Castle so close to becoming youngest pro
HAMPSHIRE wonderkid Shane Castle is resigned to another year on the amateur snooker circuit after losing in the European Under-21 Championship final.
The 14-year-old’s Bulgarian fairytale ended in a 6-2 defeat by Scottish international Michael Leslie.
Castle, bidding to become the youngest ever snooker professional, produced a set of results in the latter stage of the tournament at the Dedeman Princess Hotel, Sofia, that stunned opponents and spectators alike.
But 19-year-old Leslie, a losing finalist last year, knew a little bit too much for the Marchwood teenager.
Ambling
Castle did threaten a comeback from 4-0 down. Ambling around the table in his customary relaxed style, he fashioned an 84 break from a long red to make it 4-2. But Leslie replied with runs of 100 and 91 to secure a Main Tour spot.
The match was streamed live on the internet and watched at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club by players and parents during the Saturday morning junior sessions, where Castle began his extraordinary career.
The “disappointed” youngster, who now practises at Cue T’s Snooker Lounge, Marchwood, said: “I was thinking next year I could be playing on the pro-tour instead of playing in amateur tournaments again. He played well, Michael. He had two centuries and a 90. It was always going to be a tough match.”
Leslie said: “Shane is absolutely amazing. He’s going to be a top player. I think he’s got everything. Of course, nothing is guaranteed. But he’s absolutely brilliant and I think he’ll be a top professional in the future.”
Castle, who competes on the Cuestars South of England Championship Tour, qualified for the tournament by finishing third on the EASB Premier Junior Tour.
He dropped just two frames in five group-stage matches in the Bulgarian capital and saw off Georgi Velichkov (Bulgaria) 4-0 in the last-32.
This kid is unbelievable
His remarkable performance in the next three rounds prompted a spokesman for On Q Promotions, Castle’s player management company, to declare: “His break-building and long potting were frightening. This kid is just unbelievable.”
In the last-16, he dispatched “bogey player” Ross Muir 4-0 in barely an hour with a 95 clearance in the opening frame and a 62 in the third.
Scottish international Muir, 16, had beaten Castle twice in major tournaments in the last two years.
After the match, PJ Nolan, a European Billiards & Snooker Association senior coach and trainer, said: “Shane has really impressed me this week. He’s really got something about him. He’s a class player.”
Now the youngest player left in the event, Castle ripped apart Welsh international Jamie Clarke 5-0 in an unstoppable performance which produced breaks of 41, 65, 46, 49 and 78 as his opponent barely had a shot.
He then blasted out of the blocks in the semi-finals against another Scottish international Scott Donaldson.
A blistering 104 followed by a 76 accounted for the first two frames before his 17-year-old opponent had even attempted a pot.
And a 105, his 23rd competitive century, made it 3-2 after Donaldson had squared the match.
The pair shared the next two and Castle ran out a 5-3 winner on the colours after Donaldson had sportingly called a foul on himself while nicely in the reds.
Castle said: “Ross Muir is one of my bogey players and I beat him 4-0. Jamie Clarke is also one of my bogey players and I beat him 5-0.
“It was good fun. It was a good tournament to play in.”
Final frame-scores (breaks), Castle first: 33-94(46), 6-76(76), 41-53(42), 0-122(121), 62-25, 84(84)-0, 12-100(100), 12-118(91)
Picture by Janie Watkins (onqpromotions.co.uk)
European Under-21 Champion Michael Leslie and Shane Castle.