The inaugural WSF Championships are gathering momentum as both the World Women’s Championship and the WSF Seniors Championship have reached the knockout phase in Malta.
Irish duo Michael Judge and John Farrell impressed in the round-robin of the Seniors event, winning all of their matches with ease to both be seeded through to the last 16 at the Dolmen Hotel.
The top seed is perhaps unsurprisingly Darren Morgan, with the veteran Welshman a permanent fixture at the business end of these international amateur competitions.
Home hope Simon Zammit also looked strong to become the fourth seed straight into the last 16, edging former European amateur champion Kristjan Helgason into an earlier round on frame difference, despite the fact that the Iceland cueist compiled breaks of 101, 65, 64, 58, and 51 in securing his spot beyond the group stages.
Other notable names still in contention are Brazil’s Igor Figueiredo and fellow former professional Steve Mifsud, representing Australia.
In the World Women’s Championship, there were no major surprises as the highly-fancied runners moved into the knockouts.
Eleven-time world champion Reanne Evans didn’t lose a single frame as the Englishwoman eased into the last eight, joined by defending champion Ng On Yee, countrywoman Maria Catalano, and Waratthanun Sukritthanes from Thailand.
Belgium’s Wendy Jans, a perennial winner in the IBSF World Championship before making the switch to the WSF, couldn’t quite make the top 4 seeds who went straight through to the quarter-finals despite a 100% record of her own and a terrific tournament high run of 110 to her credit.
In the last 16, Jans will instead face Mei Mei Fong in a tricky looking contest on paper after the Hong Kong player accounted for Ireland’s Paula Judge, sister of Michael, in the group stages by the odd frame.
The eight quarter-finalists in both the World Women’s Championship and the WSF Seniors Championship will be awarded places in next week’s flagship WSF Championship.
