BARRY snooker player Alfie Davies experienced mixed fortunes during a recent trip to Bulgaria where he took part in several of Europe’s leading amateur competitions.
Davies, 25, flew to the capital, Sofia, to play in the EBSA European Championships, followed by Q Tour Europe event two, all of which were held at the Princess Hotel.
At the EBSA European Championships, Davies played in the Six Reds and Shoot-Out competitions.
In the Six Reds event, Davies progressed from his round robin group with a clean sweep of three wins from three matches.
After coming from 3-2 behind to beat Jasha Kiers 4-3 in the last 32, Davies won his next two matches to reach the semi-finals, where he lost 4-0 to Alexander Widau. The competition was won by reigning Maltese Amateur champion Aaron Busuttil, who beat Widau 5-3 in the final.
Davies then took part in the Shoot-Out competition, which was played over a single frame lasting a maximum of 10 minutes. A shot clock was in operation, with players having a maximum of 15 seconds per shot during the first five minutes, reducing to 10 seconds for the remainder of the match.
Davies entered at the last 32 stage and had four relatively comfortable victories en route to the final, where he came unstuck against 24-year-old Scottish former professional Dean Young, who won the frame 67-37.
Following the conclusion of the EBSA competitions, Davies played in the latest event of the Q Tour Europe series, which is of particular importance to him because it offers a potential route to obtaining coveted professional status.
Q Tour Europe consists of seven events played between August and February. The player who finishes top of the Q Tour Europe Order of Merit will receive a two-year professional tour card.
The next 16 ranked players (to include each event champion) will qualify for the season-end Q Tour Global Play-Off, where they will be joined by the best players from the equivalent series’ in the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas and the Middle East to battle it out for the further three two-year professional tour cards that will be up-for-grabs.
Even if Davies fails to obtain a tour card, strong performances in the series will result in him being high up the Q Tour Europe rankings, meaning he can expect to receive regular invitations to take part in professional events as a top-up player when others withdraw.
Q Tour Europe event one took place in Leeds during late August, and Davies reached the fourth round, where he lost 4-2 to former professional Mark Joyce.
In Sofia last week, Davies entered in the second round, and he faced a tough draw against reigning European under-16 champion Krzysztof Czapnik.
Davies fell 2-0 behind but he levelled the match with back-to-back breaks of 73 and 92. The following two frames were shared, and in the decider, Czapnik made a run of 66 to complete a 4-3 win.
Following the defeat, Davies paid tribute to his 16-year-old opponent and, reflecting on his own performances, he felt he played well for most of his time in Sofia, but acknowledged that he needs to cut out a few errors from his game.
The tournament was won by Aaron Busuttil, who whitewashed Edward Jones 4-0 in the final.
Event Three of the Q Tour Europe series will take place in Oberhausen, Germany between 22nd-25th October.
By Marcus Stead – News Reporter
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