Helgason Shows His Nordic Snooker Class

Iceland’s Crucible Theatre qualifier Kristjan Helgason won the 2017 Nordic Snooker Championship on home soil.

This year’s event was held at the Billiardbarinn in the capital city of Reykjavik. Cueists from Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and the host nation took part, with the field initially split into groups.

Former world number 66 Helgason exhibited his pedigree by reaching the final without dropping a frame. He won all three of his round robin matches 3-0 before eliminating Gunnar Hreidarsson (Iceland) 3-0, Christopher Watts (Norway) 4-0 and Thorri Jensson (Iceland) 4-0 in the knockout phase. During his last four win over Jensson, he constructed a break of 126, which would stand as the tournament’s highest.

Helgason’s opponent in the final was promising Finnish 16-year-old Patrik Tiihonen, and despite losing the opening frame, experience overcome youth in a 5-2 scoreline.

Last year’s champion Benjamin McCabe (Sweden) was unable to qualify from his group.

In total, five different players made centuries across the four days.

Written and published by Michael Day on the 21st January 2017