Perth snooker star on cue for world success

Jul 19 2011 by Greg Christison, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

TEENAGE snooker sensation Scott Donaldson has progressed to the last 32 of a prestigious international competition, writes Greg Christison.

A superb performance from the 17-year-old cueist has seen him win five out of six opening round robin matches at the International Billiards and Snooker Federation World Under 21 Snooker Championship.

The former Perth High student will move into the knockout phase of the tournament, which is being hosted by Canada, after chalking up convincing wins against Belgium’s Kristof Vermeiren, Australia’s Kurt Dunham, Romanian Andrei Orzan, Canadian Roy (Lingbin) Zeng and Wong Yun Shing of China.

Donaldson, who was yesterday preparing for his final two round robin matches as the PA went to print, marginally lost in a hard-fought encounter with England’s Nick Jennings despite impressively knocking in two centuries - a 111 and a 129.

The 129 break is currently the third highest of the competition.

The winner of the tournament will be rewarded with a spot on the main tour, where potential opponents include snooker supremos such as Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins.

Donaldson, who left school earlier this year in an attempt to realise his dream of becoming a professional snooker player, reached the quarter-finals of the European Snooker Championship in Bulgaria last month.

After a stunning 5-0 whitewash of Germany’s Patrick Einsle, the teenager fell in a final frame decider to number one seed Martin O’Donnell from Ireland.