Gold leader Cowdroy makes up for lost time
DORSET snooker ace Bradley Cowdroy made up for lost time by collecting his second winner’s trophy of the season on the Cuestars Under-21 Gold Tour.
The 17-year-old former champion from Bournemouth has taken a one-point lead at the top of the rankings at the halfway point of the campaign.
Cowdroy pocketed £100 prize money after beating home player Ryan Hughes 2-0 in the final of the fifth leg at Chandlers Ford Snooker Club.
Oliver Sykes slipped to second, ahead of Jamie Wilson and Connor Benzey. All three missed the event because they were in Malta for the World Snooker Federation Junior Open.
Cowdroy couldn’t join his title rivals in the Mediterranean because he was preparing for his mock GCSEs but pointed out that he had missed the third leg in Swindon due to school work.
“I know all the other guys at the top are out in Malta,” he said. “And I wish them the best of luck.
“This was my chance to make up for lost time.
“It’s brilliant to start the year with a tournament win. It’s good for the confidence going into the last few events and the last few Premier Tour events knowing I can get some wins under my belt.”
Hughes (Chandler’s Ford) won all four of his group-stages matches and edged clubmate O’Shay Scott (Eastleigh) 2-1 in the last-four.
Scott, who turned 11 last month, had progressed from his group for the first time since earning promotion from Silver.
The Angry Wasp beat EPSB Premier Tour player Marcos Dayao (London) 2-1 and women’s world number 24 Chloe White (Havant) 2-0.
Callum Browne (Trowbridge), who needed to change his damaged tip during a 2-1 semi-final defeat by Cowdroy, had taken the runner-up spot in the second round-robin group on the head-to-head rule from Ronnie Sullivan (London).
The event was sponsored by David Stewart, to raise awareness of the charity Sightsavers, and Chandlers Ford SC.
To find out more about Sightsavers, which works to eliminate avoidable blindness and promotes the rights of people with disabilities, go to www.sightsavers.org. To find out more about Chandlers Ford SC, visit www.cfordsnooker.co.uk.
Greenbaize Snooker Club, Bournemouth, hosts the sixth leg of ten on Sunday, February 2.
BREAKS
Marcos Dayao: 62.
Ronnie Sullivan: 56.
Ryan Hughes: 50.
Bradley Cowdroy: 49, 48, 44, 41.
GOLD RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Bradley Cowdroy (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 2nd, O’Shay Scott (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Marcos Dayao (Hurricane Room, Kings Cross); 4th, Chloe White (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Ryan Hughes (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Callum Browne (Player’s, Westbury); 3rd, Ronnie Sullivan (Frames, Coulsdon); 4th, Aristos Pampouris (Legends, Leytonstone); 5th, Shane Kearns (Jesters, Swindon).
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Cowdroy 2-1 Browne, Hughes 2-1 Scott.
FINAL (£100/£25, 25/18 points): Cowdroy 2-0 Hughes.
Picture by Tim Dunkley
From left: Bradley Cowdroy, Ray Cooper (owner of Chandlers Ford SC), Ryan Hughes.
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Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)