Two out of three ain’t bad for Tillison

PORTSMOUTH potter Ben Tillison has taken a commanding lead on the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Tour.

The 15-year-old (pictured) admitted to a “new-found respect” for professional snooker players after winning the final of the third leg on a fast Star table in south London.

Tillison defeated first-time finalist Shane Kearns (Swindon) 2-1 from 1-0 down at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon, to claim his second tournament win of the season.

“It was a very close match,” he said. “I was still trying to get used to the Star table. It was annoying at first but I got the hang of the really tight pockets in the end.

“In the first frame, I wanted snookers and the ball just flew past where I wanted it to go.

“I have a new-found respect for (professionals). It’s actually quite hard.”

Tillison, who had marked his return to the game after a year’s break with victory in the first leg in Salisbury, did adapt to the conditions well enough to compile the day’s highest break of 20.

The rankings leader opened up an 18-point gap over leg-two winner Ryan Hughes (Chandler’s Ford), whom he had lost to in the group stages.

In the semi-finals, Hughes was knocked out 2-0 by Kearns while Tillison beat Ben Crump (Gosport) by the same score.

On his 16th Cuestars outing, ten-year-old Connor Shaw (Bournemouth) qualified for the knockout for the first time but went out 2-0 to Crump in the quarter-finals.

The fourth leg of eight is at Greenbaize Snooker Club, Bournemouth, on Sunday, January 10.

BREAKS

Ben Tillison: 20.

BRONZE RESULTS

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Shane Kearns (Jesters, Swindon); 2nd, Ben Crump (Stoke SC, Gosport); 3rd, Connor Shaw (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 4th, Riley Ellis (Jesters, Swindon); 5th, Ben Hatch (Southampton).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Ryan Hughes (Chandler’s Ford SC); 2nd, Ben Tillison (Copnor SC, Portsmouth); 3rd, Jack Ratcliffe (Jesters, Swindon); 4th, Arnie Petty (Salisbury SC); 5th, Dan Foard (Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Bowen Zhu (Chandler’s Ford SC); 2nd, Chloe White (Copnor SC, Portsmouth); 3rd, Callum White (Copnor SC, Portsmouth); 4th, Rio Smith (Copnor SC, Portsmouth).

QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Kearns 2 Ratcliffe 1, Hughes 2 Chloe White 1, Tillison 2 Zhu 1, Crump 2 Shaw 0.

SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Kearns 2 Hughes 0, Tillison 2 Crump 0.

FINAL (25/18 points): Tillison 2 Kearns 1.

Report and picture by Tim Dunkley.