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IPA Tour Event 5 - 2014 British Open - Brighton
Hilton Brighton Metropole
King's Rd
Brighton
BN1 2FU
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www.hilton.com/brighton

Friday/Sunday 3-5 October 2014

Neil Raybone - 2014 IPA British Open Champion
Click the image to view the full size photograph.
All photography courtesy of �Sean Trivass
IPA Press Release

As the tables were taken apart after the British Open, Amateur, and Professional Tournaments last weekend the realisation dawned that with the exception of the Super 7�s from Sheffield next weekend (17-19th October), that was it for the IPA season, with the next few months allocated to organising the World Championships for February 2015 - it never really stops you know.

Just like any other sport, we like to see our tournaments unfold in spectacular fashion but even I would never have dared to write a script that matched reality, for fear of it being rejected as just too unrealistic, it really did have absolutely everything. Eighteen pool tables, 150 or so original entrants, HD quality livestreaming, and a double elimination format saw the Open get underway on Friday afternoon immediately taking the numbers down to the last 64 when the real fun began in pursuit of the trophy, cash prize, and pride of place in the blackball pool community. With both amateurs and professionals in action shocks were almost a certainty as the likes of Mark Chung, Christophe Lambert, Simon Ward, and Harry Irwin all went out at the last 32 stage leaving Gareth Hibbott as a pretty hot favourite in my book, having won almost everything so far all season, including the entertaining �Last Man Standing� on the Friday night (see IPA YouTube channel, and well worth a watch). Naturally, that view was the dreaded kiss of death as he crashed out 7-1 in the next round to Neil Raybone and all of a sudden we all realised this was far more open than many had thought. Looking at the big names left in, Neil Raybone and Dan Davy caught the eye but Dan lost out to Andrew Hughes leaving Neil as the only remaining pro left in the semi finals as he played Andrew Hughes while Luke Sanges took on Shane Lewes to set up a final where frankly anything was possible. Despite three of the four lining up at this stage merely proving my point that there is less gap than some imagine between the top amateurs and the professionals, the final between Neil and Shane turned in to a rather one sided affair with Neil Raybone staying perhaps the calmest to run out an 8-0 winner though that is not a totally true reflection of their abilities, with run of the ball and a touch of nerves also playing their part.

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