All-time great Phil Harrison added another major title to his collection and banked £10,000 after defeating Simon Fitzsimmons in a pulsating final to win the 2021 Apply Mortgages Ultimate Pool Masters.
Former world champion Harrison will never have won a tournament in more dramatic and frenetic circumstances having ousted Fitzsimmons by less than two seconds in a 6-reds shootout in front of the live FreeSports television cameras and enthralled crowd at the Players Pool and Snooker Lounge.
The popular Cambridgeshire cueist had to dispatch a gauntlet of world-class opponents just to get to Finals Night – testament to the strength and depth of this prestigious event. He had already ended the hopes of Greg Batten, Marc Farnsworth, Rob Chilton and Jordan Shepherd.
Beginning the evening as the favourite, “The Farmer” got his session off to a perfect start, recording two reverse clearances and a break clearance to take a 3-0 lead over youngster Josh Kane in the opening semi-final.
Former World Masters winner Kane registered break and reverse clearances of his own as he chalked up three of the next four frames to get back in contention, but a further two break clearances from Harrison helped him keep his opponent at arm’s length on his way to a 6-4 success.
In the second final four tie of the night in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Fitzsimmons was effective as he comfortably eliminated local star Rob Wharne 7-2.
Reigning Shootout Grand Finals winner Fitzsimmons led the overall tournament break clearances chart and had an impressive break success rate of 80% going into the encounter. “The Bouncer” once again showed his power in those areas, legally potting from all four of his breaks, making a break clearance in frame eight and punishing with two reverse clearances.
An Epic Climax
After 62 matches, spanning five months and featuring 64 different players from across the UK and beyond, the final showdown brought together two players who had never faced each other before in major competition.
Typically – and just like his triumph over Kane – Harrison got off to an ideal start, capitalising on a rare dry break from Fitzsimmons to clear for the first frame and then crafting a break clearance in the second to double his advantage.
However, Manchester man Fitzsimmons built up momentum, constructing a break clearance in the third and twice levelling up at 2-2 and then 3-3.
The pendulum swung again as Harrison nailed a crucial double in frame seven to help retake the lead before a dreamy break clearance of the highest order saw him on the cusp of glory at 5-3 up with time wearing thin.
Fitzsimmons, though, is no stranger to conjuring up heroics against the clock; he was the beneficiary of a timely golden break in frame nine and squared proceedings up again with the tenth. There was time for frame 11 to break off and establish itself – in which Harrison had a last gasp chance where he was unable to get position on the black – but the title would have to be decided via a 6-reds shootout.
The only player to have come through two 6-reds shootouts previously in the Masters, Fitzsimmons went first and would have been confident after setting a very competitive target of 27.84. However, in a finish that will live long in the memory, Harrison dashed – literally – to victory, scoring a winning time of 26.70 – just over a second quicker than his opponent.
Speaking straight after his win, a jubilant but exhausted Harrison said: “I don’t know what to say – it’s been mental. To be honest, I thought that Simon played a little better than me – that 6-reds shootout is absolutely mental.
“I think it is probably my best ever tournament win. I’ve had some good memories in the past but under this sort of pressure in front of the tv cameras and everything – I’ve never felt anything like it. I was probably shaking all the way through the match.”
Runner-up Fitzsimmons was magnanimous following the narrow defeat: “He (Harrison) was class throughout the tournament – them counter clearances really hurt you.
“It’s amazing to be a part of (this event). The feeling you get with those last 15 seconds, it’s unbelievable. I’m dead proud to get to the final; I’m made up to get through such a tough field but just come up short this time.”
Televised Ultimate Pool action on Monday nights returns on September 6th with the start of the Ultimate Pool Pairs Cup where 64 teams look to claim the latest major title on the circuit. Keep posted on ultimatepoolgroup.com and social media for announcements of who will be involved.
Phil Harrison came back from the brink of elimination to win the opening last 16 / quarter-finals group of the 2021 Apply Mortgages Ultimate Pool Masters.
Featuring a quartet of multiple major champions, this latest installment of action from the Players Pool and Snooker Lounge was eagerly anticipated, and whilst the pool wasn’t faultless, there were several moments of thrilling drama.
The night broke off with the winners from the opening two groups of the competition back in April as Jordan Shepherd faced two-time world champion and recent Vinny Champions League winner Chris Melling.
‘The Magician’ got off to a perfect start, break dishing in the first frame before five-time Shootout event winner Shepherd replied in kind.
However, an under par Melling made a number of uncharacteristic errors and – despite a rapid break dish in frame five – was punished by his Welsh opponent who went on to record a 7-3 victory with a break dish in frame ten.
The second clash of the evening brought together two very experienced campaigners who were winning big titles back in the 90s – Harrison and Rob Chilton.
After the first five frames went against break, former European Champion Chilton break dished in frame six and then reversed dished in the next to carve open a 5-2 advantage. There was no quit in Harrison, though, who delivered a timely purple patch with a reverse dish-break dish-reverse dish burst to square the match at 5-5.
He appeared well placed to continue his streak after potting off the break in frame 11, but an unexpected miss with his first shot allowed Chilton to compile a clearance attempt, although he ended up rattling a mid-distance black to take the frame. More drama immediately came when Harrison incorrectly thought that he had his extension remaining, but on being told he hadn’t with just two seconds left, he instinctively had to swipe at the balls and ended up going in-off, giftwrapping the frame for his opponent.
With only a few minutes left on the clock, once Chilton potted off his break in the next and with the balls at his mercy, it looked like game over. But perhaps overthinking the situation and trying to eat as much of the clock as he could, the Dudley cueist inexplicably snookered himself with two of his object balls left. The blunder allowed Harrison a last-gasp chance with less than 55 seconds to go, and it was one that he took with both hands, constructing a sensational clearance under extreme pressure – including a potential shot of the championship pot combo – to somehow level up at 6-6.
Only one second left, Harrison had time to break dry in the 13th, which meant a 6-reds shootout. Incredibly, more scenes were created when Chilton – who was initially looking good for a sub-30 second score – got miserably stuck on the last red, failing to pot it after several attempts, leading him to concede the match.
PHIL FILLS FINALS NIGHT TICKET
Harrison only had a few minutes to settle down for his quarter-final with Shepherd, and may have still been feeling the effects when he snookered himself on a ball in the opening frame. Despite losing that frame, the 2009 world champion chalked up the next two to go ahead.
Prior to this night, the event had seen only three Golden Breaks from 469 frames, but remarkably, Shepherd struck gold in consecutive frames where he broke to level up twice before crafting a beautiful finish in the seventh to re-take the lead at 4-3.
As the match moved towards the latter stages – including a reduced 15-second shot clock – it appeared as if this would suit ‘Sheppy’s’ quick style, but like he has done so many times throughout his illustrious career, Harrison somehow found a way and produced the goods.
The World Masters champion claimed four of the next five frames to progress to the semi-finals as a 7-5 victor and stay on course for yet another major title and a pop at the £10,000 first prize.
Last 16, Group 1 Results
Jordan Shepherd 7-3 Chris Melling
Break Dishes: Shepherd 2, Melling 2
Reverse Dishes: Shepherd 0, Melling 0
*Melling had a 100% break success in the match
Phil Harrison 6-6 Rob Chilton – Harrison won via a 6-reds shootout (Chilton conceded going first)
Break Dishes: Harrison 1, Chilton 1
Reverse Dishes: Harrison 3, Chilton 2
Shepherd 5-7 Harrison
Break Dishes: Shepherd 2 (both were Golden Breaks), Harrison 1
Reverse Dishes: Shepherd 0, Harrison 0
Phil Harrison put on a clinic in world-class pool as he advanced to the last 16 of the 2021 Apply Mortgages Ultimate Pool Masters.
The evergreen 46-year-old began his night in Newcastle-under-Lyme with a tricky opening round affair against former Players Amateur Championship winner Greg Batten.
He set his stall out early on, immediately clearing up from his opponent’s dry break in the first frame before producing a break dish in the second. Devon-based Batten followed suit in the third with a break and clearance of his own but Harrison claimed frames four and five to open up a 4-1 lead.
The following two frames were shared, and with little over ten minutes on the 50-minute match-clock remaining, it appeared as if there was only one winner. However, Batten rallied in rapid fashion; reverse clearing from Harrison’s break in frame eight, break clearing in frame nine and then reverse clearing again to dramatically level at 5-5.
Tension ramped up, both players were now pushed by the 15-second shot-clock, although the experienced Harrison kept his cool with a fine response in frame 11 that concluded with a cross double on the black to regain the advantage. With just over two minutes left, Batten was forced to go for an unlikely finish in the next, and when an attempted double went wrong, the contest was effectively over.
The evening’s second tie brought together Marc Farnsworth and Tom Price. The opening stages were a mixed bag – although both cueists showed signs of their excellence – and the pair couldn’t be separated after six frames.
However, Farnsworth – the odds-on group favourite before a ball was struck – moved it up another level as he strung together four successive frames to win 7-3.
The group final pitched together two former world champions in a mouthwatering clash that was expected to go close – yet the final outcome was anything but.
A world title winner in 2009, Harrison went 2-0 ahead before registering a reverse dish and a break dish to forge a 4-0 profit in the race to eight. Farnsworth got on the board with a break and clearance in the fifth but that would be as good as it got for the man from the north-east, who was a spectator bar one shot for the next three frames.
‘The Farmer’ break dished in the sixth, reverse dished in the seventh and break dished again in the eighth to move 7-1 up. Harrison had cleared directly from his break on three consecutive occasions and between the pair it was six frames in a row where there was a clearance immediately after the break shot.
With the game nearly up, Farnsworth was on for yet another break dish in frame nine, but when he unexpectedly missed the black, Harrison mopped up to complete a supreme and resounding 8-1 triumph.
A quarter-finalist at the quicker-paced Vinny Champions League, Harrison was visibly more comfortable this time around with the 45-second shot-clock. He joins previous group winners Jordan Shepherd and Chris Melling in what is shaping up to be an irresistible opening section in phase two later this year.
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.
After last year's unparalleled success, the groundbreaking Supreme Pool Series will make its eagerly awaited return for a second installment in 2019. The big money, five-event concept will once again bring together top exponents of the English 8-Ball Pool world all under one roof at the renowned Players Pool and Snooker Lounge near Stoke-on-Trent.
Mirroring the inaugural edition, the season opens in Spring and leads up to a Grand Final event towards the end of the year. After listening to constructive feedback from the players, though, tweaks have been made to the programme elsewhere.
The 2018 calendar featured a share of both World Rules and Blackball events – representative of the unique cross-code palette of entries that was on display. However, due to the popularity of the new Supreme Rules that were showcased in the final event, a decision was made to adopt them throughout the whole of the upcoming campaign.
Another mission objective of the series was to reward the players with improved prize money; this was exhibited when Liam Dunster walked off with a record £51,000 winners' cheque at the end of the year – the largest amount ever awarded in the sport’s tournament history. Whilst lucrative sums are still available to the champions of each event this time around, total prize money has been spread out further down in 2019 with around the top third in each tournament guaranteed to cash.
The Supreme Pool Series has received global acclaim with viewers from both sides of the world tuning into the online Beard Productions live stream coverage. Overseas demand for the series cannot be understated, so much so, that an exciting additional event has been agreed for the start of October – the four-day Morocco Masters that is scheduled to take place in Tangier.
Who’s involved?
Once again, all three reigning world champions of the sport have signed up to the series – Marc Farnsworth (IPA World Champion), Mick Hill (WEPF World Champion) and Scott Gillespie (BI World Champion), who claimed two SPS titles last year.
A plethora of former world champions from different rulesets adds to the embarrassment of riches on display including Phil Harrison – back-to-back winner on the circuit in 2018 – and the ultra-consistent Dunster, who finished the series as the number one ranked player. Countless other major title winners, professionals and internationals will feature too.
Chris Melling and Karl Boyes – multi-time Mosconi Cup champions in the past and former world champions in various disciplines themselves – will both also return to their smaller table roots.
A trademark of the Supreme Pool Series is international participation. Typically strong representation from the UK will be challenged by a cosmopolitan contingent of hopefuls coming from Ireland, Malta, Morroco and even as far afield as Australia.
Event 1 – The Liberty Games Open – takes place next week between the 5th-7th April.
The richest prize in the history of English 8 Ball Pool will be claimed come the conclusion of the Home Leisure Direct Grand Finals this weekend at the Players Pool and Snooker Lounge in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Held between the 30th November to the 2nd December, this showcase event is the culmination of the five-leg Supreme Pool Series that has been running throughout the year. The innovative concept has brought together the world’s best players from both sides of the sport’s rules divide, thus allowing to feature dream inter-promotional clashes that the fans have been starved of in recent times.
Entrants from all four corners of the UK and Ireland have been joined by representatives from France, Malta, Morocco, India and even Australia, in what has been a truly international outreaching series in terms of viewership and participation.
With the inevitable strength in depth, it is perhaps a surprise that just two players have dominated proceedings by scooping up all four titles on the series so far.
Scott Gillespie claimed the first (Jason Owen Open) and latest (K8.com Classic) stops on the circuit, whilst the evergreen Phil Harrison tasted back-to-back successes at the Strachan Cup and Supreme Masters during the summer. Harrison’s dramatic deciding frame win against fellow all-time great Mick Hill in the Masters was arguably one of the sport’s finest ever finals.
125 players have met the qualifying criteria for the Home Leisure Direct Grand Finals, which will be played under the new, revolutionary Supreme Rules discipline. The last man standing will walk away with a life changing £51,000, a new record in English 8-Ball Pool competition history, eclipsing the £50k that was won by Frankie Sargeant during the one-frame Pub Pool Challenge at the Ricoh Arena in 2006.
The seeds and the draw
As was the case in the last two events on the series, double elimination qualifying is the order of the day until the Last 16 knockouts.
Top seeds Harrison, Gillespie and two-time finalist Liam Dunster all receive opening round byes. Five-times WEPF World Champion Hill, who is likely to be the pre-tournament favourite once
again, will face Malta’s Scott Muscat first up. Hill will be hoping to break his SPS duck at the most potent point.
For his standards, IPA World Champion Ben Davies has had a disappointing time at Players this year, but he too has the opportunity to time his run perfectly. The Welshman crosses cues with fellow professional Craig Brown, the winner will meet Gillespie in Round Two.
Coming off the back of a trio of big victories in recent weeks, the in-form Mark Boyle is another fancied competitor looking to strike. Sitting in the same mini-section as Gillespie and Davies, his first challenge to complete is Michael Smout.
2013 and 2014 WEPF World Champion Tom Cousins takes on George Tierney in what will be a keenly watched affair, whilst long time professional number 1 Marc Farnsworth would meet BCA Hall of Famer Darren Appleton in the second stage if they overcome Ben Mackie and Darren McVicar respectively.
Appleton is not the only star name from the wider world of cuesports who has returned to his smaller table roots during the Supreme Pool Series. Enticed by the prestige and record-breaking rewards on offer, Chris Melling (plays Lee Washbrook) and Karl Boyes (plays Lee Clough) are eligible and available for the Grand Finals, too. Jayson Shaw, who will be on duty with Team EUROPE at the Mosconi Cup, also featured earlier in the campaign.
All three days of this historic spectacle will be broadcast live via Beard Productions, who will stream four tables simultaneously from every session.
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 recorded one of the greatest tournament victories in the history of English 8 Ball Pool when he became the 2018 Supreme Masters Champion last weekend.
Contested at the renowned Players Pool and Snooker Lounge, the tournament was the third leg of this year's ground-breaking Supreme Pool Series which sees competitors from both rule sets, and the UK and beyond, crossing cues for a £152,250 total prize fund.
Already regarded as one of the sport's all-time legends, Harrison added another significant entry to his illustrious bio and boosted his popularity once again with the quiet and classy way he went about his business throughout.
Fresh from claiming last month's Strachan Cup, an exceptional brace of consecutive victories on the series looked like a forlorn ambition for Harrison when Darrell Whitworth caused an upset by defeating him 11-6 in the First Round.
Despite this early setback that pushed him to the very start of the Losers' Section, the former WEPF World Champion embarked on tackling a gauntlet of high profile names in order to get back on track. 44-year-old Harrison eliminated Tony Halpin, Ronan McCarthy, Zak Shepherd, Darren Appleton, Chris Melling and then Clint I'Anson just to qualify for the Last 16 Knock-Outs where the competition was effectively re-set.
Now back on a level footing with everyone else remaining, the Cambridgeshire cueist defeated current IPA Premier League leader Neil Raybone 11-6 and then IPA professional Drew Hughes 11-5 to reach the Last 4.
Max Nosko was enjoying a memorable run in Newcastle-Under-Lyme and had already secured the additional 'Best Non-Elite' prize after walloping 2015 IPA World Champion Jack Whelan 11-1 in the Quarters. The Bristolian's hopes were extinguished, though, by the eventual champion, 11-6.
Harrison's opponent in the final was none other than the reigning and five-times WEPF World Champion Mick Hill, who was once again the pre-tournament favourite.
Despite suffering from a neck injury which was clearly visible during his opening fixture on the main arena table, Hill won four straight matches to serenely qualify for the Last 16 undefeated.
During the Knock-Outs Craig Lakin held Hill at 8-8 before the latter pulled away with the last three frames. Further big name rivals in the form of Shaun Chipperfield and Marc Farnsworth would await Hill in the Quarters and Semis, but respective 11-6 and 11-5 scorelines saw off the danger.
Arguably the top two English 8 Ball players in the world today, the finalists would write another thrilling chapter into their ongoing saga. In recent head-to-heads Hill had denied Harrison in the 2017 and 2018 World Finals, but on his way to the Strachan Cup last month Harrison put on a clinic when he stopped Hill in the Semi-Finals.
In front of a live stream audience of thousands, predictably, the final was very high on quality with few unforced errors. The lead changed hands on several occasions and there was never more than two frames between them, but ultimately the pair found themselves locked at 10-10 and staring down a deciding frame with a difference of £8,000 in prize money and one of the most prestigious titles in the sport up for grabs.
Having won the lag around an hour and forty minutes earlier, Harrison split the pack well and crucially made balls off the break. He then proceeded by coolly holding his nerves together and converting a finish in the same one visit for a memorable victory.
Harrison was presented the beautiful trophy by tournament and series sponsor Laura Martin from Supreme Pool. He also banked a handsome £13,000 cheque, the largest amount, so far, to be awarded in English 8 Ball Pool this year.
When you regard Harrison's early disappointment on the Friday afternoon, the amount of, and standard of the players he faced subsequently, this is a remarkable achievement. You would be hard pushed to find a tougher and more grueling path to glory within the sport.
The 2018 Supreme Masters grabbed the imagination of the viewing public with live streaming of up to four tables on multiple platforms across the three days. On Facebook alone there have been a million reaches so far.
There are now just two more events of the campaign remaining – the K8.com Classic (28th-30th September) and the Home Leisure Direct Grand Finals (30th November – 2nd December) which holds a record-breaking £51,000 top prize.
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 latest leg of the ground-breaking Supreme Pool Series starts this Friday with the three-day Strachan Cup.
Following on from Scott Gillespie's glory at the season opening Jason Owen Open in May, 128 of English 8 Ball Pool's top exponents from the UK and beyond will travel to the world renowned Players Pool and Snooker Lounge for a slice of history and a cool £5,000 winners purse.
As if the catalogue of immensely talented and successful entries was not enough, the ante has been upped yet again with the introduction of Mick Hill – arguably the greatest player of all time in this discipline.
The Englishman, who is the pre-tournament favourite, recently secured a record-extending fifth WEPF World Championship title in Blackpool with an exciting final victory over another one of the Supreme Series' big hitters, Phil Harrison.
Hill begins his bid on the live streamed arena table Friday lunchtime with an intriguing clash against Mike King, a member of the English squad that defended the WEPF World Team Championship last month too.
Once again returning to their English 8 Ball roots are global Cuesports stars Darren Appleton, Chris Melling and Jayson Shaw. Despite their long term self-exoduses from the smaller table, the Mosconi Cup winning trio proved they are serious contenders with a number of fine results in Event 1. Shaw, in particular, impressed when reaching the Quarter-Finals.
In what is possibly the pick of the opening round fixtures, Melling crosses cues with Gillespie. One of these two signature names will immediately be pushed onto the interminable Losers Side where they would have to win eight straight matches to qualify for the straight Knock-Out Last 8.
Including Hill, the 2018 Strachan Cup can boast featuring all three current World Champions of the sport. IPA World Champion Ben Davies meets fellow Welshman Ben Fortey first up, whilst the ultra-consistent Liam Dunster of Scotland – runner-up to Gillespie in May and recent IPA Champions Cup winner, is due to open his account against big money match player Max Nosko.
Former WEPF World Champions Tom Cousins and Harrison face dangerous opponents Paul Riley and Matt Brierley respectively in Round One, whilst IPA World Number 1 Marc Farnsworth is scheduled to play former IPA World Champion Jack Whelan in another blockbuster.
The profile and riches of the inaugural Supreme Pool Series – which culminates in December's Home Leisure Direct Grand Finals where the winner will bank a record £51,000, has enticed players from outside of the UK to play.
Alongside strong representation from the Home Nations, players representing the Republic of Ireland, France, Morrocco, India and Malta will all be exhibited this weekend. Further evidence of the series' worldwide appeal is the entry of Jake McCartney, who will make the long journey from Australia to compete.
From start to finish, the whole of this weekend's must watch action will be covered live by Beard Productions, who will stream four tables simultaneously for each and every session.
