Charlton not thinking about double double
SELSEY snooker star Jon Charlton says he’ll “try not to think about” the double double on the Cuestars South of England Championship Tour. Charlton, who won the rankings title and the championship play-off last season, is again top of the pile following the sixth and final leg at Fareham Snooker Club.
The 34-year-old (pictured above with his brace of 2012 trophies) heads into next month’s play-off in Newbury as the number-one seed. “I’m really pleased to win the Cuestars Championship Tour again after leading from the second event,” said Charlton, who won one leg and was runner-up twice this season. “I didn’t want to lose the title at the end after I had put myself into a good position in the table. “It has been a tough season and there were some key moments when I managed to get some good results when struggling to find my form. But making three finals out of the six events put me in a very good position in the rankings table.
“I knew it would be a very tough challenge to retain the title and that was an added pressure to try and do it again.” Charlton, who is based at Selsey Royal British Legion and lives in Haslemere, Surrey, added: “As for trying to do the double again, I will try not to think about it as I know it will be very difficult. “I will just have to do my best and see how far that takes me on the day. But winning the Championship Tour was my main aim this season.”
A puzzling low turnout of seven in Fareham “surprised” Cuestars director John Hunter. Charlton beat Billy Castle (Cue T’s, Marchwood) 2-1 in the round-robin group stage but lost 3-1 when the pair met in the final. In the final frame, Charlton potted a red but it bounced off the back of a middle pocket and back onto the table. “Billy, as he had been doing most of the day, took this chance to clear up and win the match,” explained the newly-crowned champion.
“It was a good final.” Castle, 20, playing for the first time with a new tip fitted by sponsor Adam Nash, posted seven breaks of 50 or more in his 22 frames.
Top-16 qualifiers for the Cuestars Championship at the Crucible Sports & Social Club, Newbury, on Sunday, May 12: Jon Charlton (Selsey RBL), Billy Castle (Cue T’s, Marchwood), Daniel Woods (Chandler’s Ford SC), Sebastian Worrall (Swindon SC), Martin Wallace (Colours, Reading), Richard Clark (Swindon SC), Callum Lloyd (Rileys, Newport, South Wales), Adam King (The New Arches Snooker Centre), Christian Chislett (Selsey RBL), Craig Marsh (Crucible, Newbury), Dominic Holmes (Sovereign SC, Farnborough), Ben Tanner (Jesters, Swindon), Trevor Thorn (Basingstoke Conservative Club), Wasim Khan (Liberal Club, High Wycombe), Lewis Miles (Jesters, Swindon), Jessie Stevens (Sovereign SC, Farnborough).
BREAKS
Billy Castle: 74, 66, 59, 59, 55, 54, 50.
Jon Charlton: 61, 52, 51.
Mike Finn: 50.
James Budd: 38, 32, 30.
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP POSITIONS: 1st, Jon Charlton (Selsey RBL); 2nd, Billy Castle (Cue T’s, Marchwood); 3rd, Christian Chislett (Selsey RBL); 4th, Martin Wallace (Colours, Reading); 5th, Daniel Woods (Chandler’s Ford SC); 6th, James Budd (Stoke SC, Gosport); 7th, Mike Finn (Churchills, Eastleigh).
KNOCKOUT RESULTS SEMI-FINALS (£5, 15 points): Castle beat Chislett 3-1, Charlton beat Wallace 3-0.
FINAL (£40/£20, 25/18 points): Castle beat Charlton 3-1.