Success For Sykes on Biggest Ever English Junior Tour

Oliver Sykes has finished in top spot on the English Junior Tour ranking list for a second successive season.

The 19-year-old followed up on a dominant 2023/24 campaign, during which he won four of the five events staged, by adding a further two titles to his collection this season and once again finish at the summit of the rankings.

A record-breaking year for the English Junior Tour saw the number of ranked players increase from 68 to 81 and total entry numbers up by a bumper 18% from the previous season.

Roll of Honour

• Event 1 (Landywood Snooker Club, Walsall): Oliver Sykes 3-0 Vladislav Gradinari
• Event 2 (Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon): Daniel Boyes 3-2 Vladislav Gradinari
• Event 3 (Mill Brow Snooker Club, Widnes): Oliver Sykes 3-1 Ethan Llewellyn
• Event 4 (Woodside Snooker Centre, Dereham): O’Shay Scott 3-0 Westley Cooper
• Event 5 (Northern Snooker Centre, Leeds): Aidan Murphy 3-2 Kaylan Patel

As well as a duo of victories for Sykes, there were titles wins for reigning English Under-18 champion Daniel Boyes, 16-year-old O’Shay Scott and Aidan Murphy as the strength in depth among elite junior snooker in England was highlighted more than ever before.

A host of new names finished within the top eight on the ranking list – which featured updated points allocations for 2024/25 – as only four of the elite seeded players for the 2024/25 events managed to finish in these positions.

The Top Eight

1. Oliver Sykes (720)
2. Aidan Murphy (640)
3. Vladislav Gradinari (580)
4. Ethan Llewellyn (570)
5. O’Shay Scott (500)
6. Shaun Liu (500)
7. Westley Cooper (500)
8. Kaylan Patel (410)

Event four winner Scott and his final opponent Westley Cooper, as well as event three and five finalists Ethan Llewellyn and Kaylan Patel were each able to successfully break into the top eight as non-seeded players and secure their places among next season’s EPSB Junior Elite Performance Programme – which provides additional benefits and opportunities for elite junior players in England.

Learn more about the EPSB Junior Elite Performance Programme.

The Race to Turkey

The conclusion of the English Junior Tour season means that the EPSB nominations for the upcoming EBSA European Under-21, Under-18 and Under-16 Championships in Turkey are now confirmed. They are as follows:

• European Under-21 Championship: Paul Deaville (English Under-21 champion), Oliver Sykes, Aidan Murphy, Ethan Llewellyn, O’Shay Scott
• European Under-18 Championship: Daniel Boyes (English Under-18 champion), Ethan Llewellyn, O’Shay Scott, Kaylan Patel, Dylan Smith
• European Under-16 Championship: William Thomson, William Hurley, Adam Abbas, Nicholas Ayers, Zain Jeraj

Looking Ahead

In addition to the European Championships, focus for the finest junior players in the country will now switch to the EPSB’s national championships across numerous age groups – with the English Under-14, Under-16, Under-18 and Under-21 all set to take place by the end of April.

Sixteen-year-old Vladislav Gradinari, one of this season’s top performing junior players, also remains in contention for the flagship English Amateur Championship title after becoming the youngest player to reach the last 16 stage for the second year in a row.

Details of the 2025/26 English Junior Tour season will be announced in due course. Click to view the remainder of the 2024/25 calendar.