The EPSB Weekly | Maqsood Secures Opening Seniors Success

Bash Maqsood got his English Partnership for Snooker and Billiards campaign off to a perfect start as he won the Seniors Tour Event One title at the Tradewell Snooker Club in Hull. 

Newly repackaged, this national series consists of five tour events across the 2019/20 EPSB season. Each event is played over two days, with a groups phase on Saturdays and a knockout competition on Sundays. All players feature on both days, although there are crucial additional ranking points and seeding positions on offer during the groups action. 

Winner Bash Maqsood with Tournament Director Mark King

Indeed, it was a full house for Maqsood who gained maximum points on the East Coast as he finished top of Group B with four wins out of four. He also constructed a break of 91 in the process, which would stand as the weekend’s highest. Shaun Wilkes, Lee Roberts and Graham Beardmore were the other group winners.  

Returning the next day, Maqsood saw off Darren Shaw (3-1), Wayne Brown (3-2) and Graham Beardmore (3-0) in the last 16, 8 and 4 respectively before getting the better of Jon Wibberley (3-0) in the final.

Full results from the weekend’s action can be viewed on the WPBSA Tournament Manager system HERE. 

The EPSB would like to thank the Tradewell Snooker Club and our officials for all their hard work throughout the tournament.

Challenge Tour 

Jake Nicholson overcame a strong, international field of competitors to take home the World Snooker Challenge Tour Event Two title at the Crucible Sports Club in Newbury at the weekend. 

Nicholson, an entrant at this season’s opening English Amateur Tour event, made it through to Sunday’s last 16 after initial wins over Liam Davies and Callum Lloyd. He then eliminated a trio of international players in Iulian Boiko (Ukraine), Ryan Thomerson (Australia) and Amir Sarkhosh (Iran) to reach the final, where he defeated former Crucible Theatre qualifier Andrew Pagett. 

The 27-year-old pockets £2,000 for his efforts and he is now joint top of the Challenge Tour rankings alongside event one champion Ka Wai Cheung (Hong Kong). The number one player on the ranking list at the end of the ten-event series will be offered a two-year professional tour card, whilst the next eight on the list will contest a play-off for another.