Hubba Bubba Kid III

A TEN-year-old snooker player from Bristol has claimed his third tournament win of the season on the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Tour.

Aidan Murphy regained the rankings lead after beating Steven Hughes 2-1 from 1-0 down in the final of the fifth leg at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon.

Murphy, known as the Hubba Bubba Kid because of his penchant for chewing bubblegum during matches, was again sporting his lucky tartan waistcoat and celebrated his victory with a McDonald’s and a strawberry milkshake.

Dad Derek said: “Aidan was thrilled to win his third Cuestars event.

“He managed to win the event only dropping one frame all day so he was really pleased with that.

“His mum (Gail) went to support him this time and she was over the moon to witness the win.”

Hughes (Chandler’s Ford SC) has appeared in all five finals this season. The 13-year-old won the fourth leg in Woking but has lost the other four – three times to Murphy.

Home player Stefan Djakovic (Jesters, Swindon) made the quarter-finals for the first time and Harry Jones (Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon) went one better by making the semis for the first time. Both were knocked out by Hughes.

Murphy leads Hughes by five points with three events left. David O’Callaghan (Greenbaize, Bournemouth) is 24 points further back in third.

The sixth leg of eight is at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club on Sunday, March 1.

BREAKS

Steven Hughes: 31.
Aidan Murphy: 23, 23, 22, 21, 21, 20.
Bowen Zhu: 23.
Harry Jones: 22, 21.
David Rice: 22.
Ryan Hughes: 20.

BRONZE RESULTS

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Shane Kearns (Jesters, Swindon); 2nd, Connor Benzey (Chandler’s Ford SC); 3rd, Ben Crump (Stoke SC, Gosport); 4th, Luke McCormick (Mayfair, Gosport); 5th, Keegan Reed (Salisbury SC); 6th, Viktor Balgariev (Jesters, Swindon).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Aidan Murphy (Bristol Conservative Club); 2nd, Stefan Djakovic (Jesters, Swindon); joint 3rd, Charlie Pringle (Chandler’s Ford SC), Dan Parks (Woking SC) & Ben Mulvihill (Woking SC); 6th, Albert Warren (Salisbury SC).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Steven Hughes (Chandler’s Ford SC); 2nd, Oliver Sykes (Chandler’s Ford SC); 3rd, Ryan Hughes (Chandler’s Ford SC); 4th, David Rice (Salisbury SC); 5th, Oli Line (Chandler’s Ford SC); 6th, Harry Wilson (Copnor SC, Portsmouth).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP D: 1st, Harry Jones (Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon, Surrey); 2nd, David O’Callaghan (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 3rd, Adam Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 4th, Bowen Zhu (Chandler’s Ford SC); 5th, Connor Shaw (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 6th, Lewis Wilson (Copnor SC, Portsmouth).

QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): O’Callaghan 2 Kearns 0, Murphy 2 Sykes 0, S Hughes 2 Djakovic 1, Jones 2 Benzey 1.

SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Murphy 2 O’Callaghan 0, S Hughes 2 Jones 0.

FINAL (25/18 points): Murphy 2 Hughes 1.

Report by Tim Dunkley: Steven Hughes (left) and Aidan Murphy