THE team at Barry West End Club are through to the final of the South Wales Snooker Open following a 4-1 victory against the Terry Griffiths Matchroom side at Penygraig Labour Club last Friday.
The Barry West End team was led by non-playing captain Mauro Zeraschi and featured reigning Welsh Pairs champions Alfie Davies and Ryan Rowlands, along with Tom Vedmore.
The competition sees 25 teams from across south Wales featuring some of the world’s best amateur players compete in a knockout format with matches contested over the best-of-seven frames throughout.
The tournament began in November and the winning team will receive the trophy along with the first prize of £1,000 and a Hotwire snooker table heating system supplied by Justin Greatrix.
Davies took the opening frame of the semi-final with a break of 60 against the 2016 European Under 18 champion Tyler Rees.
The Llanelli side levelled the match with a 55 clearance by Daniel Wells, who had a run to the semi-finals of the Shoot-Out in January this year in front of a worldwide TV audience and has recently regained professional status for next season, before Vedmore took a tight third frame against Chris Davies to put the Barry team 2-1 in front.
Alfie Davies’s proud father, former world number 26 Anthony Davies watched on as his son made a break of 52 to put the side within a frame of victory, and the win was secured when Rowlands took a tense fifth frame against Wells.
Barry West End will face the Red Triangle, Cross Keys in the final at a neutral venue on a date yet to be announced.
The Red Triangle side includes former world number eight Darren Morgan, who on Friday evening will face seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry in the first round of the World Seniors Championship at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.
Alfie Davies recently defeated Morgan 5-2 in the quarter-finals of the Welsh Amateur Championship and will be playing in the latter stages of the tournament in Aberaman this weekend.
Mauro is not underestimating the challenge that awaits Barry West End in the final: “We will be showing the Red Triangle the utmost respect, because although Darren Morgan has been off the professional tour for some years now, he is still one of the world’s very best amateur players, and while the rest of the team aren’t household names, we know they’re decent players.
“Alfie recently beat Darren in the Welsh Amateur, but I’m hoping that they’ll be kept apart when the draw is made for the final, because he is our strongest player.
“I’m very proud of all members of the Barry West End team – we’ve played well throughout the tournament and to beat a side that includes Daniel Wells and Tyler Rees by a wide margin is tremendous,” he said.
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