Ladies day at Chandler’s Ford
IT WAS a night when the women took over Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club and exotic cocktails replaced beer as the beverage of choice in the bar. An impressive 15-strong field, most of whom had never played in a snooker competition before, assembled for the 2016 Ladies Tournament.
Midnight was fast approaching when 14-year-old Chloe White (pictured) left the 2006 champion Paula Brooks needing snookers on the colours in the final. White, from Havant, who is more used to taking on the boys on the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Tour, was competing in her first all-women event. “It was a lot different but I did enjoy it,” she said. And praising the many mums who rose to the challenge and had a go at the sport that their sons excel at, she added: “We were all there at one time
In the semi-finals, White had beaten Kitty Brooks while Paula Brooks (no relation) had doubled a re-spotted black the full length of the table to end the run of Jackie Ellis, who had travelled down from Wootton Bassett. Jody Eperon won the Plate final on the pink after getting her opponent Sarah Hughes into all sorts of trouble with a tricky snooker. Women’s world number eight Suzie Opacic opted to leave her cue in its case and instead mixed the cocktails and presented the trophies.
There was a double celebration for White as word reached her from Derby that boyfriend Mark Lloyd (Gosport) had seen off James Pearson (Leeds) 6-2 in the final of the English Under-18 Championship.
GROUP STAGE POSITIONS
Group A: 1st, Paula Brooks; 2nd, Tracey Westwell; 3rd, Kitty Brooks; 4th, Sarah Pendarves; 5th, Louise Dean.
Group B: 1st, Jackie Ellis; 2nd, Michelle Jeffery; 3rd, Sue Buckle; 4th, Sarah Hughes; 5th, Jody Eperon.
Group C: 1st, Chloe White; 2nd, Sam Benzey; 3rd, Claire Sykes; 4th, Sian Chungh; 5th, Sandy Ward.
Breaks: Kitty Brooks 13, Sue Buckle 11, Sam Benzey 9(PB).
KNOCKOUT
Quarter-finals: P Brooks beat Sykes, Ellis beat Benzey, White beat Westwell, K Brooks beat Jeffery.
Semi-finals: P Brooks beat Ellis, White beat K Brooks.
Final: White beat P Brooks.
PLATE
Quarter-finals: Ward beat Pendarves, Hughes beat Dean, Eperon beat Chungh, Bye: Buckle.
Semi-finals: Hughes beat Ward, Eperon beat Buckle.
Final: Eperon beat Hughes.
Picture by Tim Dunkley.
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