EBBW Vale teenager Jackson Page has built on his run to the Welsh Open third round by claiming the European under-18 title in Cyprus.
The 15-year-old, runner-up to fellow Welshman Tyler Rees in the same event last year, beat Israel’s Amir Nardeia 5-3 in a best-of-nine frame final.
After topping his qualifying group with four wins from four, Page, the reigning world under-18 champion, defeated Russian Kirill Petrov 3-0 in the last 32.
He then beat Cilfynydd’s Dylan Emery, who is coached by Gwent’s Darren Morgan at the Red Triangle club in Cross Keys, in a tense encounter that went to a deciding frame.
The quarter-final against Poland’s Michał Kotiuk was a lot more comfortable for Page, and he followed up that 4-0 win with a 4-2 victory over Aaron Hill in the semis.
Page trailed 2-1 but rattled off three successive frames, which included breaks of 57 and 68, to seal his place in the final.
The first four frames of the showpiece were shared before Nardeia’s run of 66 put him in front.
However, Page again stormed back, going from 3-2 down to 5-3 up and doing what he couldn’t quite manage in 2016.
He is now involved in the group stages of the under-21 tournament, and will also go for glory in the men’s event alongside Blackwood’s former professional Andrew Pagett.
Meanwhile, Emery’s Red Triangle stablemate Connor Caniff, from Tredegar, lost in the last 16 of the under-18s.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here