Dapto Leagues Club, Bong Bong Rd & Station St, Dapto NSW 2530; Friday 1st - Sunday 3rd September 2017
By David Walsh
Dapto's delectable art-deco billiards hall heralded a new season for international competitive billiards as those much vaunted early-doors WBL World Order of Merit ranking positions were up for grabs. The event also kick-started this year's World Billiards Down Under Tour which has become an annual three-legged billiards bonanza and once again the Aussie primer was successful in attracting many of the best cueists in the southern hemisphere, including the usual suspects from all over the host continent as well as a tumultuous band of Kiwi billiardists still smirking in the wake of yet another Bledisloe blitz. A number of other proud cuesport nations were represented with honour and dignity, namely England, Ireland, and of course Planet Earth's burgeoning billiards powerhouse – Malaysia.
TD Steve Cowie was in full-wattage mode and RD Frank Galanos cast his watchful eye over proceedings as the round robin format commenced on the Friday afternoon with each game in nine groups of four players being played over a one hour duration.
13 times NSW State Champion Joe Minici and New Zealander Darren Taylor progressed from Group A with relative ease, while NSW snooker ace Roger Farebrother topped Group B and was followed into the knockout round by the Victorian supremo David Pitt. Although Roger won all of his group games, he had a nail-biting encounter with Michael Newman, a keen competitor who has been dominating the thriving Central Coast billiards scene of late but ultimately failed to progress from the round robin stage at this event.
Alas, in the first recorded instance of the Vaganova method being applied to any form of cuesport, NSW ballet enthusiast Peter Tankard set the stage alight in Group C as he pranced and pirouetted past the challenges of his fellow New South Welshmen Mick Boyne and Dave McMahon with a rhythm and gusto that would make Petipa and Ivanov return from the grave to throw red roses onto the baize. However, Peter's poise and prominence did eventually give way to fatigue and floundering as 14 times NZ National Billiards Champion Gary Oliver refused to indulge in the libretto and comfortably won the group with a convincing 298-123 victory over his pulsating NSW foe in the decider.
Pre-tournament favourite Michael Pearson was in top form in Group D and produced a scintillating display of high breaks in his opening match against Russ Delahunty of New Zealand, which included the highest break of the competition - a fantastic 226 unfinished. Despite only managing 18 points in this match, albeit against a free-flowing Pearson, Delahunty did muster up the courage to seize the runner-up spot after close tussles with Illawarra local Adrian Hinks and Simon Fortune of Victoria.
Vic Cravino was first to the summit of Group E as none of his competitors could get to grips with his clever and fast-paced brand of billiards. Despite a spirited display from the woefully unpredictable Irishman David Walsh, Ron Tulloch's class and coolness under pressure were enough to dash Irish hopes and claim the group runner-up spot.
David Collins' vast repertoire of skills proved too much for his Group F challengers as he averaged just under 400 points in his opening three games. In the match that decided the second knockout spot, Raj Das of the ACT registered an impressive triumph against Adwin Teh, who is fast approaching iconic status in his home country of Malaysia.
George Chamas finished Group G in pole position while Illawarra's Darren Martin, after a lengthy absence from the sport, rediscovered some of his old form and narrowly defeated Victoria's Neil MacLachlan to progress to the next round.
Jason Colebrook was head and shoulders above the rest in Group H and produced some fine top-of-the-table play in his match against the young and much-improved Denzel Nicholson, who is well on his way to becoming a future star in both twelve-by-six-foot-table pursuits. Meanwhile, Club Marconi's Vit Sacco drew on his wealth of experience and knowledge of the game to safely book his ticket to the seeded knockout stage.
In Group I, Don Richter admirably adapted to the two extra slates and racked up an exceptional win against Australian No. 7 Todd Hayward in a closely fought encounter with just 5 points separating the pair at the bell. Todd averaged over 300 points in his other two group games to conclude this preliminary stage as a less than rattled runner-up. In the bottom half of the group, Brian Pritchard, who must be commended for travelling all the way from England to compete at this event, finished his third place play-off with Andrew Stoermer on level points. Item No. 8 of the Tournament Playing Conditions was invoked and the Englishman defeated the New South Welshman in the tie-breaker to return to Blighty with a few bumps and bruises but with pride still very much intact.
The round robin stage concluded on the Saturday afternoon and the plush theatrical ambience of Dapto's four-table assemblage grew ever more electrified as the evening's showcase entailed preliminary and Last 16 knockout matches, each contested over 75 minutes.
Michael Pearson continued to demonstrate the prowess and self-assurance that won him his fifth NSW State Title this year as he ominously amassed three century breaks in a thumping 485-116 victory over Raj Das. NSW's resident Englishman Roger Farebrother was in scintillating form as he ran riot against George Chammas and recorded a gob-smacking break of 210, his first 200+ break in competitive billiards. Not bad going for a gentleman who is best known for his extraordinary exploits in snooker tournaments!
Jason Colebrook built on his momentum from the group stage with an emphatic win over Darren Martin, while Ron Tulloch succumbed to the might of Gary Oliver. Joe Minici couldn't help but enthrall the giggling late-night onlookers with a dazzling exhibition of blue-sky ambidextrous forays that put paid to the steady charge of David Pitt in this competition. Todd Hayward sealed his place in the quarter-finals with a well executed effort against Vic Cravino, as Don Richter similarly saw off the challenge of New Zealand's Darren Taylor. And last but by no means least, Peter Tankard had one final dance as his grand battement losers and
all-round tendu capers proved to be theatrical yet futile in his quest to impede the unrelenting flow of David Collins who emerged the victor of the piece.
The Quarter Finals kicked off on the Sunday morning with each game lasting 90 minutes. Roger Farebrother was unable to summon the sparkling form from the previous day's expoits and was resoundingly beaten by a barrage of mid-century breaks from Michael Pearson. Gary Oliver, the only Kiwi left standing, dished out similar punishment in his match against Jason Colebrook, executing a comprehensive 517-158 result. As has happened so often in the past, Joe Minici and Todd Hayward went tit-for-tat for most of their game before Joe found new wind in the final furlong. Meanwhile, Don Richter's giant-slaying mission wasn't to be halted as he
composed a marvellous break of 101 to defeat last year's winner David Collins by the narrowest of margins in a nerve-racking tangle.
The ballistic brilliance continued as both Semi Finals were played over two hours. Indeed, most punters at this stage would have backed a re-run of the previous month's NSW State final. But it wasn't to be. Gary Oliver stunned the faithful with an unwavering torrent of 50+ breaks while Michael Pearson struggled to hit top gear. The New Zealander was as steady as a ship in a dry dock and booked his place in the Final with a clinical coup d'état. In the other Semi Final, Don Richter's splendid run in this tournament came to a close as Joe Minici took no prisoners and secured his Final berth with delightful breaks of 138, 97, and 85.
And so a fascinating grand finale ensued as Gary Oliver, the warrior from the land of McConachy, faced off against Joe Minici, the wizard from the land of Lindrum. Gary took the fight to Joe for most of this two-hour final and sustained his impressive average-visit statistic with battling breaks of 41 and 54. But in the end, Joe had too many tricks up his sleeve as breaks of 60 and 65 saw him safely over the line to add yet another title to his colourful and illustrious billiards résumé. Consequently, the wonderful Marconi Magician is ranked World No. 1 on the WBL World Order of Merit. Well, for now at least!
A thoroughly enjoyable and successful tournament such as this one simply would not have been achievable without the graft and diligence of all the guys on the Billiards Australia committee as well as the meticulous planning and organisational proficiency that Steve Cowie ESM always brings to the table.
Furthermore, a sincere debt of gratitude is owed to Tournament Referee Frank Galanos and his team of merry henchmen, namely Denis Coghlan of Victoria, local ref Gary Fell, the ever exuberant and obliging Warren Ackery, and of course the man sporting more ferns than a fern bush, the cool and collected Dan O'Sullivan who jumped across the ditch to officiate at this event.
And a final thumbs up to all competitors who added, in their own unique ways, to the colour and spectacle of this just the second installment of what we all hope will become an established annual adornment of the WBL calendar.
By David Walsh
Dapto's delectable art-deco billiards hall heralded a new season for international competitive billiards as those much vaunted early-doors WBL World Order of Merit ranking positions were up for grabs. The event also kick-started this year's World Billiards Down Under Tour which has become an annual three-legged billiards bonanza and once again the Aussie primer was successful in attracting many of the best cueists in the southern hemisphere, including the usual suspects from all over the host continent as well as a tumultuous band of Kiwi billiardists still smirking in the wake of yet another Bledisloe blitz. A number of other proud cuesport nations were represented with honour and dignity, namely England, Ireland, and of course Planet Earth's burgeoning billiards powerhouse – Malaysia.
TD Steve Cowie was in full-wattage mode and RD Frank Galanos cast his watchful eye over proceedings as the round robin format commenced on the Friday afternoon with each game in nine groups of four players being played over a one hour duration.
13 times NSW State Champion Joe Minici and New Zealander Darren Taylor progressed from Group A with relative ease, while NSW snooker ace Roger Farebrother topped Group B and was followed into the knockout round by the Victorian supremo David Pitt. Although Roger won all of his group games, he had a nail-biting encounter with Michael Newman, a keen competitor who has been dominating the thriving Central Coast billiards scene of late but ultimately failed to progress from the round robin stage at this event.
Alas, in the first recorded instance of the Vaganova method being applied to any form of cuesport, NSW ballet enthusiast Peter Tankard set the stage alight in Group C as he pranced and pirouetted past the challenges of his fellow New South Welshmen Mick Boyne and Dave McMahon with a rhythm and gusto that would make Petipa and Ivanov return from the grave to throw red roses onto the baize. However, Peter's poise and prominence did eventually give way to fatigue and floundering as 14 times NZ National Billiards Champion Gary Oliver refused to indulge in the libretto and comfortably won the group with a convincing 298-123 victory over his pulsating NSW foe in the decider.
Pre-tournament favourite Michael Pearson was in top form in Group D and produced a scintillating display of high breaks in his opening match against Russ Delahunty of New Zealand, which included the highest break of the competition - a fantastic 226 unfinished. Despite only managing 18 points in this match, albeit against a free-flowing Pearson, Delahunty did muster up the courage to seize the runner-up spot after close tussles with Illawarra local Adrian Hinks and Simon Fortune of Victoria.
Vic Cravino was first to the summit of Group E as none of his competitors could get to grips with his clever and fast-paced brand of billiards. Despite a spirited display from the woefully unpredictable Irishman David Walsh, Ron Tulloch's class and coolness under pressure were enough to dash Irish hopes and claim the group runner-up spot.
David Collins' vast repertoire of skills proved too much for his Group F challengers as he averaged just under 400 points in his opening three games. In the match that decided the second knockout spot, Raj Das of the ACT registered an impressive triumph against Adwin Teh, who is fast approaching iconic status in his home country of Malaysia.
George Chamas finished Group G in pole position while Illawarra's Darren Martin, after a lengthy absence from the sport, rediscovered some of his old form and narrowly defeated Victoria's Neil MacLachlan to progress to the next round.
Jason Colebrook was head and shoulders above the rest in Group H and produced some fine top-of-the-table play in his match against the young and much-improved Denzel Nicholson, who is well on his way to becoming a future star in both twelve-by-six-foot-table pursuits. Meanwhile, Club Marconi's Vit Sacco drew on his wealth of experience and knowledge of the game to safely book his ticket to the seeded knockout stage.
In Group I, Don Richter admirably adapted to the two extra slates and racked up an exceptional win against Australian No. 7 Todd Hayward in a closely fought encounter with just 5 points separating the pair at the bell. Todd averaged over 300 points in his other two group games to conclude this preliminary stage as a less than rattled runner-up. In the bottom half of the group, Brian Pritchard, who must be commended for travelling all the way from England to compete at this event, finished his third place play-off with Andrew Stoermer on level points. Item No. 8 of the Tournament Playing Conditions was invoked and the Englishman defeated the New South Welshman in the tie-breaker to return to Blighty with a few bumps and bruises but with pride still very much intact.
The round robin stage concluded on the Saturday afternoon and the plush theatrical ambience of Dapto's four-table assemblage grew ever more electrified as the evening's showcase entailed preliminary and Last 16 knockout matches, each contested over 75 minutes.
Michael Pearson continued to demonstrate the prowess and self-assurance that won him his fifth NSW State Title this year as he ominously amassed three century breaks in a thumping 485-116 victory over Raj Das. NSW's resident Englishman Roger Farebrother was in scintillating form as he ran riot against George Chammas and recorded a gob-smacking break of 210, his first 200+ break in competitive billiards. Not bad going for a gentleman who is best known for his extraordinary exploits in snooker tournaments!
Jason Colebrook built on his momentum from the group stage with an emphatic win over Darren Martin, while Ron Tulloch succumbed to the might of Gary Oliver. Joe Minici couldn't help but enthrall the giggling late-night onlookers with a dazzling exhibition of blue-sky ambidextrous forays that put paid to the steady charge of David Pitt in this competition. Todd Hayward sealed his place in the quarter-finals with a well executed effort against Vic Cravino, as Don Richter similarly saw off the challenge of New Zealand's Darren Taylor. And last but by no means least, Peter Tankard had one final dance as his grand battement losers and
all-round tendu capers proved to be theatrical yet futile in his quest to impede the unrelenting flow of David Collins who emerged the victor of the piece.
The Quarter Finals kicked off on the Sunday morning with each game lasting 90 minutes. Roger Farebrother was unable to summon the sparkling form from the previous day's expoits and was resoundingly beaten by a barrage of mid-century breaks from Michael Pearson. Gary Oliver, the only Kiwi left standing, dished out similar punishment in his match against Jason Colebrook, executing a comprehensive 517-158 result. As has happened so often in the past, Joe Minici and Todd Hayward went tit-for-tat for most of their game before Joe found new wind in the final furlong. Meanwhile, Don Richter's giant-slaying mission wasn't to be halted as he
composed a marvellous break of 101 to defeat last year's winner David Collins by the narrowest of margins in a nerve-racking tangle.
The ballistic brilliance continued as both Semi Finals were played over two hours. Indeed, most punters at this stage would have backed a re-run of the previous month's NSW State final. But it wasn't to be. Gary Oliver stunned the faithful with an unwavering torrent of 50+ breaks while Michael Pearson struggled to hit top gear. The New Zealander was as steady as a ship in a dry dock and booked his place in the Final with a clinical coup d'état. In the other Semi Final, Don Richter's splendid run in this tournament came to a close as Joe Minici took no prisoners and secured his Final berth with delightful breaks of 138, 97, and 85.
And so a fascinating grand finale ensued as Gary Oliver, the warrior from the land of McConachy, faced off against Joe Minici, the wizard from the land of Lindrum. Gary took the fight to Joe for most of this two-hour final and sustained his impressive average-visit statistic with battling breaks of 41 and 54. But in the end, Joe had too many tricks up his sleeve as breaks of 60 and 65 saw him safely over the line to add yet another title to his colourful and illustrious billiards résumé. Consequently, the wonderful Marconi Magician is ranked World No. 1 on the WBL World Order of Merit. Well, for now at least!
A thoroughly enjoyable and successful tournament such as this one simply would not have been achievable without the graft and diligence of all the guys on the Billiards Australia committee as well as the meticulous planning and organisational proficiency that Steve Cowie ESM always brings to the table.
Furthermore, a sincere debt of gratitude is owed to Tournament Referee Frank Galanos and his team of merry henchmen, namely Denis Coghlan of Victoria, local ref Gary Fell, the ever exuberant and obliging Warren Ackery, and of course the man sporting more ferns than a fern bush, the cool and collected Dan O'Sullivan who jumped across the ditch to officiate at this event.
And a final thumbs up to all competitors who added, in their own unique ways, to the colour and spectacle of this just the second installment of what we all hope will become an established annual adornment of the WBL calendar.