A two-time event winner on last season’s inaugural Supreme Pool Series, reigning BI World Champion Scott Gillespie begins his Liberty Games Open campaign against Clint I’Anson in an opening round blockbuster on Friday.
Held at the Players Pool and Snooker Lounge near Stoke-on-Trent, the competition is the curtain raiser to this year’s prestigious five-event Supreme Pool Series that brings together top, multi-disciplined English 8-Ball players from across the world. Entries from the UK, Europe, Africa and even Australia will have their eyes on the title and a lucrative £5,000 top prize payday come Sunday evening.
Scotland’s Gillespie made history in 2018 when he claimed the first ever SPS event. He will be hoping to repeat his success of making a fast start to a new term this weekend, although he faces the unenviable task of multiple major tournament winner I'Anson first up in a preliminary round tie.
Pre-tournament favourite Phil Harrison also secured a double of SPS titles last year – winning the back-to-back Strachan Open and Supreme Masters during the summer months. One of several current or former world title holders on display this year, Harrison looks set to cross cues with 2017 IPA World Champion Craig Marsh in the first round proper.
Number 1 ranked player Liam Dunster, who claimed last season’s concluding Grand Final and walked off with a record-breaking cheque of £51,000, will start the defence of his pole position against the rapid Darren McVicar.
Former professional snooker player and 2010 Shanghai Masters finalist Jamie Burnett has signed up to the series, and he too is on duty early doors when up against another promising youngster in Kian Monaghan. An entrant who has made an even bigger commitment is Australia’s Jake McCartney, whose thirst for premier level pool will be quenched in this unique, pressure environment. McCartney plays Scott Crawley Friday lunchtime.
Following the success of their introduction at the Grand Final last December, the series makes a full transition to Supreme Rules throughout this year. Format-wise, the 2019 Liberty Games Open features an initial double-elimination qualifying portion where eight will emerge undefeated, whilst another eight will come through the ‘Losers’ Side’ to join them. From the last 16 onwards the tournament becomes straight knockout.
You can catch free, live action of the 2019 Liberty Games Open courtesy of Beard Productions on YouTube across all three days. Starting Friday at 12.30GMT, four tables from each session will be streamed simultaneously.
Scott Gillespie (Photo courtesy of Supreme Pool Series)
Scott Gillespie returned to winning ways on the Supreme Pool Series with victory at the 2018 K8.com Classic last weekend.
The talented Scottish cueist won the season opening Jason Owen Open in May, but after early exits in the following two competitions on the SPS circuit, Gillespie has quickly reminded the English 8-Ball world why he is one of the best around.
Gillespie qualified unscathed for the knockouts after coming through an ultra tough section of the draw. In a blockbuster first round tie he got the better of Phil Harrison 11-6; the only other player to have triumphed on the series so far.
He then ousted 2016 IPA World Champion Gareth Hibbott via a deciding frame, 11-10, and saw off two-times former WEPF World Junior Champion Jordan Church, 11-7. Securing his berth in the Last 16, the World Cup of Pool selection defeated Northern Irish rising star Declan Brennan, 11-7.
The random draw for the KOs drew Gillespie and Brennan together again – it was the former who would repeat the prescription, but with a different dose of 11-8.
Enjoying his best run in the series so far, the dangerous Craig Waddingham was eliminated 11-7 in the Quarter-Finals, whilst fellow countryman and the winner of multiple titles in recent years, Mark Boyle, was comprehensively dispatched 11-3 in the Semis.
Gillespie's opponent in the final was England's Shaun Storry, who had produced a string of impressive results on route.
Just like his rival in the final, Storry had advanced through the long weekend undefeated – it would be the first time on the series this year that both finalists came from the winners' section. Among those who lost to Storry included Hibbott (11-9) in the Last 16 and pre-tournament favourite Mick Hill (11-7) in the Last 8, a result that Storry described as the biggest win of his life on Social Media.
Despite having been priced up as 40/1 before a ball was struck, Storry had already been a champion at the Players Pool and Snooker Lounge venue when he claimed the Players Amateur Challenge in the spring of 2017.
However, his memorable run and ambition of a second title there was denied by Gillespie, who won the final 11-7 to become the 2018 K8.com Classic Champion, taking the trophy and £5,000 home as rewards.
Elsewhere in the 128 player entry event, winner of the Strachan Cup and Supreme Masters over the summer, Harrison's bid for an unprecedented hat-trick was closed early. After his opening round loss to Gillespie, the former World Champion was unable to re-create the heroics he produced during August and succumbed via the earliest avenue on the losers' side when he lost to Lee Clough in a decider.
Finalist at events 1 and 2, Liam Dunster's stay in Newcastle-under-Lyme was also brought to a close by Clough in a deciding frame during the Losers' Round 3.
Reigning World Masters Champion Callum Singleton make his mark on the series by reaching the Last 4 before going out to Storry. In the previous round he pipped former back-to-back WEPF World Champion Tom Cousins, 11-10.
Ronan McCarthy and Marc Farnsworth, two of the sport's most consistent performers, both qualified for the single elimination portion again. They lost in the Last 16 to Singleton (11-7) and Hill (11-10), respectively.
Attention on the Supreme Pool Series now turns to the climax of the season; the record-breaking Home Leisure Direct Grand Finals. Taking place between the 30th November to the 2nd December, the event boasts a top prize of £51,000 – the largest amount in English 8-Ball tournament history.
2018 Supreme Pool Series – Event 4, the K8.com Classic
Phil Harrison drew upon his extensive palette of experience to claim the 2018 Strachan Cup; event 2 of the newfangled Supreme Pool Series.
128 of English 8 Ball's top talents traveled to the Players Pool and Snooker Lounge in Stoke-On-Trent for this unique three-day tournament. A strong contingent from UK and Ireland was joined by entries from Europe, Africa and even Australia – another example of the significant progress this series has made in trying to unify and grow the profile of the sport for competitors and fans alike.
Harrison began his campaign with comfortable 11-2 wins over Matt Brierley and Richard King before dismantling global Cuesports star Chris Melling 11-4. The composure of Harrison's game was then shown as he ousted former IPA World Champion Gareth Hibbott 11-10 in the next round.
The 2009 WEPF World Champion's route to the title wasn't without troubles, though, as he was pushed to the Losers Section following an 11-9 defeat to Jordan Church. However, Harrison re-grouped by seeing off Lee Clough 8-6 to qualify for the single elimination Quarter-Finals, where the competition was effectively re-set.
There was a stellar line-up for the Last 8, but inevitably there were big names who still missed out.
Melling lost two games in a row and was eliminated by double World Champion Tom Cousins, who himself was denied in the subsequent round by Shaun Storry. IPA World Champion Ben Davies was also one of Storry's other victims.
US Open 9 Ball Champion Jayson Shaw won a trio of matches in total but his bid was eventually ended by IPA World Number 1 Marc Farnsworth via a deciding frame. Farnsworth would exit the event to Stephen Dempsey during his next outing.
Scott Gillespie, champion of the season-opening Jason Owen Open in May, suffered the earliest possible avenue of elimination when he lost to Melling and then Matthew Schofield straight off.
BCA Hall of Fame member Darren Appleton navigated his first fixture but sadly had to withdraw from the tournament due to personal reasons.
The Quarter-Finals onwards
Harrison chalked up five consecutive frames to turn a 9-6 deficit into an 11-9 victory against Harjeet Singh. Singh, who represents India, had already won the best 'non-elite player prize' with an impressive run of results throughout the long weekend.
Recently crowned the WEPF World Champion for a record-extending fifth time, pre-tournament favourite Mick Hill was living up to expectations on debut having qualified undefeated, although he did have to survive final frame finishes against Craig Lakin and Yannick Beaufils. A more straight-forward 11-4 win over Church put him into the Last 4.
Joining Harrison and Hill in the Semi-Finals were Liam Dunster and Jon McAllister. Dunster stopped Karl O'Donoghue's tracks, 11-5, whilst McAllister came out on the right side of an absolute thriller with Northern Irish legend Ronan McCarthy, 11-10.
Both match-ups in the Semis were repeats of the latest WEPF and B.I. World Championship Finals.
Harrison was peerless and efficient as he crossed cues with long time adversary Hill, capitalising on his fellow Englishman's dry breaks to record a resounding 11-3 outcome in his favour. The result would go someway to serving revenge on an opponent who had denied him another world title in each of the past two years.
Reigning B.I. World Champion Liam Dunster was once again proving why he is one of the sport's hottest properties. The consistent Scottish youngster, who only a few weeks ago claimed the IPA Champions Cup title, sealed back-to-back final appearances on the Supreme Pool Series with a gut-wrenching 11-10 triumph against McAllister.
An intriguing final developed between two players with very similar styles – both on and off the table. However, possibly because of the occasion and the grueling nature of the event throughout, there were uncharacteristic early mistakes on both sides.
Harrison managed to open up a lead, though, an advantage that he always maintained. Well past the midnight hour he eventually confirmed an 11-8 victory to earn himself £5,000 and another highlight onto his illustrious CV within in the sport.
While Dunster will be disappointed to finish as runner-up on the series again, he will buoyed by the fact that both of these competitions were played to World Rules, which isn't his primary rule-set. He will be even more comfortable and dangerous for the next two stops on the series which are both played to Blackball Rules, his preferred discipline.
The stakes are raised for the Supreme Pool Masters which takes place 17th-19th August at the same venue, where the champion will walk away with £13,000 and one of the most prestigious titles in English 8 Ball Pool.
Following the K8.com Classic in late September, the series reaches boiling point in December with the Home Leisure Direct Grand Finals which boasts a record-breaking £51,000 first prize – the biggest in the sport's tournament history.
The 2018 Supreme Pool Series is the brave new world that the players and fans of top tier English 8 Ball Pool have been calling for.
In short, it unleashes the world's best players from both sides of the great rules divide, who will come together and contest five mega events across 2018 at the renowned Players Pool and Snooker Lounge in Stoke-on-Trent.
A total prize fund of over £125,000 will be up for grabs in what is by far the most lucrative independent English 8 Ball series there has ever been. The winner of the Grand Final in December will bank a staggering £40,000, which completely dwarfs anything else the sport has to currently offer in monetary terms.
English 8 Ball icon and Players Pool Events entrepreneur Lee Kendall, along with his hard working team, are behind the series, which aims to put the players first and awaken the sleeping dragon profile of the sport.
Following on from a very successful and popular catalogue of amateur and invitational events over the last couple of years at the same venue, it was a natural progression for the Players Pool Events team to take.
It was a brave call, but undoubtedly the correct one. For far too long the planet's most prolific have been kept apart; this is where they will look each other in the eyes, play under the same roof and challenge for deserved, unparalleled prize funds.
The concept has received universal acclaim from the industry's premier brand names. Supreme Pool, Strachan, Aramith, Home Leisure Direct and Jason Owen Cues have all given their backing to this new era of the sport, which will hopefully benefit all.
Beard Productions, widely regarded as the flag bearer for live streaming in this environment, will be covering the whole series from preview to review, whilst the Winning Post will also be live at the venue and online to cater for all official betting activities.
So who has entered? The entry list is an embarrasment of riches with World Champions, major title winners, internationals and professionals past and present all predictably throwing their names into the gauntlet.
Craig Marsh, Gareth Hibbott and Jack Whelan – all IPA World Champions, will be on display, as too are former WEPF World Champions Tom Cousins, Phil Harrison and Adam Davis. Reigning BI World Champion Liam Dunster is also involved, as well as Ben Davies.
The temptation has also lured box office names Carl Morris and Chris Melling out of the shadows and back into the limelight of their spiritual homes – for Morris, it ends his 7 year self exodus from the sport.
Perhaps the most notable World Champion of all to feature, though, is arguably the greatest ever English 8 Ball Pool exponent; 'The Golden Boy' Gareth Potts.
A record breaking 4-time World Champion in this discipline, Potts' most recent World Title at the Lakeside in 2013 was the last time we saw him in top level competition on the small table.
Since then he has carved out a life changing career in the Far East with Chinese 8 Ball Pool, from which he has won the prestigious World Masters on three occasions. However, just like fellow trend setters Morris and Melling, the urge to be a part of this was too strong.
Marc Farnsworth, Ronan McCarthy, Mark Boyle, Rob Chilton, Lee Clough, Neil Raybone, Craig Waddingham, Clint I'Anson and Jordan Church are just some of the other major champions involved – plenty more are set to feature as well.
Craig Lakin, Shaun Storry, Rob Wharne and Greg Batten, the winners of the previous events to be held at Players throughout 2016 & 2017, have not shied away from the most testing of challenges either. They'll be back attempting to claim more silverware and money.
Players from all corners of the United Kingdom and Ireland are represented, with interest also coming from across the channel and overseas. The international outreach and appetite is for all to see.
The much anticipated action begins at the start of May with the season opening Jason Owen Open. Be sure to keep an eye on all the updates and features here at The Cue View.
2018 Supreme Pool Series Schedule
Jason Owen Open (4th-6th May)
Strachan Cup (13th-15th July)
Supreme Masters (17th-19th August)
The Challenge (28th-30th September)
Home Leisure Direct Grand Final (November 30th – December 2nd)
