Third time lucky for YouTube trained Squires

JACK Squires credited YouTube videos coupled with hard practice for his first success on the Cuestars Under-21 Bronze Tour.

It was third time lucky for the 18-year-old from Gosport, who finished runner-up in the previous two legs in Salisbury and south London.

Squires overcame first-time finalist Rayan El Qmache (London) 2-0 to clinch the third event at Chandlers Ford Snooker Club.

And he now leads the rankings from Noah Gartell (Isle of Wight).

“It’s been pretty good,” he said. “I’m playing pretty decently. I just had to not worry about everyone else and focus on myself.”

Squires’s technique has been admired by Cuestars organisers. But where did it come from?

“A lot of practice and a lot of YouTube (videos),” explained the teenager. “I like BartonSnooker, Break from Life and I’ll throw Barry Stark in there as well.”

Squires added that he’s also been helped by Dave Norman, boss of Stoke Snooker Club in Gosport.

Ten-year-old El Qmache, who had never been past the last-eight before, beat Squires’s clubmate Bradley Jones 2-0 in the semi-finals.

Zac Perrie (Brighton) made the last-four for the first time but lost a third-frame decider to Squires.

Woking Snooker Centre hosts the fourth leg of ten on Sunday, December 3.

For more information about event sponsor Chandlers Ford SC, go to www.cfordsnooker.co.uk.

BREAKS

Noah Gartell: 34, 24.
Jack Squires: 30.
Archie Greier: 22.
Brett Knight: 20.

BRONZE RESULTS

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Noah Gartell (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Chester Chan (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Jack Miller (Salisbury SC); 4th, Stanley Sims (Woking SC).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Bradley Jones (Stoke SC, Gosport); 2nd, Jack Squires (Stoke SC, Gosport); 3rd, Oliver Donnelly (Surrey Snooker Academy); 4th, Isaac Church (Chandlers Ford SC).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Yousuf Matib (Hurricane Room, Kings Cross); 2nd, Navraj Landa (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Archie Light (Chandlers Ford SC).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP D: 1st, Rayan El Qmache (Hurricane Room, Kings Cross); 2nd, Lee Clayden (Hurricane Room, Kings Cross); 3rd, Alex Evans (Castle SC, Brighton); 4th, Dylan Denieffe (Hurricane Room, Kings Cross).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP E: 1st, Archie Greier (First Tower, Jersey); 2nd, Luke Davies (Academy, Basingstoke); 3rd, Liam Piggott (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 4th, Beibei Ji (Chandlers Ford SC).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP F: 1st, Zac Perrie (Castle SC, Brighton); 2nd, George Wright (Basingstoke Cons); 3rd, Brett Knight (Castle SC, Brighton); 4th, Charlie Ings (Salisbury SC); 5th, Lewis Thomson (Chandlers Ford SC).

LAST-16 (10 points): Gartell 1-0 Donnelly, Squires 1-0 Clayden, Perrie 1-0 Landa, Knight 1-0 Greier, Piggott 1-0 Matib, El Qmache 1-0 Wright, Chan 1-0 Davies, Jones 1-0 Miller.

QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Squires 2-0 Gartell, Perrie 2-1 Knight, El Qmache 2-0 Piggott, Jones 2-1 Chan.

SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Squires 2-1 Perrie, El Qmache 2-0 Jones.

FINAL (25/18 points): Squires 2-0 El Qmache.