Arfan Dad
Group 13 winner Arfan Dad had to be clinical amongst the balls in order to overcome frustrations with his break and two quality opponents during the latest installment of Apply Mortgages Ultimate Pool Masters action on Monday night.
Bizarrely, ‘The Daddy’ legally potted a ball from his break-off just once in twelve attempts throughout the night, but he created and seized opportunities when he was able to, racking up six reverse dishes on route to booking a last 16 berth.
The opening match of the evening saw former European Champion Stephen Dempsey cause a small upset when he eliminated local hero Neil Raybone 5-4.
In a contest where there was never more than a frame between them, the first four all went against the breaker before both players traded break dishes in frames five and six.
Former World Masters champion Raybone produced a classy reverse dish in frame seven but Irishman Dempsey levelled up and then recorded only the third Golden Break of the tournament in frame nine to edge back in front. That effectively saw him advance, as he expertly wound down the clock in the next after Raybone broke dry.
In the second last 64 tie of the night at the Players Pool and Snooker Lounge, Dad got the better of experienced former UK Tour event winner Brian Halcrow 8-3.
Winner of the Savanna Double Dare, Dad nailed a crucial table length double on his way to claiming the opening frame and subsequently established a 3-0 lead.
Halcrow got a foothold as he chalked up three of the next five frames (including two reverse dishes) but Dad won another trio of successive frames to hit the allotted target with more than 90 seconds left to spare.
THE FINAL
Keighley-based star Dad’s troubles with the break continued in the group final but despite this annoyance he kept his cool and applied his wisdom in a narrow 7-6 victory.
Dempsey capitalised from an in-off to reverse dish in frame one but it would be the only time in the match that he was in front.
Dad plotted and potted well, totting up five of the next six frames to go 5-2 ahead before Dempsey constructed a break dish followed by a reverse dish to reduce his deficit to only one.
However, Dad – who didn’t legally pot off any of his seven breaks – managed to keep his opponent at bay, surviving a rapid late onslaught in the dying seconds to make it through.
The match featured eight reverse dishes in total; Dempsey made five of those, but a couple of missed opportunities elsewhere may have cost him dear.
