Brighton has hosted four professional tournaments previously and last years inaugural Event 1 of Q Tour. It returns in 2022, on Friday, hosted at the Castle Snooker Club again in the heart of the vibrant seaside resort the locals call ‘London by the sea’.
David Lilley was king of the castle last year defeating Si Jiahui in the final. Both went forward from this to become professional come the end of the season. 28 centuries were compiled over the three day event last year.
Onto Event two here, all my selections come from a far open top half to bottom so hopefully my pin has landed correctly. Si Jiahui went close last season on winning the first two Q tour events (runner-up in Event one and won Event two) and I think the winner in Event one, Scotland’s Ross Muir has a good chance of doubling up (14/1) and is my main selection.
Muir is top seed in the draw and looks to have a kind route to the quarter-final. He wasn’t really on my radar in the first event but perhaps he should have been in hindsight at 25/1. A week before he pushed Dave Gilbert to a decider in Northern Ireland Open Qualifying. Gilbert had two centuries in the match proving Muir stood up to him well, much like he’s done as a top-up for the past two years, with his best effort making the British Open Last 16 in August 2021, a tournament like this, best-of-5 up to and including the last 16.
In six victories in North Shields, Muir only conceded five frames the whole event, an utterly dominant display. His hardest fought win arguably coming in match one over Scottish amateur champion, Michael Collumb where Muir came from 1-0 down and won the third on the black before taking the final frame and the win 3-1. Muir also compiled three centuries in his 22 frames won; 137, 107 and 102. In the final win over George Pragnall, Muir had a pot success rate of 92%, which at any level is very decent and hard to beat.
Muir is one of only a few players who wears a glove on their left hand to allow the cue to pass smoothly through his bridge hand. He has a solid team behind him, hence his recent success – former Scottish professional and ranking event winner Chris Small is his coach and former pro-rugby player, now sports psychologist, Nick Mardon helps him on the mental side of this unforgiving sport.
On the old PIOS amateur tour from 2005 to 2010, no one ever won two events back to back and of course this is a big ask given the incredibly short format of best-of-5 in the early rounds however, Muir is on a roll and after a first secondary tour success of his career, two might just come along like buses.
Momentum is key in snooker and with a bit of lady luck onside ought to go close in Brighton. Muir is quite a clicky player. Let me elaborate. Everything has to land perfectly for him to succeed hence I mentioned luck but every player needs this and maybe it could drag on a bit longer for Edinburgh’s 26-year-old. He’s improving with age and given his draw, 14/1 is by no means a bad price on the face of it when usually I might have turned it down.
In Muir’s mini section, I do think Leeds’ Daniel Womersley is the chief threat to the Scot and at 100/1 is worth a try.
Womersley lost in the opening event to English Amateur champion Jamie Curtis-Barrett in a decider though he performed creditably, hitting a century in the match. He went close to promotion to the main tour in Event one of Q School back in mid May, losing in the penultimate round to eventual qualifier, Andy Lee following three wins to make it that far. Q School is as good a form bearer you can find in amateur snooker.
His star studded performance last season came under the TV lights of the highly competitive Shoot-Out where he made it to the quarter-final beating three main tour pros in Noppon Saengkham, Liam Highfield and Steven Hallworth (now amateur) before losing to eventual winner Hossein Vafaei. He was the leading amateur of the event so call him the ‘Silver medal winner’. I was particularly taken by his performance against Saengkham where he knocked in a competent break of 61.
It might have only been under the one frame format, but to go deep in any ranking event underlines you have a bit about you. The former winner of an Amateur Tour title, Womersley has plenty going for him and can give Muir something to think about in their potential clash in the last 32. Win that, he has nobody to fear.
My third pick is a guy on the comeback trail in Eden Sharav at 25/1. He impressed making the quarters in Event one, losing to the dogged Rory McLeod 4-2. McLeod’s style probably hindered the very fluent Sharav. Slowly but surely the 30-year-old might be creeping back to form especially as he beat Ashley Carty and Daniel Wells on the way in North Shields, winning many frames close which shows his tactical nous is there. Eden has always been a decent scorer too compiling 31 centuries on the pro circuit.
Sharav made the semi-final of the Northern Ireland Open in 2018 winning £66,000 that season so boasts loads of back-class. In that successful period he defeated Shaun Murphy, Ali Carter and Stuart Bingham. All his longest runs in ranking events have come under the shortest format of best-of-7. He nearly made the Crucible in 2020 too losing in the final qualifying round. You don’t just lose that quality over night even if he’s had a few bleak years since as an amateur. In preparation for Q School in May, he practised at the ever welcoming Vics Academy in Sheffield, home to Zhao Xintong and Yan Bingtao. An ideal setting to know where your game is.
Eden was born in Israel to an Israeli father and has a Scottish-born mother (raised in Alloa, Scotland) though classes himself as Israeli and gets a backing from the Western Asian country. Last season at Q Tour he made the quarters of Event 3 and without any doubt is in a much better position currently with his game.
Sharav might meet Muir in the quarters though has a few obstacles on the way in possibly Leo Fernandez, Farakh Ajaib or Pragnall plus not an easy opener with Wales international Alex Taubman.
Sharav was always a player I liked to keep on side when he had a bit of momentum. Perhaps never the strongest mentally, he remains a dangerous customer, is clearly desperate to impress and regain his tour card and if he follows his form on, I see no reason why he can’t go close in Sussex. Certainly in his pomp, he’d be vying for favouritism in this so he could make a mockery of that 25/1.
It’s a very hard event finding considerable value elsewhere. I was half tempted by a couple of young folk in English Under 18 runner-up, Aidan Murphy at 300/1 but he has it all to do from the first qualifying round and starting there did no favours to selection Liam Graham in event one. Murphy impressed winning three matches in Event one including against former pro, Harvey Chandler. He’s one player with a decent future.
16-year-old Stan Moody is another well touted individual and the all-conquering precocious youngster who’s won a plethora of junior titles including this years English Under 16 and 18 double (beat Murphy in Under 18s final) made the quarters in event one losing out to Pragnall. It could be said Moody had a decent draw there – not here mind, starting off with English Under 21 champion, Callum Beresford then enters into an evil mini section of Michael Holt, Martin O’Donnell, Ian Martin, Florian Nuessle and Liam Davies. Moody has it all to do where decent draws are a key element to having a chance or next to no chance.
Steven Hallworth who’s getting a big backing from Lincoln City Football Club will go close in one of these as he’s a super talent, a heavy scorer and could be excused for losing to Birmingham’s Hamim Hussain in Event one though I wish he was a bit bigger than 11/1. 14/1+ and he could have been a pick.
Similar sentiments to Daniel Wells. He’s joint fav with Hallworth and for me, Wells is a better player on tour than he is as an amateur. Plus, he’s a little inconsistent, runs terribly hot and cold for a very decent player. He made the quarters here in Brighton last season.
My last selection is a player I’m keeping firmly on side from Event one and that’s another Yorkshire native, Liam Pullen (150/1). I’m a huge fan of this kid. Speaking to numerous players I know in snooker, they all keep telling me Pullen is a serious star of the future.
Pullen struck three centuries (one in each of the three best-of-5 wins) on the way to the last 32 of the first event and it included a sound 3-0 victory over last season pro, Ben Hancorn. 1998 World Amateur and World Under 21 champion, Luke Simmonds ended Pullen’s run winning 3-1 where perhaps experience told with Simmonds winning all three frames closely. Pullen registered a run of 75 in the first frame.
Pullen reminds me a little of a young Sam Craigie with his rawness and scoring ability yet with a much better and grounded attitude than the world number 48. Liam comes here in good heart after making the final of the Under 21 Premier Development Tour last weekend beating last seasons WSF Junior Championship finalist Jake Crofts and the English Open sensation from last season Paul Deaville before losing to former main tour pro Sean Maddocks in the final 4-2. Pullen hit eight breaks over 50 on the day.
I feel it will all click for Pullen eventually, he’s not far away at all. He’s hit two 147’s in practise matches this summer alone. He’ll only get better and better with more experience. Hard work and dedication go a long way in this sport. If you have talent on top and bit of ammunition in your armoury, the ingredients all blend together to make a top player. Pullen has all four components and sooner or later won’t be three figures for an event of this nature.
Recommended Bets all each way via Bet365/SkyBet/Unibet:
Note. William Hill pricing outright but win only
Ross Muir 14/1
Eden Sharav 25/1
Daniel Womersley 100/1
Liam Pullen 150/1
Pictures from World Snooker & Northern Snooker Centre Facebook.
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