Sullivan ends remarkable year with first winner’s trophy
A 12-YEAR-OLD from Coulsdon who first picked up a cue less than a year ago has won his first tournament on a regional snooker circuit.
Ronnie Sullivan’s meteoric rise through the junior ranks culminated in picking up the winner’s trophy at the ninth leg of the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Tour.
He edged newly-crowned rankings champion Riley Ellis (Wootton Bassett) 2-1 in the final of the event sponsored by Pitman Training Winchester at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club.
The young potter, who was inspired to take up the game while watching his near-namesake Ronnie O’Sullivan during last year’s World Championship, won the decider on the blue.
“I thought I was going to lose as I lost the first frame and there was quite a margin in the points,” said Sullivan.
“I thought it was going to be a challenge getting to the semi-finals because there are decent players in Bronze.”
Sullivan had been beaten by Ellis in the group stages and overcame former rankings leader Shane Kearns (Swindon) 2-1 in the last-four.
Based at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon, Sullivan was persuaded to make his Cuestars debut at his home club last December by Silver Tour player Evan Plummer’s mum Helen.
He lost every game.
But he was runner-up in his third leg in Havant and is now sixth in the rankings after only six tournaments.
Sullivan, who attends Ewell Castle School in Epsom, thanked coach Terry Burke, practice partners Plummer and Harry Jones, Frames owner Tony Thomson and Curtis Braithwaite who runs Cuesports Club, a website linked to Frames, and dad Jamie “for driving me around”.
The tenth and final leg is on Sunday, April 30, at Salisbury Snooker Club.
For more information about Pitman Training, go to www.pitman-training.com.
BREAKS
Riley Ellis: 30, 27.
Shane Kearns: 30.
Ronnie Sullivan: 25, 24.
BRONZE RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Riley Ellis (Jesters, Swindon); 2nd, Ronnie Sullivan (Frames, Coulsdon); 3rd, Thomas Saunders (Stepfield SC, Witham, Essex); 4th, Riccardo Drayton (Chandler’s Ford SC); 5th, O’Shay Scott (Chandler’s Ford SC).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Shane Kearns (Jesters, Swindon); 2nd, Chloe White (Copnor SC, Portsmouth); 3rd, Callum White (Copnor SC, Portsmouth); 4th, Will Forster (Mayfair, Gosport).
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Ellis 2 Chloe White 1, Sullivan 2 Kearns 1.
FINAL (25/18 points): Sullivan 2 Ellis 1.
Picture by Tim Dunkley
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Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)