Claudio Cassar.... world champion.

Malta can boast of another champion in cue sport as yesterday Claudio Cassar claimed the prestigious EBA World Blackball Pool Championship title after beating Paul Bennett 8-7 in the men’s final in Perth, Scotland.

The best-of-15 match, televised live on Sky Premier Sports, was a nerve-racking affair for both contenders with South Africa’s Bennett putting his nose in front on various occasions only to be pegged back by the never-say-die Cassar.

Bennett had one red ball remaining on the table in the decisive frame but Cassar kept his cool.

His well-thought defensive shots paid off in the end as Cassar potted five yellows and the black to tilt the balance in his favour and clinch the world title.

After switching codes to Blackball this year, Cassar, 29, achieved encouraging results in the ranking competitions organised by the new Maltese federation.

However, his exciting run to the world title at the Bells Sports Centre this week exceeded Cassar’s expectations.

“This is a dream... a big surprise. I never imagined I would play so many matches here and reach the final, let alone winning the championship,” an emotional Cassar, who plays for Ħamrun club Immaculate Conception, told Times of Malta.

“I’ve represented the country before and my best result was a last-16 place in another international tournament. However, this is something bigger, more significant. Hopefully, this success will open new doors in my career.”

With over 700 players from 20 countries around the world taking part and €20,000 in prize-money to be won in eight championship categories, the Scottish organisers were looking to make it a memorable occasion for the country after winning the bid to host the bi-annual championships ahead of Malta and France.

However, Cassar dashed the hosts’ dreams on Thursday as he eliminated their no.1 favourite Scott Gillespie in the semi-finals following another polished display, winning the last-four match with a clear margin of 7-2 in front of a packed and partisan crowd.

“Thursday was a very hectic day for us in the tournament,” Cassar said.

“I had to play six matches to reach the final. There were so many fine players here including Paul Bennett and Scott Gillespie.

“It wasn’t easy.

“At the moment, this feels like a dream come true for me but when the celebrations are over, I will have to thank a few people who helped me immensely to reach this objective. It’s a great honour to be world champion and I’m happy to have done my country proud.”

Malta was close to having two players in the final but Clayton Castaldi was beaten 6-1 by Bennett in the quarter-finals.