WORLD CHAMPION BAGS HIS FIRST WIN OF THE NEW SEASON

The third annual Tredegar Constitutional Club Pro-Am Snooker Championship reached an exciting conclusion in Newport, South Wales.

The high quality field of 24 Welsh invited players was boosted by the entry of World Champion and World number One Mark Williams. Almost inevitably it was Williams who took home the £1000.00 first prize – but only just!

Other top ranked players included defending Champion Darren Morgan and Dominic Dale along with WSA tour players Ryan Day, Paul Davies, Lee Walker, Ian Sargeant, James Reynolds, David John and David Donovan.

The event was played over seven consecutive Thursday evenings and the eventual winner picked up a cheque for £1000.00 with the runner-up pocketing £400.00. Losing semi finalists received £125.00.

The major shock of the first round was the exit of former World Amateur Champion and newly promoted Main Tour Player Ian Preece. Jeff Haines, Pontypool based veteran and former practice partner of Doug Mountjoy, was his 3-2 conqueror despite Preece leading 2-0.

A surprise 3-1 win also in Round One for Professional Referee Paul Collier over three times Newport Town Champion Grant Casey. Collier failed to sustain his form however and lost 4-0 in just 50 minutes to former Benson and Hedges Champion Ryan Day in the last 16.

Darren Morgan confirmed his decision not to retire from competitive play by brushing aside Jeff Haines in Round two and was joined by World Champion Williams who defeated former Pro. Neil Tomkins 4-2. Paul Davies led 3-1 in his encounter with local amateur Darren Thompson before being edged out in the deciding frame of an excellent quality encounter.

Dominic Dale defeated Bridgend Cue Maker Trevor White in round two also. White was the man who repaired Mark Williams Cue after it was damaged in transit to the Irish Masters this year. Dale trailed 2-0 but later found his action and breaks of 74 and 101 saw him through. Newbridge star Lee Walker also progressed at the expense of Veteran Wayne Jones, Walker sealing victory with a break of 103.

The highlight of round two was probably the nail biting encounter between James Reynolds and European Amateur Champion David John. Reynolds made a 74 clearance to level at 3-3 and then found himself 67-0 behind in the decider before clinching victory before a packed crowd.

The Quarter Finals saw some more high quality battles and big breaks. Darren Morgan defeating Darren Thompson 4-2 despite Thompson receiving 14 points start as the only amateur player to progress this far. James Reynolds made breaks of 67 and 70 in seeing off former Grand Prix Champion Dale.

The bottom half of the draw saw Williams pegged back from 3-0 to 3-3 with both players making century breaks before edging out Walker and Ryan Day beat Williams’ practice partner and confidante Ian Sargeant 4-1.

The first Semi Final saw Darren Morgan against Former Challenge Tour winner James Reynolds. Reynolds had never previously won a single frame in competition against his vastly experienced opponent, and he still hasn’t! Morgan wrapping up a 4-0 victory in under an hour aided by breaks of 76, 88 and finishing with a 116 clearance.

Semi final two was also a one-sided affair with World number One Williams brushing aside the challenge of 2001 Champion Ryan Day.

So the scene was set for an epic Final. A best of 13 frame encounter against Defending Champion Morgan, who has featured in all three finals of the event so far staged, and the most in-form player in the world, Williams. Paul Collier was again involved, but this time in his more familiar role with the white gloves.

The final was a little scrappy early on with both players struggling in the heat; it was almost 90 degrees Fahrenheit at the table. Williams eventually took an early advantage at 3-1 with the aid of some good play and a little run of the balls, before Morgan pegged it back to 3-3. Williams took the next two, in both of which Morgan had chances, but missed crucial balls. World Champion Williams made a break of 101, the highest break of the match, in the next to go three up with four to play.

In typical Morgan fashion, heels were then dug in, and he played some of his best snooker for some time and runs of 57, 61 and 81 forced the decider. Williams had the edge right from the break-off in the thirteenth frame though, and came through it a deserved winner.

Williams commented after the match that he had enjoyed the event and that although July and August aren’t the most traditional months to play competitive snooker it was good practice for the forthcoming season. Morgan echoed Williams’ comments and although disappointed at losing out and failing to defend his title he felt his performance gave him something positive to take into the new season.

Report by Paul Collier.

JAMIE CRASHES OUT AS THE IRISH CARRY EUROPEAN HOPES

Republic of Ireland's Davy Morris (left) overwhelmed Jamie Jones in the last 16 of the IBSF World Under 21 Championship, storming to a 5-0 win. Both players had chances in every frame, but it was Morris, helped by a run of 58 to snatch the third, who converted his chances.

Morris now faces China's Liu Song in the quarter finals. Song won a 5-4 thriller over European Under 19 champion Jaie O'Neill The pair shared the opening frames, but O'Neill snatched the third on the black despite a break of 58 from Song.

But the Chinese player struck in spectacular fashion to level the scores, running in a 136 break. England's O'Neill took the next two frames to lead 4-2, but had to sit out breaks of 73 and 83 from Song which took them into a final frame and it's was Song who took it on the colours.

There was further misery for England as the Davies brother Alex and Adam both bowed out. Alex after a nail biting 5-4 against Australian Neil Robertson, but Adam was swamped by breaks of 62, 86 and 76 from defending champion Ding Jun Hui, who won 5-1.

Ireland's Brendan O'Donoghue (right) faces Ding in the quarters, after his 5-3 win over Aussie James Delahunty. Ireland's senior champion took the first with a useful 58, before Delahunty punched in 93 to dominate the second. The next tow were shared before the Aussie moved ahead with a run of 73, but that was the end of his challenge as O'Donoghue levelled, took the seventh with a break of 57 and secured a colours victory in the eighth.

Mark Allen stormed into the quarters with a 5-0 whitewash of Thailand's Pramual Janthat. Breaks of 66 and 55 helped the Northern Ireland champion on his way. Thailand also lost Kobkit Palajin, who was beaten 5-0 by China's Li Yinxi and India's Pankaj Advani, the number one seed, completed the quarter final line up with a tense 5-4 win over China's Tian Pengfei. Having opened the match with a 94 break and taken a 4-1 lead, Advani was pushed all the way by Pengfei, but held on in the decider.

JONES EDGES A WELSH THRILLER - RESULTS - MORE NEWS - EURO NEWS

The all Welsh clash turned into a thriller as Jonny Vaughan and Jamie Jones exchanged frames, until Vaughan ran in a crucial 66 to force the match into a decider. Club mates back at the Empire Club Neath didn't know who to cheer for, but in the end it was Jones who sneaked through on the final black. He will now face Ireland's Davy Morris (right) who had his scoring boots on against Belgium's Kim van der Kelen, opening the match with 102 and adding 65, 57 and 68 to win 5-1. Morris and Jones have met many times in competition and their last 16 encounter should be too close to call.

Englishman Jamie O'Neill got the better of the battle of the Under 21 champions with a high quality 5-1 win over Anthony Krysa. The Welshman won the first frame with a break of 64, to which O'Neill responded with 65 and 53, and the English Under 21 champ snatched the next as well, despite a break of 57 from Krysa. That broke the back of the Ammanford player's resistance and O'Neill took the sixth on the colours and ran out the match with a run of 53.

WELSH TRIO THROUGH TO THE KNOCKOUT - BUT NOW THEY FACE EACH OTHER

There was good news and bad news on Day Eight of the IBSF World Under 21 championship in New Zealand.

The good news was that, despite an awful start, Anthony Krysa successfully qualified from Group E to join his team mates in the knock out draw. And it couldn't have been more nerve-wracking. Krysa HAD to win to stand any chance of getting out of the closely contested group and his match against China's Li Yinxi went right to the wire.

Yinxi opened a 2-0 lead helped by a run of 61, before Krysa responded in style with a break of 97, his highest of the event so far. But the Welshman lost the next to be staring defeat in the face. He won the next two, drawing on his tactical experience and held his nerve to close out the decider 68-27.

Krysa's reward is a Last 32 match against England's Under 21 champion Jamie O'Neill.

Jamie Jones safely qualified from Group D, but only in fourth place after early losses and that pushed him down the seedings and has meant that very unfortunately he's drawn against club and team mate Jonny Vaughan in the last 32.

Vaughan's magnificent performance so far, in which he won six out of six group matches for the loss of only six frames, took him to the top of Group G and into third spot in the seedings.

Vaughan rounded off his group matches with a 4-2 win over Northern Ireland's Jimmy Martin. An entertaining match produced breaks of 56 and 60 from Vaughan and an excellent 86 from Martin.

Thursday is a rest day as everyone sets out to enjoy some sightseeing. The Last 32 is played on Friday.

Venue photos are courtesy of the New Zealand B&SA.

IT'S A WELSH WINNING DAY IN TAUPO

Empire club star Jonny Vaughan led the Welsh trio to a day of wins, as he stormed to a 4-2 win over event favourite Australian Neil Robertson. Vaughan's win puts him clear at the top of Group G with a perfect high five score and with only four frames dropped, he's set to be one of the top seeds for the knockout stages, but first he'll need to win his final group match against Northern Ireland's Jimmy Martin who's won four out of five so far.

Robertson took the first frame but Vaughan responded in style with a break of 69 and he snatched the next on the black and added the fourth before Robertson pulled one back with a run of 51, but Vaughan swept through the next 55-6 for a memorable victory over the newly selected WSA Main Tour player.

Jamie Jones continued his late run in Group D, a 4-0 win with breaks of 70 and 50, over Adam Grabish to add to his vital win over Germany's Sasche Lippe putting him through to the knock out stages. Jones has only managed fourth place in the group behind Mark Allen, Aditya Mehta and Tian Pengfei so he'll have to face one of the top seeds in the knock out draw.

Anthony Krysa has also added two more wins to his tally and given himself an outside chance of qualification. There are three players on three wins in Group F and only two places available. so it will all hinge on the final group matches and frame differences. Krysa's latest win contained breaks of 53 and 65 as he beat New Zealand's Jason Todd 4-1.

JONNY LEADS THE WELSH CHALLENGE - RESULTS

Neath's Jonathan Vaughan is enjoying a superb run so far in the group stages of the 2003 IBSF World Under 21 championships, being held in Taupo, New Zealand.

Vaughan has kept a clean sheet so far with four wins out of four, which has guaranteed him a lace in the knockout stages of the event.

He leads Group G on frame difference from tournament favourite Aussie Neil Robertson, but the two have yet to play each other. Vaughan has dropped just two frames, one in each of his matches against New Zealand's Allan Bain and Eiran Bailey.

Neath club mate Jamie Jones is having a rough ride in Group D, but although he's only won two out of his first five matches, he can still qualify for the final stages. Northern Ireland's Mark Allen heads the group with five our of five, and India's Aditya Mehta sits on four wins. China's Tian Pengfei has three wins, leaving Jamie tied with Germany's Sascha Lippe on two wins. The pair have yet to face each other and their match could prove to be the shoot out for the final group place.

Welsh Under 21 champion Anthony Krysa has managed only one win in Group E, against India's Sourav Kothari, son of the legendary Indian billiards professional Manoj Kothari. With such a poor record Krysa should have plenty of time for sight seeing at the fabulous Lake Taupo centre, although he'll need to wrap up warmly. The visitors to the event are enjoying trips to see hot geysers and other local attractions, but in the middle of the New Zealand winter, they're all complaining about the cold!

JAMIE'S OFF AND RUNNING, KRYSA GETS A COMPLIMENT, BUT JONNY LOSES HIS LADY

Neath's Jamie Jones stormed to a 4-0 win on day two of the World Under 21 in Taupo. Highlight of Jones' victory was a break of 76 as he beat Bahrain's Hamed Saeed Dhaif 4-0.

Anthony Krysa had a baptism of fire with two hard group matches and he ended up the loser in both. Aussie Tyson Crinis beat Krysa 4-2 in the morning session. It was a closely contested match all the way until Crinis sprinted away from 2-2 helped by a run of 55.

In the evening session Krysa found himself up against England's star Alex Davies and again the score went 4-2 against him. Krysa took the opener, but Davies snatched the next two before the Ammanford player closed the gap. But Krysa couldn't stop the quick fire English lad who won the next two high scoring frames on the colours.

But defeat was taken in the manner expected and so impressed was one referee by the exemplary "table manners" of both Jamie Jones and Anthony Krsya that he took time out to send an email back to Wales to compliment the Welsh Association on the behaviour of the boys. The impressed referee wrote:

"So far I have refereed two of the team in their matches (which unfortunately they both lost - hope I'm not the jinx) and would just like to congratulate Welsh Snooker for the way they must do their training and coaching of these young players.  In Jamie Jones and Anthony James Krysa you have two wonderful ambassadors for both the sport and Wales, Jamie especially. In the match he played every 'rub of the green' went against him and with his opponent and to be so graceful in defeat under such circumstances really says something. Likewise Anthony had an unlucky introduction to the tournament but still accounted for himself in a most professional manner.  Once again congratulations to Welsh Snooker in the obviously fantastic job they are doing with the young talent of today."

While all this activity was going on, Neath's Jonny Vaughan was still waiting to play his first match. He was due to face Chinese lady player Hang Fan, but she withdrew from the event at the last minute and so Jonny lost his lady and is now due to line up against New Zealand's Eiran Bailey on day three.

WELSH CAMPAIGN GETS UNDERWAY IN WORLD UNDER 21 CHAMPIONSHIP

RESULTS

Wales' three representatives Anthony Krysa, Jamie Jones and Jonny Vaughan have arrived safely in the New Zealand holiday resort of Taupo in readiness for the World Under 21 championship.

Only Jamie was in action on Day One and he faced a tough opener against Chinese star Tian Pengfei in Group D.

Pengfei reached the last 32 in Latvia last year and not surprisingly their match went the distance, with the Chinese player taking the decider. Breaks of 74 and 72 were the highlights of the match and they both came from Pengfei, who opened a two frame lead before Jones got his name on the board. Jamie won two of the next three frames to force the decider but was a mere spectator then as Pengfei closed out the frame 73-4.

Pengfei, along with Jamie and Mark Allen will be the favourites to progress from Group D and Northern Ireland's Mark Allen started in style wit a 4-0 win over Kiwi David Meer-Bailey, although the normally free-scoring Allen only managed a high break of 52 in the match.

Welsh Under 21 champion Anthony Krysa is in Group E and he'll start his campaign on Day Two with a match against Aussie Tyson Crinis. On paper Krysa's group looks very open. Kiwi Jason Todd will be one of the home country favourites to progress, but English amateur champion Alex Davies and Germany's Patrick Einsle both suffered opening day defeats in the group.

Neath's Jonny Vaughan is in Group G and he'll make a little bit of history when he plays his first match on Day Two. For the first time the IBSF have opened the draw to lady players and Vaughan's first match will be against a totally unknown quantity as he faces China's lady player Hang Fan. If China are producing lady players to the standard of players like Ding Jun Hui, then Jonny better watch out!! Vaughan also has pre-tournament favourite Neil Robertson in his Group and Northern Ireland's Jim Martin.

Four players from each group will qualify for the knock out stages and the Welsh contingent all look to have a good chance of getting through.

MAKE A DATE WITH WELSH SNOOKER

The provisional Calendar of events for 2003-4 has been published by the WBSA.

 Further details on all events are available from the WBSA.

 Calendar 2003-4

Contact Welsh Secretary Stephen Price for details of membership, entry forms, and general enquiries:

Stephen Price

Y Gerland, 181 Swansea Road

Trebanos, SWANSEA SA8 4BT

Tel: 01792 844770

email: steve7@price181.freeserve.co.uk

EVANS, PAGETT, MILLS AND TUCKER PROMOTED TO WSA CHALLENGE TOUR

Reigning Welsh champion Elfed Evans from Pwhelli is joined by former champion David Mills, European Championship finalist Andrew Pagett and Swansea's Mark Tucker as Wales' four highest ranked players eligible for promotion to the WSA Challenge Tour for the 2003-4 season.

Wales was allocated four places by the WSA and the Welsh quartet will join fellow Welsh International stars Tim English, Gavin Pantall, Gareth Coppack on the secondary tour.

Ian Sargeant, Phil Williams and Ian Preece all successfully qualified from last season's Challenge Tour and will start the 2003-4 season on the WSA Main Tour and the Welsh contingent on the Challenge Tour will be hoping to emulate their achievements.

Ian Preece, the 1999 IBSF World Champion is making his debut on the Main Tour, while Williams and Sargeant both make a return to the top flight after one season down on the Challenge Tour.

Among those relegated from the Main Tour, who are also eligible to compete again on the Challenge tour are Church Village's James Reynolds, David Donovan and Matthew Farrant. David John still waits to hear whether he will be granted a Main Tour concession as European Champion.

Left to right: Gareth Coppack, Andrew Pagett, Gavin Pantall and Tim English.

WELSH UNDER 21s FACE STIFF OPPOSITION IN NEW ZEALAND

The draw and groupings for the 2003 IBSF World Under 21 Championship have been announced and the Welsh trio will have to overcome some of the World's leading junior players if they are to progress in the event.

Leading the field is China's Ding Junhui, champion last year, when he defeated Welshman David John in the final.

Other leading contenders include the English trio of Alex Davies, Ben Woollaston and Adam Davies.

Northern Ireland's Mark Allen is being widely tipped as one of the favourites, while Republic of Ireland's Brendan O'Donoghue and David Morris are sure to be somewhere in the shake up.

Australia's Neil Robertson is the most experienced player in the field. With two seasons' experience on the WSA Main Tour behind him, Robertson won the recent Australian Under 21 championship and set a new 142 high break record in the process.

The Asian challenge includes Thailand's Pramual Janthat, who spent last season in the UK honing his skills. He is accompanied by his highly rated team mate Kobkit Palajin.

While India's Pankaj Advani, a champion in both billiards and snooker and China's Liu Song both have previous World Under 21 experience.

Holland's Lennon Starkey leads the continental brigade. Starkey recently earned promotion to next season's Challenge Tour, winning through the European play offs. The Belgian pairing of Kevin van Hove and Kim van der Kelen and Germany's Patrick Einsle and Sascha Lippe will all fancy their chances.

Welsh Under 21 champion Anthony Krysa finds himself in Group E alongside Souray Kothan (India), Patrick Einsle (Germany), Alex Davies (Eng), Tyson Crinis (Aus), Majid Saeed Dhaif (Bahrain), Li Yinxi (China) and a home country player from New Zealand, still to be named.

Neath's Jonny Vaughan is in Group G where he will face Lennon Starkey (Holl), Ng E Wei (Sing), Ahmed Al-Thani (Qat), Hang Fan (China), Jim Martin (NI), Neil Robertson (Aus) and New Zealand's entrant.

Jamie Jones lines up in Group D along with Mosese Nawaqakuta (Fiji), Sascha Lippe (Germany), Mark Allen (NI), Aditya Mehta (Ind), Hamed Saeed Dhaif (Bahrain), Tian Pengfei (China) and a New Zealand player.

There are fund raising events in progress to assist the Welsh boys costs and Matthew Stevens will be giving an evening in support of the players at the Empire Club Neath on 20th June. Full details are available on the Empire Club website www.welshsnooker.co.uk.

IBSF INVITE EUROPEAN CHAMPION TO IBSF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Newly crowned European Champion David John has received an invitation from the IBSF to compete in the 2003 IBSF World Championship, scheduled to be staged in China in October.

The IBSF announced this week that in future all Regional Champions, Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, will receive an invitation into the prestigious World Championship.

However David John still waits news from the WPBSA in Bristol as to whether he will receive a Man Tour invitation for next season. In 2002 the WSA gave the European Champion a wildcard, which went to David John following his win in Poland.

Meanwhile the European Under 19 champion Jamie O'Neill from England, will be one of England's trio bidding to lift the IBSF World Under 21 title in New Zealand in July. O'Neill will be accompanied by the winner and runner up of the English Amateur Championship, Alex Davies and Ben Woollaston, both of whom were still only fifteen when they contested the final. Davies was a final frame winner, becoming the youngest English champion in history.

JUST CHAMPION!

David John of Wales retained his European Championship title in emphatic style, taking all four frames of the final session in forty-five minutes to defeat his Welsh compatriot Andrew Pagett 7-3.

Tied at 3-3 after an exhilarating morning session, John swept through the remaining frames adding breaks of 79, 52 and 62 to his morning tally and bring the final match statistics to nine breaks over 50 in ten frames, including three centuries.

Chairman of the EBSA Jim Lacey, summed up the feelings of everyone privileged to be present saying "These two boys deserve to be playing at the Crucible. They have produced snooker of a fantastic standard throughout the tournament and have being a great credit to their country and the game of snooker.

In an eloquent victor's speech David John said "I just can't believe it. It was hard to play my best mate on the circuit, so really I didn't mind who won."

The first player to successfully defend the title, John continued "I'm thrilled and it was a great match."

Still smiling despite his defeat Pagett said "If we'd carried on at 3-3 it might have been different, but after the break I just couldn't stop him scoring."

The EBSA awaits official confirmation from the WPBSA as to whether David John's victory will earn him one of the wildcard invitation's to next season's main tour.

NEWS - RESULTS - PHOTOS

WALES JOINS THE EURO

The Welsh Dragon is proudly flying over the little Germany spa town of Bad Wildungen as the Welsh squad line up in a bid to bring home the two European titles they won in such great style last year.

David John, from Bridgend is the defending European Champion and Ron Jones is the seniors champion. They are joined by Andrew Pagett and Gareth Coppack in the men's event, while some vastly experienced Welsh talent is on parade in the seniors event for Over 40s with former British Junior Champion John Terry  and Alan Tanner completed the Welsh squad. Also providing vital support and back up is Welsh Team Manager Jack Carney and Wales' most experienced international referee Arthur Clark.

It wouldn't be the Welsh is the journey had gone smoothly and a tired and bedraggled party arrived at the Maritim hotel at nearly midnight on Tuesday night, after delays at airports and with transfer buses,  but after a good night's sleep everyone was up and raring to go.

David John gave manager Jack Carney early worries by losing his opening match, but we assured Jack that it was only the first of a long gruelling group schedule.  Gareth Coppack restored team pride by winning the match of the day against Northern Ireland's former champion Joe Meara. It was a real thriller from start to finish. The highlight was a magnificent 131 clearance from Meara, but it was the former Welsh junior star who won the vital final frame.

Ron Jones didn't know what was going on in his first match in defence of his title. Listed to play Germany's Del Taylor. Ron was rather surprised to find that Del marched into the arena proudly displaying dragons and Prince of Wales feathers all over his cue case. It turned out that Del is originally from Cardiff and moved to Germany several years ago. So Wales couldn't lose! If the defending champ had slipped up we would have claimed Del for the Welsh team! But Ron Jones takes some shifting from a table and he won 3-0 with a couple of 46 breaks and Del remembered why he left Wales!

John Terry and Alan Tanner also got off to a winning start, Terry eventually winning 3-2 against Ireland's Brian Mullens.

Keep in touch with all the latest scores, news, photos on the special European Pages and send your good luck messages to the Welsh party via GSC's NEW snooker forum.

LIKE FATHER LIKE SON

Newly-crowned Embassy World snooker champion Mark Williams has enjoyed a well-publicised coaching relationship with former world champion Terry Griffiths which over the course of the past season has seen Williams win the 'big three' - the UK Championship, Benson and Hedges Masters and World Championship, and regain his world No. 1 status. But now the season is over, Williams is turning his attention to his golf swing.
Williams, a 12 handicap golfer, has enlisted the help of Darren Griffiths, the head professional at the Glyn Abbey Golf Club, Trimsaran, and son of "granddad Griffiths", as Williams irreverently describes Terry.
"I've been slicing off the tee so I thought that Darren could fix it for me, like his old man has in the snooker," said Williams.
After his first lesson at the Glyn Abbey club, Mark joined Darren and his good friend and fellow pro snooker star Matthew Stevens for a round.
"That was a bit hard at first, but it was encouraging to hit he ball straight and left, rather than slicing,'' joked Mark.
"I think I need to practice on the range until it becomes more natural".
"His swing is basically sound, but his grip and address position need improvement,'' commented Darren.
''He can certainly get his handicap down to single figures."
Terry Griffiths, who hit the first ever ball at the Glyn Abbey Club, when he performed the official opening ceremony in 1992, commented "I do hope Darren knows what he's letting himself in for."
"Mark is so competitive, that now he's having coaching, he'll expect to improve enough to play in, and win, the Open Championship!"

ALL CHANGE AT PONTINS

Pontins Prestatyn, the spiritual home of grass roots snooker, is undertaking a major refurbishment of their snooker facilities. The 18 table room, which has witnessed many a great snooker drama over the past 30 years, is getting a face lift - All the tables are be refurbished and steel-blocked and eight tables are being taken out and put into a practice room.

The WSA will be using the new facilities to host all their Challenge Tour events next season and it's also probable that the Pontins venue will be used for the Main Tour qualifying rounds.

Players such as John Parrott will find themselves coming full circle, returning to play at the venue where they first made their names as juniors. Parrott won the Pontins junior title in 1981, graduated to become the Pontins Open Champion in 1982 and clinched the Pontins professional title in 1988.

All these changes means that the HIBSF Home Internationals and Autumn pro-am can no longer run alongside each other and therefore the dates for the Home Internationals have been brought forward to 8-12 September, with the Pro-Am and other Pontins events following on from 12-19 September.

KRYSA IS WELSH JUNIOR SUPREMO

Ammanford's Anthony Krysa added the Welsh Under 21 crown to the Welsh Under 19 title he won earlier in the season, with a calm and assured performance.

Krysa sailed through to the final without dropping a frame, beating 2001 Under 21 champion, Jonny Vaughan in the semis. His final opponent was Neath's fourteen year old, Jamie Jones, who also had an untroubled path to the final.

Jones looked set to win the opener, but leading by 51 points, he feathered the cue ball attempting frame ball pink and Krysa stepped in with a 48 clearance to snatch the frame. The Under 19 champ also took the second, but Jones kept in the match with 62 in the third. Krysa rounded off victory in style, taking the fourth with a match winning 73 break, the highest of the day.

Neath's Jonny Vaughan beat Llanelli's Frank Ellis in the third place play off, to join the two finalists as the Welsh representatives in the IBSF World Under 21 championship, scheduled to be played in New Zealand in July. It was Frank Ellis' best ever result in a Welsh tournament. Brother Stephen, already a Welsh under 16 international, won the plate event, beating Neath's James Matthewman in the final.

(Left to right: Jamie Jones, Anthony Krysa, Jonny Vaughan.)

2003 WELSH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP - LATEST RESULTS

Pwhelli's Elfed Evans, Welsh International captain, won the 2003 Welsh Amateur Championship, beating Neath's Gavin Lewis in the final. Thirty-four year old Evans lifted his first Welsh title in 1994. It was Lewis' first appearance in a Welsh Championship final.

Victory for Evans earns him the honour of representing Wales in the IBSF World Championship, currently scheduled to be held in China in October, but both venue and date may have to be changed due to the SARS crisis in the area.

His 1994 victory also earned Evans a place in the prestigious IBSF event and he reached the Last 16 on that occasion.

In 2002 Evans captained the Welsh senior team to runners-up spot in the Home Internationals, behind England.

GERMANY PLAY HOST TO THE 2003 EURO HOPEFULS

More than 100 players will converge on Bad Wildungen in Germany for the 2003 Men's, Ladies' and Senior's European Championships.

All three defending champions are in the field, in a bid to retain their titles. England's Kelly Fisher reigns supreme in the European Championship as she does in all world ladies snooker. She'll be keen to add the Euro title to her recently won fifth world crown.