Desperques and Shorto set up their 10th island final
THE Island Snooker Championship final next month will be between Adam Shorto and Martyn Desperques for a 10th time, after both safely came through their quarter and semi-finals.
Shorto did not drop a frame over his two matches, but while Desperques was pushed harder, five breaks of over 50 was equally impressive.
All of Desperques’ breaks came on the slick, newly-covered table one at the Gremlin Club, with a best of 93 coming in the third frame of his semi against Glenn Le Prevost.
The defending champion had already made an 86 earlier in the week when beating Darren Hughes, and with breaks of 68 and 56 in the first two frames of a race to four, Desperques looked on course for a whitewash win with a 48.
Le Prevost’s 71 delayed an early celebration, which was prolonged further as he also took the fifth, but a 55 from Desperques wrapped up a 4-2 victory in one of the highest quality matches played this season.
Shorto started his week at the North Legion by beating Miles Plumley with breaks of 40 and 38, but expected a sterner test against Seb Priaulx.
The latter booked his semi place with the narrowest of 3-2 wins against John Skillett in the pick of the quarter-finals, but failed to make much of an impression against Shorto.
The island captain had a best break of 69 to set up another meeting against Desperques and the chance to redress the balance of a 5-4 deficit to him in island finals.
More in Tuesday's Guernsey Press.
