Paul Hunter English Open 2008

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2008 PAUL HUNTER ENGLISH OPEN

Hosted and Sponsored by Northern Snooker Centre

Sunday 27th July ? Sunday 3rd August 2008

?10,000 PRIZE FUND (Subject to Entries)

ENTRY FEE : ?60 (EASB members); ?75 (Non-members)
?5 from each entry goes to the Paul Hunter Foundation

CLOSING DATE : Monday 30th June 2008

The competition will be played on a ROUND ROBIN BASIS, with groups of four players.
Groups will be played to a conclusion in one day?s play, between Sunday 27th and
Wednesday 30th July (best of seven frames)
64 players will qualify to the Knockout stages, beginning on Thursday 31st July.
Last 64 (best of seven), Last 32 to semi-finals (best of nine), Final (best of eleven)

TO DOWNLOAD AN ENTRY FORM CLICK HERE

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Holder and No 1 seed Matthew Couch faces locals Callum Waite, Richard Binns and India?s Sourav Kothari.

Joe Perry is the highest ranked professional to enter this years new format of group qualification other top flight players include Stuart Bingham and Dave Harold all three played at the Crucible last April.

The World No1 lady Reanne Evans is in the field plus of course a number of Yorkshire players home based Peter Lines back on the Main Tour next season and Kuldesh Johal, Huddersfield who makes his pro debut in August.

Current English Under 19 Champion Adam Duffy awarded the Paul Hunter Scholarship at the World Snooker Academy, Sheffield has a tough group 3 to negotiate. 

Overseas representation comes from Malta, India, Belgium, China, Thailand and Spain.

Exactly 100 players have entered this years event at the Northern SC, Leeds ?500 has been donated to the Paul Hunter Foundation from the entry fees.

All the 24 round robin groups are over the best of 7 frames with the top two qualifying from each group plus ten 3rd placed players a set amount from each day.

The groups take place Sunday 27th to Wednesday 30th July, last 64 Thursday 31st, last 32 and 16 Friday 1st August, Quarters and Semi finals Saturday 2nd August.

The final best of 11 commences at 2pm on the Sunday 3rd August the eventual winner will pocket ?2,500.

Malcolm Thorne
English Snooker

[NS Admin]

China?s Xiao Guodong defeated Ben Woollaston 6-2 to win the Paul Hunter English Open hosted and sponsored by Northern Snooker Centre, Leeds.

In the final Guodong won the first four frames comfortably making a break of 63 in the 2nd frame, Woollaston who had only lost 6 frames during the knockout stage won the 5th frame with a 52 clearance after his opponent broke down on 55.

A run of 60 reduced the arrears further to 4-2 however Guodong knocked in 84 then from 0-48 down in the 8th frame fought back to take the ?3,000 winners prize.

6-2 : (66-8), 63(78-7), (55-21), (82-32), 55(55-68)52, (9-69)60, 84(95-0), (72-48).

The 100 entry?s for this year?s event played in Round Robin best of seven matches earlier in the week with 64 players progressing through to the knockout stage.

The winner accounted for Lee Shanker 5-2, 74 break, Antony Parsons 5-3 from 3-2 down found breaks of 65 and 103, Allan Taylor also 5-3 this time 2-0 adrift finishing with scores of 53,84 and 111.

India?s Sourav Kothari 5-2 breaks of 55,57 and 75, Kothari had beaten ex pro?s Jimmy Robertson 5-4 and Jamie O?Neill 5-2 earlier and finally Guodong defeated
888.com World semi finalist Joe Perry 5-2.

Woollaston won his group losing just one frame and carried on his dominance up until the final beating Jamie Brown 5-2, 58 break, Daniel Ward 5-0, 59, Jimmy Michie 5-0 breaks of 68,121,64 and 134 then Chris Norbury 5-1, 72,59,61 and 56, Norbury 93 and lastly the home clubs Peter Lines 5-3 (no frame scores available).

Lines in brutal group form with runs of 100,106,125 and 135 went onto demolish Matt Wilson 5-1, Scott Miller 5-1, Simon Bedford 5-2 and Stuart Bingham 5-1.

Perry 12th in the World the highest ranked player to enter defeated English Club Champion Brett Miller 5-1, English Under 19 winner Adam Duffy 5-2 opening with a 143 break, Hugh Abernathy also 5-2 breaks of 105 and 122 then in the last eight Mark Joyce 5-4, 85,72,93,55, Joyce 103 and 72.

English, European and Pontins winner David Grace overcame fellow Main Tour bound Andy Lee 5-2 then lost by the same score to Abernathy.

Holder Matthew Couch reached the last 16 losing 5-0 to Joyce who finished with a 133 break.

Again English Snooker remind all that this event is open to anybody, professional or any nationality ? Not restricted to just English players/residents.


Photograph courtesy of Global Cue Sports

Malcolm Thorne ? English Snooker