Sullivan claims Bronze rankings title
CHIPSTEAD’S teenage potting ace Ronnie Sullivan has wrapped up the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Tour rankings title in emphatic style.
The 13-year-old defeated first-time finalist Will Forster (Gosport) 2-0 to claim the ninth leg of ten at the 147 Snooker Club, Swindon.
Sullivan, who broke the back of the second frame with a run of 34, had virtually secured top spot with two events to play.
However, he was more delighted that he had won all nine frames in the event sponsored by Swindon-based Smarter Cuesports.
“I’m more pleased about not dropping a frame than about winning the tournament,” he said.
“But I’m still not playing as well as I should be playing.”
Sullivan increased his highest competitive break to 80 in a handicap competition on home tables at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon, last month.
So the target is a century? Not for this young man.
He said: “Something over 110 would make me happy because 102 or 109 is not enough.”
Sullivan made a nervous Cuestars debut at Frames in December, 2016. In fact, his first match was against Forster.
“I lost 2-0 to Will,” recalled Sullivan. “I still remember the black he potted to beat me.”
He has now won seven of his 16 tournaments and been runner-up on four occasions. His semi-final defeat by Riccardo Drayton (Chandler’s Ford) in Salisbury last month ended a run of nine finals.
Sullivan, who has the English Under-14 Championship final in June to look forward to, thanked Curtis Braithwaite, Terry Burke and Tony Thompson for their help and support.
Drayton, who was joint second with Samuel Laxton (Portsmouth), beat his rival for the runner-up spot 2-0 in the last-eight but went out by the same score to 12-year-old Forster in the last-four.
In the second semi, Louie Leighton (Basildon) lost 2-0 to Sullivan.
Sullivan and Drayton both recorded the day’s highest break of 40.
Chandlers Ford Snooker Club hosts the tenth and final leg on Sunday, May 6.
BREAKS
Ronnie Sullivan: 40, 34, 20.
Riccardo Drayton: 40, 25.
Will Forster: 23.
Louie Leighton: 20.
BRONZE RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Ronnie Sullivan (Frames, Coulsdon); 2nd, Samuel Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 3rd, Harry Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 4th, Jaydon Elliott (147 SC, Swindon).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Louie Leighton (Rileys, Benfleet); 2nd, Will Forster (Mayfair, Gosport); 3rd, O’Shay Scott (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Mason Wilson (Academy, Basingstoke).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Dean Russell (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 2nd, Riccardo Drayton (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Oliver Cooper (Frames, Coulsdon); 4th, Taylor Elliott (147 SC, Swindon).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Sullivan 2-0 Cooper, Leighton 2-1 H Wilson, Forster 2-0 Russell, Drayton 2-0 Laxton.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Forster 2-0 Drayton, Sullivan 2-0 Leighton.
FINAL (25/18 points): Sullivan 2-0 Forster.
Picture by Tim Dunkley
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Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)