Champions Crowned on Memorable Weekend in Bruges
Seven groups saw champions crowned on a memorable weekend at the 2024 Belgian Open in Bruges.
The Trickshot Club in Bruges once again played host to the fifth edition of the Belgian Open with 48 cueists from six different nations competing for the titles across seven classification groups.
Dave Beaumont Claims Maiden Ranking Crown
Dave Beaumont won the first ranking event title of his career by defeating defending champion Kurt Deklerck 3-0 in the Group 1+2 final in Bruges.
Deklerck, aiming to win the event on home soil for the third time, topped the initial group stage which included a victory over the eventual champion despite losing the opening frame.
The Belgian started the final day strongly with a 2-0 defeat of fellow countryman Patrick Puttemans, while Beaumont booked his place in the title match with a win of the same scoreline over recent World Abilitysport Games gold medalist Tony Southern.
But Beaumont proved too strong in the final and whitewashed Deklerck to secure the Belgian Open title for the first time.
Joy For Joe In Bruges
Joe Hardstaff defeated Kal Muttu 3-1 in the Group 3 final to win the Belgian Open title for the first time.
The top two ranked players in the WDBS Group 3 rankings came through the initial group stage, which also featured Kit Kennedy and WDBS ranking event debutant Bohumil Vanek, to reach the title match with Muttu beating Hardstaff 2-0 in their group meeting.
Hardstaff was out for revenge in the final, however, and stormed to victory by winning three consecutive frames to complete a 3-1 win and secure a first WDBS title since the 2023 Champion of Champions.
Back-To-Back Ranking Titles For Carl Gibson
Carl Gibson won a second consecutive Group 4 ranking title with victory over William Thomson in the final in Bruges.
Breaks of 64 and 59 helped the recent British Open winner charge through the group stage with a clean sweep of victories and no frames dropped.
A further 3-0 victory over Belgian Olivier Biernaux saw Gibson book his place in the final where he would meet Scotland’s Thomson.
Thomson, playing in his first WDBS ranking event since the German Open in October, had topped his group before defeating Steve Cartwright 3-0 in the semi-finals.
Gibson’s unstoppable form continued, however, as he rounded off the weekend with another whitewash win to seal the title without losing a single frame in the event.
Dave Bolton Makes It Four In A Row
Dave Bolton’s undefeated streak in Group 5 continued as he beat Dave Waller 3-0 to lift a fourth consecutive ranking title.
The two finalists were drawn into the same group in the opening round, with Bolton securing a 2-0 victory as he stormed through the initial phase without dropping a frame.
Three breaks over 30 then saw Bolton comfortably overcome Belgian Gerdy Dupont, while Waller ended the hopes of defending champion Dalton Lawrence at the semi-final stage to complete the final line-up.
Bolton, who has now won four straight ranking event crowns since joining the WDBS tour last year, once again proved too strong for Waller as he completed a 3-0 victory to win the title.
Leroy Williams Defends Belgian Open Title
Leroy Williams secured back-to-back Belgian Open crowns with a 3-1 win against Matthew Haslam in the Group 6 final.
Williams comfortably came through his five-man group without losing a frame in the process to set up a quarter-final meeting with Ryan Pinnington.
Back-to-back whitewash wins against Pinnington and then Peter Geronimo saw Williams book his place in the title match where he met Haslam.
Haslam had also topped his group with a clean sweep of victories, before setting up a meeting with Williams courtesy of wins against Oliver Hanson and Christopher Goldsworthy.
Williams took the opening frame of the final but Haslam hit back with an impressive 61 break, the highest in the Group 6 event this weekend, to restore parity.
The current Group 6B number one ranked player then pushed on and showed his class as he secured the next two frames to put his name on the Belgian Open roll of honour once more.
Success for History-Maker Colvin O’Brien
Colvin O’Brien denied Mike Gillespie back-to-back Belgian Open titles in Group 7 with a 3-0 victory in the final in Bruges.
O’Brien, who made history at the British Open earlier this year by compiling the WDBS tour’s first century break, came through the group phase with three victories from three and was on course during this stage to repeat the achievement before breaking down on a break 92.
In the final O’Brien met Gillespie, the 2023 Belgian Open champion, but the cueist from Ireland proved too strong in the title match as he completed a 3-0 victory to win a WDBS ranking title for the first time in his career.
Luke Drennan Lifts Belgian Open Crown
Luke Drennan won his second ranking event title of the season with victory of Kristof De Bruyn in the Group 8 final.
Victories over Blake Munton and Jonathan Steggles were enough for Drennan to book his place in the semi-final stage, where he met Group 8’s top ranked player Lewis Knowles.
The reigning Irish Open champion showed tremendous form on the final day to overcome Knowles 3-1 and set up a final with Belgian cueist De Bruyn.
The title match was a high quality affair and Drennan took back-to-back frames to move one away from the title at 2-1.
It looked sure that the final would be going to a deciding frame when De Bruyn moved 52 points ahead in frame four, but Drennan fired in a stunning break of 60 to take it on the final pink and complete the victory.
Dainton Barrass Wins Challenge Cup Title
Welshman Dainton Barrass defeated Nigel Brasier 2-0 in the final of the Challenge Cup on Sunday.
The cup features those who do not qualify from the group phase on the Saturday and Group 8 player Barrass overcame disappointment from the previous day to reach the final with victories over Alex Hennebry, Ronnie Allen and Robert Marriott.
The ever-popular Brasier was his opponent in the final after he had defeated Jason Ellis, Stijn Compernolle and Niall Pollitt.
It was the 19-year-old’s day, however, as he beat Brasier to round off his weekend in style.
The WDBS tour continues in May with the Wilson Interiors Hull Open.
