Double win as academy stars shine

PUT IT THERE . . . North-West Junior Tour winner Saiful Amin with referee Rob Spencer

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OLDHAM Snooker Academy (OSA) members have been to the fore on home turf.

Saiful Amin won the English Amateur Snooker Board North-West Junior Tour (under-21s) after defeating Swinton's Haydon Brierley in the final.

Sixteen-year-old Amin notched the highest break, a superb 87.

The teenager was also in action in the North-West under-40s "double eliminator" event, staged at the OSA.

He was joined by fellow Academy players brothers Ryan and Aaron Davies, as well as Joshua Cooper in the field of 10.

All four were in contention in the latter stages, along with PTC and Q School player James Silverwood, from Lancaster.

Amin and Ryan succumbed to Silverwood, but he then lost to Aaron in the final three.

It left Cooper and Aaron to face off in the final, with victory going to the former courtesy of a 3-1 margin. Cooper also recorded the day's highest break of 84.

In the North-West Masters (over-40s), local player Mick Dickinson lost in the last-eight stage.

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Victory went to favourite Wayne Brown (St Helens), who defeated Kendal's Andrew Milliard 3-1 in the final.

Meanwhile, Michael Wild faces a tough qualifying match in the International Championship on Friday, September 30.

The Moorside ace has been drawn against Scotland's Stephen Maguire, who is ranked 20th in the world and a former UK Championship and China Open winner.

Wild takes on China's Cao Yupeng in the European Masters qualifier on Monday. Both events are being staged at the Preston Guild Hall.

Academy-based Hamza Akbar is also involved.

The Pakistani tour professional faces Alfie Burden in the European Masters on Monday, and he meets Matthew Selt in the International Championship on Friday, September 30.

"DOUBLE eliminator" tournament explained . . . The winner moves to the right side of the draw, with the loser placed on the left. The loser, for each match thereafter, plays someone who has also been beaten once.

Lose again and the player is out. However, continue to win and the player will eventually reach the final against an unbeaten opponent.