Brilliant Bolton is Oceania Snooker Champion

Australia’s Matthew Bolton will have the opportunity to join the professional ranks for the first time after winning the 2017 OBSF Oceania Snooker Championship at the Commercial Club in Albury.

Over 50 players travelled to the venue in New South Wales to compete for the continent’s most prestigious amateur snooker title. Representatives from New Zealand and Fiji made the trip, but come the last 16 it was an all-Australian affair.

Bolton eased through the initial group phase without dropping a frame. In the knockout rounds he ended the hopes of Paul Thomerson 4-2, Shaun Dalitz 4-3 and Steve Mifsud 5-1 to set up a final showdown with fellow Western Australian Ben Judge, a former main tour player courtesy of claiming this accolade in 2012.

Having been a defeated finalist in 2013 and 2015, Bolton made sure it was ‘third time lucky’ with a 6-3 victory to lift the trophy for the first time in his career and join a list of former winners that includes Neil Robertson.

The triumph also completes a unique double for Perth cueist Bolton who won yet another Oceania Billiards Championship at the same venue a week before. Undoubtedly the region’s top three-ball player at present, he also has a plethora of national championship crowns, including the 2014 Australian National Snooker Championship.

In the Oceania Women’s Snooker Championship, Caroline Ruscitti defeated fellow Australian Margaret Gorski 4-2 for the title. A few days later, Gorski ousted Belinda Ngo (Australia) to claim the Women’s 6 Reds discipline.

Adrian Ridley (Australia) won the Oceania 6 Reds Championship following a 6-0 victory over youngster Ryan Thomerson (Australia) in the final, whilst Cale Barrett (Australia) defeated Mario Hildred (New Zealand) 6-3 in the Oceania Under-21 Championship title match.

Written and published by Michael Day on the 18th March 2017