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Seniors Tour Hat-Trick for Undefeated Steadman
The in-form Craig Steadman dropped just two frames throughout the entire weekend as he won the 2023/24 English Seniors Snooker Tour Event Four at the Elite Snooker Club in Preston.
Steadman has now claimed a hat-trick of event titles on the Tour this season following triumphs at Event One in Hull and Event Two in Tamworth. Having withdrawn from Event Three (Woking), Steadman is still undefeated on the circuit, and he has extended his winning streak to 17 matches.
With one more event to go, Steadman is already guaranteed to finish as this season’s number one with an unassailable 110 points lead over second-place in the rankings.
A winner of the previous weekend’s English Amateur Snooker Tour event, Steadman began his latest seniors campaign with 4-0 victories against Michael Wrigley (88 break) and Shaun Wilkes (92, 52).
Returning for the final eight on Sunday, the 41-year-old registered runs of 102 and 101 as he defeated Jon Wibberley 4-0. Steadman relinquished his first frame of the tournament in the semi-finals when opponent Wayne Martin made a 70 break in the opener, although the multiple-time Q School graduate strung together four consecutive frames – along with efforts of 122 and 58 – for a 4-1 win.
Progressing through the other side of the draw was Stuart Watson, a two-time qualifier for the World Seniors Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre.
Watson was in fine form throughout with several impressive results and sizeable breaks. In the quarter-finals he compiled the highest break of the event – a 134 – en route to eliminating Gary Milne 4-1 before denying former English seniors snooker champion and one of the English seniors circuit’s most prolific winners, Wayne Brown, 4-1.
However, Steadman wouldn’t be stopped as he recorded a 4-1 victory in the final to maintain his 100% record.
Across the weekend, six different players made century breaks – Watson, David Brown, Steadman, Wayne Brown, Peter Bardsley and John Welsh.
The fifth and final English Seniors Snooker Tour event of the term takes place at Cuetopia in Kettering on the weekend of January 20 & 21. The closing date for entries is Friday, January 12 at 12:00 midday. Players can enter here.
