Forster claims first Cuestars tournament win at 36th attempt
A WICKHAM teenager’s 36th Cuestars snooker tournament will live long in his memory.
Will Forster has collected his first winner’s trophy on the regional under-21 circuit after more than five years of trying.
The 15-year-old beat rankings leader Riley Ellis 2-1 from 1-0 down in the Silver Tour final at Salisbury Snooker Club.
There was a rare smile from Forster as he said: “It’s good. I felt that I played pretty well. Hopefully I’ll win some more.”
Forster, who is based at Fareham Snooker Club, scraped through the group stages on frame difference.
But he then produced outstanding results against two tough opponents in the knockout.
Samuel Laxton (Portsmouth) was unbeaten in his group but went down 2-0 to Forster in the semi-finals.
“That was a tough match,” admitted Forster. “It’s always a hard game, playing him.”
Forster made his Cuestars debut in May, 2016, and was runner-up in a Bronze Tour event in Swindon in 2018.
It’s worth remembering that Jamie Wilson took eight years and 83 tournaments to claim his first Cuestars win. A year later he was a professional on the World Snooker Tour.
Ellis (Clyffe Pypard, North Wilts) now has an outright lead in the rankings after knocking out title rival Elliott Johnson (London) 2-0 in the last-four.
John Donovan (London) contributed the event’s highest break of 54 but he failed to qualify from his group.
The fourth leg was sponsored by the host club and one of its members, Malcolm Slark.
Fareham Snooker Club hosts the fifth leg of six on Sunday, September 26.
BREAKS
John Donovan: 54.
Riley Ellis: 43.
Elliott Johnson: 40, 34.
Will Forster: 39.
SILVER RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Riley Ellis (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Will Forster (Fareham SC); 3rd, Owen Jenkins (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 4th, Harry Wyatt (Greenbaize, Bournemouth).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Samuel Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 2nd, Elliott Johnson (London Snooker); 3rd, Mason Wilson (Academy, Basingstoke); 4th, John Donovan (Cousins, London).
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Forster 2-0 Laxton, Ellis 2-0 Johnson.
FINAL (25/18 points): Forster 2-1 Ellis.
Pictured, from left: Will Forster, Malcolm Slark, Riley Ellis