Thomson secures second Silver triumph

WILLIAM Thomson snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the eighth leg of the Cuestars Under-21 Silver Tour.

The ten-year-old from Chandler’s Ford defeated rankings leader Samuel Laxton 2-1 in the final at Fareham Snooker Club.

He broke the back of the decider with a run of 38 and secured his second winner’s trophy of the season by fluking the match ball.

Paying tribute to his 18-year-old opponent from Portsmouth, Thomson said: “He’s a good player.”

But it could easily have been so different. Thomson was 1-0 down and needing a snooker in his 2-1 last-four win over clubmate Asten Sahota (Southampton).

The previous day, Thomson finished third in his five-man round-robin group behind Harry Wyatt and Nicholas Ayers, who both went on to reach the southern final, in the second stage of the PowerGlide English Under-14 Championship in Woking.

And this weekend the talented youngster travels to Hartlepool for the third leg of the EPSB Under-16 Junior Series – North Region.

But how does he like living out of a suitcase?

“I like staying in hotels apart from when the fire alarm goes off (as it did on the way home from Widnes last November),” he replied.

Daniel Walter (Portsmouth) made his highest competitive break of 36 against Caden Read (Chandler’s Ford) in the round-robin group stage.

Laxton leads Sahota by five points with two tournaments remaining. Thomson moves up to third.

For more information about the event sponsor, Fareham Snooker Club, go to www.farehamsnooker.co.uk.

Greenbaize Snooker Club, Bournemouth, hosts the ninth leg of ten on Sunday, April
2.

BREAKS

William Thomson: 41, 38.
Samuel Laxton: 38.
Daniel Walter: 36.
Asten Sahota: 35.
Ryan Spratt: 31.

SILVER RESULTS

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP A: 1st, Samuel Laxton (Waterlooville Sports Bar); 2nd, William Thomson (Chandlers Ford SC); 3rd, Zain Jeraj (London Snooker, Tooting); 4th, Farhaan Hatimi (Frames, Coulsdon).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP B: 1st, Asten Sahota (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Tom McEvoy (Salisbury SC); 3rd, Daniel Walter (Mayfair, Gosport); 4th, Caden Read (Chandlers Ford SC).

ROUND-ROBIN GROUP C: 1st, Ryan Spratt (Chandlers Ford SC); 2nd, Mason Wilson (Crucible, Newbury); 3rd, Harry Wyatt (Greenbaize, Bournemouth); 4th, Dylan Beer (Chandlers Ford SC).

QUARTER-FINALS (12 points): Laxton 2-1 Wyatt, Wilson 2-0 McEvoy, Sahota 2-0 Jeraj, Thomson 2-0 Spratt.

SEMI-FINALS (15 points): Laxton 2-0 Wilson, Thomson 2-1 Sahota.

FINAL (25/18 points): Thomson 2-1 Laxton.