John Farrell has continued his remarkable run in the European Championship after superbly reaching the quarter-finals in Cyprus on Friday.
The 44 year-old, who plays out of Terry Rogers Snooker Club in Dublin, was arguably the Irish player least expected to go deep into the prestigious amateur event but he instead remains the last man standing from Ireland after his four compatriots bowed out on St. Patrick’s Day.
On a busy day of action in Nicosia, Farrell first beat Welshman Nathan Davenport with a high break of 96 before coming from 3-1 down to edge Israel’s David Vaitzman in a last 32 decider.
Farrell, twice a winner on the RIBSA Masters circuit this season, saved his best victory for last, though, as he knocked out European Under-18 champion Jackson Page 5-3 to feature among the final eight.
An all-Irish quarter-final was denied when Brendan O’Donoghue, second seed following the round-robin phase, was downed 5-2 by Andres Petrov from Estonia.
O’Donoghue had earlier dispatched of TJ Dowling at the second knockout hurdle, while Michael Judge lost 5-2 to Welshman Jamie Clarke.
Philip Browne bowed out in the last 64 to Germany’s Felix Frede.
The quarter-finals boasts a competitive line-up, a mix of young and old, players with vast international experience and others with hardly any.
Clarke will be hoping to finally get on the winner’s podium after three defeats in major amateur finals, but meets Poland’s Adam Stefanow in what could transpire to be a high-quality affair between a pair of talented cueists.
Another young Pole, the former Under-21 champion Kacper Filipiak, faces 18 year-old rising Scottish star Chris Totten while England’s Oliver Brown meets former professional Andrew Pagett.
Saturday will see both the quarters and semis take place so by the end of the day the two finalists will be determined.
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