Ireland Win European Senior Team C-Ships

Snooker & Billiards Ireland would like to congratulate our Senior (Masters) Snooker Team of Frank Sarsfield & Mark Tuite on winning the 2021 European Senior Team Snooker Championships here in Portugal today. In the final Frank Sarsfield & Mark Tuite beat Team Malta 5 frames to 3 in a great match to claim the title. Mark Tuite also won the High Break Prize in the event.

Ireland had two teams in this event, Ireland 1 of Dylan Rees & John O Sullivan and Ireland 2 of Frank Sarsfield & Mark Tuite playing. Both Irish Snooker teams played great snooker to qualify from the groups with Ireland 1 of John O Sullivan & Dylan Rees becoming No.1 seeds for the knock out stage. Ireland 2 of Frank Sarsfield & Mark Tuite were seeded No.9 for the event.

Both teams had good wins in the early morning session at 10am with Team Ireland 1 beating Switzerland 4 frames to 1 while Ireland 2 beat Finland 4-2. That set up an all Irish battle in the Q-Finals in the afternoon session.

In the Q-Finals it was Sarsfield & Tuite who got off to a great start going 3-0 up but O Sullivan & Rees fought back to win the fourth but then Sarsfield & Tuite won the next to seal the victory. In the semi finals against Northern Ireland, Frank and Mark were on top early and stormed into the final with a 4-0 victory.

CLICK KNOCK OUT DRAW

The Final

In the final they face Team Malta who had beaten them in the groups. Malta won frame 1 but Mark Tuite won his Singles match to level the match at 1-1 with a top break of 41, Malta won the doubles frame to led 2-1 but the Limerick man Sarsfield fought back with a top break of 49 to level the match. Mark then won his singles match with a top break of 40 to put the Irish 3-2 up. Experienced Malta then again levelled at 3-3 but the Irish then won the next two frames to seal victory and the European Title for the St John’s Clubmates.

FINAL SCORECARD

The victory today was Mark Tuite’s third EBSA European Title as he had previously won the EBSA Senior Singles in 2013 and the EBSA team event with Anthony Bonnar in 2014. Frank had an outstanding event in reaching the final of the Senior Singles earlier in the week and he also recently won the SBI National Senior Title and the Limerick Singles title.

National Coach PJ Nolan said ” Frank and Mark played excellent snooker today and it is fantastic for Irish Snooker to have another European Title in Ireland as every country around Europe are working hard on improving. Snooker & Billiards Ireland are so proud of all the players who have represented our association in Portugal this year. Everyone are so proud of Frank and Mark on how they stood tall to win this prestigious European title against a top class Malta side today. The amount of text’s and phone calls from all around the world inspired them both to this fabulous victory today.  

Both players dedicated this special victory today, in memory of Frank’s mother who had passed away recently. May she rest in peace RIP

The 2021 European Senior Team Champions – Up Limerick and Up Ireland!!!!!!!!!!!