Great Yarmouth's Karl Read took his second BWPPA Tour Stop Title in succession at Riley's Birmingham beating local favourite Roy Kimberley nine racks to seven in a thrilling final match. Read held a 6 – 3 lead at one point during the match until Kimberley's greater experience in the American sport made an appearance with three racks without reply. Read managed to regroup though and held his nerve to secure three of the last four close racks to emerge the victor. Both finalists came into the event on a major high after fantastic successes at the recent EPBF European Championships in Germany, Read winning a Bronze medal in the 9 Ball discipline and Kimberley taking the prestigious Gold in the same event plus a Bronze in 8 Ball. Read's victory here in Birmingham put to bed the heartbreak he endured in the semi final at the Championships, coming from 6 – 2 behind against Kimberley only to lose 7 – 6. “I'm delighted to have won this one” said Read after the final, “it was important for me to beat Roy as it can play on your mind if you keep losing to a certain player. I still believe I have a lot to learn and I think Roy is still the best 9 Ball player on the Tour. I'm improving with each event though.”
Kimberley did get the better of Read early on in the event, winning their second round encounter 7 – 4. Victories over Tom Burns 7 – 3, Craig Robins 7 – 6 and Mark McNeill 7 – 5 saw Read through to the semi final. In probably Read's most convincing performance of the tournament he beat former European Champion Danny Luton 9 - 5 to book a final spot.
Roy Kimberley sped through the early rounds as usual, seeing off Gary Swift 7 – 3 as well as Read. Facing Kimberley in the semi final was Matt Duffy, Great Britain's other medal winner at this year's European Championships. Duffy took back to Scotland a Silver for his efforts and it was his conqueror there that again ended his progress. At 6 – 5 in front Duffy looked in good shape, Kimberley thought the same and thus stepped up a gear to take 4 quick racks and seal Duffy to a 9 – 6 defeat.
Karl Read is the current World Wheelchair English 8 Ball Champion, a title he will be defending in Blackpool, so is no stranger to success. To discover that Read has to make a forty mile trip just to get close to an American 9 footer and practice his new found talent, needless to say came as a huge shock. Hands up all those players, young and old, social and professional; that take popping down to their local club for a knock with aspirations of glory for granted. Keep your hands up if once at your nearest club, for being an aspiring or hopefully successful player, you receive reduced or even free table time. Karl Read's hands would be firmly by his side to both of these. They say that practice makes perfect don't they? At the moment Karl Read is trying to make it another way.
