Gibbs claims second championship

GOSPORT teenager Olly Gibbs ended a remarkable year on the green baize by clinching his second Cuestars South of England Under-21 Championship.

The 14-year-old edged Ryan Hughes 2-1 in the final of the Gold Tour play-off at Jesters Snooker Club, Swindon.

Last June, Gibbs was crowned English Under-14 Champion.

He said: “It was such a good feeling to have won this, the last competition of the season. I was delighted.

“It seems such a long time since I won the English national under-14s in Gloucester.”

Gibbs, who is based at Chandlers Ford Snooker Club, finished top of his five-man round-robin group in Swindon despite losing 2-0 to clubmate Hughes.

He then overcame Anthony Rice (Fordingbridge), who was competing in his last under-21 tournament, 2-1 in the last-four of the event sponsored by Jesters Snooker Club and Nice Clean Ltd.

Hughes beat Connor Benzey, another clubmate, 2-0 to reach his first Gold Tour final at the end of his first season in the top tier.

It was also Gibbs’ first final in two seasons on the Gold Tour.

He made his Cuestars Bronze Tour debut in Salisbury in October, 2013 – and won the event. At the end of that first season, he clinched the championship play-off.

Nice Clean Ltd undertakes all types of commercial and residential cleaning from windows to gutters to driveways in the Swindon and Wiltshire areas. For more information, visit nicecleanltd.co.uk.

To find out more about Jesters SC, go to jesterssnooker.co.uk/snooker.

BREAKS

Anthony Rice: 54.
Dan Sykes: 53.
Aidan Murphy: 48, 45.
Olly Gibbs: 47.

GOLD RESULTS

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Olly Gibbs (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Ryan Hughes (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Aidan Murphy (Brislington & St Annes Conservative Club, Bristol); 4th, Steven Hughes (Chandlers Ford SC); 5th, Jamie Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Connor Benzey (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Anthony Rice (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Oliver Sykes (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Adam Stacey (Legends, Leytonstone); 5th, Dan Sykes (Chandlers Ford SC).

SEMI-FINALS: Gibbs 2-1 Rice, R Hughes 2-0 Benzey.

FINAL (£50/£25): Gibbs 2-1 R Hughes.

Picture by Tim Dunkley. Professional Billy Castle and Olly Gibbs

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Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)