Davies: It's all getting a bit boring now
The Merthyr magician makes it four Poolmania titles in a row
Greg Davies continued his rampant domination of TTFE Poolmania after a thrilling 3-2 final victory over Jon Pride at Riley's Canton. In a tournament using British pool tables for the first time and boasting four new wildcard players, Davies was still able to navigate safely to bring home the estimated £40 prize.
Jon Pride reached his first final after two third place finishes, whilst debutants James Carling and Mark flourished by winning their groups respectively. Carling grabbed his first Poolmania podium with third place.
It was a tournament to forget for second seeds Chris Phillips and Mike Pinto, who each finished bottom of their groups. Callum Gigg avoided bottom place in Group One on his first attempt whilst Dale Thomas failed to reclaim his form from the first tournament - but he was happy to make steady progress by just missing out on knockout stage. He said: “I'm happy to live up to my seed for this tournament”.
An unexpected twist in Group Two meant a three way playoff between tie between Pride, Joe Newbury and Mitch Gadd as each of them reached the same points total and head-to-head could not decide the group's runner-up.
There was also a tense moment when a passer-by brushed past Pride mid-shot during his 2-0 defeat to Gadd. The result also triggered the three-way playoff and Pride was particularly angered by the incident.
“I wanted to hit 'im” said Jon, in the post tournament media conference.
Despite the record title-haul, Davies did admit he had some nervous moments during the final. He had even wished that luck could play an extra hand as he battled to his victory.
“To be honest with all due respect, I hoped that guy who hit you came back with the way you were playing”, Davies uttered to Pride after the game.
Davies now hopes to use his winnings for the good of the game in readiness for the next Poolmania, which will boast a player pool of over 15 candidates. He said, “I'll make sure I'll get a trophy with this money for next time”.
As always, the 'Merthyr magician' remained characteristically modest on his chances for the next tournament, always insisting that he will one day be beaten by a worthy opponent in TTFE. However he did display a playful smirk with the relish of his fourth title on the trot.
“It's all getting a bit boring now” he said as he left the venue.
