On Saturday
21st and Sunday 22nd July the third International Tour of the year
in Chatham Pool and Snooker Club in Kent took place. With this being
my home venue and my form being exceptional I have to admit I fancied
my chances.
I was due to
play my first round match at 11:00am on Saturday but unfortunately
my opponent couldn’t make this event and I got a walk over into the
last 32. I say unfortunately because I always want to play and get
my hand on the table and I look forward to and build up to every match.
My second round
match was against newcomer Maggie McMillan. I played quite steady
throughout the duration of this match and won with a 5-1 score line.
The third round
saw me face Rebecca Osbourne from Suffolk. I had played Beck’s on
a few occasions and one being the same stage of the last tour. She
has improved her consistency and can be a dangerous opponent. She
rushed into a 2-0 lead taking out a couple of terrific clearances
and I knew I had a match on my hands and I had to produce if I was
going to progress.
I took out some
great balls making very few mistakes and capitalising on those that
Beck’s made to win the next 5 frames and take the match 5-2 and book
a place in Sundays Quarter Final at 9:30am.
My last 8 match up was with an experienced
Sonia Chapman who has always been quite a solid player. She’s not
long back from a break from the game and obviously not far of top
form. In a race to six I missed very little keeping my game tight
and doing enough to take a great 6-1 victory.
Now into the semi finals and I was feeling
really relaxed knowing that if the opportunities came my way I was
always taking them. There is no better feeling than having 100% belief
in your own ability at a tournament because you know that who ever
you play you’re not for one minute thinking about them, you’re thinking
that you’re going to do what ever it takes to clear up when you get
another visit to the table.
My opponent was World Masters Champion
Sharon Dickson, an awesome player with a great snooker background
who I played in her quest for the Masters title and I narrowly lost
a 6-5 battle in semi final stage.
Again I knew I would have to take every
chance I got if I was to progress to my second consecutive tour final.
Apart from a few early missed chances on both sides, I did just that.
I pinched a couple of scrappy frames and once I got ahead I cued well
and won with a 6-2 result.
The final was another clash with 8x World
Champion Sue Thompson, a repeat of the last four World finals and
the last tour final in Peterborough. With me coming out the runner
up in 4 of those 5 occasions I was determined not to be second best
this time.
It looked like it wasn’t meant to be when
Sue stormed into a 3-0 lead. I kept telling myself the run of the
balls will change and I would get my chances in the first to 7 match.
Then just like that I took out 3 eight ball clearances to draw level
and in the 7th frame capitalised on an unfamiliar Thompson
error to take the lead. We then exchanged frames to 5-5 and a missed
black from Sue allowed me back in to take a crucial 6-5 lead.
With me breaking for the match I knew I
had to pot, I potted and took reds which where the preferred colour
and after an exchange in shots I got my chance and didn’t let it go,
to win my first tour title and get the result that eluded me in this
years World Championships Final.
I was delighted with the consistency and
temperament I showed all weekend and especially in the final. I would
like to thank my good friends who supported me and believed in me
throughout and special thanks go to Liesa and my sister Mary.
