Superb seniors success for local cue sports star who won an impressive £2,400 first prize on his birthday
Local cue sports star Mark Gray celebrated his 53rd birthday in style by winning a major pool tournament.
The resident Bourne Snooker Centre professional took down the International Rules Pool Tour Seniors title at the Mercure Hotel in Daventry to claim his seventh title of the year and the £2,400 first prize.
The 128 entrants were split into 16 groups of eight players with the top four in each qualifying for the last 64 which was played in a straight knockout format.
And Gray was in supreme form throughout dropping just one frame on his way to seven straight ‘best-of-three’ group match wins.
In the last 64 Gray gained a revenge 4-1 win over Lee Howitt from Notts and recorded the same scoreline in the last 32 against Coventry’s Pash Jugpal.
Gray then pipped Chris Back from Holbeach 4-3, Swindon’s Darren Begley 5-3 and Terry Hunt from Sheffield 5-2 on his way to the final. The local man came back from 2-0 down in the semi-final against Hunt.
Gray then came up against London’s Leo Fernandez in the final. Both men have spent time on the World Snooker Tour and Gray beat the same player in the final of this competition last season.
Fernandez flew into a 3-0 lead in a ‘best of 11’ final before Gray fought back to 5-5. Fernandez had the advantage of the break in the decider, but he suffered an unfortunate in-off which enabled Gray to pinch the frame with a clearance.
Shane Balding of Holbeach won the Plate event and £1,000 first prize for group stage losers, while Chloe Payne from Spalding won the ladies competition which carried a healthy £2,000 first prize.