McEvoy cures his white-line fever

TOM McEvoy has been waiting over six years for this moment.

The 15-year-old from Warminster claimed his first Cuestars winner’s trophy on home tables at Salisbury Snooker Club.

McEvoy reckons overcoming white-line fever (a rugby term) helped him beat rankings leader Mason Wilson 2-1 in the final of the fourth leg of the Under-21 Silver Tour.

“This season, I’ve got a different mindset,” he explained.

“I’ve always had a bit of white-line fever. Even in quarter-finals in Bronze, I’d get too nervous.”

Looking back on his defeat in the final of the opening leg of this season, McEvoy said: “I was still calm. I wasn’t getting frustrated. I was just playing the balls. And Gus (Walker) played better than me.”

Paying tribute to his opponent from Basingstoke, he added: “Mason is a very good potter. He’s good when you let him in.”

McEvoy lost to Wilson in the round-robin group stages but qualified for the knockout in second place. He then overcame last season’s Bronze Tour rankings champion Jack Squires (Gosport) and Londoner Yousuf Matib, both by 2-0 scorelines, to reach the final.

Wilson defeated Channel Islander Archie Greier 2-1 in the second semi. Squires is in second place in the rankings ahead of Walker (Brighton).

McEvoy, who climbs to fourth place in his third season on the Silver Tour, made his Cuestars Bronze Tour debut in April, 2018. This was his 53rd Silver or Bronze Tour ranking event.

Jesters Snooker Club, Swindon, hosts the fifth leg of ten on Sunday, January 5.

BREAKS

Mason Wilson: 45, 37, 33, 31.
Navraj Landa: 37.
Tom McEvoy 33, 30.
Rayan El Qmache: 32.
Noah Gartell: 30.

SILVER RESULTS

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Mason Wilson (Academy, Basingstoke); 2nd, Tom McEvoy (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Ben Scammell (Salisbury SC); joint 4th, Dylan Denieffe (Hurricane Room, Kings Cross) & Tyler Beer (Salisbury SC).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Yousuf Matib (Hurricane Room, Kings Cross); 2nd, Archie Greier (First Tower, Jersey); 3rd, Rayan El Qmache (Hurricane Room, Kings Cross); 4th, Daniel Walter (Copnor SC); 5th, Gus Walker (Castle SC, Brighton).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Jack Squires (Stoke SC, Gosport); 2nd, Noah Gartell (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Lee Clayden (Hurricane Room, Kings Cross); 4th, Navraj Landa (Chandlers Ford SC); 5th, Lennon Savage (Chandlers Ford SC).

QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Wilson 2-0 El Qmache, Greier 2-0 Gartell, Matib 2-0 Clayden, McEvoy 2-0 Squires.

SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Wilson 2-1 Greier, McEvoy 2-0 Matib.

FINAL (25/18 points): McEvoy 2-1 Wilson.