Boyes is Best at English Junior Tour

Daniel Boyes defeated Vladislav Gradinari 3-2 at the Landywood Snooker Club to win the third English Junior Tour event of the season.

• Results

The 18-year-old became the third different winner of an English Junior Tour event during this campaign, following on from Gradinari and O’Shay Scott, as he won through a field of 69 players to earn the title.

Boyes was one of the eight seeded cueists who advanced automatically to the final day while the 61 remaining hopefuls competed on Saturday to join them. Among those who secured qualification with a perfect record was Ethan Llewellyn, a former event winner, and Yashnai Parmar – who compiled the day one high break of 99.

Llewellyn was the only player to take a frame from the eventual champion in Sunday’s group stage as Boyes advanced to a quarter-final meeting with Jackson Pope in which breaks of 52 and 69 earned him a 3-1 victory.

Event two champion Scott awaited him in the semi-finals after the 17-year-old had made the tournament high break of 121 in the last 16 – one of four centuries compiled during the weekend to raise further money for The Brain Tumour Charity, the official charity partner of the EPSB this season.

Scott twice led and scored a break of 76 in the third to move one away from victory, but Boyes rallied and was able to take the last two frames to get over the line in a decider and set up a final contest with Gradinari.

Last season’s ranking leader Gradinari was aiming for his second title of the season, having won the opening event, and three breaks of exactly 30 gave him a 2-1 advantage in the final.

Boyes was able to take the next and both players compiled breaks of over 30 in a decider that came down to the colours.

Gradinari potted green to pink meaning the match came down to the very last ball and it was Boyes who sunk the decisive black to win the second English Junior Tour title of his career.

Event four of the English Junior Tour takes place at Maxi Lounge, Bristol on 21-22 November. Enter now via WPBSA SnookerScores.