Next stop Bosnia for Fareham winner Sykes
SEASONED Euro traveller Oliver Sykes made the short trip to Fareham Snooker Club for his latest success.
The 18-year-old from Chandler’s Ford pocketed £100 in prize money after winning the eighth leg of the Cuestars Under-21 Gold Tour.
Sykes came back from 1-0 down to beat Will Forster 3-1 in the final on one of the club’s professional standard Star tables.
It was the furthest 17-year-old Forster (Wickham) had progressed since earning promotion from Silver at the end of the 2021/22 season.
“Will started off well with a 70 break in the first frame,” said Sykes. “He put me under it and almost won the second frame as well. I could see he’s improved quite a lot.
“I managed to claw my way back, nick a few close frames and get over the line.”
Earlier, the left-hander put together the day’s highest break of 107 against Chandlers Ford clubmate Ryan Spratt (Botley) in the round-robin group stage.
Harry Wyatt (Ferndown) and O’Shay Scott (Eastleigh) went out in the semi-finals.
Defending rankings champion Sykes moves up to second place, 21 points adrift of front-runner Evan Plummer (Coulsdon), who finished third in the group that Wyatt won.
Sykes, who reached the semi-finals of the World Snooker Federation (WSF) Junior Championship and the last-eight of the WSF Open in Albania, has travelled to Sweden, Germany and Bulgaria for Q Tour events this season and flies out to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a couple of weeks for the European Under-21 Championship.
The event was sponsored by Fareham SC (farehamsnooker.co.uk) and snookerdad Ian Walter.
Chandlers Ford Snooker Club hosts the ninth leg of ten on Sunday, April 7.
BREAKS
Oliver Sykes: 107, 64, 53.
Will Forster: 70.
O’Shay Scott: 59.
GOLD RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP: 1st, Harry Wyatt (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 2nd, O’Shay Scott (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Evan Plummer (Frames, Coulsdon); 4th, Zain Jeraj (London Snooker, Tooting).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Oliver Sykes (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Will Forster (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 3rd, William Thomson (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Ryan Spratt (Chandlers Ford SC); 5th, Asten Sahota (Chandlers Ford SC).
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Forster 3-0 Wyatt, Sykes 3-0 Scott.
FINAL (£100/£25, 25/18 points): Sykes 3-1 Forster.
Pictured, from left: Oliver Sykes, Ian Walter, Will Forster.