12:00pm Friday 20th November 2009
HAWKERIDGE 18-year-old Ben Harrison stormed back from 2-1 down to dispose of former professional Alfie Burden 5-2 and claim a first-ever tournament win on the English Association of Snooker & Billiards Pro-Ticket Tour.
Victory at Cambridge Snooker Centre took Harrison up to third place after two of the four southern section events.
“I played really solid all weekend,” he said. “It just shows how much my game’s come together.
“It used to all be about knocking in the breaks but my highest break across the weekend was just 73.
“My safety was good and my long potting was even better.”
The 2008 EASB national under 19 finalist beat Southampton’s Nick Jennings 4-3 from 2-0 down in the first round.
After easing past Ronnie O’Sullivan’s 27-year-old cousin and women’s world number two, Maria Catalano, 4-0 in the next, Harrison took his revenge on event-one tournament winner Rob James, from Staffordshire, with a 4-2 victory.
James had knocked Harrison out 4-0 in the last 32 at Woking in September.
Next up in the semis was High Wycombe’s Matt Wilson, who had beaten Harrison 2-1 in the Cuestars South of England Championship Tour final at Swindon last month, but Harrison won 4-3 from 3-2 down.
In the final, Burden took a 2-1 lead but Harrison, as he had done all weekend, won from behind.
Now based at Players, in Westbury, where he has a pro-standard table, Harrison practises with world number 25 Stephen Lee and good friend and world number 30 Judd Trump and as well as playing snooker for six to eight hours a day, also attends college part-time.
Harrison, who finished 55th on last season’s Pro-Ticket Tour, is one step closer to his dream of turning professional.
The top 16 from the north and south after four events qualify for stage two.
After another three tournaments, the player ranked first gains a coveted Main Tour spot.
The next 16 face a play-off for a second place.
Harrison said: “I’ve got a very good chance to get on the tour this season if I just keep practising very hard and keep believing in myself.”
Meanwhile, Trowbridge teenager Daniel Winfield clinched the second Cuestars Under-21 Silver Tour trophy.
Winfield, an England pool star based at Players in Westbury, edged out home player Sam Jefferson 3-2 in the final at Jesters SC, Swindon.
The next tournament in the eight-event series is at the same venue on December 6.
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