EASB Pro-Ticket Tour Event 5 (15th & 16th March 2008)

[NS Admin]

ENGLISH PRO TICKET TOUR EVENT 5 ? WOKING SC

WAYNE COOPER 5-4 ROBBIE WILLIAMS

Former Main Tour and English Amateur finalist Wayne Cooper fought back from 3-1 and 4-2 down to beat Robbie Williams 5-4 in the English Pro Ticket Event 5 final.

Both the finalists in the last 32 of the English Amateur which carries double points jump into the top 8 of the rankings Cooper climbs to 3rd just two points behind Event 4 winner Craig Steadman and 70 adrift of absent Peter Lines who won Events 1 and 3.

Williams rises to 6th from 15th with just one event remaining 19th/20th April, Northern SC, Leeds even Lines now is not certain of No 1 place although he is well in PIOS contention for a Main Tour place.

Cooper won the 1st frame of the final with a run of 53, Williams won the next three frames comfortably making a 73 break in the 3rd frame.

Cooper a formidable player for England in past Home Internationals replied with a 94 lost the 6th frame easily and responded with breaks of 60 and 64 to win.

Frame scores; (18-97)53, (67-26), 73(73-21), (60-35), (0-94)94, (69-7), (21-86)60, (20-61),(0-92)64 ? 4-5.

After a first round walkover against Liam Highfield Cooper overcame Nick Jennings 4-1 with breaks of 51 and 80, Philip Wildman 4-3 from 3-2, Wildman 83 and 67 breaks, Cooper conceding just one point over the last two frames, Antony Parsons 4-0 breaks of 41,43 and 68.

And finally Tam Mustafa in a great match where Cooper led three times, the Londoner showing form that took him to the Main Tour with breaks of 104,65 and 68, Cooper 46,67,60 and a 66 to finish.

Williams whose previous best performance this season was a last 8 finish in Event 1 defeated 2006 English Amateur finalist Martin O?Donnnell, 4-0 breaks of 50,62 and 51, Paul Metcalf 4-1, Gary Wilson 4-1, Matt Wilson 4-2, James Leadbetter 4-3 after leading 3-1 and in the semi finals Lee Page 4-0 opening with a 77 break and the weekends highest effort 133, Page 52.

Page had blitzed Paul Hunter English Open winner Matthew Couch 4-1 in the previous round with scores of 85,56,85 and 63, Couch 73.

Matt Wilson hit a purple patch to beat Ian Glover 4-2 in the last 64 with breaks of 55,94,82 and 98, Glover 68 and 54 to lead 2-1.

Adam Wicheard looks to be firing again since his serious health problems beating Event 4 runner up James Welsh 4-3 then ex English Champion David Grace 4-2 with a 101 break.

EASB sincerely thank Bob Mason and the staff at Woking SC for stepping in to stage the event with very little notice after the switch from Bristol.

The entry forms for the Paul Hunter English Open will be available shortly, English Snooker stress that the event is open to all players not just English Nationals.

The qualifying stages will be played in round robins with the top two players progressing to the knockout stage the top 32 players who enter the event will be seeded so all entrants have a chance of playing a top player in snookers FA Cup.

Malcolm Thorne
English Snooker