2011 EBSA European Snooker Championship begins in Bulgaria
Battle for the final spot of 2011-12 snooker season has begun at the Dedeman Hotel in Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia, as the European Billiard and Snooker Association (EBSA) organised 2011 European Snooker
Championship kicks off on Tuesday, June 7. The event winner will qualify for the pro tour and fill the 100th Tour Card Holder spot.
The event is featuring competitions in three categories, Men, Women and Masters (veterans over 40). A total of 120 competitors representing 35 nations are battling for their respective category title
at the Dedeman Hotel in Sofia.
The Men’s division is featuring 63 players divided in eight groups as the tournament is being played on the round-robin algorithm. Eight winners, one from each group, will qualify for the play-off
stage which includes quarter-final, semi-final and final matches.
The top contenders to grab the spot are Ireland’s Bobby Cruickshanks and Vincent Muldoon along with the Welshman, Lee Walker and England’s Martin O’Donnell. All four took their chances in all three
events of World Snooker Qualifying School (Q School) 2011 but could not make it in the end.
The European Snooker Championship 2011 is their final attempt to surge into the 2011-12 Snooker Season pro players list. So far, Bobby Cruickshanks has played only one match that he won by 4-0 and
is leading his group now.
Vincent Muldoon, on the other hand, has played two matches in Group C and grabbed victories in both. He is on second position in his group with six points. The points are awarded on the basis of frame
difference between clinched frames and lost frames.
Lee Walker has been placed in Group D along with Czech Republic’s Nick Ollis, Robert Murphy from Ireland, home favourite Dimitar Mehandjiiski and the Scotsman, Scott Donaldson. Walker has played two
matches with victory in his first by 4-0 while he lost to Scott Donaldson 3-4 in his second match.
England’s cueman, Martin O’Donnell, made a strong run in the ultimate event of Q School as he moved to the quarter-final stage beating Hans Blanckaert, Marc Harman, Duane Jones and Gary Wilson in
the first four rounds, while he lost to Kurt Maflin by 1-4 in the quarter-finals. He has played one match in the European Snooker Championship 2011 and won it 4-0 to lead the group.
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