Daryl Peach
Blackpool-based former World 9 Ball Champion Daryl Peach ended the professional year on a high note by claiming the 2010 GB9 Blackpool Pro Cup, defeating Mark Gray in a tense hill-hill final match. Peach won the lag to ensure his break cue was in use should the match go all the way and it proved the most vital shot of the match as, after a brief discussion as to whether the requisite points had been made from the break (the six ball having broken the head string by a mere millimetre), 'The Dazzler' duly dished the balls to take the title and his place as number one on the Pro rankings. "Both me and Mark struggled and I don't know why because I've felt great all day, perhaps I was a little bit over-confident as I'd beaten some good players convincingly. A few years back one of these events would be like another day at the office but nowadays I feel proud because of the standard."
Peach's quest for perfection has recently extended to having a table installed at home after the local pool hall closed and judging by his standard today it is paying dividends. "I'm loving practise at the moment. Now I can have a good half an hour at home and then go back to it later when I want rather than getting bored at the club after a few hours, it's so much better." After Darren Appleton's historic victory at the US Open, no incident involving Daryl Peach and a Dictaphone can pass without asking the obvious - 'how does he feeling at missing out on that final Mosconi Cup spot?' "I'm genuinely pleased for the lads that are in it, I really mean that. It just so happens that it's me that's got to miss out as Matchroom were never going to pick three Brits but it should just be the best five players. To be fair to them though I don't think they relish picking the team." Pushed for an opinion on which continent will be victorious come December 12th, Peach smiled, "I've got to say Europe haven't I...although I'm not so sure".
Back to the action at the Barcelo Blackpool Imperial Hotel and before the final paired Peach with Mark Gray, 'The Dazzler' headed off Dave Nelson 9 - 6; James Kay 9 - 3 and Karl Boyes 9 - 6. In full-flow, not many can live with Peach's unique mixture of simple technique and imposing aura.
In a reverse of the end of season main rankings, Mark Gray plays understudy to Peach ending as Pro Division number two. In Blackpool, victories over Matthew Ford 9 - 1, newly-crowned World Blackball Champion Jayson Shaw 9 - 3 and Imran Majid 9 - 7 assured him of his position.
