Ex to meet wannabe in southern final

AN ASPIRING professional will take on a former professional in the southern final of the English Amateur Championship.

Last season’s national runner-up Ben Harrison (pictured left) will meet Michael Georgiou – who spent a year on the Main Tour after winning the 2007 IBSF World Under-21 Championship in India – in Leeds next month.

The pair qualified from the last-16 south stage at the South West Snooker Academy, Gloucester.

Harrison, who hails from near Westbury, Wiltshire, accounted for Ashley Beal (East Sussex) 5-3, Jamie Brown (West Midlands) 5-4 and Sydney Wilson (Southend) 8-4.

“I’m starting to feel really good,” said the 22-year-old, who is now at Q School.

“I’m very happy to get through to the final again, getting through that tough field. I really want to go one better this year and win the whole thing.

“My safety was great this weekend and it is perfect preparation for my confidence for Q School.”

The southern and national finals will be played over the weekend of June 7-8 at the Northern Snooker Centre, the competition sponsor.

Matt Ford (Sunninghill Comrades Club), winner of two Cuestars South of England Championship Tour events this season, made a 5-2 last-16 exit to Matt Emms (Kidderminster).

And Billy Castle (Marchwood) – who along with Harrison will be guest of honour at the Cuestars Finals Day at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon, on Sunday, May 25 – was knocked out at the same stage 5-0 by Mitchell Mann (Birmingham).

Meanwhile, in the first of the two Q School tournaments in Gloucester, Billy’s cousin Shane has beaten Adam Duffy 4-2 and meets Leigh C Davies next.

Harrison plays Scotland’s Michael Leslie this afternoon.

Picture by Janie Watkins.