (Baughurst, near Basingstoke), 2-1 in the quarter-finals.

It was Sullivan’s second tournament win and a fourth final in eight events since making a nervous debut on home tables in Coulsdon, last December.

Sullivan works with “great coach” Terry Burke, who made the trip south to watch his protégé, and he also thanked Frames owner Tony Thompson, Jamie his dad and Curtis Braithwaite, who runs www.dafasnooker.com.

The tournament was sponsored by Vortex Property Management to raise awareness of Sightsavers, an international charity that works in developing countries to treat and prevent avoidable blindness.

For more information about the charity, visit www.sightsavers.org.

The second leg of ten is at Salisbury Snooker Club on Sunday, October 8.

BREAKS

Ronnie Sullivan: 25, 21, 21.
Mason Wilson: 23.
Riccardo Drayton: 23.
Rio Smith: 21.

BRONZE RESULTS

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Mason Wilson (Academy, Basingstoke); 2nd, O’Shay Scott (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Jack Ratcliffe (Jesters, Swindon); 4th, Zak Truscott (Waterlooville Sports Bar).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Samuel Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 2nd, Rio Smith (Copnor SC); 3rd, Will Forster (Mayfair, Gosport); 4th, Dean Russell (Waterlooville Sports Bar).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Oliver Cooper (Frames, Coulsdon); 2nd, Ronnie Sullivan (Frames, Coulsdon); 3rd, Riccardo Drayton (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Harry Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar).

QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Drayton 2 M Wilson 1, Laxton 2 Ratcliffe 1, Smith 2 Cooper 1, Sullivan 2 Scott 1.

SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Drayton 2 Laxton 0, Sullivan 2 Smith 0.

FINAL (25/18 points): Sullivan 2 Drayton 0.

Pictures by Tim Dunkley

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Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)