Radford Open 1

The inaugural Radford Open attracted 16 entries and players were split into four equal groups.  Every competitor played at least 7 frames and the top 2 players in each group progressed to the quarter-finals.

The tournament was played at Hidden Spot, a new venue for Nottingham Snooker tournaments. Everyone was made to feel very welcome by the club’s owner, Khalid, who stayed throughout the event to ensure everything went smoothly. Many players commented on how nice it was to walk into a warm venue first thing in the morning. The food also received many positive comments, particularly the chicken burgers!

Group A

The form player in group A was Danny Cresswell (Hucknall) who won two of his three matches, topping the group ahead of Steve Butler (Gotham) who finished second as a result of losing to Cresswell. The players failing to qualify from this group were debutant Rob Garratt (Bestwood) and surpisingly, Classic champion Nav Hussain (West Bridgford) who really struggled.

Group B

The in-form Dave Jobling (Newark) won all three matches, but debutant Adam Hussain (Mapperley) finished a close second. Vinnie Dennis (Sutton-in-Ashfield) and another debutant Raqib Ziahe (Radford) both failed to qualify for the knockout stage.

Group C

Karl Barrett was on fire, winning all three group matches without dropping a frame. Debutant Dave Bolton was a clear second, only dropping frames to Barrett and making a nice 44 break along the way. Debutants Omer Ibrahimi (Beeston) and Farhad Akbari (Wollaton) both failed to qualify, but they clearly enjoyed their first taste of Nottingham Snooker tournaments.

Group D

An out of sorts Ashley Dobb (Hucknall) failed to win a match in group D. This was a surprise, following his appearance in the final of the Eastwood Open only two weeks ago. Masters champion John Fountain (Carlton) also failed to qualify, losing to Tony Morgan (Kirkby-in-Ashfield) and Mick Garratt (Daybrook), who finished first and second respectively. Morgan was in fine form, making the tournament’s highest break of 63.

Knockout Stage

Three debutants reached the quarter-finals, unfortunately all three, Dave Bolton, Adam Hussain and Mick Garratt were all knocked out by the form players of the day. Steve Butler was the other player to lose at the quarter-final stage, going down 2-0 to Tony Morgan who was cueing very well.

The semi-finals saw some quality snooker. Dave Jobling beat Tony Morgan by the narrowest of margins, the Newark potter fluking match ball black to progress to the final. Breaks of 40 and 48 in this match highlighting the quality of snooker on offer.

In the other semi-final, a high flying Danny Cresswell was stopped in his tracks by Karl Barrett who was moving around the table as quick as Tony Drago in his heyday.

The final was a bit of an anti-climax for Barrett, his form deserting him as he missed far too many balls. The ever dependable Jobling played solidly, sealing a 2-0 victory for his first Nottingham Snooker tournament win of 2019. The popular Newark player was clearly over the moon.

Final Scorecard

Prize Money

Winner £60
Runner-up £30
Losing semi-finalists £15

Highest Break £5

Tony Morgan 63