Alex Borg lands third Malta title
Alex Borg was crowned Malta champion yesterday after beating the upcoming Duncan Bezzina 8-2 in the final played at the Corinthia Jerma Palace Hotel in Marsascala. It was the third title for the Mellieha born cueist who thus made up for last year's...
Alex Borg was crowned Malta champion yesterday after beating the upcoming Duncan Bezzina 8-2 in the final played at the Corinthia Jerma Palace Hotel in Marsascala.
It was the third title for the Mellieha born cueist who thus made up for last year's upset against Simon Zammit when he had lost a 4-0 advantage before going down 8-6.
The final had a balanced start with Borg managing to open a 4-2 lead at the interval.
However, at the restart Borg stepped up a gear and after compiling breaks of 84 and 62 he won the next four frames to seal an 8-2 win.
Results: Premier Division - A. Borg vs D. Bezzina 8-2. Division One - R. Lewis vs C. Grima 7-6. Division Two - P. Portelli vs J. Camilleri 6-1. Division Three - C. Attard vs G. Galea 5-1. Boys - K. Grech vs P. Coleiro 4-1.
Billiards Championship
The World Billiards Championship gets underway this morning with the world's best performers fighting it out for the title at the Jerma Palace Hotel.
The hot favourite is 2002 champion Mike Russell of England who won the title last May in Bath after beating compatriot Peter Gilchrist 2,251-1,273.
Six-times world champion Russell, however, is expected to face the stiff challenge from Gilchrist, a two-times former champion himself, world no.3 David Causier, also of England and four-times world champion Geeth Sethi of India.
In all, 16 players are involved in the championship with the top eight in the world joined by four qualifiers and four local cueists who received a wild card - Paul Mifsud, Joe Grech, Pullu Grech and Frans Mintoff, who replaced Maltese-Australian Steve Mifsud who withdrew from the tournament.
The four qualifiers from tournaments held in Bombay, India and Swindon in the UK are: Indian players Devendra Joshi and Ashok Shandilya and Peter Sheehan and Lee Lagan, both of England.
The first phase is played on a round-robin format with the 16 players divided into four groups. The top two qualify for the quarter-finals.
Group matches are played on best-of-seven on a 100-up basis.