Comeback King Gradinari Wins Junior Tour Title

Vladislav Gradinari defeated Daniel Boyes 3-2 to win the first English Junior Tour event of the 2026/27 season at the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds.

• Results

Last season’s English Junior Tour number one was behind in each of his last three matches of the event, including trailing 2-0 to Boyes in the title match, but on each occasion he found a way back to secure the title.

The 17-year-old, who is also the reigning two-time English Under-18 champion, advanced directly into day two as one of the eight seeded players while 65 others battled it out on the Saturday to join them.

Notable performers on the opening day were former English Under-14 champion Nicholas Ayers, last year’s English Under-14 runner-up Jack Wilding, Junaid Hussain and Kian Dennett who each advanced without the loss of a frame in the first round.

Gradinari began with a comfortable group phase that saw him drop just a single frame as he defeated Zain Jeraj (2-0), Vincent Callender (2-0) and Faiz Majid (2-1) – scoring breaks of 82, 76 and 69 during this stage.

The tournament high break of 104 in the opening frame saw the teenager kick off the knockout rounds in style and he ultimately defeated Alex Slingsby 4-1. This century, along with a contribution of 103 from 14-year-old William Thomson on the same day, earned further money for The Brain Tumour Charity – with the EPSB will be donating £5 for each century break compiled at their events (capped at £1,000).

Despite losing the first frames against both Shaun Liu and Kaylan Patel, Gradinari was able to earn 3-1 victories in each of his quarter-final and semi-final contests to set up a title match meeting with Boyes.

Boyes, who is also a former English Under-18 champion, took the first two frames of the final to move within one of winning the second English Junior Tour title of his career.

Gradinari was able to hold his nerve to take frame three by just two points before a break of 52, the highest of the final, forced a decider. Both players had their chances in the fifth and final frame but it was Gradinari who got over the line with a decisive contribution of 42 to win the title.

Event two of the English Junior Tour season takes place on 26-27 September at The Winchester Snooker Club in Leicester. Entries close on Friday (18 September) at 12:00 BST via WPBSA SnookerScores.