Benzey and Perry: kindred spirits
ONE is a snooker player who has just won his first major trophy. The other is a snooker player who has just won his first major trophy.
“All I’ve ever wanted is to win a major tournament,” said 40-year-old professional Joe Perry (pictured right), from Chatteris, near Cambridge, after clinching the Players Championship in Thailand in March.
“I’ve been waiting so long to actually be a champion,” said 13-year-old Connor Benzey (left), from Eastleigh, after clinching the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Tour championship in Swindon.
Three weeks after securing his first club title – the Eastleigh & District Under-13 Premier – Benzey travelled to Jesters Snooker Club for the last-16 play-off.
Trailing 1-0 in the semi-finals to rankings runner-up Aidan Murphy (Bristol), Benzey composed himself and decided that today he was to become a winner.
“I washed my hands and had a drink and just got back into it,” explained the Year 8 Toynbee School student.
He prevailed 2-1 and then accounted for his Chandler’s Ford clubmate Oliver Sykes 2-0 in the final.
It’s not often that you see a player take his game to a new level in the space of two frames. But nine-year-old Sykes did that in his 2-0 last-four victory over David O’Callaghan, who won the first leg of the season in Salisbury last October.
Perry, who managed a 133 total clearance against the youngster, told him: “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again.”
And Benzey said: “He’s going to have a good season next season.”
Benzey’s reward was a frame against Perry, who broke off. He played one (garbage) safety shot and the world number nine produced a 142 total clearance.
“At least I got a shot,” he laughed.</p><p><b>BREAKS</p><p>David O’Callaghan: 44, 24.
RESULTS
LAST-16: Ben Crump (Stoke SC, Gosport) 2 Steven Hughes (Chandler’s Ford SC) 1, Oliver Sykes (Chandler’s Ford SC) 2 Keegan Reed (Salisbury SC) 0, David Rice (Salisbury SC) 2 Harry Jones (Frames, Coulsdon) 1, David O’Callaghan (Greenbaize, Bournemouth) 2 Albert Warren (Salisbury SC) 1, Connor Benzey (Chandler’s Ford SC) 2 Connor Shaw (Greenbaize, Bournemouth) 0, Chloe White (Copnor SC, Portsmouth) 2 Charlie Pringle (Chandler’s Ford SC) 0, Adam Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth) 2 Bowen Zhu (Chandler’s Ford SC) 1, Aidan Murphy (Bristol Conservative Club) 2 Ryan Hughes (Chandler’s Ford SC) 1.
QUARTER-FINALS: Sykes 2 Crump 0, O’Callaghan 2 Rice 1, Benzey 2 White 0, Murphy 2 Cowdroy 0.
SEMI-FINALS: Sykes 2 O’Callaghan 0, Benzey 2 Murphy 1.
FINAL: Benzey 2 Sykes 0.
Report and picture by Tim Dunkley.