Oliver Sykes ends quiet start in style

LAST season’s double champion Oliver Sykes “played amazing stuff” to end his quiet start to the Cuestars Under-21 Gold Tour campaign in Swindon.

The talented 13-year-old from Chandler’s Ford failed to progress to the knockout in the opening leg in Salisbury and made a quarter-final exit in Waterlooville last month.

And he only scraped through the group stages as one of the two best thirds at Jesters Snooker Club.

But Sykes stepped up a gear in the knockout.

Last-season’s rankings and championship play-off winner beat Chandlers Ford clubmate Steven Hughes 3-1, posted the day’s highest break of 75 in a 3-1 victory over Aidan Murphy (Bristol) and collected £100 prize money following a 3-1 success over new rankings leader Jamie Wilson (Havant).

Fellow England international Wilson said Sykes “played amazing stuff” in the final of the event sponsored by trophy and sportswear supplier Don Rogers Sports Swindon and Jesters SC.

Sykes climbed to second in the rankings – eight points adrift of Wilson, who has now finished runner-up in all three opening legs.

Ryan Hughes (Chandler’s Ford) was knocked out 3-1 by Wilson in the semis. Steven Hughes and Dan Sykes, both also from Chandler’s Ford, won their respective groups but both lost in the last-eight.

For more information about the event sponsors, visit www.donrogerssports.co.uk and www.jesterssnooker.co.uk.

Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon, hosts the fourth leg of ten on Sunday, December 1.

BREAKS

Oliver Sykes: 75, 63.
Steven Hughes: 63.
Ronnie Sullivan: 59, 59, 49, 47.
Aidan Murphy: 58, 48.
Mickey Joyce: 49.

GOLD RESULTS

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Jamie Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 2nd, Aidan Murphy (Brislington & St Annes Cons Club, Bristol); 3rd, Lewis Parnham (SWSA, Gloucester); 4th, O’Shay Scott (Chandlers Ford SC).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Steven Hughes (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Ryan Hughes (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Mickey Joyce (Academy, Basingstoke); 4th, Chloe White (Waterlooville Sports Bar).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Dan Sykes (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Ronnie Sullivan (Frames, Coulsdon); 3rd, Oliver Sykes (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Shane Kearns (Jesters, Swindon).

QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): R Hughes 3-2 Sullivan, S Hughes 1-3 O Sykes, Wilson 3-1 Joyce, D Sykes 0-3 Murphy.

SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Wilson 3-1 R Hughes, O Sykes 3-1 Murphy.

FINAL (£100/£25, 25/18 points): O Sykes 3-1 Wilson.

Have you got any snooker news?

Send me your snooker news now. It doesn’t have to be from a Cuestars tournament. E-mail me details or contact me via Facebook and you could be on the Cuestars website and in your local newspaper. E-mail: [email protected]

Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)