Stephen Lee exclusive and results round-up

The world number eight told cuestars.uk.com that since Barry Hearn was elected World Snooker chairman massive opportunities have opened up young players.

Speaking at the Cuestars finals day at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon, Lee, who won the 2012 Players Tour Championship, said: “Barry Hearn’s turned it around.

“It’s going to force more juniors to want to be professional and to give them more opportunities in life. If they do well as a junior then do well as an amateur and go to the PTCs, they can turn pro. You can get a tour card and off you go – suitcase, and try and earn a living.”

And Lee advised Cuestars members: “Practise, enjoy it and play as much as you can. If you can play better players you learn a lot quicker than playing people of your own standard.

“I was very lucky when I was coming through that I had (Phil Webb) in my area who was a top player and I got to play him every day. And I learnt from him.

“When you watch it on telly, you can see the shots but you can’t really see what they are doing and appreciate it. When you play live in a room and you can watch what they’re doing, that’s how you learn quickly.”

The Trowbridge professional took on 12 section champions and rankings winners in exhibition frames. He lost to Cuestars champion Jon Charlton, who compiled a 47 break, Silver Tour rankings winner Troy Bodman (60-36) and Bronze Champion Austen Petty on the final black.

Lee revealed he used to play alongside Cuestars director John Hunter for Wiltshire and that our beloved leader was “an exceptional player – in his day”.

He said: “(John’s) got a nice bunch of young kids, all talented and they all hit the ball really well. I played in Cuestars when I was a kid a good few years ago.

“John Hunter does a great job. He’s been doing a great job for many years now – exceptional job, to be fair.

“John played in the Wiltshire team with me. He was an exceptional player – in his day.”

LAST-32: Callum & Rob McDonald (Salisbury SC) beat Thomas & Tony Holton (Woking SC), Daniel & Richard Knox (Woking SC) beat Spike Hull & Dave Lacey (Chandler’s Ford SC), Mark & Ben Tillison (Copnor SC, Portsmouth) beat Ben & Kev Tanner (The Academy, Eastleigh).

LAST-16: Daniel & Richard Knox beat Callum & Rob McDonald, Ian & Karl Eggar (Stoke SC, Gosport) beat Bradley Chappell & dad Colin (Greenbaize SC, Bournemouth), Jason & Joshua Hughes (Rileys, Worcester) beat Gavin & Jasmine Bolsover (Woking SC), James Budd & Ian Rowlands (Stoke SC, Gosport) beat Joshua & Phil Lee (Jesters, Swindon), Kaine & Arnie Petty (Greenbaize SC, Bournemouth) beat Duncan & Stewart Ball (Greenbaize SC, Bournemouth), Daniel & Steve Woods (Chandler’s Ford SC) beat Bradley & Jim Cowdroy (Greenbaize SC, Bournemouth), Troy & John Bodman (Jesters, Swindon) beat Mark & Ben Tillison, Daniel & Scott Compton (Copnor SC, Portsmouth) beat Danny & Malcolm Tallentire (Player’s, Westbury).

QUARTER-FINALS: Daniel & Richard Knox beat Ian & Karl Eggar, James Budd & Ian Rowlands beat Jason & Joshua Hughes, Daniel & Steve Woods beat Kaine & Arnie Petty, Troy & John Bodman beat Daniel & Scott Compton.

SEMI-FINALS: James Budd & Ian Rowlands beat Daniel & Richard Knox, Troy & John Bodman beat Daniel & Steve Woods.

FINAL: James Budd & Ian Rowlands beat Troy & John Bodman.

LAST-16: Alan Thomas (Jesters, Swindon) beat Neil Carroll (Salisbury SC), Steve Tonks (Ashlett Club, near Fawley) beat Ray Mears (Sovereign SC, Farnborough).

QUARTER-FINALS: Nick Miles (Ashlett Club, near Fawley) beat Mike Thatcher (Shirley Conservative Club), Alan Grainger (Liberal Club, High Wycombe) beat Wayne Hamilton (Hassocks Mens Club, West Sussex), Kevin Ward (Hassocks Mens Club, West Sussex) beat Paul Rose (Jesters, Swindon), Tonks beat Thomas.

SEMI-FINALS: Grainger beat Miles, Ward beat Tonks.

FINAL (winner £15): Ward beat Grainger.

LAST-32: Corey Tallentire (Player’s, Westbury) beat Callum McDonald (Salisbury SC), Daniel Hall (Jesters, Swindon) beat Sam Storey (Thatcham SC), James Budd (Stoke SC, Gosport) beat Olly Clark (Chandler’s Ford SC), Stuart Scott (Romford SC) beat Spike Hull (Chandler’s Ford SC), Joshua Lee (Jesters, Swindon) beat Daniel Knox (Woking SC), Mickey Joyce (Crucible, Newbury) beat Thomas Holton (Woking SC), Bradley Lane (Copnor SC, Portsmouth) beat Jamie Wilson (Copnor SC, Portsmouth).

LAST-16: Tallentire beat Hall, Scott beat Budd, Lee beat Joyce, Connor Curtis (Crucible, Newbury) beat Kaine Petty (Greenbaize SC, Bournemouth), Daniel Woods (Chandler’s Ford SC) (63 break) beat Arnie Petty (Greenbaize SC, Bournemouth), Joshua Hughes (Rileys, Worcester) beat Daniel Compton (Copnor SC, Portsmouth), Lee Bell (The Academy, Eastleigh) beat Lane, Liam Burnet (The Academy, Eastleigh) beat Ben Tillison (Copnor SC, Portsmouth).

QUARTER-FINALS: Scott beat Tallentire, Lee beat Curtis, Woods beat Hughes, Bell beat Burnet.

SEMI-FINALS: Scott beat Lee, Bell beat Woods.

FINAL: Scott beat Bell.