Liam Highfield Wins European Title
Liam Highfield defeated Michał Szubarczyk 5-0 to win the 2025 European Billiards & Snooker Association (EBSA) European Championship title in Antalya, Türkiye.
The success rounds off a dream fortnight for the 34-year-old Englishman after he came through the WPBSA Q Tour Global Play-Offs at the same venue nine days earlier to secure a return to the World Snooker Tour (WST).
Highfield ended the memorable run of 14-year-old Szubarczyk, who won both the European Under-16 and Under-18 titles before securing a nomination for the WST by reaching the final of the Main competition. Should the Pole accept the nomination then he will make history as the youngest ever professional snooker player.
On Monday, Ukraine’s Iulian Boiko defeated Oliver Sykes 5-4 in the final of the European Under-21 event to earn a two-year WST tour card following a three-year absence from the professional ranks.
A trio of group stage victories saw Highfield comfortably reach the knockout stages of the Main competition before victories over Alain Vergere (4-0) and Richard Wienhold (4-3) saw the Englishman book his place in the last 16.
Consecutive wins over former professionals Craig Steadman (4-0), Ashley Hugill (4-2) and Dylan Emery (4-3) followed as Highfield continued his impressive form to set up a final meeting with Szubarczyk.
The Polish teenager was looking to make it a hat-trick of titles in Antalya and came into the final on the back of securing an historic nomination for a professional tour card at the age of just 14 after stunning former European champion Harvey Chandler in a deciding frame.
Highfield proved too strong in the title match, however, opening the best-of-nine frame contest with a break of 112 and then added contributions of 70, 54 and 63 to open up a 4-0 lead at the mid-session interval.
A further half-century break in frame five proved to be enough for the cueist from England to secure the prestigious European title and conclude the Championships in style.
