Gillon claims unique double
MATT Gillon was brought down to earth with a bump after clinching a unique double on the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Silver Tour.
The Gosport teenager (pictured left) ended the eight-leg circuit top of the rankings and then won the last-16 championship play-off at Jesters Snooker Club, Swindon.
But he was “absolutely slapped” by special guest Joe Perry (right), the world number nine, in an exhibition frame.
Gillon accounted for Q School entrant Reece King (Bournemouth) 3-0 in the final.
“I stormed it,” declared the 17-year-old. “I was really happy with how I played. It was probably one of the best matches I’ve ever played.
“I had a good run of the balls against Reece. I just wouldn’t let him in.”
And he added: “I didn’t really expect to come in and win the knockout competition because… well, it’s knockout, isn’t it? You’ve just got to hope you play well. There’s no groups.”
Earlier, Gillon, who has left school and is hoping to start a retail apprenticeship, defeated Stoke SC clubmate Olly Gibbs 2-0 and one-time rankings leader Callum McDonald (Salisbury) 3-1.
“I was really happy to beat Olly, my bogey player,” he said. “And I was happy to beat Callum because he’s one of the best players in Silver.
“I don’t want to say there was no pressure on me, because there was. But there wasn’t as much pressure as I thought because I knew I was coming out with a trophy.
“As long as I knew I’d won the rankings, I wasn’t really bothered if I lost in the play-off. Having no pressure on me helped.”
One of 16 players selected to take on Perry, Gillon was restricted to two shots and no points as the 2015 Players Championship winner knocked in a 135, one of seven centuries he made during the afternoon.
Gillon said: “I got absolutely slapped. It was a really good break. I told him it was a really good break.”
He is the first player to complete the double since the new format was introduced in 2009/10. In fact, he’s only the second to win it outright across all three categories – Gold, Silver and Bronze. Jordan Winbourne (Hedge End) landed the Gold double in the inaugural season.
BREAKS
Olly Gibbs: 33.
Lee Fitzpatrick: 32.
RESULTS
PRELIMS: Olly Gibbs (Stoke SC, Gosport) 2 Lee Fitzpatrick (Chandler’s Ford SC) 0, Drew Hampshire (147 SC, Swindon) 2 Abhay Chopra (Chandler’s Ford SC) 1, Jasmine Bolsover (Woking SC) 2 Nat Kidner (Greenbaize, Bournemouth) 0, Ally Pollard (Salisbury SC) 2 Kaine Petty (Salisbury SC) 0.
QUARTER-FINALS: Matt Gillon (Stoke SC, Gosport) 2 Gibbs 0, Callum McDonald (Salisbury SC) 2 Hampshire 1, Reece King (Greenbaize, Bournemouth) 2 Bolsover 1, Pollard w/o Joe Kitchen (Stoke SC, Gosport).
SEMI-FINALS: Gillon 3 McDonald 1, King 3 Pollard 0.
FINAL: Gillon 3 King 0.
Report and picture by Tim Dunkley