Not a bad week for national finalist Sullivan
CHIPSTEAD’S budding snooker star Ronnie Sullivan summed up a remarkable nine days of green baize success as “not bad”.
The 13-year-old potted his way into the final of the English Under-14 Championship.
And the talented teenager followed that by claiming his fifth winner’s trophy of the season on the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Tour.
Sullivan overcame some pre-stage nerves before the last-16 of the national junior event at the Northern Snooker Centre, Leeds.
“We went up there on Friday and had a practice,” he explained.
“I started off well. Then I just went downhill.
“I got a bit tense in my arm so we called it a day and went out to have something to eat and I went to bed early.”
But he came back strong the next morning and defeated James Beaven (Banstead) 4-2, Liam Pullen (York) 4-1 and Michael Roberts (Liverpool) 4-2 from 2-1 down.
He now faces Paul Deaville (Blackpool) in the final at the South West Snooker Academy, Gloucester, in June.
Eight days after his success in Leeds, Sullivan further extended his lead on the Cuestars Bronze Tour.
He defeated Mason Wilson 2-0 to claim his fifth tournament win of the season in the seventh leg at Fareham Snooker Club.
Wilson (Baughurst, near Basingstoke) had beaten Ben Crump (Gosport) 2-0 to reach his first final in his debut season. The 13-year-old climbed to sixth place in the rankings.
Sullivan – who only dropped one frame all day, to Louie Leighton (Basildon) in the last-eight – overcame Samuel Laxton (Portsmouth) 2-0 in his semi-final.
Now on a run of nine straight finals, he is 46 points ahead of second-placed Laxton with trips to Swindon, Salisbury and Chandler’s Ford to come.
He put his rapid progress over the past 14 months down to “practising hard”.
Reflecting on the national final, Sullivan said: “I want to be (number) one. I’m not going to accept second place. No one remembers second place. I’ve got to win.
“If I do win, it would be great.”
But he added: “Getting to the final is not bad.”
For more information about event sponsor Fareham SC, visit www.farehamsnooker.co.uk.
The eighth leg of ten is at the 147 Snooker Club, Swindon, on Sunday, March 18.
BREAKS
Ronnie Sullivan: 44, 30, 27, 25, 25, 25.
Riccardo Drayton: 28.
Mason Wilson: 26, 26, 21.
Oliver Cooper: 26.
BRONZE RESULTS
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Ronnie Sullivan (Frames, Coulsdon); 2nd, Harry Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 3rd, O’Shay Scott (Chandlers Ford SC); 4th, Owen Jenkins (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Riccardo Drayton (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Oliver Cooper (Frames, Coulsdon); 3rd, Will Forster (Mayfair, Gosport); 4th, Lewis Wilson (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Mason Wilson (Academy, Basingstoke); 2nd, Samuel Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 3rd, Vinnie Rix (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 4th, Dean Russell (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
ROUND-ROBIN GROUP D: 1st, Ben Crump (Stoke SC, Gosport); 2nd, Louie Leighton (Rileys, Benfleet); 3rd, Thomas Sharp (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 4th, Zak Truscott (Waterlooville Sports Bar).
QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Sullivan 2-1 Leighton, Laxton 2-1 Drayton, M Wilson 2-1 Cooper, Crump 2-0 H Wilson.
SEMI-FINALS (15 points): M Wilson 2-0 Crump, Sullivan 2-0 Laxton.
FINAL (25/18 points): Sullivan 2-0 M Wilson.
Pictures by Tim Dunkley
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Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)