Broken bone helped break his duck

THERE was a remarkable postscript to the Tim Dunkley Cup at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club.

X-rays two days later revealed that Dan Sykes had secured his first ever winner’s trophy while suffering with a broken middle toe of his right foot.

Two weeks previously, he had been injured playing football at school.

“I was in pain but I wasn’t thinking too much about it as I was trying to concentrate,” he said, following a trip to hospital today.

As previously reported, the 15-year-old secured his first winner’s trophy after beating Cambridge-based Jonny Mutch 2-1 in the final.

And 24 hours earlier, he had won the Saturday afternoon Open Series tournament at his home club.

There must be a moral there somewhere.

Report and picture by Tim Dunkley: The 11-strong field.