Britain's official professional 9 ball pool tour

GB9 is proudly sponsored by Barceló Hotels, SAM Leisure, Simonis Cloth, Aramith Billiard Balls and Mezz Cues making the perfect combination of the very best equipment in the most outstanding venues.

News

20 July 2010

Red hot Boyes takes 2010 GB9 British Grand Prix

Karl Boyes is currently enjoying one of the few sporting phenomena that every participant in any game dreams; a winning streak. The 27 year old from Blackpool, simply known as 'Guapo', took the spoils over 'Dynamite' Darren Appleton in the final of the GB9 British Grand Prix by eleven racks to seven at the Barceló Daventry Hotel on Sunday 18th July 2010. In a month that has already seen Boyes take his first coveted EPBF Eurotour title (in the process topping the European rankings) and a year so far yielding a pair of WPA World titles, Boyes' first ranking win on home soil this season completes a very neat National, Continental and World 'set'.

Boyes' victory was housed in what many of the players called, 'the perfect venue', when performing their now ritual pre-tournament walk-around on the Friday evening. Spacious enough to easily allow the 16 SAM Magno Pro tables, as well as the growing mass of spectators now following the GB9 action, Daventry provided the most professional tournament ever held in Great Britain to date. Play commenced on Saturday 17th July, with the only brief for the competitors to qualify for a last 64 birth and the opportunity to cash in on the £6000 on offer the following day.

Boyes first blasted through Stuart Daff 9 - 3 in the round of 64 before Ipswich's Phil Morgan 9 - 5. A sterner test followed in 2009 World Junior Runner Up, Phil Burford 9 - 6, a game which saw no less than eight break and runouts, six of which were from Boyes; a healthy figure indeed considering the momentum inhibiting alternating break format. A convincing 9 - 3 victory over another in-form Briton, Mansfield's Scott Higgins, in the quarter final set up a clash with Blackpool neighbour and rival for headlines, Daryl Peach. 'The Dazzler' and Boyes combined will have a nation's hopes on their shoulders in September when they will become 'Team England' in Manila for the World Cup of Pool. Peach will quite rightly be billed as the senior player of the scotch pairing but in Daventry at least, it was young master Boyes calling the shots, taking their semi final encounter by nine racks to four.

Darren Appleton's charge to the final could be considered a 'B-game master class'. Appleton single-handedly created the atmosphere on the final day as he vocally battled against not only his inherent quest for perfection but also the increasingly hungry opposition in the next chair. Battling from behind to snatch victories against both James Welch 9 - 7 and Ben Moore 9 - 8, Appleton's pedigree went on to take him past Damian Massey 9 - 5, 2010 BCAPL double winner Chris Melling 9 - 5 and in the semi final, Tony Drago 9 - 6.

Other stand-out performances on the day were provided by Dave Nelson, who took out GB9 Paul Medati Trophy runner up James Kay 9 - 6 to achieve a superb 5th place finish and Andrew Morris, a 9 - 5 victor over Mark Gray, a finalist at the previous four tour stops, at the last 32 stage. However it is still Gray who sits proudly at the top of the British tree with a 12 point lead over Darren Appleton.
 
GB9 Daventry Pro & Challenge Cups

Imran Majid ended a two year wait for British silverware at the Barceló Daventry Hotel on Saturday 17th July by taking down man-of-the-moment Karl Boyes with a staggering 9 - 2 scoreline to win the GB9 Pro Cup. Looking like the calm and composed Maharaja of old, Majid's quest for glory was never really challenged as he dropped no more than five racks against any of his opposition on the day, with wins over Dominic Clemens 9 - 5; So Shaw 9 - 1; Paul Williams 9 - 3 and Jayson Shaw 9 - 5. Majid substituted the smooth cueing for some smooth talking after his final victory and said on the achievement, "Yeah it's a good feeling. Obviously I've gone through a little bit of a dry patch, taking six to seven weeks out to get married and stupidly changing my cue stick have been the major reasons. Admittedly, it has taken me a while to get back into the swing of things but I want to let everyone know that The Maharaja is back from his slump and ready to kick butt. My lions and elephants are roaring again! I have to say, hats off to my wife, Alia. She is a Clinical Physiologist and we've been working on meditation and breathing techniques so on top of the support she gives me, the bounce back is down to her too".

An indicator of Majid's return to form might well have been his performance at this month's Austrian EPBF Eurotour event, where wins over the German stars of Thorsten Hohmann and Ralf Souquet took him to a 9th place finish. The winner of that event was of course Majid's opponent in the Pro Cup final, Karl Boyes. Of the current World 8 Ball Champion Boyes and the GB 9 Ball Tour, the toughest pool playground around, Majid commented, "Karl's had a fantastic year and is on fire currently so to win the final 9 - 2 is great. The standard is getting higher all the time and I've always said that sooner or later Britain will dominate. We just don't miss as many balls as everyone else. The GB 9 Ball Tour has had a huge part to play in that. Take today for example; this venue in Daventry is easily on a par with other world events such as the Eurotour. It's really great."

The strength in depth of the tour is really to be found in the Challenge Cup. In a tense hill-hill decider, 23 year old self-employed Joiner, Adam Shaw, fended off Shane Appleton to win 9 - 8 and become the third different winner in three events. The final rack summed up the sport of 9 Ball Pool; tension, safety, cueing under pressure and inevitably, that little bit of luck. With two balls remaining, Appleton's one rail escape to hit the 8 Ball looked for all the world to be headed into the corner pocket until agonisingly pulling short and resting over the hole for Shaw to do what he does so well and with apparent ease; not miss.

"I've played some good players along the way and every game seems to have been tight and almost a bit of a struggle, coming from behind a couple of times. I'm made up.", said Shaw immediately after the final. Like the previous Challenge Cup winner, Ben Finch, Shaw came through one of the pre-season qualifying events to gain his tour spot, proof again of the growing stature of the sport in Great Britain. "I played snooker a little bit when I was about 16 but it was the UPC University pool that really got me into 9 Ball. From there I obviously spotted the GB9 and thought, 'when I've got the money, I'm there’. I knew I was capable of taking a trophy home but did I honestly think I would? Probably not, as the standard of play is just so high, I just hoped I would I guess. The aim now is to finish in the top 8 of the Challenge and then give it a go against the big boys in the Pro." Shaw's path to victory saw him oust; Phil Hughes 9 - 4; Colin Rennison 9 - 3, Stephen Capaldi 9 - 8, Andy Worthington 9 - 7; Neil Cummins 9 - 7 and Andrew Morris 9 - 6.

Shane Appleton's run to a second consecutive Challenge Cup final could be seen by some as being as noteworthy, if not more so, than actually taking home the trophy. There seems no creature more competitive than an 'Appleton' however, "It's hard to take the positives right now because nobody remembers the runners up", said Appleton, "I suppose when I look back I'll be chuffed to bits, especially considering I've only been playing American for 8 months. I enjoyed the final, last rack deciders are a bit of a lottery, especially when there's a few people watching and there's safety involved. I thought I'd fluked the 8 ball after he'd snookered me, to see it sit over the pocket is a bit sick. Fair play to Adam though."
 
The next chapter in the GB9 story will be written over the three days of Friday 24th to Sunday 26th September 2010 at the GB9 Southern Masters. Coverage of the event will be provided, as always, by the team at Cuesport TV and Live Scoring is available from the GB 9 Ball Tour's home page.

GB9 is proudly sponsored by Barceló Hotels, SAM Leisure, Simonis Cloth, Aramith Billiard Balls and Mezz Cues making the perfect combination of the very best equipment in the most outstanding venues.

27 April 2010

UK number 1 - Mark Gray Marches on with Paul Medati Trophy

The most brutal single knock-out ranking tournament on the planet ran over the two days of Saturday 24^th and Sunday 25^th April at the magnificent Barceló Imperial Hotel, a stone’s throw away from Blackpool’s famous seaside beauty and thriving nightlife. The Paul Medati Trophy is named after one of our most admired and talented players. Paul Medati was a regular face on the Professional Snooker circuit before turning his hand to American Pool where he proved the fiercest of opposition for established stars and young upstarts alike. Even into his sixties, Paul regularly made the business end of Professional competitions until in 2008, he sadly lost a short battle with Cancer, leaving behind many friends and a wealth of fond memories. The GB 9 Ball Tour wishes to thank Macmillan Cancer Support and the many players and spectators who donated generously to the charity over the three days of play. Paul’s widow, Cheryl was on hand and kindly agreed to present the 2010 GB9 Paul Medati Trophy to our winner, Mark Gray.

‘Granite’; ‘The Gentleman’; ‘Shoot-Out King; call him what you will but Mark Gray is gradually perfecting a style and work ethic that could well see him dominate the world’s most successful pool playing nation right now; Great Britain. An assured performance in his fourth consecutive Main Event final over a resurgent James Kay reinforced his national number one status and in the process lined his pockets with another £1200. A 9 – 7 victory over Chris Cowie in the last 32 was followed by a 9- 0 drubbing of Alan Coton in the round of 16. In the player’s bar after that match, Gray recalled that Coton had prevailed in their previous encounter, a school-boyish smile contradicting his, “I never forget”, quote. ‘Dynamite’ Darren Appleton was next sent packing in the quarter final 9 – 8, the two World Team Championship winning team mates serving up a lengthy and tension filled cracker. In another close call, Gray’s prowess saw him through against Scotland’s quick-fire sensation Jayson Shaw, disposed of 9 – 7 in the semi final. To those who are yet to witness a flowing Jayson Shaw in action, the wait will soon be over as he will be out to impress under the Las Vegas lights at the World Pool Masters next month.

James Kay is something of a pool playing bridesmaid. Find me a respected name on our shores who does not agree that Kay has the speed capable of flooring anyone and I will show you either a sore loser or a blatant liar. But much like the bridesmaid, Kay is often seen to be catching the bouquet rather than widely grinning next to the trophy. Some could argue that this is another example of that, admittedly, rather sketchy image but the leap from third place, where Kay is placed more often than not, to second is such a big one that we could start to see a mean streak emerge in James Kay as a consequence. His last 16 win over Daryl Peach, for whom the term ‘in-form’ has never been such an understatement, was pure sporting drama. Sitting on the hill with Peach one behind, Kay found himself at an open table, only needing a steady arm and clear head to see him through. As it turned out, he produced both to beat the latest British Eurotour champion but the battle to keep his emotions in check during that last rack run out was the real success story with every shot seeming to drain an ounce of energy and add another seed of importance. A convincing 9 – 4 win for Kay in the final four over Raj Hundal left India’s number one with two third place finishes for his weekend’s endeavours, losing at the semi final stages in the Pro Cup the day prior. A special note on Hundal and purely for your statistical indulgence, ‘The Hitman’ has not won a main British ranking event since the BPPPA Croydon Open. The date? Sunday 22^nd November…2004! Naturally, there is an argument that Hundal is now a global figure and does not compete on a national level with as much regularity as he once did. The counter-punch to that would be that since taking that title in 2004, Hundal has competed in no less than twenty-three British ranking events without success. There is no doubt that Hundal has not lost his magic touch, even in this event he produced some remarkable shot making, particularly in taking out newly crowned WPA Etisalat World 8 Ball Champion, Karl Boyes; but all sports fans love a good stat.

A thirty-second overview then; within two events, the new GB 9 Ball Tour already fits like a favourite pair of shoes upon the players. The custom built Magno Pro tables from SAM Leisure are already being shown no fear, unlike Tour Stop 1 where some players were tentative to say the least when taking on the tournament ‘spec’ pockets. As predicted, two new faces were seen in the Challenge Cup final in Ben Finch and Shane Appleton, both taking out the previous finalists from Buxton along the way. And the BBC paid a special visit to the event. As we were in Blackpool, BBC Radio Lancashire took the opportunity to conduct a live interview from the playing arena with their two home-grown Double World Pool Champions, Daryl Peach and Karl Boyes. And finally, when the GB9 roadshow leaves town, Blackpool will house more World Titles than it does pool tables as the local pool hall closed its doors for the final time recently; but if you’ve ever been to Blackpool after 9pm you’ll already know it’s a crazy old town.

Challenge Cup Winner, Ben Finch with Heather Walkington From Macmillan Cancer Support

John Rathbone, Winner of the Mezz Case in Macmillan Cancer Raffle.

The GB9 British Grand Prix will be held at the Barceló Daventry Hotel and will be played over Friday 16^th, Saturday 17^th and Sunday 18^th July. For more information and full results from the events go to www.gb9balltour.com

The GB 9 Ball Tour is supported by Barceló Hotels, SAM Leisure, Mezz Cues, Aramith, Simonis and Flexirest.

Report by Ben Moore.
Photographs by www.belleza-photography.co.uk

15 April 2010

Karl Boyes - 2010 World 8 Ball Champion

Yes that’s right, GB9 welcomes yet another one of our boys home with a World Title.  Following in the footsteps of Darren Appleton (10 Ball) , Daryl Peach (9 Ball), Tony Southern (Wheelchair 8 ball pool) , and GB9's 5 man World Team Champions our very own Karl “Buzzin” Boyes is certainly Buzzin after being crowned the WPA 2010 Eisilat World 8 Ball Champion, with a stunning 13-12 victory in the final over Dutchman Neils Feijen.
 

Boyes had progressed through to the final undefeated, with wins over Saeed Al Mutawe, Won Sik Ham, Joven Alba, Masaki Tanaka, current World Straight Pool Champion Stephan Cohen, Vicencio Tanio and an in form Ruslan Chinakhov, who seems to be pushing on hard to win his first major men’s title after his recent win in the World Junior 9 Ball championships.

The final was one of the highest quality, with both players making several strings of break and run outs.

Unusually, the key rack in this match could have come as early as the first, as a nervy opener by both players was won by Boyes, who then raced to a commanding 11-4 lead, with the only factor in 7 straight racks being if a ball went in on the break or not, between racks 2 and 9.

Neils needed to get some momentum if he was going to win this match and he found some at the right time, winning 5 consecutive racks to pull the score back to a contestable 11-9 score line.

Boyes, who must have been desperate to get back to the table, got his wish as Feijen Broke dry in the 21^st rack and the nerves were once again settled as a clearance took him to the hill.

What would be Boyes’ last break in this winner breaks format again failed him, as the balls were left in the open for Feijen to clear.

With the score at 12-10, Boyes had his first chance of glory. Feijen misjudged his break shot and sent the cue ball flying off the table, leaving the object balls out in the open. With the number of clearances made in this match, Feijen must have been thinking about his flight home, but being a World Championship final the adrenaline kicked in and a poor positional shot found Boyes hooked behind the 2-ball. A missed attempt at a kick followed and Feijen, with all his experience in major finals, did not disappoint with the resulting ball in hand. Feijen made a very tough clearance at 12-11 to pull the match back level at hill-hill, the first time it had been level since 0-0.

In a normal match, and with the break, Feijen would have been major favourite to win the title. This was no ordinary match though and with the break again deserting him, Feijen failed to pot a ball. This left Boyes with his second opportunity to bring it home. Heart pumping, Boyes overcooked a positional shot, leaving a potting opportunity on only one ball. A good pot and good recovery position followed to put himself back in control. With nerves of steel Boyes ran out the remaining rack that he needed to be crowned champion, a double fist pump in celebration after the handshake.

Karl has now jetted off to Italy for the EPBF Euro Tour before arriving back to a hero's welcome when he attempts to defend the Paul Medati Trophy, which he won this time last year.

No other national tour in the world even comes close to GB9 with it's array of champions battling it out at each event and the event in Blackpool will be extra special for Karl as he takes the stage in his home town with a world crown to his name.

28 March 2010

GB9 Midlands Classic 2010

Season 3. Event 1. 144 players. Roughly 432 pool cues. 1826 total racks. 16 custom built tables. £1200 first prize. 1 winner. Daryl ‘The Dazzler’ Peach won the numbers game on the evening of Sunday 14^th March 2010 at the majestic Barceló Buxton Palace Hotel in Derbyshire, beating old foe-come-friend Mark Gray by eleven racks to eight in the final of the GB9 Midlands Classic. The victory moves Peach to within just three points of current number one Gray at the top of the official British ranking list.

It was the second consecutive Dazzler/Granite final as the pair met at last season’s final tour stop in the GB9 Northern Masters in Barnsley last November, Peach also taking that match in an 11-10 victory. The result in Buxton in fact gives Mark Gray three 2^nd place finishes on the spin, pin pointing the reason as to why the Peterborough shooter is considered by peers and pundits alike to be the most consistent player in Britain today.

The current World 9 Ball Pool Champion looked to be back to his ruthless, self-controlled best over the weekend and for the rest of 2010, a year that will see Peach finally get the chance to defend his world crown, it’s a sight both Peach and his loyal fans will be pleased to see. The opposition standing in Peach’s way in the Main Event in Buxton ranged from the established to the hungry; the established being reflected in recent French Eurotour finalist Craig Osborne in the Quarter Final which proved to be Peach’s closest contest on the day in a 9-7 victory. Representing the ‘hungry’ category, Nottingham’s David Hopkin lived up to his billing as a player on the upturn and will be delighted with a 17^th place finish, only falling to Peach 9-5.  Completing Peach’s tale to the title, the fearless Matthew Ford was dispatched 9-3 in the last 16 and in the Semi Final, Scott ‘Butch’ Higgins of Mansfield, himself putting in another performance of note, was taken out 9-5.

The day belonged to the most recognisable of our Pool stars in Daryl Peach but putting in 9^th place finishes and not to be left out of this report were Steven Petty, Chris Melling, Benji Buckley, Adam Benn Smith, Phil Burford and Alan Millership; with 5^th places to Karl Boyes and returning legend, 1996 Mosconi Cup representative Andy Richardson.

Gray had no easy draw to reach his third consecutive Main Event final, prevailing over Pro Division hopeful Mark Collins 9-1; the stylish and Thailand-honed Courtney Symons 9-7; Las Vegas-bound Kevin Uzzell 9-7; Scotland’s ‘Yeti’ Michael Valentine 9-3 and finally 2003 World Pool Masters Champion, ‘The Tornado’, Tony Drago 9-6. Yet this list is overshadowed by the roll of big hitters that ‘Granite’ Gray overcame to claim the GB9 Buxton Pro Cup – So Shaw, Chris Melling, Imran Majid and again, Tony Drago in the Semi Final. As you’re all aware by now, each GB9 Tour Stop is played over three days with a staggering three separate pieces of silverware up for grabs. The elite Pro Cup Final was completed in the afternoon of Day Two and it was the formidable Gray taking home the honours and the handy £1000, with a 9-3 win against ‘Guapo’, Karl Boyes. The title gave Gray a combined wage of £1600 for his efforts in both the Main Event and the Pro Cup.

 The GB9 Buxton Challenge Cup was won by Stewart Colclough who triumphed over Chris Cowie in a thrilling hill-hill encounter, nine racks to eight to claim the £750 first prize. Colclough is a player who, on his day, can gracefully glide past the sternest of opponents. A style that is now typical on the European scene, low on the cue and still as stone after delivery; Colclough’s hybrid game of Snooker precision and Pool knowledge proved too effective for not only Cowie but also Simon Clarke, Adam Collins, Mike Rogers, Courtney Symons, Neil Cummins and Andy Worthington, in the lead up to the final match. The race for promotion via a coveted top eight birth is now definitely on, with Colclough and Cowie, and it has to be said, a more determined and focused looking Chris Cowie, throwing down the gauntlet to the remaining 110 amateur players hoping for glory. The Challenge Division for the 2010 season is without doubt the hardest to predict and do not be surprised if six different faces are posing next to the sponsors’ logos come November. Based on performances in Buxton, pace setters for in the forthcoming stops are 3^rd place finishers Gary Bullocke and Andy Worthington; the frighteningly consistent Chris Buckmaster and qualifier Adam Shaw, looking like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth whilst potting winning 9 Balls seemingly effortlessly.

The improvements upon seasons 1 and 2 are phenomenal. The Barceló Buxton Palace hosted nothing other than a success and the custom built Magno Pro tables from SAM Leisure had players talking of nothing else over the three days. Cut to ‘professional’ specification, the reduced pocket size caught out many players, the top boys included. The result was not a sense of lack of justice, but the response that defines the best from the rest that is, ‘I wont be missing that ball come April’. The fact is that the new equipment, paired with Simonis 860 Cloth and brand new Aramith Pro Cup TV ball sets, will without doubt harvest better Pool players. For a nation that proudly houses the current World Pool Master in Darren Appleton, the aforementioned Peach and the inaugural World Team Champions, that can only spell more trouble for the World’s elite.

The evolution of American Pool in Great Britain looks to have finally been jump-started by the GB 9 Ball Tour’s work over the past three years. The days of two unfulfilled talents slugging out a ranking final and hitting each other with 7 packs on tables with more beer stains than Oliver Reed’s wardrobe and pockets big enough to be a viable option of water storage during a hosepipe ban, can now be retired into their rightful place; stuff of legend. Perish the thought that those days be forgotten but make no mistake whatsoever, those days are gone. This is a new era. The game is 9 Ball and the word is professional.

Report by Ben Moore.
Photographs by www.belleza-photography.co.uk

7 March 2010

GB9 to hold second UK Qualifier for World Pool Masters

Following the large demand for places in the first qualifier to be held in Buxton next week GB9 is pleased to announce we are now accepting entries for a second qualifier, which will be held in Blackpool after the GB9 Paul Medati Trophy.

Any player who has entered the first qualifier may increase their chances of securing a place in the WPM by entering the second qualifier now.  We will refund the entry fee to any player entering the second qualifier who is successful in winning the first one.

View the flyer here or visit this page for more details on how to enter.

7 February 2010

GB9 'WAGs' activties

The move to hotels and developments for the tour mean that for many tour members each event can now be a true family occasion.  The superb facilities on offer at Barceló hotels make it a great excuse for players to bring wives, girlfriends and children to enjoy the weekend.  We thought it was a good idea to try to put on some sort of activity specifically for the WAGs and children at each tour event, and also to point people to local activities and attractions that they can enjoy whilst their boyfriend or hubby plays pool all day.

We’ll be trying this out for the first time in Buxton and with the venue being at the heart of the Peak District we thought we’d put on something a little different for our first event!   There’s an organised GB9 WAGs and Children event taking place on Saturday 13^th March.  We hope some of you can come along and enjoy this.  You can find full details of the activities planned for Buxton in the information sheet here.

With a wide range of fun activities proposed apart from the organised GB9 event, there is something to suit everyone.

The GB9 team want to say a big thank you to Liz Dooley who has very kindly agreed to coordinate WAGs and Children activities at each event.  If you would like to be involved or would like more information you can find Liz's contact details in the information sheet above.

PLEASE TELL YOUR WIVES, GIRLFRIENDS AND CHILDREN WHAT’S GOING ON – they can contact Liz if they’re interested in taking part.

5 January 2010

GB9 to hold UK Qualifier for World Pool Masters
 

The World Pool Masters sponsored by PartyPoker.net is an annual televised pool tournament and one of the most prestigious events in the pool calendar.  In 2010 the event will take place at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas from 12-17 May.   GB9 have been invited by Matchroom Sport to run a UK Qualifier.

Full details of the qualifier and a link to the entry form are provided here and the flyer for the event is here.

4 January 2010

Tour extended and final qualifier announced

Due to a high demand for places on the tour in 2010 GB9 has decided to extend the tour by 16 to 144 places.  Consequently a final qualifier is being held this month at which an additional 6 to 8 tour spots are expected to be offered. Full details of the qualifier are here.

12 December 2009

Congratulations to pre-season qualifiers

34 players managed to successfully navigate their way through the gruelling qualifying events to gain a coveted spot on the new GB 9 Ball Tour for 2010.  For full details of the results see our results page.

27 November 2009

More changes for 2010 season

As we prepare for the start of an exciting new season and a new era for GB9 we've introduced some changes following feedback from our players.  If moving into top class venues with brand new tables wasn't enough these additional tweaks to our format will be more welcome news for your players as we add more improvements to the tour.

At recent events we asked for feedback from players and we would like to thank everyone who took the time to give us their views and suggestions. We've listened and we're making improvements to the tour as a result.

Here's a flavour of what's new in 2010:

Following extensive feedback from tour players we are reducing the size of the Pro Division to an elite 24 players. All players who have worked hard to gain promotion in 2009 will be able to take a pro spot if they wish but we are reducing the number of players who are forced to do so to 22 (top 16 Pro and top 6 Challenge). Remaining spots will be offered to players based on the criteria displayed on our website here.

We are reintroducing pre-match practice to allow players to have a brief warm up on their allocated table after their match has been called. Regulation 2a has been amended.

Feedback regarding use of the Magic Rack in Barnsley was mixed but the majority favoured tapped tables rather than Magic Rack. We believe Magic Rack is a great accessory for serious players, especially for use at their local club but for tournament play GB9 will continue with tapped tables.

Possibly the most exciting and significant change we are making is to the match schedule for the weekend. We'll post full details before event one but the highlights are:

• More players will be in action Friday night (around 85% of players).

• Pro & Challenge finals will be on Saturday afternoon around 4.30pm. This will create a better atmosphere as no tour player will be knocked out of both their events at this point so there should be a good attendance for the finals.

• No player will play in the last session on Friday or Saturday night and then have to play in the first session the following morning.

10 November 2009

GB9 joins SAM Leisure and Barceló Hotel Group to launch huge new tour for 2010

The GB 9 Ball Tour committee has worked tirelessly to secure developments which will take the tour to the next level.  For 2010 GB9 will feature: 

• Tour stops hosted in 4 star hotel venues with preferential rates for GB9 members, family and friends
   
• Brand new custom specification professional tournament tables
   
• Perfect tournament conditions
   
• Exceptional facilities for players, family and friends

We are delighted to announce a 2 year agreement with the Barceló Hotel Group who will host GB9 tournaments during the 2010 and 2011 seasons.  Barceló operate twenty one 4 star hotels across the UK, each with excellent dining, meeting and leisure facilities. 

We are also thrilled to announce a new partnership with SAM Leisure.  SAM will supply 16 brand new professional tournament specification tables.  SAM has worked round the clock designing a new custom table specifically for the GB 9 Ball Tour.  This features a custom 1 piece slate construction designed to enable quick installation at GB9 tour venues. It is built to 2010 EPBF match table specifications, with ‘professional’ spec pocket dimensions, and a new completely ‘flush’ corner and side pocket design.  It will also feature new Artemis ‘steel response’ cushions.

Read the full press release here.  Warning - since this article was written some of the event dates for 2010 have changed.  Check this page for an up to date schedule of events.

18 October 2009

GB9 announces plans for 2010

The GB9 team have announced their plans for the new season including provisional dates, details of how to rejoin if you are an existing player or how to qualify if you want to join the tour.  Full details here.

4 October 2009

Appleton marches on with clean sweep at British Grand Prix
 

The report from the GB9 British Grand Prix from Solihull in the Midlands, is a story of one man really - Darren Appleton, and here it is, in his own words.

"I'm very happy to win, I've had a good run on the GB9 this year, I've played 5 tournaments and had 3 wins and 2 runner-ups and now I've won the most GB9 events - 3 Main and 3 Pro events... It's just a shame I couldn't make all the tour stops as I'd most likely be No. 1 on both lists."

"I went to Solihull in good shape and played really well in the Pro event. I beat (Karl) Boyes 9-7 in the Quarter-Final and had a great match with (Chris) Melling in the final where I played perfect and won 9-8. There was around 11 break and runs between us!"

"The main event was much tougher as I was really tired. I scraped through my first 3 matches, then from the Quarter-Finals I hit a gear, beating (Daryl) Peach 9-0, and then (Michael) Valentine 9-2 in the Semi-Final. In the Final I again played faultless, beating (Mark) Gray 11-2."

Winning that match made Appleton only the second player to ever win a "double" at a GB9 event, winning both Main and Pro events, and the first person to win three consecutive events.

"I will be at the last event at Barnsley so hopefully I can keep my run going. It's been a great year for me, so many top 8 finishes world wide along with 7 titles and 8 x "2nd places" and the standard on GB9 continues to improve. As we all know we have so many good players in the UK now, and maybe there's up to 8 players capable of winning anywhere in Europe - even around 5 or 6 players capable of winning a world title."

"Besides the Philippines we probably have the strongest nation in the world with regards to strength in depth and amount of titles we've won! The GB9 has come a long way in the past two years and I'm sure the future will get better - so many thanks to all the staff and GB9 for doing a great job and giving us a good tour to play on!"

20 July 2009

Appleton Takes London Classic

Newly crowned WPA World Number One, Darren Appleton, continued his rich vein of form by taking the main event in Shepherds Bush this weekend - his 4th GB9 title. 

It was a good weekend for the Appleton's as Darren also made it to the final of the Pro Cup, where he eventually lost out in a tough battle against Mark Gray.  

At the same Darren's time cousin Andy Appleton made his first final in the Challenge Cup but in-form Adam Benn Smith was too strong.  Congratulations to Darren, Mark & Adam on their hard earned victories.

Full story and press release coming soon. Results here.

3 July 2009

Victory and Controversy for Team GB at 2009 European Nations Cup

A team of 4 of GB9's elite players took on the might of Europe last month in the Nations Cup and came away with Gold.  World 10 Ball Champion Darren Appleton, World 9 Ball Champion Daryl Peach, World 9 Ball Semi Finalist Karl Boyes and UK Number one Imran Majid made up the impressive team representing Great Britain. 

They did not disappoint as they blitzed their way through the field finally beating the strong Russian side in the final.  Many congratulations to all the team on their tremendous victory. 

However, the tournament did carry some controversy for the GB9 players due to the way the team was selected.  Mosconi Cup winner Mark Gray who is currently UK provisional number 2 and ranked 7th on the European rankings will certainly have felt that his recent results and consistency over recent years warranted his selection in this prestigious event. 

The GB9 Committee were surprised not to be invited to be involved in the team selection and did have concerns about the selection process. However, they have waited until now to speak publicly about this so as not to distract our players during the event and deflect attention from their well earned victory.  You can now read the full press release from GB9 here.

Many congratulations once again to Team GB.
 

2 June 2009

Boyes, Folan and Peach triumph in the first annual GB9 Paul Medati Trophy.

This was to be a very special GB9 event - renamed in commemoration of one of our own, Paul Medati, a well known and much liked face on the pro snooker circuit, he was swiftly taken from us by cancer last year, and during the weekend tour players raised £372 for MacMillan Cancer Support in recognition of the enormous difference they made to the quality of Paul's life and the support to the family during his final days.

Appropriately this tournament was hosted in one of our favourite and best equipped clubs, the third event of the season would also be crucial to players hoping to improve their ranking and possibly gain promotion to the elite player ranks for next season as these GB9 Tournaments have a three-tiered offering. An elite 32 player "Pro Cup", a 96 player "Challenge Cup", and a main event, "The Paul Medati Trophy" which pits all 128 players against each other, with a total prize fund exceeding £11,000.

These auspicious aspirations appear well justified as two new champions were crowned and a new record was achieved, along with some great gestures of sportsmanship.

"We relish these great gestures of sportsmanship." - Lee Rigby, Chairman.

Imagine this... It's the main event, 128 players started and only four players remain, and you're one of them. None of the semi-finalists have won a main event before, so this is the biggest chance you'll ever get, and you're just one tense rack away from a spot in your first final.

This was the situation facing Kevin Uzzell and Adam Benn Smith in an absolutely nerve-wracking thriller as the score reached 8-8 in this all important race to 9 match.

Adam potted the long 1 ball, then shot the two and the three, but everyone watching was well aware that the four ball wouldn't be easy. It's route to the pocket was blocked, and everyone knew he had planned an attempt to pot the match winning nine ball early by forcing the four ball to nudge the nine into the corner pocket.

It wouldn't be easy though, as the two balls were lined up with the middle of the back rail, and the shot would have to be incredibly precise to achieve the very difficult "thin cut" necessary.

Not a good time to be nervous, but the immense pressure is unavoidable. The money, the match, the berth in the final, a chance at the title, it all hung on this shot - and this is exactly the sort of challenge that players love, why they practice such long hours, it's all for moments like these.

No one can know for sure what a player's inner voice says to help steel the nerves at times like these, but all players have their own personal techniques to help handle the pressure, and they have developed a mental toughness through hard experience too, but Smith's body language said it all after he successfully sank that nine ball into the corner bucket.

Ecstatic elation, joyous victory, and a whole host of other unnamed emotions raced through his body as he immediately started celebrating his win, slinging his cue on the table in sheer relief...

And the cue moved some balls...

And then an horrific realisation!

The balls had not stopped rolling from the winning shot when the cue splashed the remaining balls.

The referee had no choice in the matter.

"Foul".

Unbelievable. A classic schoolboy error, the premature celebration - and it's here that we saw the "great gesture of sportsmanship".

Kevin Uzzell would be as keen as anyone to earn a chance at the title - but with an exemplary display of selflessness and sporting etiquette, he waived his right to pursue the matter any further and congratulated Adam on a well-played stroke, wishing him well in the final.

In a game that appears to revel in a reputation gleaned from endless tales of skulduggery and hustling, a game that is apparently a "sign of a mis-spent youth" - it's always heart-warming to share truths like this.

It's not the first time that acts of sporting honour and integrity have been reported from UK 9 Ball Pool tournaments - and as this international discipline of pool continues to grow here, I'll be pleased to see this fairness in following the spirit of the rules continue apace.

The Main Event - GB9 Paul Medati Trophy
Congratulations to Karl Boyes on a tremendous victory in the 128 Player Main Event at the GB9 Tournament in Barnsley.

This is Karl's first GB9 title - but it was noted by a few "in the know" players that Karl appeared to have bought his brilliant streak of good form back with him from his recent successful visit to Germany where he was playing some of the best pool in his career, ultimately reaching the Quarter-Final stage of the 240 player field of the best pool talent in Europe.

Like many of the best players in the world, Boyes' results improved throughout the event, despite a "touch and go" result in the Quarter Final (9-8 vs Craig Osborne) Boyes then spread his wings and appeared to cruise through the two final stages with strong victories over his two final opponents.

The Challenge Cup
Steve Folan was another new name added to the exclusive list of players with a GB9 title to their name.

Folan had just returned from a visit to Las Vegas where he had a couple of momentous victories in the Predator 10 Ball Open. After qualifying for the prestigious single elimination rounds he notched up a strong win over Raj Hundal, now playing for India, and then a notable victory over Shane Van Boening - unarguably the hottest ten ball player n the world at the moment!

Surfing this wave of confidence it's no wonder that Folan made short work of collecting his first GB9 Trophy.

The Pro Cup
Daryl Peach's name appears to have tenancy rights on The GB9 Pro Cup trophy, as this was the incredible third time he has won this title in the two short seasons that the GB9 tour has been running.

There were some notable absentees from the Pro Cup line-up, as Imran Majid, the hottest GB9 player of the 2008 season with a staggering set of results and trophies from the GB9 tour was committed to playing ten ball in Sarajevo.

Maltese snooker legend, and former Predator 10 ball Champion Tony Drago was absent due to a previous snooker engagement, and World 10 Ball Champion Darren Appleton was occupied in his "home from home" in Manila as he was invited to the Philippine 10 Ball Open.

With some of the top players absent due to these prior engagements, Peach, the reigning World 9 Ball Champion from Blackpool, must have known he had a good chance of striking gold again, and sure enough, this was his second Pro Cup win on the spin! 

Watch the macthes online...
Don't forget to visit Cuesport TV where you can watch quality videos of the GB9 action for free.  Recommended viewing is the finals of the main and pro event from the GB9 Southern Masters in Croydon, both of which were nail biting dramatic matches, which are not to be missed.  Look out for these soon on Cuesport TV.

1 June 2009

Players raise £372 for Macmillan Cancer Support at Paul Medati Trophy

GB9 players and spectators dug deep this weekend in memory of the late Paul Medati by raising the marvellous amount of £372 for Macmillan Cancer Support. 

Players and friends of the tour generously donated prizes for a raffle, which took place on the last day of the Paul Medati Trophy.  Following the event tour chair person Lee Rigby spoke to Paul's wife, Cheryl who wishes to thanks all the people involved in donating prizes and supporting the raffle.  Cheryl said it was a lovely gesture and Paul would have been very proud.

Paul's family were very keen for all donations to be made to Macmillan in recognition of the enormous difference they made to the quality of Paul's life and the support to the family during his final days.  Cheryl said 'They made a real difference by providing all the nursing and equipment to allow Paul to spend time with his family at home'.  'They do a wonderful job and they really don't get enough recognition or support'.

Paul's family and GB9 would like to sincerely thank all the following people for generously donating prizes:

• Pete and Ange Williams of Cuesport TV (Cue)

• Shirley Ang (Mosconi Cup signed programs)

• Paul Morgan (New Z2 shaft and free re-tip)

• Rileys Barnsley (8 bottles of Carling C2 lager)

• Si D'Vali (Cue and case signed by Strickland, Chamat & Majid & Longoni cue case)

• Daryl Peach (Coaching session with the World Champion)

• James Carney (Pro Coaching Session)

If anyone would like to make a further donation in Paul's name please contact us and we will give you the donation reference number from Macmillan or you may donate anonymously via the Macmillan Cancer Support Website.

28 May 2009

GB9 pays tribute to Paul Medati

This weekend GB 9 Ball Tour hosts the first annual Paul Medati Trophy in memory of one our best loved players who sadly passed away during our first season last year.  Simon D'Vali takes up the story...
 

--------------------

Late last year, we lost one of our own to cancer.

Paul Medati was well known on the professional snooker circuit and remained professional from 1981 up until 1995. Paul turned professional during the 'golden age' of snooker when the top players were more like 'A' List stars. In the 1970s, Paul won the National Pairs title with snooker stalwart and now trick shot champion and commentator, John Virgo. Paul famously (and deservedly) gave Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins a black eye, with Alex maintaining to the press that a horse had kicked him only finally admitting it in his authorised Autobiography years later. Paul managed to reach the top 32 in the Snooker rankings, an incredible achievement given the standard of players around at that time. Paul finally retired and took a well earned break from the cue sport scene. Years later, he decided to pick up a cue again but this time his interest was in the American cue sport of 9 Ball. Paul found he still had his skill and adapted well to the very different game. He took a host of scalps over the years including many of the UK's top players.

Paul always had time for the younger players in Salford and did a great deal of coaching, making sure he was passing on those skills he had garnered over his lengthy career.

Good friend and fellow professional pool player, Andy Worthington recalls a famous incident with Paul during a BPPPA event when it was double hill between the two players......'It was hill-hill and Paul was amongst the balls, not looking like missing to take the 9-8 win. Back then, the 4 ball was purple in colour and earlier that week, Paul went to the opticians and picked up his new, tinted lenses to his glasses. By mistake, Paul inadvertently mistook the 5 ball for the 4 ball, potted it and then realised he had fouled when he saw the 4 ball on the table. I cleared the balls for the 9-8 win. Paul maintained it was the tint on the glasses that cost him the match!'.

Another account from World 9 Ball Champion, Daryl Peach, is freakishly similar.......'We were in Malaga for the Spanish Euro Tour and following the event there was an 8 ball event. We were sat watching Paul play his match which was again hill-hill at 6 all. Paul cleared the table of stripes (or so he thought), potted the 8 ball, went to shake the guys hand and his opponent pointed out that there was still a stripe left on the table. Everyone, including Paul fell about the place laughing, even after his opponent cleared up and took the match. Paul took the loss in his usual pragmatic style, his sense of humour always apparent and didn't let it ruin a great time in Spain....I miss him a great deal'.

Paul was a true professional sports person with a larger than life personality. His kind will never be seen again but we are thankful he took up our chosen sport. Much respect, Paul...rest in peace.

--------------------

During the event we will be holding various fund raising activities and, at the request of Paul's family, we will donate these to Macmillan Cancer Support.  On behalf of the GB9 Committee we would like to thank you all in advance for your support and hope you have a very enjoyable weekend.
 

30 March 2009

Osborne beats Majid in Southern Masters Thriller

Congratulations to Craig 'Shotgun' Osborne on winning his first GB9 event after a thrilling final in Croydon that went to a hill-hill decider.

GB9 2009 Southern Masters winner, Craig OSborne
 

Daryl Peach continued his rich vein of form with his second Pro cup victory, another hill-hill thriller against an-in form Damien Overton. 

Damian Massey cemented his place at the top of the Challenge Division rankings with victory over Sunderland's Adam Benn Smith. 

Full match results and final standings here.

20 January 2009

The GB9 Ball Tour starts 2009 by praising 2008's Player Of The Year!

The GB9 Ball Tour is constantly receiving plaudits from it's players for the outstandingly professional manner in which it is run, and it's clear to see the unflagging effort that the organisers take to make sure that the events run as smoothly as a well oiled machine.

It could be expected that these tributes would be a rare thing when dealing with 128 discerning player's who pay between £539 and £739 a year membership fees for the privilege of playing on the tour, 96 of whom are attempting to qualify for promotion to the elite Pro Division of 32 players - and the proof that they are doing something very right and very well is that applications to join the tour have always been over-subscribed.

So it's heartening to see that they have decided to start the 2009 season with a hark-back to the previous one, by rewarding last year's stand out player with a truly beautiful trophy.

Imran Majid's domination of the tour in 2008, winning no less than four of the six main events put him at the top of the rankings with an unassailable points lead, and because of the rolling six event system utilised by the tour, each new event now means that he has to try to defend his maximum points at each of the events he won, knowing that even the slightest slip will see the rest of the pack closing the gap.

GB9 2008 Player of the year, Imran Majid
 

Two on the spin for 'Granite' as he takes the 2009 Midlands Classic

Mark 'Granite' Gray started the 2009 season in the same way as he finished 2008 by taking his second consecutive main event title and move up to number 2 in the official British rankings. 

The final of the GB9 Midlands Classic, the main event of this three day tournament, saw an out of sorts World 9 Ball Champion Daryl Peach convincingly beaten by the slick Mosconi Cup potting machine with a one-sided 11-6 margin.

Both Peach and Gray hail from the same region of the country and are good friends off the table, and even teamed up as partners in Matchroom Sports "World Cup of Pool" event, and the match was played with good humour thoughout, despite Peach being on the receiving end of some particularly frustating rules, dutifully enforced by the GB9 Ball Tour referee Mel Harley.

The tour has adopted a 3 point rule for all breaks to force players to use skill and power on their break, and despite Peach sinking two balls on his well aimed thunderclap break, he was penalised with loss of turn after failing to gain a third point by getting another ball to pass the "head string".

Despite this, the rule is the same for both players and Gray, who also finished top of the European rankings last year, was a graceful and worthy winner as always, and even more pleased to take the title as his parent's had come to support him and had front row seats for the final.

Mark Gray is presented with his winners cheque by
Klaus Zobrekis of Z9 Billiard Cloth, a GB9 main sponsor.

Scotland's Valentine triumphs over reigning Ten Ball Champion Appleton!

Saturday evening saw the first two events played to completion - in the Pro Cup semi-finals Darren Appleton beat Imran Majid and Michael Valentine beat James Kay creating a mouth-watering Appleton vs Valentine final.

Appleton had only just returned from the Philippines where he had been getting plenty of match practice and went into the final as the strong favourite. However Valentine knew he had a tough match ahead, and as he has frequently shown before, he rises to the tougher challenges and often plays his best pool under those conditions - and this was the case today as he eventually beat Appleton 9:6. Michael Valentine was delighted to take his first GB9 title by winning the Pro Cup.  He too beat a reigning World Champion in Darren Appleton who took the 10 ball title in the Philippines in 2008.

2009 Solihull Pro Cup Winner, Michael Valentine

Freshman beats veteran to take Challenge Division title!

Forty new faces appeared on the Challenge Tour and at the end of the season the top ranked player will earn promotion into the Pro Cup. One of these new players has made his mark by winning the Solihull Challenge Cup and is now well on his way to the top of the rankings.

The Challenge Division semi-finals saw Steven Petty beat Matt Ford and Anthony Ginn triumph over Gareth Steele setting up a Petty versus Ginn final.

Once again there appeared to be a strong favourite, and once again the tables were turned as experienced veteran Ginn was edged at the finish line with an 11:9 scoreline from fellow Londoner and GB9 newcomer Steven Petty.

2009 Solihull Challenge Cup Winner, Steve Petty

You can also listen to Pete Williams of Cuesport TV do his review of the tournament in his 16 Jan 09 Podcast here.

28 December 2008

Event 2 in Croydon

Following the success of the GB9 Southern Masters last season we are pleased to confirm this, the second event of the season, will again be held at Rileys Frith Road, Croydon.

30 November 2008

Important announcement - 2009 Event schedule changes

Since publishing our event schedule on 8 October some of our dates subsequently clashed with major world events.  We have therefore adjusted our schedule to avoid these clashes.  Click here for the revised dates.

28 November 2008

Changes to ranking system for 2009

In response to feedback from players we have made some changes to the ranking points awarded in each of the 3 events.  In summary we have:

• made the difference in points from one round to the next consistent (2 points) with only the winner and runner up receiving a jump of 3 points.

• rewarded and encouraged attendance at events by offering points for first round losers.

• reduced the points earned by seeded players who lose their first match.

Full details are on the rankings page.  These changes take effect from 1 January 2009.

25 November 2008

2009 line up complete

The line up for the forthcoming GB9 season is now complete following 3 consecutive weekends of qualifying events in which 80 players in total played for 36 valuable spots.  All is not lost for those who were unsuccessful as they will make up the reserve list ordered by their combined results in the qualifiers.

Full results from the groups in each qualifier are here.

Final positions are summarised here.

25 November 2008

Southern Qualifier (Wealdstone) Results

The final qualifier for entry to the tour for the 2009 season was held in Wealdstone, London this weekend.  42 players competed in the event with just 10 qualifying spots available.  8 group winners earned a spot and the 16 players in 2nd and 3rd place then played off in a single knockout format for the last 2 spots.

Here are the results:

Group 1
Brendon Colyer (qual)
Paul Taylor (play off)
Oliver Ruuger (play off)
Nick Cheshire
Art Coginsbull
Chi Cheung

Group 2
Anthony Ginn (qual)
Phillip Wildman (play off)
Stephen Heron (play off)
Dudley Brook
Peter Barker
Simon Hadley

Group 3
Gordon Bain (qual)
Ken Meyon (play off)
Jay Talwar (play off)
Joe Sims
William Fogarty

Group 4
Darren Saxby (qual)
Glen Winter (play off)
Adrian Cumiskey (play off)
Daniel Johnson
Christian Ormsby

Group 5
Najjal Joshi (qual)
James Welch (play off)
Richard Main (play off)
Steven Cole
Oliver Mandel

Group 6
Scott Foley (qual)
Simon Woods (play off)
Michael Brisley (play off)
James Cook
Geoff Windeatt

Group 7
Mark Morris (qual)
Danny Doyle (play off)
Larry Hinrichs (play off)
Chris Wollington
Michael Flavin

Group 8
Luke Rollison (qual)
Morray Dolan (play off)
Kevin Kelleher (play off)
Craig Chiddy
Craig Atkins

Play off winners
Oliver Ruuger (qual)
Phillip Wildman (qual)

16 November 2008

Midlands Qualifier (Solihull) Results

Here are the results from the second of the three GB9 qualifying events.

Group 1
Bartek Czapski (qual)
Roy Kimberley (qual)
Robin Cripps (qual)
Craig Chiddy
Mark Morris
Sam Liu

Group 2

John Beesley (qual)
Dominic Clemens (qual)
Steve Turnbull (qual)
Mike Stanley
Sean Dracup
James Lawless

Group 3

Steve Petty (qual)
Al John (qual)
Dean Thompson (qual)
Darren Saxby
Neil Wood
Cressida Pickton

Group 4

Andrew Bucknall (qual)
Neil Margossian (qual)
Andy Jeronimidis (qual)
Lee Craig
James Welch
Joe Sims

Group 5

Ian West (qual)
Dan Lim (qual)
Simon Hadley
Kevin Kelleher
Mike Allen

Group 6

David Hood (qual)
Stavros Tassos (qual)
Larry Hinrichs
Stephen Heron
Art Cogginsbull

Congratulations to all the qualifiers.
 

9 November 2008

Northern Qualifier (Barnsley) Results

Here are the results from the first of the three GB9 qualifying events.

Group 1
Mark Hopgood (qual)
Craig Sinclair (qual)
Graeme Clarke (qual - best loser)
Dean Thompson

Group 2
Dan Moore (qual)
Geoff Edge (qual)
James Ingham
David Trulio

Group 3
Geoff Simpson (qual)
Liam Waterworth (qual)
Simon Gardner (qual - best loser)
Matthew Norrey

Group 4
John Wade (qual)
Gary Lewis(qual)
Steven Cole
Chris Wilkinson

Congratulations to all those who won their place on the tour in 2009.

8 October 2008

2009 Tour dates announced

GB9 is pleased to be able to announce our provisional tour dates for 2009.  More details here.  The good news is the first event is scheduled for early in the new year - I guess we just couldn't wait to get things started again! 

This early scheduling of tour stop 1 would have meant requesting instalment 2 of membership fees soon after instalment 1 in December.  We have, therefore, adjusted the payment schedule to try and ease the burden as much as possible over the expensive Christmas period.  More details here.

23 September 2008

"Granite" Mark Gray wins GB9 British Grand Prix

"Obviously I'm well happy to win the last one, and to beat Imran for a change" said Mark Gray from Peterborough after he won the GB9 British Grand Prix - the final event of the GB9 Ball Tour season, beating Tour supremo Imran Majid 11-6 in the final of the Main Event at Mansfield.

"It's a shame it's the last one for me now, because it's my first victory this season, I'm usually one of the winners but the standard this year now on the English circuit is getting so tough, I'm just one of 12 or 14 players capable of winning the Pro Cup and the Main Event."

It's a busy time for "Granite" now, he will shortly be leaving for the Philippines and the World 10 Ball Championships, then he will fly from there straight to the Netherlands for Matchroom's World Cup of Pool, and then after two days at home he will be off to the next Euro Tour event in Switzerland, but Gray says he loves the travelling as there wasn't so much travel when he played snooker, as Gray says, "it's all a great adventure really!"

Maharaja crowned 2008 British Champion after final ranking event of season

Despite losing to Gray in the final event of the season Imran Majid was without doubt the most successful British tour player in 2008.  Majid, from West London, won the first four consecutive events of the 128 player, six event season, and was also a semi-finalist and runner-up in the last 2 events sealing his position at the top of the British Rankings by some considerable margin.

Howard leaps into Pro Division with Challenge Cup victory

Jason Howard, a quietly spoken gentlemanly player from Bournemouth modestly accepted his victory in the Challenge Cup event at Mansfield, whilst his friends and well wishers roared their very vocal support and congratulations from the overlooking raised tier bar area!

This was the first final for the modest 29 year old, who is a Safety Officer for a Solar Energy company, and the 15 ranking points accrued have boosted his ranking from 24th into the vital top eight on the Challenge Division along with automatic promotion into next season's elite Pro Division.

The eight players earning Pro Division status for 2009 are Thomas Ainsworth-Smith, Brad Parker, David Walsh, Andrew Nicholson, Christopher Robson, Jason Howard, Andy Barnett, and Scott Higgins ranked 1-8 respectively.

"Dynamite" wins another Pro Cup

A delighted Darren Appleton won the GB9 Pro Cup event for the second time of the season, beating Imran Majid with a comfortable 11-5 in the final.

The timely win promotes the Yorkshireman to the top of the Pro Division rankings, displacing Junior player Phil Burford from the pole position that he had held since event 2.

Karl Boyes and Tony Drago finished the season ranked 3rd and 4th in the GB9 Pro division rankings, with Imran Majid, Kevin Uzzell, James Kay, Daryl Peach, Mark Gray, Jayson Shaw, Craig Osborne, Raj Hundal, Paul Williams, Damian Overton, Pat Holtz and Michael Valentine filling out the top 16 respectively.
 

Heart-breaking tears of sadness, but tears of joy too!

It was with a heavy heart that Tour Chairman, Lee Rigby, took the microphone after the usual "housekeeping" announcements and began to explain his absence from the playing table at the last two events.

Affectionately known to the players as "Riggers", he explained that nerve damage from an extremely painful and very rare condition has paralysed his upper-right arm from the shoulder to the elbow, effectively making playing pool impossible for the foreseeable future. The nerve will take up to two years to repair, and even then the condition might not be sufficient to ever play pool again.

With his voice cracking with emotion, and stopping to compose himself several times, he assured everyone that nothing would stop him from continuing to run the tour, and vowed that the 2009 season would be better than ever.

Ironically, despite not playing in the last two events and therefore only receiving ranking points from four events, Lee had already secured sufficient points to secure his spot in the elite Pro Division for the 2009 season.

Later on there was another tearful event, but with a much happier tone, as the players awarded gifts to the Tour Chairman, Lee Rigby, and Tournament Director, Shirley Ang.

Shir came to the microphone and "blubbed" continuously for thirty seconds, and the only comprehensible words were "thank you" in between the flood of tears... Bless!

GB9 will now prepare for the end of season qualifying events in November ahead of the 2009 season.
 

3 September 2008

Appleton halts the Maharaja's reign.

Imran Majid's incredible winning streak of 29 consecutive matches including 4 tournament championship victories has come to an end in Manchester at the hands of Darren Appleton.

Appleton then beat reigning World Pool Champion Daryl Peach in the final, and appeared particularly determined throughout the tournament, taking extra time at the start of every rack, planning the route of every run-out.

This was the first event that the GB9 have implemented the higher rack position - with the nine-ball on the foot spot, forcing many players to adopt a more powerful break putting a stop to the virtually guaranteed "wing-ball-on-the-break" that came with the old "tapped" rack position.


Of the final against Peach, Appleton said, "We broke pretty well, but it wasn't always coming out good, so there was a lot of safety", "it's been a long day and we didn't really focus as good as we can do, but I probably played a little bit better than him, on the day, and that was the difference I think in the end."

"It's a frustrating game sometimes, you can play very well and lose, and you can play average and win."

Appleton paid tribute to semi-finalist Imran Majid saying, "to beat Imran in the semi's was a massive win. I felt a lot of pressure to beat him because obviously he hasn't lost this year, so that was a massive thing".

Shaw 'on fire' in GB9 Manchester Pro Cup

Proud Scotsman Jayson Shaw has managed to win the GB9 Manchester Pro Cup at only his second attempt. On his route to the final he beat former Pro Cup champion and current number 2 ranked European player Imran Majid in the first round of the UK's elite player event.

In the final, the youngster from Glasgow toppled the Euro Tour number one ranked player Mark Gray with an 11-8 score.  Shaw actually missed the start of the tour, and managed to get a reserve spot filling the vacancy due to Tony Drago having to attend the 2008 World Snooker Shanghai Masters Qualifying - and he certainly made the most of the opportunity. Jayson has now joined the GB 9 Ball Tour permanently so the extremely tough Pro Division has just become even tougher!

In an interview after the final Shaw was asked if there was anyone on the tour that he feared, he replied, "When I'm playing I don't really fear anybody, but to be honest with you, there could be easier draws, I'd rather play someone instead of Imran who has won the last four events" - he also admitted to practicing 5 hours every day, thanks to his sponsors The New Archway snooker club in Glasgow.
 

No surprise this time as Robson wins second consecutive Challenge Cup

Chris Robson was regarded as the underdog in the final at the last event, but proved himself to be a bit of a giant-killer with his win over Scott Higgins, and once again he has shown that he's made of stern stuff with a thrilling 11-10 win over London's David Walsh.

In fact, Walsh was the only player to take Robson to the hill at this event, and Walsh and Robson now sit side-by-side on the Challenge Cup rankings at 3rd and 4th respectively, both in with a fair chance of topping the end-of-season rankings.

All will depend on the final event of the season, the GB9 British Grand Prix to be held at Rileys American Pool and Snooker Club, in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire on 19 September 2008.
 

Photographs courtesy of Big Dave Knight of www.pro9.co.uk

22 August 2008

Live internet scoring to be provided at all future GB9 events.

Following the enormous success of our new tour in it's first season there has been extraordinary interest from the pool world who are eager for updates on the action during our tournaments.  Up to now problems with access to a reliable internet connection has prevented us from providing an update service via our website but that will all change from the next event in Stretford, Manchester.  GB9 will use a mobile broadband internet service to bring you regular round by round match scores and stats from all 3 tournaments as they happen. 

Will Majid win a 5th successive GB9 main event to keep the dream of an unthinkable grand slam  alive?  Who will win the very competitive Pro and Challenge Cups?  If you cannot come to Stretford to watch the excitement unfold then be sure to visit our website to keep up to date with all the results and stats.

Results for all 3 tournaments will be posted here.
 

17 August 2008

European Championship success for GB9 players as Burford takes Gold!

Phil Burford's year just keeps getting better and better.  GB9's youngest Pro division player, who is currently ranked top of the GB9 Pro rankings, demolished the field in the EPBF Junior 9 Ball category to win the Gold Medal and take the coveted title of European Junior Champion.  There was also medal success for Imran Majid in the mens 9 ball event where he took the bronze medal, eventually losing out to Serbian Zoran Svilar in the semi finals.

Photograph courtesy of Peter Aprile

4 August 2008

Mel Harley is the new GB9 Official Tournament Referee.

The GB9 team are delighted to announce the recent appointment of Mel Harley as the official Tournament Referee.  Mel will commencing duties from Tour Stop 6 2008 in Mansfield.

Mel comes with extensive refereeing experience from the world of English Pool but also has experience refereeing many 9 ball tournaments too. 

Mel joined the English Pool Referees Association in 1982 going on to become senior referee in 1989.  Such is the respect he commands within the game he is the only person to have refereed the men's singles final of the World Championships on 3 consecutive occassions.  Mel is no stranger to the TV cameras either having taken command of numerous televised tournaments.

Nicknamed ‘Jeeves’ due to having all the answers to the pool rules questions all players who have ever worked with Mel will tell you how dedicated he is to the sport as well as being very a sociable and fair referee, so GB9 are naturally delighted to secure his services.

Players - Please look out for Mel in Mansfield (you won't be able to miss him in his yellow referees polo) - say hi and give him a warm welcome to our great tour.

14 July 2008

Grand Slam still on for Majid as he takes Yorkshire Cup.

Well, it doesn't happen often, but after watching the final of the GB9 Yorkshire Cup's main event it has to be said - I'm speechless!!! The best GB9 final ever! This match between Scott Higgins and Imran Majid had everything, including a massive comeback by Imran from 10-5 behind, an almost impossible task considering the alternate break format, but the "Maharaja" doggedly clawed his way back to take the title for an unbelievable 4th consecutive win.

To add a little spice to the pot, there was a huge "tweak" as Higgins missed a short and straight 5 ball that would have taken him over the hill, and then in the final hill-hill match the spectators spotted a foul break, but neither player noticed.

Higgins still had his hand over his mouth in disbelief at his previous miss, and Majid had his back turned as he was collecting his playing cue, but the knowledgeable audience noticed that the break didn't score the requisite points!

Points? Yes, GB9 uses a points system on the break, and players need to score three points to avoid a dry break.  This is based on a combination of number of balls pocketed and number of balls passing the head string.

With only 1 ball potted and 1 ball passing the head string Higgins should have come to the table to play, but as neither player noticed, Majid continued to clear the table for the 11:10 win, and his incredible fourth consecutive victory in the main event.

There are only two of the six events remaining on the tour this season, The GB9 Northern Masters in August, and The GB9 British Grand Prix in September.

Majid's domination of the GB9 Tour is incredible - the tour features the cream of British Snooker, English Pool and American Pool disciplines, celebrity players, Mosconi Cup players, money players, for goodness sake's it got the World 9 Ball Champion, the European #1 and #2!

A Pro player can come along and dominate a regional tour or league, but not a tour of this strength in depth.

Odds for a "Grand Slam" by one player before the tour started would have been astronomical, one million to one, but now, all Majid has to do is what he has done before, two more times and history will be made.

Bring it on!

Peach is back!

The old Peachy that we know and love is back with a vengance this time at the GB9 Yorkshire Cup, as he stamps his authority on the Pro Cup event in beautiful Scarborough, with a confident 11-4 win over 17 year old pool prodigy Phil Burford in the final.

Christopher Robson is Challenge Cup victor!

Chris Robson was the surprise winner at the GB9 Yorkshire Cup's Challenge Division event. Robson went into the final as the underdog to the more fancied Scott Higgins, but after a series of positional errors by his opponent that were duly punished by Robson, he was rewarded with the trophy for two days of consistently high quality pool.

6 July 2008

Tour stop 6 rescheduled.

The 2008 GB9 British Grand Prix in Mansfield (Tour Stop 6) has been rescheduled to 19 and 21 September following Matchroom's annoucement of the dates for the World Cup of Pool, which would have clashed directly with the final GB9 event originally scheduled for 10 October.

When launching the tour we made a commitment to try all means possible to avoid date changes and at the same time avoid clashes with major international tournaments. So, whilst we regret to have to make this change we believe it is right for the tour to ensure GB9 tour pros from England, Scotland and Ireland have their opportunity to take part in this Matchroom event.

5 June 2008

Magical 3 out of 3 for Majid as he takes London Classic to maintain 100% record in GB9.

After three days of play, with a full field of 128 elite quality players in the Main Event at the GB9 event in Harrow, Imran Majid has done the unthinkable and won for the third time in a row. It shouldn't be possible should it? There's too much luck needed in nine-ball to have a dominant champion isn't there?

Well... Apparently not, but the journey wasn't without hiccups, not least the final match which went hill-hill with both players missing the final nine ball once, after Majid left himself too straight on the eight to get good shape on the nine. He missed a long thin cut playing from near the rail, then Hundal missed the only shot available to him, a table length bank into the opposite corner pocket!

Both shots were very makeable, but nine ball is all about the pressure, and these were the hero shots, the ones that count, the "make or break" shots, the ones that nine ball is all about - these two shots made this the best GB9 final so far... After three days of play the title, the money, the ranking points, the glory - everything hung on this one last 21/4 inch yellow striped ball. Majid executed a perfect cut down the opposite rail to send the nine into oblivion and his star into orbit. Nine ball pool at it's best - absolutely thrilling!!!

In an interview before the final Imran said, "Well I think to start off with I've got a big advantage playing on these tapped in conditions, I use a cut break and it works very well."

"Most of the time I'm getting a shot on the one and I'm never going to scratch, whereas other people are putting it down to luck to get a shot on the one ball and scratching a lot of times, you know hitting the ball hard and they don't really know where the cue ball is going sometimes so I think I'm three racks up before I start any match."

Three wins out of three tournaments and only six events in a season, is it too early to be mentioning the possibility of a Grand Slam? Well... Majid is already looking forward to the next GB9 event, the GB9 Yorkshire Cup to be held at the beautiful seaside town of Scarborough.

"The club looks very nice", he said!
 

Appleton beats Boyes in Pro Cup!!!

The English Pool converts are beginning to stamp their authority in the 9 Ball World as Yorkshireman Darren Appleton beats fellow former English Pool player Karl Boyes in the final of the GB9 Pro Cup event this weekend.

Despite being no stranger to televised matches, Appleton admitted that he was more than a little jealous of Boyes' upcoming IPT Ultimate 8-Ball challenge versus Alex Pagulayan, but also said, "at the same time I'm very happy for him because he finished third in the World Championships last year and he's been invited to nothing... He's been very unlucky because Mark Gray is ranked one in Europe and Daryl Peach winning the World Championships, the chances of that happening for the two of them in the same year is like a miracle really, but it happened."

"Any other year, Karl would have got invited to the World Masters or the World Cup and stuff like that, but he's just a bit unfortunate and he's missed the boat a little bit and things haven't really gone his way and I don't think he's got the rewards he should have got, and I'm really happy for him that he's got the opportunity to play Alex (Pagulayan) on the IPT."

"I think the IPT have looked at that and thought he deserved something from it as well and I'm really happy for him, he's a great guy, he's my best mate and he's a great player."

Appleton is already looking forward to the next GB9 event, The Yorkshire Cup, it's quite local to his home in Pontefract and he said, "I've been there lots of times, it's a great place, the night life is very good, people are really good, it's very quiet, really clean, I think it's going to be the best of them. I haven't been to the club but apparently the club is really, really nice, but what I will guarantee is that the nightlife is awesome, so if you get beat you have a good night, and the people there are really, really nice. It's a nice place, very, very clean and the sites are really nice."

David Walsh triumphs in Challenge Cup!!!

Two players from London earned their chance of fame and glory by reaching the final of The GB9 Challenge Cup this weekend. It was battle of East versus West, as David Walsh from Shepherd's Bush in West London beat Andy Nicholson from Mile End in East London at Rileys Wealdstone.

It had been noted earlier in the tournament that both players were in excellent "form", Nicholson's break received particular mention, and this result has really placed him "on the pool map" for a lot of players and spectators alike, but in the final it was Walsh who triumphed with a competent 11-5 to take the trophy, the title, and the all important ranking points.

Walsh's biggest hurdle was his quarter-final battle with Challenge Division numero uno Thomas Ainsworth-Smith who has won both previous events and currently sits at the top of the leader board. "He's been doing everyone over in the last few tournaments", said Walsh, "he's been playing really well and it seemed like he deserved it, he seemed like he was cueing better than anyone else in the Challenge Division so you have to give it to him really, I'm just pleased that I could show him that he can be beaten."

Walsh admitted that he had let his game and practice regime slide a little but has announced that he's back with a new hunger for the game, playing almost every day if he can. This win should earn him a well deserved promotion into the exclusive top 8 on the Challenge Division rankings.

27 May 2008

Snooker star, Drago joins GB9 as the tour heads to Wealdstone!

Tony Drago will be permanently added to the GB9 Pro Division starting at Wealdstone on 30 May, taking the vacancy made available by Steve Brown who has relinquished his spot for personal reasons. Drago has seen his pool profile ascending to stratospheric heights after notable wins at international standard 9 ball and 10 ball events, and has won fans around the world with his no nonsense approach and quick-fire style which appears to be more suited to the world of professional pool.

The "Disher" - Tommy Donlon will be making his first appearance as a reserve - in for Andy Richardson who cannot make this event. Donlon could be a big threat if he brings his "A" game with him, he was one of the UK's most dominant players in previous years - this tour HAS to be the toughest in Europe - and it just got tougher!
(Article by 'Big Dave Knight' of www.pro9.co.uk)

The rise of UK pool and particularly the standard of players signed up to GB9, Europe's most prestigous national pool tour, has been met with astonishment and envy around the pool world.  The Euro Tour is widely believed to be the toughest test of pool on the planet right now and after the Paris event in February GB9 players had won no less than 5 out of the last 7 events and filled 4 of the top 5 European ranking positions including the coveted number one spot (Gray, Drago, Majid & Peach).   This is a remarkable fact given the long time domination of nations like The Netherlands and Germany.

As the tour heads to Wealdstone this weekend an exciting weekend is in prospect as UK Number One, Imran Majid looks to keep his compatriates quiet and make it 3 out of 3 main event victories. 

As always the tough Pro event looks wide open but on paper number one ranked Phil Burford, 17 from Darlington, has a great draw in the top half and a chance to cement his position at the top of the rankings.  Karl Boyes is the other man coming in to the event in red hot form with a recent semi final in the Euro Tour, Germany. But who would dare predict the winner from names like Boyes, Donlon, Peach, Gray, Hundal, Majid, Uzzell, Appleton and Drago?

The Challenge Division is not without it's excitement either.  Youngster, Thomas Ainsworth-Smith has dominated the first 2 events but Parker, Jenkins, Barnett, Dixon and Burton will all be looking to take him out and earn their first wins.

You can see the full draw and learn more about tour stop 3 here.

13 April 2008

Scarborough preview

The GB9 Team called at Scarborough this weekend, not for a weekend at the seaside, but to visit Rileys Scarborough; hosts of the GB9 Yorkshire Cup this coming July.  We visit all host clubs a few months prior to the tournament to help us and Rileys staff prepare for the event.  Since this will be the first time an event of this kind will have been held in this new club in the North Yorkshire seaside resort we thought we'd wet your appetite with a few photographs of what lies ahead for GB9 players.

This beautiful new club, which opened 2 years ago in the heart of the bustling town centre boasts 17 American tables, which are in superb condition.

The club is just a few minutes walk from the stunning North Yorkshire coastline.

The GB9 Yorkshire Cup along with the Scarborough Pro Cup and Scarborough Challenge Cup takes place from Friday 11th to Sunday 13th July 2008.  More details of the event will be provided after the London Classic which takes place in Rileys, Wealdstone on 30 May.

5 April 2008

Majid tops the rankings after clinching GB9 Southern Masters

Imran Majid has cemented his position at the top of the British rankings after taking the GB9 Southern Masters.

Champions, challengers and fans all enjoyed another fantastic GB 9 Ball Tour of non-stop action, and it was a weekend full of shock exits for the 128 player field as the pool stars fell to the diamonds-in-the-rough.

Reigning EuroTour No.1 Mark Gray exited the Pro Cup event in the first round after a 9-6 loss to relative newcomer Alan Millership from Reading, and reigning World Champion Daryl Peach also fell at the first hurdle with a 9-6 victory for rising star Neil Raybone.

Events worsened in the Main Event as tears were shed when three players were actually disqualified after two days of gruelling qualification when they arrived more than 20 minutes late for their matches after the clocks were advanced by one hour due to the official start of British Summer Time.

No.1 ranked GB9 player Imran Majid had a close shave and had to give his opponent a three rack start when he arrived 19 minutes late for his match in the Pro Cup.  Majid found this penalty too much to overcome as he added his name to the growing list of top players exiting the first round of this alternate-break format tournament after his opponent, Adam Clarke, broke and dished the first rack to take what proved to be an insurmountable 4-0 lead in the race-to-9 match.

However, all was not lost, as the "Maharajah" once again won the all-important 128 player Main Event beating close friend and fellow Londoner Raj Hundal 11-9 in the final.  Having also won the first tour stop in Solihull Majid’s position in the number one spot of the main British rankings is already looking unassailable with 4 events to go.  He won the event in some style too, breaking and running out an astonishing 59% of his 40+ breaks.

The Tornado thrills the spectators to seal the GB9 Croydon Pro Cup.

The Pro Cup event, exclusively for the 32 elite players on the tour, was won by Tony "The Tornado" Drago after a thrilling quick-fire run through the field of superstars culminating in an 11-8 win over Kevin Uzzell. Watching Drago run balls and racks at break-neck speed is exciting stuff and it was a real treat for the spectators at this event. Playing against Drago can be a very daunting affair but Uzzell did well, especially when he had to dry the soaked tips of his cues under the washroom hand-dryer immediately before the tournament started, after accidentally dropping his cue case in a puddle.  17 year old Phil Burford had another impressive run in the Pro Cup reaching the semi final after a nail-biting 9-8 win over Darren Appleton, a victory that has earned the youngster the number one ranking in the 32 player pro event.

Ainsworth-smith makes it 2 from 2 in the GB9 Challenge Cup

The 96 player Challenge Cup, which excludes the 32 elite players was once again won by youngster Thomas Ainsworth-Smith.  ‘The Tommy Gun’, as he’s affectionately known, won a tense final against established senior player, Neil Jenkins.  At 9-9 had Jenkins converted a tricky 7 ball to lead 10-9 he would have had the all important break should the match have gone all the way but it wasn’t to be and from 10-9 Ainsworth-Smith produced a brilliant clearance to seal his second successive GB9 Challenge Cup victory.

Watch the action on Cuesport TV

As always Cuesport TV were in attendance to record all the best match ups including the finals of all 3 events which will be available for viewing over the coming weeks.  Check out www.cuesport.tv for more details.

21 March 2008

Tornado to hit Croydon!

The GB 9 Southern Masters welcomes Tony Drago to the impressive line up of talent competing in Croydon between 28-30 March.  Tony, the current Euro Tour French Open Champion, is known to many as 'The Tornado' for his exceptionally fast play. 

Drago has been keen to join GB9 right from the start but unfortunately was unable to commit to the scheduled dates before the application process closed last November.  Since then he's been waiting patiently with others on the reserve list and is now able to take his place in the line up for the Pro Cup and Southern Masters events in Croydon following the withdrawal of one of the pro division tour players.

Although this is a one-off spot rather than a permanent 2008 tour place GB9 are obviously delighted to welcome one of the worlds most entertaining and charismatic players and we look forward to seeing Tony take his place on the tour permanently in the next season.

21 March 2008

Press release for tour stop 2

128 of the UK’s best players will descend on Croydon between 28-30 March as Britain’s biggest and best 9 ball pool tour ever hits London for the second tour event of the season.  You can download a copy of the press release here.

24 February 2008

Potential date changes

We wish to warn GB9 tour players that there is a possibility we will need to change the dates of one or more tour stops towards the end of the year.  This is to avoid date clashes with major world events. 

The WPA calendar now shows the World 10 Ball Championships clashing with our last tour stop in Mansfield, though we understand from our sources that this date may move again.  Additionally some major tournaments usually played around that busy time of year (September, October and November) have yet to be scheduled, including Matchroom's World Cup Of Pool. 

For this reason we will wait until the WPA Calendar becomes more stable before announcing any changes to GB9 dates but we felt it prudent to warn our players that a change in our dates is looking likely.  At this stage tour stop 6 will most probably be affected and there is a small possibility that tour stop 5 could be impacted too, though we feel this is much less likely.

We will monitor the situation closely and let all our players know as soon as any date changes are confirmed.

7 February 2008

GB9 Midlands Classic – One Long Weekend - Three Ranking Tournaments

This was the inaugural event of Britains new official 9 ball tour, actually three tournaments in one long weekend with a prize fund totalling over £11,000 (US22000 or EUR160000) at each event – the Main Event (consisting of all 128 tour players), the Challenge Cup (for the 96 players aiming for promotion to the Pro Cup next year), and the Pro Cup (the elite top 32 UK professionals).  The event was held in the beautiful Rileys Pool & Snooker Club at Solihull in the heart of England.

Double delight for Majid as GB9 gets under way

London's Imran Majid started the tour in commanding fashion winning the GB9 Solihull Pro Cup on Saturday night followed on Sunday with victory over Mark Gray in the coveted main tournament; the GB9 Midlands Classic.  Imran showed no mercy as he ploughed his way through the high quality 128 player field beating reigning World Champion, Daryl Peach and former World Pool Masters Champion Raj Hundal.  But his toughest test came in the final against newly crowned European Number 1, Mark Gray who was cheered on by a partisan crowd including close friend, world number 2 on the ladies circuit, Karen Corr.  In a nail-biting finish to a great weekend of pool it was the Maharaja who emerged the victor in the hill-hill final frame to take the title and seal his place at the top of the rankings.

Ainsworth-Smith shows strength of young UK talent

It was also a great weekend for the younger players as the Challenge Cup trophy was won by 18 year old Thomas Ainsworth-Smith from Macclesfield, one of our brightest young talents and hot favourite for promotion to the Pro Division.  And another rising young star, 17 year old Phil Burford, showed his true class in reaching the Pro Cup final overcoming World Semi-Finalist Karl Boyes and the reigning World Champion Daryl Peach, eventually losing to Majid on his way to a £500 runner up prize in the 32 player Pro Cup.

If you were not able to attend the event and missed some of the great pool on display do not despair as Cuesport TV recorded all 3 finals.  These will be available shortly on www.cuesport.tv along with the last 16 match between Chris Melling and Craig Osborne and some great interviews with many of the players.

Check out the results page for all the match results, statistics and rankings from all 3 events at GB9 Tour Stop 1 or for more news, photographs and discussion about the event visit www.pro9.co.uk.

You can download a copy of the official press release here.

For older news stories visit the News archive.

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